Vice President of Creative Jobs in USA with Visa Sponsorship
Vice President of Creative roles qualify as H-1B visa specialty occupations when tied to a directly related degree in design, communications, or fine arts. Employers file a Labor Condition Application before sponsorship begins. Many VP-level creative positions also support EB-2 or EB-3 green card pathways.
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The VP of Creative leads Journeys' in-house creative team and is responsible for translating the brand strategy into distinctive, culturally relevant creative across the customer experience.
Reporting to the Chief Marketing Officer, this role oversees design, copy, photography, styling, production and creative operations for internally produced work. The Creative Director partners closely with the CMO and VP of Brand Marketing, who leads brand strategy, and with occasional external creative agencies responsible for developing Journeys' major brand campaigns.
The VP of Creative ensures that agency-developed campaign platforms are effectively translated, extended and activated across social, digital, ecommerce, stores and other consumer touchpoints. They also lead the development of ongoing in-house creative, including seasonal product stories, editorial content, social and digital assets, ecommerce content, photography and retail creative.
This role is accountable for raising the quality and distinctiveness of Journeys' creative, maintaining a cohesive brand expression across internally and externally developed work, building a high-performing and idea-driven team, and delivering work efficiently, on time and on budget.
How You Will Make an Impact
Creative Direction and Brand Expression
- Evolve and steward Journeys' creative expression - including imagery, casting, styling, design, photography and tone of voice - within the broader brand strategy established by the CMO and VP of Brand Marketing.
- Translate brand strategy, business priorities, consumer insights and product stories into compelling creative across customer touchpoints.
- Establish and uphold clear creative standards for the in-house team, ensuring all work feels fresh, culturally relevant and unmistakably Journeys.
- Bring a strong creative perspective to campaign strategy and agency development, representing the needs of internal teams, channels and the broader customer experience.
- Champion ideas and creative approaches that strengthen Journeys' connection with teens and young adults, particularly teen girls.
- Balance brand storytelling, product discovery, consumer engagement and commercial effectiveness.
- Serve as the senior creative voice for Journeys, bringing a strong point of view on youth culture, fashion, footwear, entertainment and emerging creative trends and continually pushing the brand toward work that feels current, distinctive, and culturally credible.
Team and Creative Culture
- Lead and develop the multidisciplinary in-house creative organization spanning art direction, design, copy and editorial, photography, styling, production and creative operations.
- Directly manage the Art Director, Lifestyle Editor/Copywriter, Photo Studio Lead and Creative Project Management/Operations Lead.
- Build a collaborative and ambitious creative culture that generates fresh ideas, challenges convention and continually raises the quality of the work.
- Provide clear direction, thoughtful feedback, coaching and development opportunities for the creative team.
- Establish effective ways of working that enable the team to move with speed while maintaining high creative standards.
Campaigns, Content and Customer Experience
- Lead the in-house development and execution of seasonal product stories, ongoing brand content and channel-specific creative from concept through final delivery.
- Develop creative briefs in partnership with Brand Marketing, Merchandising, Buying, Ecommerce, Social and other key stakeholders.
- Direct still and video shoots, including concept development, casting, styling, location, production and post-production.
- Oversee the editorial and content calendar in partnership with Brand Marketing, Ecommerce and Social.
- Guide the brand's voice and ensure copy is purposeful, distinctive and appropriate to each platform.
- Develop channel-right creative for social, digital, ecommerce, stores and emerging youth-led platforms.
- Partner with Ecommerce and Content teams to create useful, engaging content that supports organic search and AI-powered discovery while inspiring style exploration and driving conversion.
- Partner closely with Visual Merchandising and Store Planning to extend the Journeys brand into compelling physical retail experiences.
- Lead the creative vision and execution of the annual Journeys Sales Meeting in partnership with Training and Development.
Agency and Brand-Partner Collaboration
- Partner with the VP of Brand Marketing and external creative agencies throughout the development of major brand campaigns, providing an informed in-house creative and channel perspective.
