Title: Assistant Director of Creative Services - Charlotte

Position Type: Staff Full-Time

Days Per Week: Monday - Friday

Hours Per Week: 40

VP Area: University Communications

Department: University Communications

Location: 

Position Summary

The Assistant Director of Creative Services leads the execution of high-impact design projects that advance the university’s branding and marketing goals, with an emphasis on Charlotte initiatives. This position collaborates with key departments such as Admissions, Advancement, Student Life and Academic Affairs to develop strategic visual communications across print and digital platforms. The Assistant Director is a key point of contact for creative services requests in Charlotte, managing projects from concept to completion while contributing creative leadership to ensure brand consistency and high-quality execution. Working in close partnership with University Communications, this role helps align creative work with broader institutional priorities, coordinating across teams to ensure projects are executed effectively and consistently across all university campuses.

Benefits of Working at Elon

As an Elon University employee, you’ll join an internationally acclaimed university with a commitment to fostering a thriving community. Ranked among the most innovative, creative and best-run universities in the nation, Elon’s personal approach to education extends to employees, whose growth, professional development and success is a hallmark of our training and advancement opportunities.

Elon University’s home is the charming town of Elon, North Carolina, a small, friendly community located a short distance from the beach and the mountains, and among the vibrant cities of Greensboro, Raleigh and Durham. In addition to the beautiful canopy of historic oak trees iconic to our campus, you’ll find boundless opportunities for family-friendly recreation, cultural events and outdoor activities. Hiking, water sports, fine dining and entertainment are just a few of the many happenings in the Elon area, making the region one of the nation’s premier travel destinations.

Employees at Elon enjoy a generous and comprehensive benefits package that includes:

28 annual days off, including holidays and vacation.

Immediate tuition remission for undergraduate courses

Tuition remission for approved graduate-level courses after 12 months of employment.

Retirement plan with an 8 percent contribution from the university.

Immediate eligibility for health, dental and vision insurance, along with free acute care and lab services at our onsite Health & Wellness Clinic.

Free use of campus fitness facilities.

Free admission to musical and theater performances, guest speakers, religious and ethnic observances, recitals, art exhibitions, entertainment and our Division I Phoenix athletics.

Eligibility for tuition remission at Elon for spouses, qualifying domestic partners and dependents begins at two years of service. After two years of employment, eligibility begins for participation in the Tuition Exchange, a national scholarship exchange program that enables dependents to enroll in nationally recognized partner colleges and universities.

Elon values and celebrates the diverse backgrounds, cultures, experiences and perspectives of our community members. As an equal opportunity employer, Elon’s principles of diversity extend to race and gender identity, age, disability status, veteran status, sexual orientation, religion, and other aspects of one’s identity. At Elon, our employees respect human differences, passion for lifelong learning, emphasis on personal integrity and an ethic of service.

Employees at Elon enjoy a generous and comprehensive benefits package that includes:

28 annual days off, including holidays and vacation.

Immediate tuition remission for undergraduate courses

Tuition remission for approved graduate-level courses after 12 months of employment.

Retirement plan with an 8 percent contribution from the university.

Immediate eligibility for health, dental and vision insurance, along with free acute care and lab services at our onsite Health & Wellness Clinic.

Free use of campus fitness facilities.

Free admission to musical and theater performances, guest speakers, religious and ethnic observances, recitals, art exhibitions, entertainment and our Division I Phoenix athletics.

Eligibility for tuition remission at Elon for spouses, qualifying domestic partners and dependents begins at two years of service. After two years of employment, eligibility begins for participation in the Tuition Exchange, a national scholarship exchange program that enables dependents to enroll in nationally recognized partner colleges and universities.

Elon values and celebrates the diverse backgrounds, cultures, experiences and perspectives of our community members. As an equal opportunity employer, Elon’s principles of diversity extend to race and gender identity, age, disability status, veteran status, sexual orientation, religion, and other aspects of one’s identity. At Elon, our employees respect human differences, passion for lifelong learning, emphasis on personal integrity and an ethic of service.

