Vice President, Brand & Creative

We strongly encourage people of color, transgender and non-binary people to apply. HRC is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes everyone, including non-LGBTQ+ people, to join our team. Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that people from marginalized communities are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At HRC, we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

Who are We

The Human Rights Campaign envisions a world where every member of the LGBTQ+ family has the freedom to live their truth without fear, and with equality under the law. We empower our 3 million members and supporters to mobilize against attacks on the most marginalized people in our community. The HRC Foundation creates impact through programs and initiatives designed to make transformational change in the everyday lives of LGBTQ+ people. We’ve spent over 40 years creating the most powerful movement for equality our country has ever seen. But despite this progress, our most marginalized are still suffering from violence, discrimination, and fear. Our goal is to ensure that all LGBTQ+ people, and particularly those of us who are trans, people of color and HIV+, are treated as full and equal citizens within our movement, across our country and around the world.

We tackle inequality on all fronts
Fighting for equality means we can’t afford to let anyone fall through the cracks. We work locally, nationally, and globally on issues that affect the LGBTQ+ community. HRC partners with people across demographics, industries, and governments to provide leadership on how to back up pro-equality statements with real action — and create a society where none of us is left behind.

How we’re making change today
HRC’s campaigns are focused on mobilizing those who envision a world strengthened by diversity, where our laws and society treat all people equally, including LGBTQ+ people and those who are multiply marginalized. You will get to be a part of this amazing journey with us. The Vice President, Creative Studios is responsible for driving the video and design work for the Human Rights Campaign - who has a reach of more than 6 million followers and supporters. In this moment of crisis, this role is a critical leader in the Communications and Brand department with a powerful mandate - to dynamically, innovatively, and urgently show the breadth and depth of the support for the LGBTQ+ community.

You will drive the development of powerful creative video and design initiatives with external partners, like our Reality Flag, Let Us Play and See Trans Lives ad campaigns. Working with an award-winning video team, you’ll be a force behind content that can change hearts and minds on issues like gender-affirming care, why sports matter to trans kids, ending the federal blood ban, as well as rapid response advocacy efforts at the federal and state levels. You’ll lead the experienced team leading print and digital design efforts, including HRC’s Equality Magazine, a range of transformational reports and resources; political ads; and the organization’s look-and-feel across major channels like HRC.org. You’ll also lead both the video and design teams to work collaboratively with the Communications and Digital Communications teams and across the organization to develop a range of timely content designed to engage, grow and inform our digital audiences.

Living into the HRC values every day

When HRC is at its best, it is rooted in its values: heart; boldness; learning & openness; equity & intersectionality; responsibility; resilience; respect; and community & teamwork. We look to these values as we explore new opportunities, in times of success as well as crisis. We use them to drive a better way of working together and also to achieve better results in our work. We lean on them to better understand each other and the work we all are called to do. With an estimated 52 million Equality Voters across America, our community is one of the largest and most politically engaged voting blocs in the country.

Position Summary:

The Vice President, Brand & Creative will be responsible for driving the overall HRC brand look-and-feel across its global footprint via our design and video work. They will provide creative and strategic leadership to a team of around 10 staff, as well as freelancers and vendors to achieve strategic goals. The VP will be responsible, in partnership with Communications and Digital Communications colleagues, for the development of promotional campaigns, helping to drive the voice, look and attitude of the brand and maintain a consistent brand identity. A successful candidate will provide leadership to the team in developing creative solutions that are relevant and exciting, utilize storytelling, inspire sharing, increase engagement and drive conversion via our creative product.

The Vice President will have a clear point-of-view, inspiring leadership skills, passion for developing best-in-class work, a highly collaborative style and the ability to work in a fast-paced non-profit environment. We want a brilliant and strategic creative leader, who is not afraid of being in the day to day operations of the work as well as a strategic thought partner.

This position reports directly to the SVP of Communications and Brand and will partner closely with the VP of Communications and the VP of Digital Communications to inspire and lead a best-in-class Communications and Brand team.

Position Responsibilities

• Drive the overall creative studios strategy for HRC to educate and inspire our authentic brand voice into action via our design and video products.
• Ensure the organization's brand is strongly and sharply delivered via storytelling that inspires sharing, increasing engagement and driving conversion.
• Build and measure brand awareness/brand health and generate innovative ideas to increase brand affinity and loyalty via our creative work.
• Manage our video, design and website analytics output by leading the daily operations of HRC’s creative studios.
• Lead and develop a growing creative team of design and video experts as they collaborate across key program areas (foundation, political, development, public awareness, and advocacy) to bring to life key initiatives in service of the HRC’s goals and mission.
• Understand the need for framing content in different ways across different platforms to ensure successful audience engagement and expansion across diverse communities.
• Manage the Creative Studio’s department’s budget and work collaboratively with SVP to develop future budgets.
• Work with HRC staff members and outside vendors to keep HRC on the cutting edge of our video and design platforms.
• Prepare proposals and negotiate and manage contracts with vendors.
• Balance project scope, timelines and meeting deadlines, prioritizing tasks and communicating in a busy environment.
• Other duties as assigned.

Position Qualifications:

Strong Brand Acumen

• This person must enjoy being an extraordinary storyteller with strong creative sensibilities and a passion for creative, brand and design work.
• Desire to drive timely political and public education messaging to increase support for LGBTQ+ people through our creative platforms.
• Equally a strategist and storyteller, with a data-driven approach to growing audiences and communicating ann organizational brand.
• At least 10 years of experience working in a non-profit advocacy or campaign environment.

Track Record of Results as an Experienced Creative Lead

• Understands how to identify areas for opportunity in innovation and creative spaces, including partnership with external organizations.
• Have a deep understanding of video and design work.
• Possess a strong understanding of how to leverage the organization’s voice and branding across various audiences to grow audiences and maximize visibility and engagement.
• Proven experience growing brand awareness with key identifiable metrics and reporting.

Strong People and Process Manager

• Experience managing diverse teams with comfort giving feedback and developing early- to mid-career staff.
• Experience working with diverse groups of stakeholders, being calm under pressure, communicating effectively, and managing a diversity of opinions on each project.

Spirit of a Campaigner

• Identify and employ innovative tools, tactics and partnerships to increase community engagement with brand.
• The ability to travel as required, approximately 25% including evenings and weekends.

All positions at the Human Rights Campaign may require travel on a regular basis or periodically. Where the need arises for business travel, appropriate compensation as outlined by the Fair Labor Standards Act will apply.

No phone calls or emails, please. Due to the volume of applications we receive, we are unable to respond to queries about application status.