- Lead the translation and extension of agency-developed campaign platforms across Journeys' social, digital, ecommerce, retail, editorial and internal creative needs.
- Ensure cohesion between agency-developed campaigns and the ongoing creative produced by the in-house team.
- Provide creative direction and review for vendor- and brand-partner programs, ensuring the work meets Journeys' standards and supports shared objectives.
Creative Operations and Effectiveness
- Oversee ecomm and studio photography, ensuring efficient workflows, strong production values and consistent quality.
- Manage creative, studio, photography and production budgets, balancing cost efficiency with creative ambition.
- Prioritize creative resources effectively and ensure work is delivered on time and on budget.
- Regularly review creative output and performance with the CMO, VP of Brand Marketing and internal team, using consumer, channel and business insights to strengthen future work.
- Evaluate new creative capabilities, technologies, tools and production models that can improve quality, relevance and efficiency.
Experience and Skills You'll Need to Have
- Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design, Art Direction, Mktg or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
- 10+ years of progressive creative experience, including significant creative leadership responsibility, preferably within fashion, footwear, retail or a consumer lifestyle brand.
- Demonstrated success leading multidisciplinary creative teams and developing creative talent.
- Demonstrated experience developing and activating integrated brand campaigns across physical and digital channels.
- A strong portfolio demonstrating creative direction, brand storytelling, retail campaigns, and lifestyle photography and video, inclusive of social and digital led campaigns.
- Experience partnering with executive leadership, external creative agencies, Product/Buying, Ecommerce, Retail Operations and Brand Marketing.
- Strong creative vision and the ability to translate brand and business strategy into relevant consumer-facing work.
- Deep understanding of integrated retail creative across social, digital, ecommerce and physical environments.
- Strong knowledge of fashion, footwear, retail, youth culture and the media habits of teens and young adults.
- Proven ability to lead, motivate and develop multidisciplinary creative teams.
- Experience developing seasonal campaigns and directing lifestyle photography and video.
- Strong presentation, communication and relationship-building skills.
- Ability to influence and align executive leadership, external agencies and cross-functional partners.
- Strong organizational, decision-making and problem-solving abilities.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities and deliver high-quality work in a fast-paced retail environment.
- Working knowledge of Adobe Creative Cloud and modern creative production workflows, including emerging AI-enabled tools.
- Strong understanding of project planning, resource management and creative budgets.
About Journeys
Journeys is a leading multi-brand footwear retailer serving teens and young adults through approximately 900 Journeys and Journeys Kidz stores across the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico, as well as Journeys.com. Our brand portfolio includes Nike, adidas, New Balance, PUMA, UGG, Birkenstock, Converse, Vans and more.
Journeys exists to empower self-expression and confidence. We are a welcoming, inclusive brand with an energetic and distinctive point of view that comes through in everything we do. While our audience is broad and multidimensional, the teen girl is at the heart of our brand and growth strategy.
We are looking for a culturally fluent VP of Creative with exceptional taste and a deep understanding of youth culture, fashion, footwear and the digital platforms shaping how young consumers discover and engage with brands. This person lives at the intersection of style, music, and social culture, and understands not only what's relevant now, but what's coming next. The ideal candidate combines high creative standards with strong people leadership and will inspire our in-house team to produce work that is fresh, culturally relevant, effective and unmistakably Journeys.
The Ideal Candidate
The VP of Creative leads Journeys' in-house creative team and is responsible for translating the brand strategy into distinctive, culturally relevant creative across the customer experience.
Reporting to the Chief Marketing Officer, this role oversees design, copy, photography, styling, production and creative operations for internally produced work. The Creative Director partners closely with the CMO and VP of Brand Marketing, who leads brand strategy, and with occasional external creative agencies responsible for developing Journeys' major brand campaigns.
The VP of Creative ensures that agency-developed campaign platforms are effectively translated, extended and activated across social, digital, ecommerce, stores and other consumer touchpoints. They also lead the development of ongoing in-house creative, including seasonal product stories, editorial content, social and digital assets, ecommerce content, photography and retail creative.
