Creative Director, Content Center of Excellence

Position Overview

PNC’s Content Center of Excellence (COE) is building out its founding leadership team, and our Creative Director role will drive how we come to life. We believe creative and design are critical to the growth of our business. This senior role sits at the intersection between marketing, communications, and product experience, setting the creative strategy, visual identity, and architecture across every digital touchpoint a prospect or customer will regularly encounter PNC through always-on content: PNC.com, social, video, editorial, thought leadership, among other experiences, regardless of campaign calendar.

This is a role meant for a builder. The mandate spans strategy and production: setting a cohesive, visual point of view for content and experience, and creating systems to ensure art directors, copywriters, visual designers, video editors, and editorial teams are all executing against a high quality bar. The Creative Director will partner with Digital Experience to shape PNC.com’s visual and interaction language, and with Brand Marketing & Paid Media to keep enterprise brand expression and COE content operating as one system.

Reporting directly to the Head of Content, this role builds and leads a team spanning UX design, visual/motion design, video production, copy/editorial, and art direction, and owns the craft and quality of everything the COE ships.

Most importantly, this role requires someone with a clear POV, an understanding of culture, a sense of what good looks like, and a passion for teaching others the same.

Key Responsibilities

Visual Identity, Architecture & Strategy

Define and own PNC’s visual identity system for owned content and PNC.com experiences, contributing to and translating brand strategy into a design language, component library, and standards that teams can execute against without a COE review on every asset.

Guide the strategic direction of visual experience on PNC.com, working with experience designers and UX researchers on modules, page templates, and journeys.

Build the visual through-line connecting PNC.com, social, video, and always-on content, so a prospect moving from a paid ad to an organic post to a product page experiences one point of view, not three.

Produce hero assets, compelling direction, and design systems that can be used by agencies, creators, partners, and others.

Owned & Always-On Content Production

Lead creative direction for PNC’s owned content: organic social, editorial and video series, and the always-on content that fills the space between campaigns.

Build a “studio” capability: video, design, and motion templates that scale across lines of business, while also being mindful of legal and compliance needs.

Set production standards and briefing discipline for the in-house shooter/editor and motion design teams, from concept through final cut.

Brand Partnership & Enterprise Consistency

Serve as the COE’s connective tissue into broader MarCom teams so COE content and campaign/brand creative read as one enterprise system.

Contribute PNC’s enterprise brand evolution.

Represent creative and visual craft in governance forums so quality standards are enforced upstream rather than caught in review queues.

Team Leadership

Build and lead a team of visual designers and motion designers/video editors, setting hiring bar, briefing standards, and review rhythm

Run critique as a craft discipline: direct, specific feedback that raises the bar.

Develop the team’s judgment, not just its output, so standards hold when this role isn’t in the room.

AI-Enabled Creative Workflow

AI tools are already how you create. Operationalize AI tooling inside creative production to compress format multiplication (one approved concept into article, social, video, and paid variants) without degrading craft or introducing brand or compliance risk.

Cross-Functional Operating Model

You know to create systems. Build and operate inside the COE’s hub-and-spoke model: creating standards for other teams to use, while owning production against highest-visibility always-on work.

PNC is an in-office company that fosters a supportive culture where employees can thrive and achieve balance. We encourage candidates to connect with their recruiter and hiring manager to understand workplace expectations and ensure the role aligns with their goals.

PNC will not provide sponsorship for employment visas or participate in STEM OPT for this position.

Job Description

• •Establishes the strategic direction of the team. Responsible for the team's development and execution of all communications strategies to advance business priorities.
• •Establishes and leads overall communication strategies; oversees the planning, research, and development of content for complex communication initiatives. Develops and implements measurement approach to determine the impact of communications plans and strategies.
• •Leads in the resolution of issues. Develops and maintains client relationships with executives and all levels of management, providing counsel on all aspects of communications. Engages other parts of the organization to ensure strategic alignment, clarity, and accuracy of message.
• •Directs, leads, and holds the team accountable for business analytics, reporting, and accountability framework to drive results and achieve successful integration of marketing and business strategies in support of business programs/initiatives.
• •Responsible for performance management, continuous coaching and development of employees to ensure that they can achieve business results and adapt to evolving business strategies and financial industry changes.

PNC Employees take pride in our reputation and to continue building upon that we expect our employees to be:

• •Customer Focused - Knowledgeable of the values and practices that align customer needs and satisfaction as primary considerations in all business decisions and able to leverage that information in creating customized customer solutions.
• •Managing Risk - Assessing and effectively managing all of the risks associated with their business objectives and activities to ensure they adhere to and support PNC's Enterprise Risk Management Framework.

PNC also has fundamental expectations of our people managers. As a manager of talent in PNC, you will be expected to:

• •Include Intentionally - Cultivates diverse teams and inclusive workplaces to expand thinking.
• •Live the Values - Role models our values with transparency and courage.
• •Enable Change - Takes action to drive change and innovation that will transform our business.
• •Achieve Results - Takes personal ownership to deliver results. Empowers and trusts others in decision making.
• •Develop the Best - Raises the bar with every talent decision and guides the achievement of all employees and customers.

Qualifications

Successful candidates must demonstrate appropriate knowledge, skills, and abilities for a role. Listed below are skills, competencies, work experience, education, and required certifications/licensures needed to be successful in this position.

Preferred Skills

Branding, Change Management, Creative Process, Design Thinking, Digital Marketing, Media Relations, Prioritization, Strategic Communication Planning, Strategic Planning

Competencies

Business Acumen, Continuous Transformation, Copywriting and Editing, Effective Communications, Effectiveness Measurement, Influencing Through Expertise, Organizational Communications, Organizational Savvy and Politics, Performance Management, Storytelling, Strategic Thinking

Work Experience

Roles at this level typically require a university / college degree. Higher level education such as a Masters degree, PhD, or certifications is desirable. Industry-relevant experience is typically 8+ years. At least 5 years of prior management experience is typically required. Proven leadership experience with a moderate to large scope of responsibility is required. In lieu of a degree, a c