Creative Director
ElevateFull-TimeNashville, TN
ABOUT ELEVATE:
Elevate is a full-service consulting firm that inspires high-performing organizations to find their limits and push past them. With expertise in brand consulting, sales strategy, data-driven insights, and talent optimization, Elevate gives its clients a competitive edge in the fight for people’s precious time and attention. Established in 2018, Elevate set out to help sports teams and leagues spark innovation and drive performance. In the years since, the world of sports has transformed, today standing at the convergence of media, entertainment, and consumer brands, with Elevate supporting some of the world’s most ambitious businesses across these sectors. Elevate’s proprietary technology, data sources, and software products combined with our thoughtful insights, and people-centric approach give clients a 360-degree view of their customers, underpinning intelligent decision-making on marketing spend, growth strategy, and more.
Our team of 400+ employees spans the globe with in 20 locations worldwide. We value recruiting diverse individuals to our team to bring new perspectives to our company and look forward to learning more about you in the recruitment process. To learn more and see what we’ve been up to, follow Elevate on X, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
WHO WE ARE
Elevate Creative is the creative arm of Elevate—we are a best-in-class sports and entertainment firm that partners with the world’s most recognizable teams, brands, and properties. Together, we forge unforgettable moments of connection, uniting storytelling and emotive design to create dynamic experiences and spaces that amplify brands and drive revenue.
WHAT WE BELIEVE
Rooted in core truths and lived experience, boundless creativity creates transformative experiences for fans, translates a brand to three dimensions, and brings a space to life. While most people look at something head-on, we tilt our heads to change perspective. We love building brands, experiences, stories, relationships, and moments that demand to be re-lived. At Elevate, creativity never stops.
WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR
As a Creative Director, you will lead the creative vision for major client engagements, setting the bar for excellence across the studio. You will own the execution of large-scale, cross-functional projects, ensuring the work is strategically aligned with both client goals and Elevate’s creative values. You will mentor emerging leaders, drive innovation across disciplines, and help position Elevate Creative at the forefront of the experiential design industry.
You are a systems thinker and an expert storyteller who can bridge brand, space, technology, and user experience into cohesive, emotional journeys. You thrive in ambiguity, inspire high-performing teams, and are passionate about catalyzing creativity and design to drive emotional engagement and maximize business outcomes.
Ideal candidates will bring a well-designed portfolio showing experiential work, strategic thinking, a deep understanding of story, and experience working with iconic brands. You have a passion for—and a proven history of—growing talent, shaping culture, and winning in competitive environments.
ABOUT YOU
EXPERIENCE
WHO WE ARE
Elevate Creative is the creative arm of Elevate—we are a best-in-class sports and entertainment firm that partners with the world’s most recognizable teams, brands, and properties. Together, we forge unforgettable moments of connection, uniting storytelling and emotive design to create dynamic experiences and spaces that amplify brands and drive revenue.
WHAT WE BELIEVE
Rooted in core truths and lived experience, boundless creativity creates transformative experiences for fans, translates a brand to three dimensions, and brings a space to life. While most people look at something head-on, we tilt our heads to change perspective. We love building brands, experiences, stories, relationships, and moments that demand to be re-lived. At Elevate, creativity never stops.
WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR
As a Creative Director, you will lead the creative vision for major client engagements, setting the bar for excellence across the studio. You will own the execution of large-scale, cross-functional projects, ensuring the work is strategically aligned with both client goals and Elevate’s creative values. You will mentor emerging leaders, drive innovation across disciplines, and help position Elevate Creative at the forefront of the experiential design industry.
You are a systems thinker and an expert storyteller who can bridge brand, space, technology, and user experience into cohesive, emotional journeys. You thrive in ambiguity, inspire high-performing teams, and are passionate about catalyzing creativity and design to drive emotional engagement and maximize business outcomes.
Ideal candidates will bring a well-designed portfolio showing experiential work, strategic thinking, a deep understanding of story, and experience working with iconic brands. You have a passion for—and a proven history of—growing talent, shaping culture, and winning in competitive environments.
ABOUT YOU
EXPERIENCE
- 12+ years of professional experience in experiential, architectural, immersive brand, and/or spatial design.
- Demonstrated experience leading large-scale, cross-functional creative projects with significant business impact.
- Portfolio showcasing industry-leading experiential storytelling and holistic journey design.
- History of shaping creative direction for multiple teams or practice areas.
