Associate Manager, Creative Design & Production

Overview

The Associate Manager, Creative Design & Production plays a pivotal role in the development and execution of in-house creative projects, leading them from initial design concepting to final production. This role is instrumental in transforming creative briefing into compelling visual solutions, while also leading external creatives like photographers and food stylists to help produce the work. The Associate Manager ensures that all creative outputs meet project goals and align with the broader marketing strategy. This position is an integral part of the Marketing team and reports to the Senior Director of Advertising & Media.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Design in-restaurant merchandising and local store marketing materials (e.g., Core Menu, Promotional Menu, Table Tents, Flyers, etc.) in collaboration with Marketing, Culinary, Operations, and Finance.
• Design digital assets (e.g., Website, Email, In-App, App Store, etc.), as needed, in collaboration with Marketing, Loyalty, Culinary, and Operations.
• Lead production process for all local shoots from pre to postproduction, including grocery list, shot list development, pre-pro meetings, photographer and food stylist management, and retouching process.
• Lead art direction for menu/merchandising shoots (e.g., food and beverage photography)
• Support in-bound local marketing requests for in-restaurant print materials and digital touchpoints.
• Manage resources, tasks, contracts, scope, and budgets for projects; support others in budgeting, contract agreements, and invoice payment for vendor-related work.

REQUIRED TECHNICAL SKILLS:

• Creative Leadership: Demonstrated ability to translate brand positioning, marketing strategy, and feedback into effective creative that achieves objectives, and to coach others to do so.
• Design Leadership: Demonstrated expertise in design principles and design tools, with ability to translate that into effective creative.
• Production Leadership: Demonstrated capability to lead diverse production teams (e.g., photographers, food stylists, Culinary Ops team members, etc.) to capture high-quality photography on time and budget.
• Project Management: Ability to deliver multiple complex projects with minimal supervision.
• Budget Leadership: Demonstrated capability to lead and deliver budgets to plan.
• Communication: Strong verbal and written communication with ability to present to Senior Leadership with poise and presence to sell in creative ideas and concepts
• Computer Software: Full proficiency in key designer tools, including Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, After Effects, etc., plus MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook

REQUIRED EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

• Minimum four (4) years of Graphic Design and/or Creative Development experience
• Minimum four (4) years of Creative Production experience
• Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design, Advertising or related field

OTHER KEY QUALIFICATIONS:

• Ability to design and produce a high volume of high-quality creative in a fast-paced environment with minimal guidance and supervision
• Passion for food, hospitality, and great creative
• Ability to travel as needed, for example to photo shoots.
• Bold, can-do mindset