Freelance Creative Jobs in Ohio (NOW HIRING)

Position Summary:

The Senior Manager of Creative oversees visual design and creative production across marketing and communications. This role blends hands‑on design work with project management and creative direction, ensuring all materials are clear, consistent and aligned with the organization’s brand.

Reporting to the Vice President of Marketing and Communications, this role works across the organization and manages freelance designers and other creative partners as needed. This is a highly collaborative, do‑er role suited for someone who can balance strong design judgment with practical execution.

This role is hands‑on and varied. The Senior Manager of Creative designs, manages projects, solves problems and adapts quickly as priorities shift. On a small team, this person is self‑motivated, flexible and comfortable switching between strategic thinking and detailed execution.

This position exercises discretion and independent judgement with respect to matters of significance.

As part of the larger KnowledgeWorks team, this position will actively participate in our ongoing diversity, equity, inclusion and justice work. We are reflecting and improving our internal culture, as well as growing our competencies to effectively engage in education systems change with our partners. Engaging in this work is an essential part of each team member’s personal professional development, external capability building and contribution to the culture and work of KnowledgeWorks.

Core Responsibilities:

Brand management and design:

• Maintain and uphold brand standards while adapting creative solutions to real‑world constraints such as timelines, budgets and staff capacity
• Lead the development of compelling visual storytelling by providing creative input for the use of graphics, video and photography across social media and web platforms
• Set creative direction and review work produced by staff and freelancers to ensure visual quality, brand consistency and alignment with project goals
• Support video projects from planning through editing, producing work internally or managing external vendors as needed
• Apply and enforce principles of accessibility and inclusive design to all creative work, ensuring materials are usable, readable and welcoming for a broad range of audiences and needs

Project and template management:

• Develop and maintain a suite of creative tools, templates and creative assets that support efficient plug-and-play use across teams and platforms
• Manage incoming marketing and communications projects, translating requests into clear scopes, timelines and project plans using company project management software

Manage creative vendors:

• Hold day‑to‑day responsibility for creative execution and freelance management, with shared accountability for budget decisions related to design and production
• Direct the design and production of publications, reports and other marketing and communications materials, designing directly or managing freelance designers
• Recruit, contract and manage freelance designers, videographers, photographers and other creative partners to extend the capacity of a small internal team

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field, or an equivalent combination of formal education and directly related experience
• Minimum of 8 years of graphic design experience
• Three to 5 years of experience managing designers or freelancers, leading complex projects end-to-end and setting creative direction rather than just executing

Within Your First 30 Days You Will:

• Gain a full understanding of KnowledgeWorks’ mission, programs and strategic priorities
• Gain familiarity with the KnowledgeWorks brands, platforms and supports
• Create digital assets to support digital campaigns, launches and storytelling

Within Your First Six Months You Will:

• Participate in and contribute to an organizational messaging refresh
• Lead a process to support asset management
• Create assets to support publication launches, webinars and other campaigns
• Grow suite of templates and tools for staff
• Partner with other teams to provide visual support and guidance on work in the field

What KnowledgeWorks Can Offer You:

• Flexible Schedule
• Cell Phone Stipend
• 401K Match Program
• Employee Assistance Program
• Matching Gifts Program

If you don’t meet every single requirement listed, we encourage you to apply anyway. Studies have shown that candidates with diverse backgrounds and experiences are less likely to apply to postings where they don’t meet every qualification exactly as written. KnowledgeWorks is committed to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace that fuels our innovation.

KnowledgeWorks prohibits discrimination against qualified individuals based on their status as protected veterans or individuals with disabilities and prohibits discrimination against all individuals based on their age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or national origin. Moreover, KnowledgeWorks takes affirmative action to employ and advance in employment individuals without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status.