- Proven success in growing client relationships into long-term strategic partnerships.
- Experience building and scaling creative teams— including hiring, mentoring, and succession planning.
- Demonstrated experience leading workshops, presentations, and strategic engagements (both internal and client-facing).
- Regular contributor to industry thought leadership (speaking, publishing, and/or presenting to external audiences).
SKILLS
- Creative Leadership: Establishes and raises creative standards across multiple teams; leads out in the evolution of the creative ecosystem that defines a team’s creative identity.
- Systemic Thinking: Designs full engagement journeys across architectural, experiential, and brand touchpoints; understands infrastructure, technical buildability, and multi-sensory design.
- Strategic Thinking: Shapes and sells creative strategies that directly connect design innovation to client business goals and outcomes.
- Client Partnership and Management: Serves as a trusted strategic advisor to key clients, influencing major account growth and creative positioning.
- Operational Stewardship: Ensures operational excellence across engagements; balances creative ambition with profitability and resource management.
- Team Building and Mentorship: Builds high-performing teams by hiring, mentoring, and elevating the next generation of creative leaders.
- Industry Representation: Acts as an external voice for the organization, participating in panels, publications, awards programs, and industry partnerships.
- Systems and Innovation: Evolves studio workflows, methodologies, and creative practices to maintain Elevate’s competitive edge.
- Communication Excellence: Exceptional verbal, written, and interpersonal skills; known for persuasive storytelling, de-escalating conflict, and building cross-functional alignment.
- Technical Fluency: Highly proficient with Adobe Creative Suite; working knowledge of 3D and spatial design tools (SketchUp, Rhino, Revit, AutoCAD); understands architectural / technical documentation and construction processes.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
- Own creative direction for major client engagements and internal initiatives, ensuring every project reflects Elevate’s highest standards.
- Build and maintain trusted relationships with senior client stakeholders, helping drive account growth and new business opportunities.
- Lead, manage and mentor multi-disciplinary creative teams across multiple projects and clients, coaching emerging leaders and managers.
- Drive studio-wide initiatives that elevate operational effectiveness, creative processes, and cultural values.
- Develop and present strategic creative proposals and narratives that inspire clients and internal teams.
- Oversee and approve final creative deliverables, ensuring quality, consistency, and strategic alignment across teams.
- Represent Elevate Creative at industry events, conferences, and thought leadership forums.
- Partner with leadership across disciplines (strategy, operations, business development) to integrate creative excellence into every facet of the organization.
NICE-TO-HAVE SKILLS
- Expertise in experiential storytelling, human-centered design, and/or integrated brand experiences.
- Experience with emerging technologies (e.g., XR, immersive media) and their impact on spatial storytelling.
- Fluency in creative management and collaboration tools (e.g., Asana, Notion, Slack, Figma, Miro).
- Familiarity with design systems thinking across multi-channel ecosystems.
WORKPLACE
- Salary of $135,000-$155,000 annually, commensurate with experience
Based in Nashville, TN (Hybrid)
- Ability to travel as needed (~20-30%)
BENEFITS
Medical, Dental, & Vision
Life, Short-Term & Long-Term Disability Insurance + FSA and HSA
401k Employer Match after meeting eligibility requirements
14 Paid Holidays
Paid Parental Leave
Unlimited PTO: We offer an unlimited PTO policy, because we believe rest and personal time fuel creativity and performance. We trust our team to balance time away with delivering exceptional work.
We cannot provide current or future visa sponsorship for this position
This position is open to all qualified candidates. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability in connection with the application process, you may contact us at hr@oneelevate.com.
We are proud to be an equal opportunity/veterans/disabled/ LGBT employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All employment is decided based on qualifications, merit, and business need, without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.
Medical, Dental, & Vision
Life, Short-Term & Long-Term Disability Insurance + FSA and HSA
401k Employer Match after meeting eligibility requirements
14 Paid Holidays
Paid Parental Leave
Unlimited PTO: We offer an unlimited PTO policy, because we believe rest and personal time fuel creativity and performance. We trust our team to balance time away with delivering exceptional work.
We cannot provide current or future visa sponsorship for this position
This position is open to all qualified candidates. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability in connection with the application process, you may contact us at hr@oneelevate.com.
We are proud to be an equal opportunity/veterans/disabled/ LGBT employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All employment is decided based on qualifications, merit, and business need, without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.