Minimum Required Education and Experience

Bachelor’s degree – Field of study: Graphic Design, Fine Art, Visual Communication or related field.
Minimum five years of professional experience in graphic design, with demonstrated ability to manage projects and collaborate with cross-functional teams. Experience in higher education, an in-house marketing team or a creative agency preferred. A strong portfolio demonstrating conceptual and production skills across platforms is required.

Preferred Education and Experience

Master’s degree in a related field

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

- Advanced proficiency in Adobe Creative Cloud, especially InDesign, Photoshop and Illustrator. Experience with Express and After Effects is a plus.
- Excellent understanding of brand strategy, design principles, typography, layout and user-centered design.
- Experience developing designs and executing ideas that align with larger marketing campaigns and communication strategies.
- Familiarity with digital media best practices, responsive design and accessibility standards.
- Excellent project management, organizational and time management skills.
- Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively across teams and communicate effectively with non-design audiences.
- Creative problem-solving and critical thinking skills.
- Ability to draw and illustrate editorial material is a plus.
- Knowledge of WordPress and basic HTML/CSS is helpful.

Job Duties

• Creative Strategy and Execution
  • Lead the conceptualization and implementation of design solutions that support marketing goals across print and digital media.
  • Guide projects through their full lifecycle, ensuring accuracy, quality and alignment with university messaging.
  • Develop and maintain creative systems for university sub-brands under the larger institutional brand.
  • Produce core marketing collateral such as alumni magazine layouts, recruitment materials, brochures, direct mail pieces and campaign materials.
  • Create engaging digital content including web graphics, digital ads, infographics, motion graphics and social media visuals.
  • Support communications and marketing efforts across Elon University’s Charlotte locations, including the Queens campus and programs based in South End, while maintaining alignment with broader institutional brand standards.
  • Contribute to priority projects that require support on the main Elon campus, collaborating with the broader University Communications team to ensure consistency and quality across locations.
• Project Intake & Coordination
  • Serve as the primary point of contact in Charlotte for creative services requests not managed through Admissions marketing.
  • Consult with campus partners to clarify project goals, audiences, timelines and deliverables before initiating creative work.
  • Partner with internal clients to define project goals, audience insights and key messaging.
  • Coordinate with University Communications colleagues to route projects to the appropriate resources and ensure alignment with institutional priorities.
  • Monitor project status and communicate timelines, expectations and next steps with stakeholders.
  • Advise campus partners on University Communications processes, brand standards and available creative resources.
  • Help identify opportunities to consolidate requests, improve workflow efficiency and ensure effective use of creative resources.
• Strategic Planning & Leadership
  • Support creative direction for integrated marketing campaigns, contributing ideas and visual strategies in collaboration with senior staff.
  • Attend project meetings to ensure clarity on timelines, deliverables and brand alignment.
  • Present design concepts and rationale to stakeholders and contribute to broader marketing strategy discussions.
  • Mentor student workers as needed and provide occasional guidance on design standards to other members of the staff.
  • Serve as a key partner within University Communications, helping align creative work related to Charlotte initiatives with broader marketing strategies and identifying opportunities to elevate projects through strong visual execution.
  • Coordinate closely with UC colleagues across campuses to manage workflows, share resources and ensure consistent execution of high-priority initiatives.
• Inclusive Community Building Community is foundational to Elon and a shared responsibility within our residential campus. All who work at Elon should demonstrate an understanding of and engagement with Elon’s foundational commitment to relationships, mentoring and collaboration in a close-knit residential community. We embrace the shared responsibility to foster inclusive excellence within a strong residential community. Accordingly, employees are expected to join together and build connections in activities that foster an active and engaged campus environment and engage in professional development to support the shared responsibility of enriching diversity, equity, and inclusion through meaningful relationships and mentoring at Elon. Employees are encouraged to, for example, attend or participate in campus activities such as College Coffee, Numen Lumen, campus cultural events, athletic events, continuing education, professional development opportunities and trainings, employee resource groups and other university-sponsored activities to demonstrate an active commitment to the Elon community.