M&T Bank seeks a Brand Design Lead to define and evolve the visual identity for both the M&T Bank and Wilmington Trust brands. As a key partner to the Creative Director, you will oversee the creative process from ideation to execution, build a robust brand governance framework, mentor the creative team, and ensure all work aligns with brand and business goals.

What You'll Do

Partner with the Creative Director to manage the oversight, coordination, execution, and optimization of brand standards.
Evangelize brand standards to colleagues and external partners, explaining proper use and on-brand execution.
Create excellent creative strategies and solutions for both brands.
Work with marketing partners to ensure campaign consistency and help influence strategic development.
Organize and facilitate creative project kickoffs with various stakeholders.
Stimulate and share input for creative concept development, guiding the team on idea development and presentation.
Inspire the creative team to conceive and deliver innovative ideas that advance brand awareness and adoption.
Deliver clear tactical recommendations for creative design, copy/content, and layout as needed.
Collaborate and communicate with key stakeholders to ensure alignment to creative briefs and timelines.
Leverage technical and aesthetic expertise in evaluating design and visual assets.
Review completed work and work in progress against all applicable standards, providing feedback.
Help lead and participate in collaborative brainstorming sessions.
Assist the Creative Director in staffing the creative team and managing outside design resources.
Work with the Creative Director to enable the growth and development of the creative team.
Stay current with production standards, marketing channels, and emerging formats.
Demonstrate expert knowledge of brand, advertising, marketing, and design trends and best practices.

What We're Looking For

Bachelor's Degree in graphic design, graphic communications, or related field (or in lieu of a degree, a combination of 9 years of higher education and relevant experience).
5 years of graphic design experience or art direction.
Minimum of 4 years of professional experience in brand design, developing and building brand elements and identity systems, preferably within a large corporate environment, agency supporting corporate clients, or the financial services/fintech industry.
Demonstrable experience in designing, documenting, and implementing enterprise-wide brand style guides and governance processes.
Proven expertise with a strong portfolio showcasing a diverse range of design work, with emphasis on corporate branding, visual identity systems, and complex information design.
Deep knowledge of all channels (web, email, social, broadcast, video, print, outdoor, environmental, experiential, etc.).
Experience in hiring, training, and managing other creative professionals.
Comfortable helping to manage and contribute to budget planning, project timelines, and production schedules.
Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously under tight deadlines.
Comfortable working with a wide range of stakeholders and personalities.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with ability to articulate design decisions and educate non-design stakeholders.
Exceptional creative problem-solving and creative presentation skills.
Proactively brings new ideas to the table that raise the bar and push mindsets.
Endlessly curious and always open to learning.
Proactively identifies opportunities and develops solutions.
Understanding of data visualization.
Expert-level proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop), Adobe Express, and Figma/Sketch.
Photography expertise (guiding and elevating photo direction).
Proficient with Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, Excel).

Nice to Have

8 years of graphic design experience or art direction.
Experience working in an agile environment and with agile project management tools (Jira and Confluence).
Experience working with a Fortune 100 brand.
Experience in creative management or leadership in a corporate or agency setting.

Technical Stack

Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop)
Adobe Express
Figma/Sketch
Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, Excel)

Team & Environment

You will be part of the Brand, Sponsorships and Creative Strategy team aligned to the Office of the Customer, reporting to the Creative Director. The team's mission is to develop a best-in-class brand and brand experience, upholding standards to drive creative excellence across all touchpoints, while keeping the customer at the core.