Chief Creative Director

Overview

The Chief Creative Director sets the entire retail brand's visual and messaging vision, from campaign concepts and product design to in-store experience, ensuring consistency across all touchpoints (digital, print, physical stores) while aligning creativity with business goals. This role is responsible for setting and leading the company's overall brand merchandise design vision across retail environments, brand expression, and customer-facing experiences, ensuring all design and product development efforts are cohesive, brand-aligned, and commercially impactful. The Chief Creative Director provides strategic oversight, creative leadership, and governance to elevate the brand while supporting business growth and customer engagement.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Support the "Cavender's Culture" and drive our Mission, Vision, and Values

• Vision & Strategy: Define the overarching creative direction, tone, and style for the brand across all platforms (web, social, ads, stores). Establish and lead the enterprise-wide product design vision that supports brand identity, customer experience, and business objectives in a fashion/apparel/footwear retail environment

• Team Leadership: Manage and inspire creative teams. Lead, mentor, and influence internal design teams and external creative partners

• Brand Stewardship: Act as the ultimate guardian of brand consistency and quality. Develop, maintain, and enforce design standards, guidelines, and visual systems across all channels. Provide executive-level review and approval of major design initiatives to ensure quality, consistency, and brand alignment

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work with marketing, merchandising, product teams, and retail operations to translate business objectives into creative execution. Evaluate customer insights, retail performance, and market trends to inform design direction and innovation.

• Ensure design decisions enhance customer engagement while supporting commercial outcomes

• Balance long-term creative vision with practical execution, timelines, and budget considerations

• Communicate design strategy, concepts, and recommendations clearly to senior leadership

Qualifications and Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Design, Fine Arts, Architecture, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience

• Minimum of 10 years of retail experience, including senior-level leadership responsibility

• Proven ability to develop and execute brand-level design strategies

• Strong understanding of retail environments, customer behavior, and product line storytelling

• Demonstrated experience leading and influencing creative teams at an enterprise level

• Excellent communication, presentation, and collaboration skills

Preferred Skills

• Passion for Western Lifestyle retail and a strong understanding of Cavender's customers
• Experience supporting multi-location or national retail brands
• Oversight of design across multiple channels, including in-store, digital, product, and marketing
• Portfolio demonstrating strategic design leadership and measurable brand impact

Cavender's is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, military status, national origin, sex, ancestry, age, sexual orientation, pregnancy, disability, genetic information, or any other personal characteristic protected under federal, state, or local law.

Cavender's will provide reasonable accommodations for persons with a disability upon request. If you have a disability and need assistance completing the application, please call Customer Service at – 2555 or visit your nearest Cavender's store.

Equal Opportunity Employer
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