VP Creative Director
Company:
Location: Remote
Published: 2026-04-23
Noodle is higher educationâÂÂs leading strategy, services, and technology partner. We develop infrastructure, provide life-changing learning experiences, and grow the awareness of and the enrollment in some of the best academic institutions in the world. Our vision is âÂÂto empower universities to change the world.â We achieve this vision by offering our university partners various products and services that help them be more resilient, responsive, efficient, and interconnected.About the RoleWe are seeking a VP-level Creative Director to lead all creative functions in service to our higher education clients. This role will define and elevate creative vision while building a modern, high-performing creative function that delivers both compelling brand storytelling and scalable, high-impact performance marketing creative.This is a uniquely hybrid role that sits at the intersection of brand storytelling and performance marketing. It combines the strengths of a traditional Creative DirectorâÂÂdefining vision, crafting compelling ideas, and elevating creativeâÂÂwith the rigor of a performance-oriented creative leader focused on speed, iteration, and measurable outcomes.In practice, this means you will be expected to both sell bold, differentiated creative concepts to university partners and ensure that creative output is optimized for performance, produced at scale, and continuously improving based on data.You will oversee all creative disciplinesâÂÂincluding design, art direction, video, creative strategy, and content productionâÂÂand establish the systems, standards, and workflows that enable both exceptional brand work and efficient, high-throughput execution across channels.Our work spans the full marketing ecosystem, from research, brand strategy, and institutional positioning to integrated campaign development and execution across digital and traditional channels, including advertising, websites, email, social, video, TV/CTV, audio, print, out-of-home, and more.\nWhat YouâÂÂll DoCreative Leadership & VisionDefine and lead the creative vision across all client engagements, spanning brand campaigns and performance marketing initiativesDevelop new, or translate existing, institutional and program-level positioning into compelling, differentiated creative concepts that resonate with prospective studentsEnsure all creative workâÂÂvisual and writtenâÂÂbalances clarity, effectiveness, and craft across channelsClient-Facing Leadership & PitchingServe as the senior creative lead in high-stakes moments, including new business pitches and strategic client presentationsArticulate and sell visionary, insight-driven creative concepts to university partnersPartner with sales and account teams to expand relationships through new creative opportunities and directionsPerformance Creative & OptimizationBuild and lead a creative function that delivers high-volume, high-quality performance marketing assets across digital channelsManage systems for rapid iteration and continuous improvement based on performance insightsPartner closely with performance marketing and analytics teams, ensuring creative is responsive to data and campaign needsEnsure performance creative is brand-informed but not constrained by perfectionism, prioritizing effectiveness and speedOmni-Channel Content & ProductionOwn the development of content across the funnel, helping to shape and enhance brand positioning while ensuring alignment with performance goalsOversee production of content across formats, including web copy, email campaigns, long-form articles, landing pages, and ad copyLead and oversee all location-based photo and video productions, ensuring the capture of high-quality, brand-aligned content while managing logistical coordination, securing necessary location permits, and obtaining all required releasesEnsure messaging is clear, differentiated, and tailored to both audience and channelIntegrate content and design into cohesive, high-performing creative systemsSystems, Speed & Modern ProductionDesign and implement workflows that enable speed, scalability, and consistency across creative outputDrive adoption and thoughtful use of modern creative tools, including AI, to improve throughput and qualityContinuously evaluate and evolve production models to eliminate bottlenecks and increase efficiencyTeam Leadership & DevelopmentLead, mentor, and grow a multidisciplinary team across design, art direction, video, content strategy, editorial, and freelance talentCreate a culture that values both creative excellence and operational disciplineProvide clear direction, feedback, and coaching to elevate team performance and outputAssess and evolve team structure to support current needs and future growthOperational ExcellencePartner with project management and marketing teams to ensure work is delivered on time, on brief/strategy, and aligned with business objectivesBalance creative ambition with practical constraints (e.g. budgets and timelines), ensuring reliable and predictable deliveryIndustry & Market InsightStay current on trends in higher education marketing, brand strategy, and performance advertisingBring forward new approaches that improve both creative effectiveness and client outcomesWhat You Bring12+ years of experience in creative roles, with significant experience in a leadership capacityProven ability to lead creative across both brand campaigns and performance marketing environmentsExperience overseeing both written and visual creative disciplinesStrong track record of client-facing leadership, including pitching and selling creative conceptsPortfolio demonstrating work across multiple channels and formats, including digital, web, email, social, video, print, out-of-home, and traditional media.Experience building and managing multidisciplinary teams, including mentoring senior talentDeep understanding of how creative drives engagement, conversion, and growthAbility to operate at both a strategic and hands-on levelâÂÂfrom vision-setting to concepting to critiqueStrong communication and storytelling skills, with the ability to influence internal and external stakeholdersWhat Sets You ApartYou can move seamlessly between big, conceptual thinking and fast, iterative executionYou understand that effective creative is not just well-craftedâÂÂit is measurable, adaptable, and scalable across channelsYou are comfortable operating in a performance-driven environment where speed, testing, and throughput matterYou bring a modern perspective on creative production, including how AI and emerging tools can enhance outputYou know how to elevate both message and design without slowing teams downYou can translate brand and positioning strategy into clear, compelling creative systems that scale across touchpointsYou bring a strong point of view and can guide teams and stakeholders toward better, more effective creative outcomesSuccess in This Role Looks LikeWe win more brand-driven engagements because of the strength, clarity, and distinctiveness of our creative visionCreative is a measurable driver of growth, efficiency, and innovation across both brand and performance effortsPerformance-driven creative is continuously tested, optimized, and improving against key KPIsClient work reflects both institutional uniqueness and strong market performance across channels and touchpointsThe creative team operates with clear standards, strong leadership, and a high level of accountability and productivityRole Requirements Location: Must reside in the continental US, within close proximity to a major airport to facilitate travel to partner universities, as the role requires travel up to 30% of the timeInternet Connectivity: As this role is primarily remote, a reliable, high-speed internet connection is essential, along with a quiet, organized workspace for participating in camera-on, partner-facing meetingsCore Business Hours: Available during core hours from 9am-5pm. Start and end times may flex slightly based on your time zoneAt Noodle, we hire people who will help us change the future of education. Even if you don't think you check off every bullet point on this list, we still encourage you to apply! We value both current experience and future potential.Meet the team!\n$155,000 - $170,000 a year\nEligibility Requirements:This position is based in the United States, and applicants must be legally authorized to live and work in the United States. Employees are required to reside within the United States for the duration of their employment.At Noodle, we hire people who will help us change the future of online education. Even if you don't think you check off every bullet point on this list, we still encourage you to apply! We value both current experience and future potential.Noodle is committed to creating a welcoming and inclusive workplace for everyone. We value and celebrate our differences because those differences are what make our team shine. We hire great people from different backgrounds, not just because it's the right thing to do, but because it makes us stronger as a whole. Women, people of color, LGBTQIA2S+ individuals, and members of other underrepresented groups are strongly encouraged to apply. Noodle is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against candidates on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability status, or veteran status.
