Creative Manager, Hospitality Job at Kohler Co. in Kohler

Overview
Opportunity The Creative Manager is a high-level strategic leader and hands-on visionary responsible for defining and driving the visual tone, brand narrative, and creative excellence for Kohler Hospitality. This role requires a sophisticated aesthetic sense, business acumen, and the ability to lead a diverse ecosystem of internal and external talent. Work Mode: Onsite. Location: Onsite, four days per week – Kohler, WI.

The Creative Manager will lead a multidisciplinary team to deliver Omni-channel experiences—from high-end digital content and social journeys to traditional print and video—ensuring every touchpoint is executed to a world-class standard. You are a "student of the industry" who balances creative risk-taking with the operational rigor required to align resources against the company’s highest-performing business units.

Responsibilities

Creative Leadership & Execution: Act as the primary creative guardian, ensuring cohesive brand strategy and "luxury-level" aesthetics across all mediums (Digital, Video, Social, Print, and Experiential).

Creative direction of video and photography: Direct all stages of production; provide on-set direction and high-level feedback to retouches and editors to ensure the final product exceeds industry standards.

Cultivate a culture of excellence and accountability; push the boundaries of digital storytelling and emerging technologies to keep the brand on the leading edge.

Operational & Financial Management

Deploy the team and external resources against the highest-priority items and highest-performing business segments to maximize ROI.

Manage the department budget and project-specific spending; ensure all creative output is delivered on time and aligned with budgeted hours.

Continuously streamline creative workflows and production pipelines to improve efficiency without sacrificing quality.

Team & Relationship Management

Manage and mentor a direct team of 6 (including Designers, Copywriters and Production), fostering career development and elevating output.

Oversee dedicated resources, contract services, and an extensive roster of third-party agencies and freelancers.

Serve as a trusted advisor to the Head of Marketing and internal stakeholders; defend creative points of view while remaining a collaborative, solution-oriented problem solver.

Skills / Requirements

8+ years of experience in an advertising agency or in-house creative department, with at least 5 years in a formal leadership/management role.

BS, BA, or BFA in Design, Fine Arts, or a related field.

A world-class portfolio demonstrating mastery in graphic design, art direction, and high-end production across TV, Digital, and Social platforms.

Expert understanding of digital-first strategies, social platform nuances, and the "content creator" mindset.

Proven ability to translate complex business strategies into measurable creative results and manage large-scale departmental budgets.

Exceptional presentation skills; able to "command a room" and influence executive-level stakeholders.

Quality and consistency of global brand identity.

Efficiency of the production pipeline and third-party agency performance.

Additional Information

Applicants must be authorized to work in the US without requiring sponsorship now or in the future.

Salary range: $103,900 - $160,000. This position is eligible for a performance bonus/variable incentive compensation; specific salary offered may be influenced by experience, education, and work location.

Kohler offers day 1 benefits from your first day on the job.

Reasonable accommodation during recruitment: kohlerjobs@kohler.com. Kohler Co. is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.

Why Kohler? We offer a competitive total rewards package and a culture of innovation. More than 30,000 bold leaders worldwide are helping people live gracious, healthy, and sustainable lives.

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