This role is accountable for raising the quality and distinctiveness of Journeys' creative, maintaining a cohesive brand expression across internally and externally developed work, building a high-performing and idea-driven team, and delivering work efficiently, on time and on budget.
How You Will Make an Impact
Creative Direction and Brand Expression
- Evolve and steward Journeys' creative expression - including imagery, casting, styling, design, photography and tone of voice - within the broader brand strategy established by the CMO and VP of Brand Marketing.
- Translate brand strategy, business priorities, consumer insights and product stories into compelling creative across customer touchpoints.
- Establish and uphold clear creative standards for the in-house team, ensuring all work feels fresh, culturally relevant and unmistakably Journeys.
- Bring a strong creative perspective to campaign strategy and agency development, representing the needs of internal teams, channels and the broader customer experience.
- Champion ideas and creative approaches that strengthen Journeys' connection with teens and young adults, particularly teen girls.
- Balance brand storytelling, product discovery, consumer engagement and commercial effectiveness.
- Serve as the senior creative voice for Journeys, bringing a strong point of view on youth culture, fashion, footwear, entertainment and emerging creative trends and continually pushing the brand toward work that feels current, distinctive, and culturally credible.
Team and Creative Culture
- Lead and develop the multidisciplinary in-house creative organization spanning art direction, design, copy and editorial, photography, styling, production and creative operations.
- Directly manage the Art Director, Lifestyle Editor/Copywriter, Photo Studio Lead and Creative Project Management/Operations Lead.
- Build a collaborative and ambitious creative culture that generates fresh ideas, challenges convention and continually raises the quality of the work.
- Provide clear direction, thoughtful feedback, coaching and development opportunities for the creative team.
- Establish effective ways of working that enable the team to move with speed while maintaining high creative standards.
Campaigns, Content and Customer Experience
- Lead the in-house development and execution of seasonal product stories, ongoing brand content and channel-specific creative from concept through final delivery.
- Develop creative briefs in partnership with Brand Marketing, Merchandising, Buying, Ecommerce, Social and other key stakeholders.
- Direct still and video shoots, including concept development, casting, styling, location, production and post-production.
- Oversee the editorial and content calendar in partnership with Brand Marketing, Ecommerce and Social.
- Guide the brand's voice and ensure copy is purposeful, distinctive and appropriate to each platform.
- Develop channel-right creative for social, digital, ecommerce, stores and emerging youth-led platforms.
- Partner with Ecommerce and Content teams to create useful, engaging content that supports organic search and AI-powered discovery while inspiring style exploration and driving conversion.
- Partner closely with Visual Merchandising and Store Planning to extend the Journeys brand into compelling physical retail experiences.
- Lead the creative vision and execution of the annual Journeys Sales Meeting in partnership with Training and Development.
Agency and Brand-Partner Collaboration
- Partner with the VP of Brand Marketing and external creative agencies throughout the development of major brand campaigns, providing an informed in-house creative and channel perspective.
- Lead the translation and extension of agency-developed campaign platforms across Journeys' social, digital, ecommerce, retail, editorial and internal creative needs.
- Ensure cohesion between agency-developed campaigns and the ongoing creative produced by the in-house team.
- Provide creative direction and review for vendor- and brand-partner programs, ensuring the work meets Journeys' standards and supports shared objectives.
Creative Operations and Effectiveness
- Oversee ecomm and studio photography, ensuring efficient workflows, strong production values and consistent quality.
- Manage creative, studio, photography and production budgets, balancing cost efficiency with creative ambition.
- Prioritize creative resources effectively and ensure work is delivered on time and on budget.
- Regularly review creative output and performance with the CMO, VP of Brand Marketing and internal team, using consumer, channel and business insights to strengthen future work.
- Evaluate new creative capabilities, technologies, tools and production models that can improve quality, relevance and efficiency.
