Manager of Campus Creative & Licensing

Job description

ACU is affiliated with the fellowship of the Church of Christ. This position requires the employee to be a professing Christian and to be willing to support the Christian mission of ACU. ‌ Key Responsibilities 1. Establish & Lead “Campus Creative” (University Support Services) Develop the operational framework and launch strategy for a clearly defined campus-support unit within the Marketing Division, in partnership with the Executive Director of Marketing Strategy & Operations. Create a recognizable identity (including name, positioning, and visual cues) that distinguishes creative support from marketing strategy. Build partnerships with relevant academic departments (Graphic Design, Marketing, Digital Media, etc.) to build a sustainable student internship pipeline. Oversee intake refinement with the project management team to reflect real-world service demand (design, photography, creative execution). Identify resourcing gaps, process needs, technology improvements, and training opportunities in support of launch and long-term success. Serve as the primary design executor when needed and establish standards for quality and consistency. 2. Creative Leadership & Design Execution Mentor and develop student designers/interns, ensuring strong creative output and professional growth. Own management of self-service brand tools including Canva templates, Canto assets, brand guidelines, logos, and curated photography. Design and release new branded template drops in Canva on a consistent cadence (likely 1x semester minimum). Coordinate with the project management team in evaluating project feasibility, timelines, and outsourcing recommendations. Leverage AI, automation, and workflow tools to streamline creative production and maximize team efficiency. 3. Vendor & Resource Management Oversee relationships with print vendors and other creative production partners. Ensure quotes, contracts, timelines, and billing are accurate, competitive and transparent. Maintain a vetted network of freelance designers and photographers to support overflow or specialty work. 4. Licensing Strategy & Oversight Provide strategic leadership and oversight for ACU’s licensing program, ensuring strong revenue performance and brand protection. Partner with the Licensing Coordinator to drive new retail partnerships, product opportunities, licensing programs, and on-campus visibility. Strengthen relationships with CLC, licensed and unlicensed vendors (for the purpose of driving unlicensed vendors to compliance) and other partners to expand licensed goods presence and enforce trademark compliance. Oversee creative approval processes, policy refinement, and program education across campus. 5. Partnership Building & Campus Engagement Serve as the visible leader and advocate for Campus Creative, building relationships with campus partners and representing the unit in a professional, approachable manner. Provide guidance and support for creative requests, directing partners to the Project Management team and the Project Intake Form (PIF) as appropriate. Proactively evaluate incoming project requests and flag opportunities that may require marketing strategy or campaign-level support. Host training sessions, webinars, and other engagement activities to increase adoption of self-serve tools (Canva templates, Canto assets, brand guidelines, etc.). Manage expectations and resolve conflicts when requests exceed timelines, resources, or scope, ensuring positive partner experiences while protecting team capacity. Collaborate closely with the Project Management team and the Executive Director to refine processes, messaging, and expectations across the unit. Qualifications Required 5-7+ years in design, creative operations, marketing services, licensing management, brand management, and/or related fields. Demonstrated experience mentoring designers or leading creative workflow. Strong understanding of branding, digital asset systems, and template scalability. Excellent communication and collaboration skills; skilled at managing expectations and building trust. Comfort with hands-on design work while simultaneously managing a program. Experience providing high-level oversight of external vendors, partners, or programs. Ability to manage multiple priorities and switch between high-level strategic planning, day-to-day execution, and coaching responsibilities as needed. Preferred Higher education experience. Experience with licensing programs, vendor management, or merchandise production. Experience managing interns or student workers. Familiarity with Canva, Canto, Adobe Creative Cloud, and standard creative workflows. Role Characteristics Entrepreneurial: builds systems, processes, efficiencies, and brand identity for a new division. Operational: can co-create scalable workflows and manage multiple moving pieces. Designer: able to execute design when needed and coach others well. Collaborative: thrives on building partnerships across campus. Brand Ambassador: understands how creative, licensing, and messaging reinforce the university’s brand promise. ACU does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, sex, disability, genetic information, national or ethnic origin in employment opportunities, in keeping with applicable state and federal law. ACU is committed to maintaining a safe and secure campus environment and protecting the university's financial and physical assets. Therefore, Abilene Christian University conducts background checks on all candidates for employment in security sensitive positions. As a current employee, it will be determined if you need an additional background check upon your hire.