Creative Director, Visual Storytelling

Abbott Laboratories is seeking a Creative Director, Visual Storytelling to lead its internal team and set the standard for how stories are told across video, motion graphics, and photography. This onsite role at Abbott Park, IL combines creative direction with hands-on craft, ensuring real people and technology narratives are delivered with agency-level quality at internal speed.

In this position, you will own the creative vision end to end, guide production through set and post, and help brand partners choose the right medium for each moment. You will also build workflows and team capability so the organization can produce high-volume content without losing documentary honesty or platform-specific effectiveness.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead Abbott’s internal visual storytelling team across video, motion graphics, and photography, and own the creative quality across all deliverables.
• Set the storytelling and visual standard, personally directing key productions.
• Build the team and production systems to deliver agency-level work at internal speed.
• Own creative vision and storytelling standards for the team’s video, motion, and photography output.
• Review treatments, edits, and final work to maintain a consistent quality bar for what ships.
• Serve as the senior creative voice across Abbott, advising brand teams on when film, motion, or photography is the right tool.
• Direct and shoot priority productions, including patient stories, brand films, and executive content.
• Lead on set and coach the craft, from documentary interviewing to cinematography.
• Guide post-production through edit, color, sound, and motion design.
• Lead motion graphics GFX and photography team(s) to establish a shared visual language across film, motion, and stills.
• Develop editors, animators, and photographers through hands-on coaching and feedback.
• Create platform-specific edits that are planned at the treatment stage, rather than cut down after the fact.
• Set craft standards for vertical and sound-off viewing, including story openings in the first two seconds.
• Build faster, lighter production models for social alongside flagship films.
• Partner with social and digital teams that own channels, and use performance to shape story development.
• Mentor and develop the team through hands-on coaching and honest creative critique.
• Build intake and workflows that enable a small team to handle high volume while protecting quality.
• Manage budgets and partnerships including freelancers, vendors, and gear, scaling crews for large productions while maintaining a light, documentary footprint.
• Evaluate AI production tools based on whether they genuinely improve quality or speed.

Requirements

• Experience running an in-house video studio for a major healthcare brand, including leading a team, setting standards, and delivering high volume across business lines (portfolio required).
• 15+ years as a working director and cinematographer, including founding and running a production company for national brands.
• Deep documentary craft, including interviewing real people, identifying true moments, and building emotion without scripted writing.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary creative teams, including editors, motion designers, and photographers.
• Experience creating platform-specific edits and collaborating with social teams on feed-based content.
• Comfort working within regulated healthcare review processes.
• Strong ability to present and sell creative direction to senior leadership.

Compensation

• USD 149,300 - 298,700 per year

Benefits

• Free medical coverage for employees* via the Health Investment Plan (HIP) PPO
• An excellent retirement savings plan with high employer contribution
• Tuition reimbursement, the Freedom 2 Save student debt program, and FreeU education benefit

Working at Abbott: Career development with an international company, an excellent retirement plan, and tuition support including Freedom 2 Save and FreeU. Abbott is recognized as a great place to work in dozens of countries and named one of the most admired companies in the world by Fortune. The company is also recognized as a best big company to work for, including best places to work for diversity, working mothers, female executives, and scientists.