Job Description
Position Title: Creative Director
Salary: $95,000 - $110,000
Reports to: Vice President, Kids and Family Programs
About Earth Rangers:
Earth Rangers is the kids’ conservation organization, on a mission to create a generation of conservationists who are hopeful, informed, and empowered to take action. Since 2004 we have been testing and establishing a proven model of environmental education and engagement for kids that is truly one of a kind.
Our free membership program allows children to become official Earth Rangers themselves, and provides them with fun resources and impactful activities to bring positive environmental change to their communities. Our main programs are targeted for children ages 6-12; a critical time for instilling environmental values and behaviours.
With more than 350,000 members and alumni, Earth Rangers has grown to be the largest youth environmental organization globally!
The Creative Director will be responsible for the direction and development of creative content for Earth Rangers, focused on our kids-, family- and educator programs. This includes assets and programming for the Earth Rangers App, our various web domains, the Earth Rangers podcast, school outreach programs and communications ranging from TV spots to eblasts.
The successful candidate will have a passion for making our mission a reality through multimedia content. They will exhibit excellent judgment and the ability to seamlessly prioritize between evolving business needs, bringing a balanced mix of long-term thinking with a roll-up-your-sleeves, entrepreneurial approach. This is not a purely supervisory role- the successful candidate will be expected to actively participate in design and video editing work, in addition to providing creative direction and actively managing the creative team.
The position currently has an internal team of 6 FTEs and manages a number of external contractors.
Your Key Responsibilities:
- Collaborate with VP of Kids and Family Programs and other department heads to bring the Earth Rangers brand and experience to life with compelling & engaging copy and beautiful, evocative design through various channels, maintaining a consistent voice and a 'kids first' strategy!
o Communicate a compelling artistic vision and style for Earth Rangers, ensuring alignment across the creative team.
o Build a strong visual/written vocabulary that will take the brand to the next level.
- Lead our team of in-house graphic designers, copy writers and relevant external contractors to produce the required content and creative assets for all Earth Rangers programs and communications.
o Match resources skillfully to the specific demands of each project.
o Lead and mentor your team – help them with their professional goals, and aid in their growth, development and performance.
o Foster creativity, innovation, and a feedback culture.
o Hold overall accountability for app-specific outsourcing of art assets, ensuring high-quality deliverables align with the creative vision.
- Take a hands-on approach creating priority level multimedia projects such as TV spots, school presentations and new features.
o Develop and pitch creative concepts.
o Design and edit robust membership materials such as missions and challenges, as well as advertising material, video assets, and social content.
o Possess a passion for advancing our mission, maintaining a positive and inspiring approach to difficult topics such as climate change and habitat loss.
- Uphold creative integrity and ingenuity by keeping up to date with the latest best practices in e-Comm and kids media.
Your Skillset:
- 5-10 years of experience in a senior creative role
- Minimum of 2 years of experience in people management, leading and guiding creative teams
- A robust portfolio showcasing exceptional concept art, production art, video and animation work
- Proficiency in industry-standard software such as Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere, After Effects, Animator, Audacity
- Extensive experience in and passion for digital design
- Proven experience integrating AI tools into art team processes to enhance productivity, streamline workflows, and optimize asset creation
- Profound knowledge of various art styles with the ability to adapt to different visual aesthetics
- Experience in copy editing
- Robust leadership abilities in organizing, energizing, and elevating the design standards of your team
- Experience managing external contractors
- A deep understanding of how art enhances kids' learning experience
- Detail oriented, highly driven and results focused
- Demonstrated ability to set and meet goals, assess resource needs, develop schedules, monitor and communicate status, and develop processes and procedures
- A true problem solver that grasps issues at the core level and offers insightful solutions to drive and improve the user experience
- Basic understanding of marketing principles and tactics
- A genuine passion for the environment
Why Work at Earth Rangers?
- Our competitive benefits include medical & dental coverage and life insurance. Full-time employees are eligible for a 5% match to RRSP contributions after one year of service.
- We use a hybrid work model, with office staff working at Earth Rangers Headquarters on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and working from home on Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays.
- We close at 1pm on Fridays all summer, and the office shuts down between Christmas and New Year’s.
- At our offices you will have access to free parking, an on-site gym, and beautiful walking trails. We are situated at The Kortright Centre, a Toronto and Region Conservation Authority property that consists of a 325-hectare natural woodland oasis.
- We cover the cost of preapproved professional development opportunities like courses, certifications, and conferences to help you advance in your career with Earth Rangers.
All interested applicants please forward your cover letter, resume and portfolio to hr@earthrangers.com
- Earth Rangers is dedicated to fostering a diverse work environment. We will consider all qualified applicants for employment. Applicants that meet the qualifications will be contacted for an interview. Earth Rangers is committed to accommodating applicants and employees with disabilities. Should you require accommodation or this job description to be available in an accessible format, please advise.