Overview

Passion. Creativity. Integrity. Teamwork. Ambition. Innovation. These are the qualities that have made Wilson Sporting Goods Co. the number one sports equipment brand in the world. And these are the qualities that our global team embodies every day as we pursue one shared bold mission: to ignite the true potential in every athlete.

We know that great people are what makes our brand great. We know that teams who bring a variety of skill sets, experiences and perspectives to challenge the status quo and create game-changing product means we are doing right by the athletes and coaches we serve. And that’s why we work with each member of our team to help them dream, discover, grow and realize their own full potential.

Evolving the sports world and being the best partner for players is no small task. We are continually looking to add hard-working, ambitious, team-first individuals who desire to make a difference —and who love to help others win. Join us.

What You'll Do

We are currently seeking an Executive Creative Director who will lead in the evolution of the Wilson brand as we execute our vision of awakening and uniting a new generation of athletes on and off the court. As the creative lead for Wilson’s internal agency, The Brand Design Group, the ECD will work independent of managerial direction reporting into the VP of Global Brand, providing global brand creative vision and strategic direction to the Brand Design Group and broader brand marketing organization.

Specific responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Partner with the VP of Brand and the extended Global Marketing Leadership Team to deliver one consistent, cohesive creative vision for the Wilson brand around the world.
• Lead the alignment and deployment of this vision across the global marketing organization including brand and product marketing teams, regional marketing teams, and other key stakeholders (ex. Product, R&D, Omni-Channel and DTC)
• Cultivate and inspire through proactive, people-first dedicated leadership a dynamic, positive work environment that develops and promotes talent development as well as superior work both from the in-house Brand Design Group but all agency\ and brand creative partners.
• Create consumer obsessed but fiscally responsible brand campaigns, content and assets to bring the Wilson brand to life on a global - often digital - stage. Motivate the Wilson Brand Design Group and agency partner network to deliver best in class design solutions.
• Innovate how the existing Brand Design Group works in collaboration with external agencies to deliver culture shaping and industry leading work across a variety of talent sources including creative agencies, off-shoring and content partners.
• Build out the Brand’s first mini in-house content vertical that will add new video and motion capabilities for the brand. Implement the adoption of best-in-class production practices and standards to ensure all content capture is produced to right-sized budgets but maximized potential and ambition.
• As leader of the Brand Design Group, develop good people managers and individual contributors by laying out clear career paths, training and development opportunities and stretch projects. Inspire with humility, empathy and being a good human!
• Own how the brand will reimagine how technology offers solutions to design efficiency and impact. Partner with other members of the team to transform the organization’s current processes and ways of working.

What We're Looking For

This position requires a bachelor’s degree in graphics design, marketing or communications and 10+ years overall creative experience, preferably in sports, footwear and/or apparel categories with 5 years’ experience in a lead Creative Director role.

Other qualifications include:

• 5-8 years of Creative or Design people management experience required
• Recent in-house, corporate brand experience preferred; early agency experience is also desired.
• Experience managing creative teams for recognizable brands through periods of change and transformation with a demonstrated ability to develop strong collaborative cultures and high performing design and project teams
• Strong experience bringing a brand’s creative ecosystem to life across a range of touch points with specific emphasis on DTC, experiential and retail
• Significant experience delivering against brand photography and video needs
• Background working in a variety of channels and mediums with emphasis on building consumer brands through brand and product campaigns, 360 storytelling and digital marketing. Ability to work scrappy and responsibly with available resources
• Experience managing department and team budgets
• Capacity to navigate complexity of supporting business units, multiple countries, & multiple channels; ability to optimize our matrix organization and take into consideration potential divergent interests
• Ability to identify and forecast opportunities and emerging trends along with a willingness and ability to create and drive change
• Solid attention to detail with strong organization and project management skills

What We’ll Provide

Located in the vibrant, sports-centric city of Chicago, Wilson Sporting Goods Co. global headquarters sits along the lakefront with first-class access to a burgeoning creative, innovative, energetic and active professional community. We offer an open, collaborative, high tech work environment with best in class amenities and perks, including:

• Medical, dental and vision
• Pre-tax transit discounts
• 401(k) plan
• Life insurance
• Paid maternity/paternity leave
• Professional development opportunities
• Volunteering programs
• Team building outings
• Discounts on Wilson and Amer Sports products
• Smart casual dress (yes, jeans every day!)
• On-site health club
• Summer hours
• Company-sponsored sports leagues/teams
• Fun, active company outings around major sports events

Wilson Sporting Goods Co. is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, protected veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected characteristics.