Creative Brand Director

Responsibilities

• Own and evolve the brand identity (visual, verbal, and experiential) for each concept in the portfolio, ensuring consistency while preserving what makes each one distinct.
• Lead creative direction for menus, signage, packaging, merchandise, print collateral, and in-restaurant environmental design.
• Take a hands-on approach at the restaurant level — personally owning and physically executing in-restaurant design work (installations, signage, styling, and environmental touch-ups) rather than delegating implementation entirely to outside vendors.
• Direct social media and digital content strategy — photography, video, and copy — in partnership with the marketing team.
• Manage and mentor a small in-house creative team (designer, content coordinator) and oversee freelance photographers, videographers, and outside agencies as needed.
• Partner with operations and culinary leadership on creative for new location launches, seasonal menu rollouts, and special events.
• Maintain brand guidelines and style standards, and train location-level teams on how to apply them consistently.
• Manage the creative budget and vendor relationships (printers, sign shops, photographers, agencies).
• Track what's working — monitor engagement and guest response to creative campaigns and adjust direction accordingly.
• Stay current on design, hospitality, and social trends, bringing fresh ideas to keep each brand feeling relevant.

Requirements

• 2-3 years of creative leadership experience, ideally in hospitality, restaurants, retail, or a related consumer-facing industry.
• A strong portfolio demonstrating brand identity work, art direction, and multi-channel campaign execution.
• Hands-on proficiency in design tools (Adobe Creative Suite or equivalent); comfort directing photo/video shoots.
• Experience managing multiple brands or concepts simultaneously, with the judgment to know when consistency matters and when differentiation does.
• Strong project management skills — able to juggle multiple locations, deadlines, and stakeholders without dropping details.
• A collaborative, low-ego approach; comfortable working closely with operators and ownership, not just other creatives.
• Experience managing a budget and outside vendor relationships.
• Familiarity with the Chicago restaurant/hospitality market is a plus.

Preferred

• Familiarity with the Chicago restaurant/hospitality market is a plus.

Benefits

• Health Insurance, Dental Insurance, Vision Insurance, Paid Time Off, Dining Discounts