Creative Director

Responsibilities

• Creative Direction & Brand Stewardship: Serve as the lead creative voice for Mystic Aquarium, establishing visual direction across marketing and communications channels.
• Translate organizational goals, marketing strategies, and campaign objectives into compelling creative concepts and visual storytelling.
• Maintain and evolve Mystic Aquarium’s visual brand, ensuring consistency across digital, print, and environmental applications.
• Establish a high standard for creative quality while ensuring work remains authentic to Mystic Aquarium’s mission, audiences, and brand.
• Develop creative concepts that balance mission-driven storytelling with organizational priorities, including attendance, membership, fundraising, events, education, and conservation awareness.
• Stay current on creative, video, design, digital, and social media trends and identify opportunities to evolve Mystic Aquarium’s creative approach.
• Video Production & Visual Storytelling: Lead Mystic Aquarium’s video strategy and production, from concept development and storyboarding through filming, editing, and final delivery.
• Alongside the Sr. Video Producer, create compelling video content for social media, digital advertising, web, public relations, fundraising, internal communications, and other organizational needs.
• Provide hands-on video production support, including filming, directing, lighting, audio, and other production needs.
• Develop storytelling approaches that make complex topics, including animal care, research, conservation, rescue, and education, accessible and engaging to broad audiences.

Requirements

• Education & Experience: 5–7+ years of professional experience in creative production, video production, multimedia, marketing, advertising, communications, or a related field. Bachelor’s degree in film/video production, design, marketing, communications, visual arts, or a related field preferred; equivalent professional experience and a demonstrated portfolio will be considered.
• Video Production: Significant professional video production experience required, including experience working with professional video cameras, lighting, audio, and production equipment.
• Leadership Experience: Minimum 2–3 years of experience leading, supervising, or managing creative professionals.
• Portfolio & Creative Range: Strong portfolio demonstrating video storytelling, creative direction, and multimedia work across multiple platforms and audiences; demonstrated ability to move between strategic creative direction and hands-on production; strong understanding of visual storytelling, composition, brand development, and contemporary design principles; experience developing creative for social media and digital platforms.
• Technical Skills: Strong working knowledge of Adobe Creative Cloud, particularly Premiere Pro, After Effects, Photoshop, and Illustrator, or comparable professional creative tools.
• Project Management & Organization: Strong project management and organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Communication & Collaboration: Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to give and receive constructive creative feedback; demonstrated ability to collaborate with individuals across disciplines and translate complex information into engaging visual stories.
• Preferred Experience: Any of the following is a plus:
• Developing content for mission-driven, nonprofit, cultural, educational, science, conservation, tourism, or visitor-attraction organizations.
• Producing content in dynamic environments where opportunities may be unpredictable or time-sensitive.

Preferred

• Any of the following is a plus:
• Developing content for mission-driven, nonprofit, cultural, educational, science, conservation, tourism, or visitor-attraction organizations.
• Producing content in dynamic environments where opportunities may be unpredictable or time-sensitive.
• Managing freelancers, agencies, production vendors, or creative budgets.
• Photography, motion graphics, animation, and/or other multimedia production.
• Understanding of digital marketing, audience engagement, and how creative contributes to organizational and revenue goals.

Benefits

• This position qualifies for Medical, Dental, Vision, and all other Supplemental Insurances.
• 401(k) Qualified.