The Associate Creative Director will join Vail Resorts’ internal Creative Services team, leading brand design concept development, art direction, and creative execution across integrated campaigns. This hybrid role is based in Broomfield, CO and includes team mentoring, design quality leadership, and collaboration across marketing and cross-functional stakeholders.
Role Overview
Own creative direction for integrated campaign work, guiding design craft and ensuring strategic alignment across brands and channels. The role focuses on turning strategic briefs into insight-driven creative solutions, setting visual standards, and scaling design systems and toolkits for consistent execution.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead concept development and creative execution across campaigns, seasonal initiatives, and brand activations.
- Translate business objectives and strategic briefs into compelling, insight-driven creative solutions.
- Partner with Creative Directors, Strategists, Account Managers, and Brand Marketing teams to deliver integrated campaigns with brand and business impact.
- Maintain strategic alignment while championing innovative thinking that advances brand expression.
- Set expectations for visual quality, design craft, and art direction across all channels and touchpoints.
- Create and evolve design systems and campaign toolkits that scale across multiple brands and channels, including understanding when and how to use AI tools within the creative process.
- Ensure brand consistency while continuously evolving creative expression.
- Provide clear, actionable feedback at every stage of development to strengthen work.
- Mentor and develop designers, art directors, copywriters, freelancers, and agency partners through creative direction, coaching, and constructive feedback.
- Support a culture of curiosity, collaboration, experimentation, and creative excellence.
- Partner on resource planning, team development, and creative process improvements with creative and account leadership.
- Promote an environment where diverse perspectives contribute to stronger creative solutions.
- Lead creative development for photography, video, and content productions from concept through final delivery.
- Guide the creation of mood boards, storyboards, shot lists, presentations, and visual narratives.
- Partner with photographers, directors, production teams, editors, and external vendors to execute best-in-class creative.
- Provide on-set creative leadership when needed to ensure the vision is realized.
- Build trusted relationships with stakeholders across marketing, resort operations, strategy, CRM, social, content, and brand leadership teams.
- Present creative work with confidence, clarity, and strategic rationale.
- Navigate feedback and align teams around solutions that balance business objectives with high creative standards.
- Manage multiple projects and priorities while maintaining high quality and attention to detail.
- Explore and integrate AI-enabled workflows, tools, and technologies that improve creative efficiency and output.
- Stay informed on emerging trends in design, advertising, culture, and outdoor lifestyle marketing, bringing new inspiration to the team.
Required Qualifications
- 8+ years of experience in art direction, brand design, advertising, creative marketing, or integrated campaign development.
- 2+ years of experience leading, mentoring, or managing creative teams.
- Portfolio demonstrating exceptional art direction, design excellence, and integrated campaign thinking.
- Strong conceptual abilities with a track record of connecting strategy to execution through breakthrough ideas.
- Deep understanding of design systems, visual storytelling, typography, layout, photography, and digital experiences.
- Experience leading creative for integrated marketing campaigns across digital, social, email, CRM, video, experiential, OOH, and emerging channels.
- Experience art directing photo and video productions from pre-production through post.
- Proficiency with Adobe Creative Suite and Figma, plus modern creative workflows.
- Experience utilizing AI-assisted creative tools and workflows is strongly preferred.
- Bachelor’s degree in Design, Fine Arts, Advertising, Marketing, Communications, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
Tools and Technologies
- Adobe Creative Suite
- Figma
Compensation and Employment Details
- Starting Wage: $100,000 - $120,000 + Annual Bonus
- Employment Type: Year Round
- Shift Type: Full Time
- Minimum Age: At least 18 years of age
- Housing Availability: No
Location and Hybrid Schedule
This role is based in Broomfield, CO and operates in a hybrid work environment. Employees living within 50 miles of the Broomfield office work on-site Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, with Monday and Friday off-site.
Remote work is also available from British Columbia, Washington D.C., and the following U.S. states: California, Colorado, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New York, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Utah, Vermont, Washington State, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
Benefits
- Ski/Mountain perks: Free passes for employees, employee discounted lift tickets for friends and family, and free ski lessons
- Additional employee discounts on lodging, food, gear, and mountain shuttles
- 401(k) Retirement Plan
- Employee Assistance Program
- Excellent training and professional development
- Health Insurance including Medical, Dental, and Vision plans (for eligible seasonal employees after working 500 hours)
- Free ski passes for dependents
- Critical Illness and Accident plans
