Penn Medicine is dedicated to our tripartite mission of providing the highest level of care to patients, conducting innovative research, and educating future leaders in the field of medicine. Working for this leading academic medical center means collaboration with top clinical, technical and business professionals across all disciplines.Today at Penn Medicine, someone will make a breakthrough. Someone will heal a heart, deliver hopeful news, and give comfort and reassurance. Our employees shape our future each day. Are you living your life's work?Associate Director, Creative DesignJob Summary: Reporting to the Executive Creative Director, the Associate Director, Creative Design is responsible for leading Penn Medicine's efforts to define, enhance, and execute visual strategies that elevate the brand across all touchpoints. This role combines creative leadership with strategic insight to deliver cohesive, high-quality visual experiences that align with institutional goals. The Associate Director will ensure the consistent application of the Penn Medicine brand and design strategy across priority marketing initiatives, enriching the patient experience, driving provider referrals, and expanding brand awareness. In collaboration with stakeholders across clinical areas, the Associate Director supervises the design team and manages high-priority, complex design projects to ensure effective visual communication.Responsibilities:Working under the Executive Creative Director's supervision, specific key areas of responsibility include:Visual Strategy Implementation and Design Leadership:Collaborates with the Director of Creative Design and Operations to develop and oversee visual strategies that align with the institutional, brand, and clinical area goals, as well as, patient experience initiatives.Articulates strategies with a clear and actionable vision for execution, ensuring creative alignment with brand objectives, and overall organization goals.Provides creative direction to the design team and collaborates with marketing directors and internal clients to define deliverables, streamline processes, and ensure alignment with creative strategies, brand vision, and marketing objectives, driving efficient project completion and alignment across teams.Oversees key strategic projects, ensuring alignment with visual strategy while driving cross-departmental collaboration for timely and successful execution.Leads conceptual innovative design solutions and able to execute tactical design projects, focusing on driving referral growth, patient engagement, clinical area visibility, and overall brand recognition.Drives the ideation process, fostering innovative problem-solving with the creative team to produce impactful mission driven deliverables.Adjusts visual strategies based on market data evaluation and stakeholder feedback to ensure effectiveness and alignment with goals.Reviews and approves design concepts, maintaining quality control, and ensuring final deliverables are on-brand, relevant, and impactful.Team Leadership and Development:Directly supervises graphic designers, freelancers, and other design supports.Inspires team members through ongoing professional development opportunities creating pathways for career growth and leadership development.Provides mentorship and feedback to encourage creativity and cross-divisional collaboration to elevate team performance and deliver strategic visual outcomes.Sets performance goals, conducts evaluations, and fosters a collaborative and innovative team environment.Partners with the Director to identify staffing needs and participate in recruitment efforts.Develops and implements robust professional development programs.Creates clear career progression pathways for creative professionals.Project and Resource Management:Oversees multiple concurrent, high-priority marketing campaigns, initiatives and strategic design projects, establishing timelines, allocating resources, and ensuring on-time delivery within budget constraints.Manages workflow through the department's traffic management system, prioritizing projects and balancing team capacity to maintain maximum efficiency with high-volume output.Partners with the Director to optimize resources of the Design division and helps develop and manage annual budgets with a focus on cost-effectiveness.Coordinates with freelancers and vendors as needed to meet production demands.Process Improvement and Operational Efficiency:Helps identify key areas for process improvement to implement solutions to streamline workflows.Evaluates processes affecting the creative team to identify opportunities for automation or simplification, improving productivity and reducing costs.Brand Stewardship and Alignment:Works closely with Global Brand Strategy team and Director of Creative Design to develop comprehensive visual strategies aligned with Penn Medicine's brand identity.Ensures the consistent and effective application of Penn Medicine's visual brand, including logo usage and supporting design assets, across all materials and platforms. Maintains deep knowledge of brand guidelines and serves as a leading resource for the organization on visual brand standards, alignment, and enforcement to uphold a unified visual identity.Provides guidance to internal and external clients, and creative team members on proper brand usage across all platforms, media, and creative deliverables to uphold the highest standards of quality.Client Relations and Strategic Partnership:Serves as a key strategic partner for clinical area clients, as well as internal and external stakeholders to identify their needs and translate them into impactful visual design solutions.Demonstrates strong consultative skills by actively listening to clients' goals, offering tailored solutions, and managing expectations to ensure a successful outcome.In collaboration with the Director, leads high-stakes creative presentations and strategic discussions •Resolves complex client challenges with innovative and strategic creative solutions.Collaborates with marketing, content, video, and digital teams to ensure cohesive brand messaging and strategic alignment across initiatives.Production Expertise:Maintains advanced knowledge of print and digital production processes, including vendor management, quality control, and cost optimization.Provides technical guidance to the team for print and digital asset deliverables.Innovation and Best Practices:Participates in opportunities to expand professional knowledge and gain valuable industry relationships.Stays current with design and creative industry trends, tools, and technologies.Recommends and implements process improvements, adoption of new technologies, and new creative approaches.Leads development and refinement of design standards and best practices for the department.Performs duties in accordance with Penn Medicine and entity values, policies, and proceduresOther duties as assigned to support the unit, department, entity, and health system organizationEducation or Equivalent Experience: Bachelor of Arts or Science (Required)Education Specialization: Graphic Design10+ years Graphic Design and visual content creation expertise (Required)2+ years of experience directing and/or managing hybrid team of internal creative staff and external contractors (Preferred)5+ years of creative strategy development, communication, and implementation experience (Preferred)Skills & Abilities:Expertise with design tools like Adobe Creative Suite, Figma, etcAdvanced graphic design and branding skillsProficiency in creative project management using tools like Birdview, Asana, etc.Expertise in creative direction and visual storytellingExpertise in brand identity and visual consistencyExpertise in print and digital production processes, preferredBudget management and resource allocationTeam leadership and developmentData analysis & reporting, preferredContractor and vendor managementWe believe that the best care for our patients starts with the best care for our employees. Our employee benefits programs help our employees get healthy and stay healthy. We offer a comprehensive compensation and benefits program that includes one of the finest prepaid tuition assistance programs in the region. Penn Medicine employees are actively engaged and committed to our mission. Together we will continue to make medical advances that help people live longer, healthier lives.Live Your Life's WorkWe are an Equal Opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, marital status, familial status, genetic information, domestic or sexual violence victim status, citizenship status, military status, status as a protected veteran or any other status protected by applicable law.