Senior Director of Creative Apparel Marketing
On Running
Posted 20 May 2026
About this role
At a Glance
As the Senior Director of Creative Apparel Marketing, you will report directly to the VP of Creative and serve as the primary brand partner to the creative and product leadership team Your mission is to translate product design vision into a cohesive brand creative language, acting as a guardian of the apparel portfolio while ensuring all marketing efforts align with global priorities. This is an enterprise-level leadership role that demands a blend of strategic marketing expertise and visionary creative direction to deliver high-impact campaigns at the intersection of fashion, performance, and contemporary culture.
Your Mission
Architect Creative Strategy & Vision
- Define the long-term, multi-year architecture for the apparel creative function, ensuring a unified global identity across all brand platforms.
- Translate product creative direction into compelling brand platforms that resonate across diverse global communities.
- Direct high-impact campaigns and collaborations, partnering with globally relevant talent, designers, and cultural voices.
- Establish and mandate KPIs and metrics (e.g., brand health, cultural relevance, portfolio value) to measure the systemic success of creative initiatives.
Lead Organizational & Creative Excellence
- Lead and inspire multidisciplinary creative teams, including art directors, copywriters, and spatial designers, nurturing ambition and clarity across the studio.
- Architect the global operating model for apparel brand creative, defining clear roles and decision-making rights between product, marketing, and commercial teams.
- Act as the primary interface between the creative function and Executive Leadership, communicating strategy, performance, and talent needs.
- Coach and mentor the team to raise the bar on both strategic thinking and execution quality.
Drive Enterprise Impact
- Simplify and prioritize a complex portfolio of brand initiatives to focus resources on the highest-value growth opportunities.
- Ensure creative synergies across all product categories, marketing channels, and regions.
- Champion creative excellence across every consumer touchpoint, from film and imagery to retail and digital experiences.
Your Story
- Executive Leadership: You are a recognized leader with 15+ years of progressive experience in brand management and creative direction within premium sportswear, fashion, or luxury industries.
- Managerial Depth: You have at least 8+ years of experience managing Director-level leaders and overseeing complex, multi-category portfolios.
- Strategic Architect: You possess the ability to build 5-year strategic plans and align the C-suite, regional presidents, and cross-functional EVP leadership.
- Creative Intuition: You are a creative mind rooted in design and culture, fluent in how aesthetics and meaning drive brand desire beyond standard categories—exploring art, architecture, and sound.
- Operational Gravitas: You navigate ambiguity with ease, balancing creative vision with the "system builder" mindset required to deliver executable frameworks for global teams.
- Communication Mastery: You have an exceptional executive presence and are comfortable presenting vision and performance to large internal and external audiences.
What We Offer
- A challenging role at the forefront of global expansion with unparalleled influence on long-term brand architecture.
- A culture that values experimentation, well-being, and individuality, providing the freedom to create and design for the long run.
- A commitment to an inclusive work environment as an Equal Opportunity Employer.