The Creative Director, Head of Brand at Checkr sets the creative vision for how the company shows up in the world, evolving a refreshed brand identity and leading Brand Studio to turn brand strategy into high-craft creative across marketing. The role also helps operationalize brand through AI-powered self-serve tools and measures brand health to support Checkr’s growth.
Role Overview
Reporting to Checkr's VP of Marketing, the Creative Director, Head of Brand will own and evolve Checkr's newly refreshed brand identity, define how the brand is applied across marketing, and guide creative execution across the full marketing portfolio. The position leads Brand Studio efforts and works with internal partners to strengthen recognition and preference for Checkr as the business scales.
In addition, this role builds brand into an operating system by establishing clear standards, briefs, review cycles, and decision rights, supported by AI-powered self-serve tools that enable other teams to produce great work without requiring Brand Studio to touch every asset.
Key Responsibilities
- Set and lead Checkr's creative vision, translating brand strategy into distinctive ideas, campaigns, and experiences that build long-term recognition and strengthen the brand.
- Own and evolve the refreshed brand identity system, including visual language, voice, and design standards, ensuring consistent and thoughtful application while pushing creative growth as the company scales.
- Lead and inspire the Brand Studio team by raising the creative bar through direction, mentorship, and high craft standards, while exploring new ways of working using AI tools and processes additively.
- Drive development of high-impact brand campaigns and creative platforms from concept through execution, applying strong creative judgment across channels and formats.
- Build brand into an operating system, combining standards and review cycles with AI-powered self-serve tools, and partner across Checkr to place these capabilities into the hands of every team.
- Define and track brand health metrics, including awareness, sentiment, and consistency, to measure the impact of brand investment beyond individual campaigns.
- Own creative execution for high-visibility brand moments, including campaigns, product launches, and executive communications, exercising final judgment on work quality and alignment with brand principles, including when human oversight is required.
- Advise executives on brand positioning and narrative and collaborate with Marketing leadership to align brand strategy with go-to-market priorities.
Required Qualifications
- 10+ years of experience in creative and brand leadership.
- Experience building or significantly scaling a brand function, not only maintaining one.
- A strong portfolio demonstrating exceptional brand-building thinking, conceptual ability, and craft across campaigns, channels, and experiences.
- A proven record of creating distinctive ideas and translating brand strategy into work that earns attention and builds recognition.
- Exceptional creative taste and judgment, including the ability to identify great work, explain what makes it great, and help teams improve it.
- Demonstrated use of AI tools in real, shipped brand work, with a clear perspective on where automation fits and where human judgment and craft remain essential.
- Proven judgment shaping brand and narrative at the company level, including experience advising executives on positioning.
- Rigor in measurement instincts, defining and owning brand health metrics such as awareness and sentiment as a discipline alongside campaign performance.
- Strong people leadership experience, with a track record of building and developing high-performing creative teams and comfort operating with high autonomy in a fast-moving environment.
- An A-player mindset with bias for action, raising the bar, moving with urgency, and taking ownership to deliver meaningful outcomes through ambiguity.
Tools and Technologies
- AI tools
- AI-powered approaches
- Self-serve tools
Compensation and Location
- Location: San Francisco, CA (onsite)
- Salary: USD 233,000 - 274,000 per year
Benefits
- Fast-paced and collaborative environment
- Learning and development allowance
- Competitive cash and equity compensation, with opportunity for advancement
- 100% medical, dental, and vision coverage
- Up to $25K reimbursement for fertility, adoption, and parental planning services
- Flexible PTO policy
- Monthly wellness stipend
Equal Employment Opportunity
Checkr is committed to building the best product and company, which requires hiring talented individuals with diverse perspectives and lived experiences. Checkr hires people of all backgrounds, including those whose histories are impacted by the justice system, in accordance with local, state, and/or federal laws, including San Francisco's Fair Chance Ordinance.
Applicant Privacy Policy
If you are a California resident or are located in Alberta or British Columbia, Checkr's Applicant Privacy Policy applies to the collection and processing of your personal information when you apply for a role or otherwise participate in the recruitment process.
For Applicants in Massachusetts
It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.
