Creative Developer at Blurb
San Francisco, CA Posted 1/11/12

Background:
Blurb® is a creative publishing and marketing platform that unleashes the creative genius inside everyone. Blurb’s platform makes it easy to design, publish, market and sell professional-quality books, using the Blurb Bookify™ online bookmaking tool, Blurb’s free, award-winning Blurb BookSmart® app or by using Blurb’s PDF to Book workflow. Blurb’s bookstore and online marketing tools enable customers to market and sell their books, and keep 100% of their profit. Blurb’s social and community features allow customers to create and share Blurb books among friends and colleagues with ease.

Blurb was founded by Eileen Gittins in 2005, and includes a team of design, Internet and media veterans who share a passion for helping people bring their stories to life. In 2010, Blurb shipped just under 1.4 million books to more than 70 countries and territories. In 2010, Blurb was ranked the fastest growing media company on the Inc. 500. Blurb is based in San Francisco with offices in London. If you’re ready to dive right in, get dirty, work hard and have fun, keep reading.

We’re looking for a Creative Director to serve as an idea generator, a strategic partner for internal clients, a leader, and a touchstone to help assure creative excellence at Blurb. Someone who is passionate about the future of digital media and ready to build out a global brand. This is a senior-level role with significant responsibility, creativity, leadership, and business sense required. Working cross-functionally and in partnership with external agencies, the Creative Director is responsible for the vision, quality, and consistency of all creative.

Responsibilities:
- Own the development, evolution and communication of brand standards and have accountability for brand consistency across a range of vehicles including site campaigns and assets, email, and other online marketing programs.
- Able to take on projects independently as well as leading and managing other creative resources to ensure on-time delivery for marketing creative projects.
- Develop a library of brand relevant assets, images, templates and frameworks to enable remote/field designers to independently operate within the brand guidelines
- Understand how to drive a branding initiative from start to finish, including effective expression of value propositions.
- Manage the marketing-driven creative aspects of the website, marketing collateral, banner ads, landing pages, and emails/newsletters and all other visual representations of the Blurb brand from concept through completion
- Work with analysts to regularly review results and optimize creative accordingly
- Collaborate closely with marketing peers as a key strategic partner. Understand their business objectives and help them to drive the business forward by proactively contributing strategic and tactical program ideas, working with them to develop thorough creative briefs, delivering excellent creative and monitoring results together.
- Monitor the creative work produced by the creative team, and help designers produce superior creative work that meets client objectives, brand standards, and usability best practices.
- Manage and direct US-based agency partnerships.
- Oversee resource allocation, planning and execution of all creative projects; implement, track and monitor efficiency and other quality metrics to ensure the creative organization is successful at delivering against objectives and meeting the business needs of various stakeholders (i.e., marketing, business unit, product management etc).
- Drive image and photo selection for all marketing- excellent editorial eye required
- Design books (occasionally) for very high-profile projects
- Assist executive team members with presentations and other creative support

Requirements:
- At least 8 years of creative management experience, including at least 4 years within a web company
- Will have deep expertise in one or more aspects of Creative development, and well-rounded experience with all other functions within the creative team:
• Design – web and print
• Editorial
• Flash Animation
- Knowledge of new media requirements and terminology
- Ability to provide clear creative direction and provide timely and helpful feedback to improve creative processes to keep work on budget and schedule
- Ability to prioritize work and resources across projects based on short and long-term needs

To Apply to this Position:
Apply via email: anial@blurb.com
Please include a link to online portfolio or attach design samples