Creative Director, Global Brand Management

Our Team

The Corporate Marketing & Communications team communicates Pearsons unique position as the worlds leading learning company, while building strong and enduring relationships with our key stakeholders around the globe. We focus on helping to strengthen our reputation with consumers, enterprises, media, policymakers, influencers, and the general public. We ensure that our brand, communication, digital, and marketing efforts are being driven with global consistency. Collectively, our work is anchored in building a strong global Pearson brand that resonates with our target audiences and drives value across our products and the company.

Compensation at Pearson is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skill set, level of experience, and specific location. As required by the Colorado, California, Washington State, New York State and New York City laws, the pay range for this position is as follows:

Full-time, base annual salary is $140,000 to $175,000

Your Opportunities

The brand team is currently working through a refreshed strategy, architecture, and identity for the Pearson brand. We are looking for an experienced brand design leader for the role of Creative Director, Global Brand Management. This role will lead the rollout of the new Pearson brand identity. This includes working with agency partners to finalize the ID system components, verifying technical feasibility, applying the design to the Pearson portfolio, and managing day-to-day creative operations for the brand team. Beyond the creative focus, we are looking for a team member that can also support the larger team’s efforts to drive strong equity in the brand externally, while helping to foster understanding and excitement about the brand throughout Pearson internally.

This role will oversee designers, with potential to expand the team with additional freelance design and copywriting resources. The role requires someone who has the ability to work across the organization to understand individual business division strategies and portfolio dynamics, and consider how the new design system will extend to different use applications. The role also requires someone who is comfortable working within ambiguous situations and is able to make recommendations for overcoming hurdles and continuing to drive the new brand work forward.

Your Key Responsibilities:

Completing the new core brand identity system: In partnership with the Brand Manager, working with the agency team to complete all elements of the new brand identity system:

Work with brand manager to identify all asset library needs across the new identity system, build plan and budget to complete. This will require working with the business divisions to understand needs within their specific portfolios and audiences and mapping back to an overall plan.

Lead the internal team to build out assets such as pictograms, iconography, etc.

Lead the build out of the photography library, to include assembling a library from stock photography, plus building to a custom shoot recommendation and leading the execution of a custom shoot.

Work with agency to identify illustrator resources, and lead build out of illustration library, ensuring coverage for all business needs.

Identify font options and provide recommendation for a lead brand font that will work across business needs.

In partnership with Brand Manager and Agency, complete brand guidelines for new system.

Ensuring Technical Reviews for new system: Lead work with other departments to ensure all aspects of the new system are properly vetted and protected.

Work with accessibility team to ensure new system adheres to all requirements.

Consult with UX/UI team to ensure new system is properly translated into UX design system.

Work with legal/procurement to ensure all new assets – illustrations, photography, etc. – are properly contracted for use.

Socializing the new system: In partnership with brand manager, build and execute training program to ensure all marketing employees, design teams, and external agency teams are properly trained on the new identity system.

Developing training content for new system.

Work with Brand Manager to build plan for rollout.

Socialize new identity system with divisions, painting the vision, and articulating specifically how the new identity will work with their portfolio

Run workshops to train on new ID system, customizing training for different levels of expertise across the organization.

Monitor progress of new identity rollout, with ability to report to senior leadership

Champion and reinforce the new direction for the Pearson brand to stakeholders at all levels of the organization

Work with internal systems to develop training that can run annually.

Inject best practice and draw upon own network to bring new ideas, ways of working, processes and tools and create a culture of constant learning.

Build out of extensions of the system: As new brand identity launches, continue to work with agency and internal partners to build out additional extensions to the system to accommodate different business needs. For example:

App system: translate the new identity to the library of apps in the Pearson portfolio.

Badging: build out badging system for the new identity to live within the Credly program.

K-12: create an extension of the core design system that speaks to a younger audience.

