Sr. Manager, Creative & Design

Meeting Professionals International (MPI) was founded in 1972 by a small group of visionaries who saw the need for a dedicated community to connect and support professionals in the meetings and events industry. Over the past 50 years, MPI has grown into the leading global association for event professionals, with over 60,000 members and community participants across 70+ chapters and clubs worldwide.

MPI is more than a professional association for event professionals—it’s a hub for innovation, education, and connection. We empower our members with cutting-edge insights, networking opportunities, and professional development tools to help make them successful. From our annual World Education Congress (WEC) to specialized certifications to resources through their local chapter, MPI equips event professionals to “run the show” with confidence.

At MPI HQ, we’re a lean but mighty team of experts, passionate about what we do. We love solving challenges together and thrive in a collaborative, innovative, and fast-paced environment. We’re looking for a strategic thinker, detail-obsessed designer, and collaborative creative lead who can bring bold ideas to life across print and digital—someone ready to shape the visual future of meeting and event marketing.

JOB PURPOSE:

The Sr. Manager of Creative & Design is a strategic and executional powerhouse responsible for elevating MPI’s brand through outstanding visual storytelling and design execution across print and digital channels. This role blends big-picture creative thinking with hands-on design production. As a key member of the Brand team, this individual will lead projects from concept through execution and collaborate across business units to deliver campaigns that are bold, fast, and on-brand.

We’re looking for someone with exceptional visual sensibility, creative agility, and the desire to grow into a broader leadership role. You’ll thrive if you can balance campaign development, stakeholder management, and tactical production—often simultaneously.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Creative Strategy & Campaign Execution (40%)

• Concept, design, and produce visually striking integrated campaigns for MPI’s events, education programs, and membership initiatives across digital, print, and on-site environments.

• Translate strategic objectives and campaign briefs into creative solutions that drive engagement, action, and brand affinity.

• Collaborate with marketing managers to ensure alignment of visuals with messaging, audience segmentation, and business goals.

• Lead the execution of assets including email banners, web graphics, event branding, digital signage, social graphics, print ads, and presentations.

• Ensure creative deliverables are completed on time, within scope, and optimized for each platform or format.

Brand Development & Design Governance (25%)

• Own and evolve MPI’s visual identity system—including typography, color palette, photography style, and brand templates.

• Ensure consistency of design across all touchpoints while allowing flexibility for innovation and sub-brand differentiation (e.g., events, programs, publications).

• Create and maintain brand guidelines, visual libraries, and scalable templates for internal use by cross-functional teams.

• Guide the visual direction of MPI’s flagship magazine The Meeting Professional in collaboration with editorial and contracted design teams.

Cross-Functional Collaboration & Creative Leadership (20%)

• Partner with marketing, content, web, education, events, and membership teams to understand project goals and translate them into creative strategies.

• Act as creative lead in internal kickoffs and reviews; present and articulate design rationale to non-design audiences.

• Provide design feedback and mentorship to junior designers, contractors, and freelancers; manage creative workflows through platforms like Workfront.

• Collaborate with agencies, editorial designers, video producers, and motion graphics partners to elevate creative output.

Innovation, Trends & Creative Culture (10%)

• Stay ahead of design and marketing trends, bringing inspiration and thought leadership to the team.

• Integrate user insights, cultural relevance, and emerging tools (including AI-enhanced workflows) to drive innovation.

• Foster a collaborative, fast-moving, and curious creative culture grounded in empathy for MPI members and a desire to deliver value.

Additional Responsibilities (5%)

• Participate in cross-functional brainstorming, prototyping, and storytelling initiatives.

• Represent the MPI Brand team at internal meetings, planning sessions, and industry events as needed.

Travel Requirement: 10%

EXPERIENCE:

• 8+ years in graphic design or creative production roles with increasing levels of responsibility

• Experience in brand marketing, editorial design, campaign development, and web/digital content

• Proven ability to take initiative and own projects from concept to delivery

• Association, event, hospitality, or nonprofit experience a plus

• Motion, AI-enhanced design are nice-to-have bonuses

EDUCATION:

• Bachelor's Degree in Visual Communications, Graphic Design, or equivalent combination of education and experience

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS:

• Strong portfolio showing range across brand identity, print, and digital

• Expert-level proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign)

• Working knowledge of Figma, Canva, or similar platforms

• Solid grasp of UX/UI principles, especially as it relates to marketing-driven experiences

• Exceptional attention to detail, speed, and ability to manage multiple projects

• Ability to communicate creative concepts and present to non-design audiences

• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, feedback-heavy environment with multiple stakeholders

• Familiarity with project management and marketing platforms like Workfront and Marketo

AMERICANS WITH DISABILITY SPECIFICATIONS:

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; sit; use hand and arms; climb stairs’; balance; stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl; talk or hear.  The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.  Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and the ability to adjust focus.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

• Work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is not exposed to weather conditions.  The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. Nothing in this job description restricts management’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.