Head of Creative

Role Summary

This role owns the creative standard for client-facing retail and experiential work while acting as a strong cross-functional bridge to engineering and production. The Head of Creative & Engineering is responsible for raising the quality of concepts, presentations, and design output, while ensuring that work is feasible, scalable, and aligned with fabrication and installation realities.

The person in this role does not need to be the lead engineer, but must be able to operate credibly in engineering-adjacent discussions involving materials, structure, prototyping, production methods, code constraints, and execution tradeoffs.

Core Responsibilities

• Set and maintain the creative vision, design quality, and execution standards for all applicable retail, environmental, and 3D display work.
• Lead concept development for client programs, including spatial storytelling, consumer experience, display systems, branded environments, and dimensional moments.
• Manage and mentor creative talent; establish clear review processes, feedback loops, and professional development expectations.
• Partner with engineering, fabrication, and installation leaders to align concept intent with technical feasibility and production methods.
• Review project work at major milestones, including concept, design development, rendering, prototyping, and pre-production approvals.
• Ensure creative presentations are strategic, clear, persuasive, and visually strong.
• Help teams solve for budget, timing, fabrication complexity, and scope changes without compromising the integrity of the creative solution.
• Contribute to better internal workflow between design and technical disciplines.
• Serve as a senior escalation point for design quality, concept alignment, and multidisciplinary decision-making.

Required Background

• 7+ years of progressive creative leadership experience, with strong preference for backgrounds in retail design, environmental design, experiential design, branded environments, or 3D display/fixture work.
• Demonstrated success leading teams and overseeing custom, physical, space-based, or fabrication-oriented creative programs.
• Experience collaborating with engineering, industrial design, fabrication, or production teams.
• Strong portfolio showing concept development and execution in retail, environmental, or dimensional design contexts.
• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite; comfort reviewing work generated through 3D rendering/modeling workflows.

Preferred Background

• Experience in companies with in-house fabrication or end-to-end production capabilities.
• Working knowledge of materials, structural considerations, prototyping, shop drawing handoff, and installation processes.
• Exposure to industrial design, CAD collaboration, or environmental/architectural design workflows.
• Experience with premium consumer brands, retail rollouts, custom fixtures, or event/display programs.

Leadership Competencies

• Creative judgment and high standards
• Cross-functional communication
• Team leadership and coaching
• Presentation and client confidence
• Problem-solving under production constraints
• Ability to balance inspiration with executional discipline

Success Measures

• Higher overall quality and consistency of creative output
• Stronger integration between design vision and engineering execution
• Improved concept-to-production efficiency
• Positive team leadership and talent development outcomes
• Stronger client confidence in the company’s creative leadership
• Reduced design rework caused by avoidable feasibility issues