Creative Art Director, Marketing & Communications

Position Overview:

As we celebrate 30 years of impact, KIPP NYC is deepening its investment in storytelling, brand strategy, and community engagement to strengthen our position as a leading educational organization serving students and families across New York City. The Creative Art Director is a key leader within KIPP NYC’s Marketing and Communications team, responsible for shaping and elevating the visual identity of the KIPP NYC brand across all channels and audiences.

This role requires a highly creative, strategic, and systems-oriented leader who can translate bold campaign ideas into compelling, high-performing creative assets across digital, print, social, video, and experiential platforms. The Creative Art Director will play a critical role in strengthening KIPP NYC’s presence in a highly competitive educational landscape through emotionally resonant, NYC-centered storytelling that connects authentically with families, students, staff, and community members.

Reporting to the Managing Director of Marketing & Communications, this individual will lead the creative execution of regional marketing campaigns, oversee external creative and media agency partnerships, and ensure all visual storytelling reflects the vibrancy, excellence, and cultural richness of KIPP NYC schools and communities.

This is a full-time position with a hybrid schedule, requiring a minimum of three in-person days per week based out of our KIPP NYC Midtown Manhattan office. The role also includes travel to KIPP NYC campuses across the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Manhattan. The cadence and frequency of school visits will be determined by your leadership team.

Duties and Responsibilities:

General responsibilities include (but are not limited to):

Brand Leadership & Creative Direction

• Lead the evolution and execution of a unified, premium KIPP NYC visual identity across all marketing and communications materials
• Develop and maintain brand guidelines that balance regional consistency with school-level authenticity and flexibility
• Ensure all creative work reflects KIPP NYC’s mission, values, and commitment to educational equity
• Serve as the internal creative lead and primary point of contact for external creative and media agency partners
• Provide strategic creative direction and actionable feedback to ensure agency deliverables align with KIPP NYC brand standards and organizational goals

Campaign Strategy & Execution

• Lead creative development for student recruitment, staff recruitment, enrollment, fundraising, and regional awareness campaigns
• Oversee the creation of high-impact, multi-channel marketing assets, including:
  • Social media campaigns
  • Video storytelling
  • Out-of-home (OOH) advertising
  • Transit campaigns
  • Digital advertising
  • Print collateral
  • Event branding and experiential materials
• Ensure creative assets are optimized for platform performance, audience engagement, and brand consistency
• Design scalable “grassroots” templates and tools that support school-based outreach and recruitment efforts

Storytelling & Content Production

• Partner with school communities and regional teams to identify and elevate authentic stories that highlight the excellence, joy, and diversity of KIPP NYC students, families, alumni, and staff
• Translate organizational priorities and campaign goals into compelling visual narratives and creative concepts
• Oversee photography, video, and creative production efforts to ensure high-quality execution across campaigns
• Manage and organize the regional creative asset library to maximize accessibility and effective use of brand materials

Community & Cultural Relevance

• Ensure all creative work demonstrates deep cultural responsiveness and reflects the lived experiences of NYC communities
• Collaborate with agency and internal partners to develop Spanish-language and multilingual creative that is culturally nuanced and community-centered
• Bring a strong understanding of NYC neighborhoods, culture, and audiences to all campaigns and storytelling efforts

Cross-Functional Collaboration & Operations

• Partner closely with Recruitment, Talent, Development, Academics, School Leadership, and Regional teams to support organizational priorities through creative strategy
• Manage timelines, workflows, approvals, and creative project execution across multiple stakeholders
• Support creative direction and branding for high-profile regional events, campaigns, and internal communications
• Contribute to the continuous improvement of marketing systems, processes, and creative operations