Manager of Campus Creative & Licensing

About the Role

ACU seeks a Manager of Campus Creative & Licensing to establish and lead Campus Creative within the Marketing Division, driving design, branding, licensing, and campus partnerships. The role combines creative execution with strategic program leadership to deliver scalable tools, templates, and processes that support university-wide communications.

What You'll Do

• Establish & Lead Campus Creative and develop the operational framework and launch strategy within the Marketing Division, creating a recognizable identity and partnerships with academic departments.
• Oversee intake refinement with the project management team, identify resourcing gaps, and serve as primary design executor when needed while setting standards for quality and consistency.
• Mentor and develop student designers/interns; manage self-service brand tools and release new branded template drops on a regular cadence.
• Coordinate with the project management team to evaluate project feasibility and timelines; leverage AI, automation, and workflow tools to maximize efficiency.
• Oversee vendor and resource management, maintain relationships with print vendors and freelancers, and ensure quotes, contracts, timelines, and billing are accurate and transparent.
• Provide strategic leadership for ACU’s licensing program, drive new partnerships/products, and enforce brand protection and compliance across campus.
• Build partnerships and act as a visible leader for Campus Creative; guide creative requests, host trainings, and proactively assess opportunities for marketing strategy or campaign-level support.
• Collaborate with the Project Management team and Executive Director to refine processes, messaging, and expectations across the unit.

What We're Looking For

• 5-7+ years in design, creative operations, marketing services, licensing management, brand management, 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; able to manage expectations and build trust.
• Comfort with hands-on design work while managing a program.
• Experience overseeing external vendors, partners, or programs.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and switch between high-level strategic planning and day-to-day execution.

Nice to Have

• 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.

Compensation & Benefits