Recommend design and governance processes and tools: Identify tools for enabling consistency of design work across organization

Explore tools that facilitate design execution that remains on brand

Explore AI-enabled toolkit options

In partnership with Brand Manager, develop Identity section of brand hub with tools for training and execution within the design system.

Develop process for design reviews, enabling teams across the organization to submit work for review and feedback as new system rolls out.

Consult on application of new ID system: As other teams and divisions begin to utilize the new identity system, serve as consult to ensure system is applied appropriately. For example:

Consult on redesign of corporate website

Consult as divisions apply new system to their properties

Brand Identity Day-to-Day management: Lead daily management of brand identity activation, managing ad hoc requests, and consulting with businesses

Manage all incoming ad hoc requests for ID activation reviews

Identify new emerging needs that may require additional ID system buildout

Ensure ongoing guidance and support for divisions, particularly during heavy rollout window

Strategic Initiative Engagement: Engage proactively with divisions on key strategic initiatives, to advise on branding, and potentially leading ad hoc projects with agency

Team Leadership: Oversee a team of designers and copywriters, to include permanent head count as well as freelance support, to create and govern within the new ID system.

Identify resource needs for rollout of new ID system, with recommended permanent resources and freelance support.

Hire and onboard new team members.

Lead existing team members, coaching to deliver assignments, and inspiring for growth.

Key Attributes:

10-15 years experience in brand/marketing creative design and leadership

Experience in building, executing, and managing a new brand identity system is a must

Experience in similar roles ideally within a technology organization and/or similar experience in brand or marketing agencies

Highly creative with ability to think out of box

Proven ability to develop brand design systems and effectively communicate recommendations to management

Experience managing agency relationships

Advanced communication and interpersonal skills

Up-to-date with latest trends and marketing best practices

Well-developed interpersonal skills and ability to influence outcomes with persuasiveness and candor.

Ability to adapt style and approach to match the diversity of stakeholder interactions.

Able to operate in a global environment and demonstrate international cultural agility.

A track record of achievement, translating complex strategies into actionable plans.

Demonstrated record of driving change and influencing an organization.

What to expect from Pearson

Did you know Pearson is one of the 10 most innovative education companies of 2022?

At Pearson, we add life to a lifetime of learning so everyone can realize the life they imagine. We do this by creating vibrant and enriching learning experiences designed for real-life impact. We are on a journey to be 100 percent digital to meet the changing needs of the global population by developing a new strategy with ambitious targets. To deliver on our strategic vision, we have five business divisions that are the foundation for the long-term growth of the company: Assessment & Qualifications, Virtual Learning, English Language Learning, Workforce Skills and Higher Education. Alongside these, we have our corporate divisions: Digital & Technology, Finance, Global Corporate Marketing & Communications, Human Resources, Legal, Strategy and Direct to Consumer. Learn more at We are Pearson.

We value the power of an inclusive culture and also a strong sense of belonging. We promote a culture where differences are embraced, opportunities are accessible, consideration and respect are the norm and all individuals are supported in reaching their full potential. Through our talent, we believe that diversity, equity and inclusion make us a more innovative and vibrant place to work. People are at the center, and we are committed to building a workplace where talent can learn, grow and thrive.

Pearson is an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer and a member of E-Verify. We want a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives and skills. The more inclusive we are, the better our work will be. All employment decisions are based on qualifications, merit and business need. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status or any other group protected by law. We strive for a workforce that reflects the diversity of our communities.

To learn more about Pearson’s commitment to a diverse and inclusive workforce, navigate to: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at Pearson.

If you are an individual with a disability and are unable or limited in your ability to use or access our career site as a result of your disability, you may request reasonable accommodations by emailing TalentExperienceGlobalTeam@grp.pearson.com.

Note that the information you provide will stay confidential and will be stored securely. It will not be seen by those involved in making decisions as part of the recruitment process.

Job: MARKETING

Organization: Corporate Marketing & Communications

Schedule: FULLTIME

Workplace Type: Remote

Req ID: 17288

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