Creative Art Director, Marketing & Communications

What you’ll do

• Drive the evolution and execution of a unified, premium KIPP NYC visual identity across all marketing and communications materials.
• Develop and maintain brand guidelines that keep regional consistency while allowing school-level authenticity and flexibility.
• Ensure creative output aligns to KIPP NYC’s mission, values, and commitment to educational equity.
• Serve as the internal creative lead and primary point of contact for external creative and media agency partners.
• Provide strategic creative direction and actionable feedback so agency deliverables meet brand standards and organizational goals.
• Lead creative development for student recruitment, staff recruitment, enrollment, fundraising, and regional awareness campaigns.
• Oversee creation of high-impact, multi-channel assets including social media campaigns, video storytelling, out-of-home (OOH), transit campaigns, digital advertising, print collateral, and event branding and experiential materials.
• Optimize assets for platform performance, audience engagement, and brand consistency.
• Create scalable “grassroots” templates and tools to support school-based outreach and recruitment.
• Partner with school communities and regional teams to identify and elevate authentic stories that highlight the excellence, joy, and diversity of KIPP NYC communities.
• Translate organizational priorities and campaign goals into visual narratives and creative concepts.
• Oversee photography, video, and production efforts to ensure high-quality execution across campaigns.
• Manage and organize a regional creative asset library to maximize accessibility and effective brand usage.
• Ensure work demonstrates cultural responsiveness and reflects the lived experiences of NYC communities.
• Collaborate to develop Spanish-language and multilingual creative that is culturally nuanced and community-centered.
• Apply strong knowledge of NYC neighborhoods, culture, and audiences across campaigns and storytelling.
• Partner closely with Recruitment, Talent, Development, Academics, School Leadership, and Regional teams to support organizational priorities through creative strategy.
• Manage timelines, workflows, approvals, and creative project execution across multiple stakeholders.
• Support creative direction and branding for high-profile regional events, campaigns, and internal communications.
• Contribute to continuous improvement of marketing systems, processes, and creative operations.

What you bring

• 5–7 years of experience in art direction, creative leadership, or brand design roles.
• Experience working within a creative agency, mission-driven organization, consumer-facing brand, or high-growth environment.
• Proven experience managing creative campaigns from concept through execution across multiple platforms.
• Strong portfolio demonstrating high-quality visual storytelling, campaign execution, and creative leadership.
• Deep understanding of social-first creative, digital marketing trends, and audience engagement strategies.
• Experience creating creative for NYC-based campaigns, including hyperlocal and multicultural audiences.
• Expertise in Adobe Creative Suite, including Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign.
• Experience collaborating with photographers, videographers, editors, and production teams.
• Strong project management and organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Fluency in Spanish strongly preferred; experience creating culturally responsive or multilingual campaigns preferred.
• Knowledge of education, nonprofit, or community-centered organizations is a plus.
• Deep commitment to KIPP NYC’s mission and belief in educational equity and opportunity.
• Passion for celebrating and amplifying the brilliance of students, families, educators, and communities.
• Alignment with KIPP NYC’s core values: zest, grit, hope, social intelligence, gratitude, and a sense of humor.
• Ability to thrive in a collaborative, feedback-driven, mission-oriented environment.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage
• 403(b) retirement plan with a 50% match after 6 months
• Generous Time-Off aligned with the school calendar
• Up to 12 weeks of 100% parental leave
• Bright Horizon Back-up Child and Elder care
• Employer-paid Life Insurance and Short-term / Long-term disability
• 8-week paid Sabbatical after 10 years
• Annual professional development funds
• Tuition reimbursement

Location and travel

This is a full-time, in-person role based in New York City with a hybrid work arrangement. Travel to schools is required. If you are not in a school-based position, the cadence and frequency of travel to schools is determined by your leadership team. If you relocate outside a commutable distance or out of the state of NY, your employment will be subject to review, which may include separation from KIPP NYC. Notify HR if you move or have plans to relocate.

Portfolio requirement

A portfolio is required for consideration for the Creative Art Director role. Submit your portfolio along with your resume as part of your application. Your portfolio should include examples that demonstrate creative direction, visual storytelling, brand development, and experience bringing creative concepts to life across multiple channels and mediums. Applications submitted without a portfolio will not be considered complete.

Tools

Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign)