Creative Studio Manager

The Workforce Edge Creative Studio Manager leads a multidisciplinary team of designers, copywriters, digital creatives, and project managers responsible for delivering integrated marketing assets across B2B, B2C, and B2B2C audiences. As a key member of the Marketing Leadership Team, this role drives the development of audience-focused creative strategies that support employer-facing solutions across SEI brands. Balancing strategic leadership with creative and operational oversight, the Creative Studio Manager ensures high-quality, consistent brand execution across channels while optimizing team performance, workflows, and scalable creative processes. This role partners closely with Brand, Channel, Product, Operations, and Marketing teams to deliver impactful marketing programs that support business objectives.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

Strategic Creative Leadership

• Serve as a senior creative leader within Marketing, contributing to strategic planning, prioritization, and decision-making.
• Translate business and marketing objectives into creative strategies and execution across campaigns, programs, and ongoing marketing efforts.
• Champion brand consistency, audience-focused thinking, and high creative standards.
• Provide creative direction across design, copy, messaging, UX/UI, motion, and emerging formats.
• Identify and implement AI-driven opportunities to improve efficiency and effectiveness.

Creative Team Leadership & Development

• Lead and develop a team of designers, copywriters, and digital creatives.
• Establish expectations for quality, performance, and collaboration; provide coaching, feedback, and performance management.
• Support employee growth through development planning, skill-building, and new opportunities.
• Contribute directly to creative work for high-priority or complex initiatives.
• Partner with marketing leaders to test and evaluate new channels, tactics, and approaches.

Brand Stewardship & Design Systems

• Own and evolve brand expression across SEI employer brands, ensuring consistency across channels and audiences.
• Develop and maintain brand guidelines, design systems, templates, and content standards to support scalable execution.
• Ensure creative solutions are accessible, inclusive, and aligned with audience, channel, and regulatory requirements.

Cross-Functional Partnership

• Partner with Marketing Managers to align creative execution with brand strategy, positioning, and audience insights.
• Collaborate with Channel, Product, UX, and Technology teams to deliver integrated creative experiences across digital, print, and experiential channels.
• Serve as the primary creative advisor to stakeholders, providing direction and ensuring alignment from concept through delivery.

Operational Excellence & Resource Management

• Oversee creative project management, including resource planning, work intake, prioritization, and delivery.
• Improve tools, workflows, processes, and technologies to increase team productivity and speed to market.
• Support workforce planning, including the use of external agencies and freelance resources.
• Manage external creative partners to ensure work meets brand, quality, and performance standards.

Quality, Performance & Continuous Improvement

• Establish and maintain standards for creative review, feedback, and quality assurance.
• Measure creative effectiveness using performance data, user insights, and stakeholder feedback, and apply findings to improve outcomes.
• Stay current on industry trends, technologies, and best practices to enhance team capabilities and marketing impact.

Job Skills:

Required

• Expertise in design, copywriting, brand systems, or creative strategy, with the ability to lead and provide feedback across multiple creative disciplines.
• Experience developing, implementing, and maintaining brand standards and scalable creative systems.
• Ability to translate business and marketing strategies into effective creative direction and execution.
• Strong communication, presentation, and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience leading marketing operations and/or project management functions, including workflow, resource, and process management.
• Working knowledge of creative, project management, and collaboration tools (e.g., Adobe Creative Suite, Figma, CMS platforms, writing/editing tools, Asana).
• Working knowledge of leading AI platforms and tools (e.g., Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini).

Preferred

• Experience leading creative strategy and execution for digital-first B2B and B2B2C brands.
• Familiarity with UX/UI principles, accessibility standards, and digital performance optimization.
• Experience managing agencies, freelancers, and external creative vendors.
• Experience in higher education, workforce development, or other mission-driven organizations.

Work Experience:

· 6-8+ years of progressive experience in creative leadership, design, brand, or integrated marketing roles. · 3-5+ years managing creative teams in an in-house agency or agency environment.

Education:

· Bachelor’s degree: BA/BS/BFA in Graphic Design, Communications, Marketing, or a related field required. · MBA, MFA, or equivalent advanced degree preferred. · All degrees must be conferred from an institution accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Other:

• Must be able to travel occasionally should a business need arise. For most roles travel would not be common. Travel may involve plane, car or metro. In accordance with ADA policies, reasonable accommodations regarding travel limitations can be provided.
• Ability to work onsite in Corporate or Campus location (in a typical office environment) may be required based on role. If so, this would include being mobile within the office, including movement from floor-to-floor using elevators or stairs.
• If offsite or hybrid role, must have access to work in setting which enables meeting all requirements of the role (including privacy, reliable internet access, phone, ability to video conference, etc.) at a remote location.
• Faculty and Federal Work Study roles require access to work in setting which enables meeting all requirements of the role (including computer, privacy, reliable internet access, phone, ability to video conference, etc.) at a remote location.
• This role may require lifting, however reasonable accommodations will be provided in accordance with our ADA policies.
• Must be able to meet critical thinking and problem solving aspects aligned to job duties, as well as effectively communicating with co-workers.
• Must be able to work more than 40 hours per week when business needs warrant. Accommodations related to schedule may be considered.
• Able to access information using a computer.
• Other essential functions and marginal job functions are subject to modification.

SEI offers a comprehensive package of benefits to employees scheduled 30 hours or more per week. In addition to medical, dental, vision, life and disability plans, SEI employees may take advantage of well-being incentives, parental leave, paid time off, certain paid holidays, tax saving accounts (FSA, HSA), 401(k) retirement benefit, Employee Stock Purchase Plan, tuition assistance as well as entertainment and retail discounts. Non-exempt employees are eligible for overtime pay, if applicable. Careers - Our Benefits, Strategic Education, Inc

SEI is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering an inclusive and collaborative culture where individuals can grow their careers and contribute fully. We strive to attract talent with broad experiences, skills and perspectives. We welcome applications from all. While it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top end of the pay range at SEI, we offer a competitive salary. The actual base pay offered to the successful candidate may vary depending on multiple factors including, but not limited to, job-related knowledge/skills, experience, business needs, geographical location, and internal pay equity. Our Talent Acquisition Team is ready to discuss your interest in joining SEI. The expected salary range for this position is below. $95,100.00 - $142,600.00 - Salary If you require reasonable accommodations to complete our application process, please contact our Human Resources Department at Careers@strategiced.com.