Experience and Skills You'll Need to Have
- Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design, Art Direction, Mktg or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
- 10+ years of progressive creative experience, including significant creative leadership responsibility, preferably within fashion, footwear, retail or a consumer lifestyle brand.
- Demonstrated success leading multidisciplinary creative teams and developing creative talent.
- Demonstrated experience developing and activating integrated brand campaigns across physical and digital channels.
- A strong portfolio demonstrating creative direction, brand storytelling, retail campaigns, and lifestyle photography and video, inclusive of social and digital led campaigns.
- Experience partnering with executive leadership, external creative agencies, Product/Buying, Ecommerce, Retail Operations and Brand Marketing.
- Strong creative vision and the ability to translate brand and business strategy into relevant consumer-facing work.
- Deep understanding of integrated retail creative across social, digital, ecommerce and physical environments.
- Strong knowledge of fashion, footwear, retail, youth culture and the media habits of teens and young adults.
- Proven ability to lead, motivate and develop multidisciplinary creative teams.
- Experience developing seasonal campaigns and directing lifestyle photography and video.
- Strong presentation, communication and relationship-building skills.
- Ability to influence and align executive leadership, external agencies and cross-functional partners.
- Strong organizational, decision-making and problem-solving abilities.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities and deliver high-quality work in a fast-paced retail environment.
- Working knowledge of Adobe Creative Cloud and modern creative production workflows, including emerging AI-enabled tools.
- Strong understanding of project planning, resource management and creative budgets.
About Journeys
Journeys is a leading multi-brand footwear retailer serving teens and young adults through approximately 900 Journeys and Journeys Kidz stores across the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico, as well as Journeys.com. Our brand portfolio includes Nike, adidas, New Balance, PUMA, UGG, Birkenstock, Converse, Vans and more.
Journeys exists to empower self-expression and confidence. We are a welcoming, inclusive brand with an energetic and distinctive point of view that comes through in everything we do. While our audience is broad and multidimensional, the teen girl is at the heart of our brand and growth strategy.
We are looking for a culturally fluent VP of Creative with exceptional taste and a deep understanding of youth culture, fashion, footwear and the digital platforms shaping how young consumers discover and engage with brands. This person lives at the intersection of style, music, and social culture, and understands not only what's relevant now, but what's coming next. The ideal candidate combines high creative standards with strong people leadership and will inspire our in-house team to produce work that is fresh, culturally relevant, effective and unmistakably Journeys.
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding Vice President of Creative Jobs
Frame your portfolio as specialty occupation evidence
USCIS scrutinizes whether VP of Creative roles genuinely require a specific bachelor's degree. Document how your work demanded degree-level expertise in a defined discipline, not broad creative management, to preempt a Request for Evidence.
Target companies with LCA filing history
Use Migrate Mate to find employers who have already filed Labor Condition Applications for creative leadership roles. Prior LCA activity signals an established sponsorship process, reducing your risk of an employer learning the system from scratch on your application.
Verify prevailing wage tier before negotiating
VP-level creative roles typically land in DOL Wage Level III or IV. Run your job title and work location through the OFLC Wage Search before salary discussions so you know the floor the LCA must certify and can negotiate above it.
Distinguish your VP title from art director levels
O*NET separates Art Directors from Top Executives in ways that affect specialty occupation arguments. Ensure your job description reflects strategic budget authority, cross-functional leadership, and brand ownership, not just campaign execution, to support the VP classification.
Plan your green card track during offer negotiation
An EB-2 petition for a VP of Creative can run concurrently with your H-1B after your I-140 is approved. Ask your prospective employer whether they'll initiate PERM labor certification within your first two years so you're not restarting the clock if you switch jobs.
Anticipate the dual-intent gap at the consulate
H-1B status allows dual intent, so pursuing a green card won't jeopardize your visa stamp. If you're applying from outside the U.S., consular officers may still probe your ties abroad, so prepare concise answers about your ongoing creative career trajectory in the U.S.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Vice President of Creative role qualify as a specialty occupation for H-1B sponsorship?
Yes, provided the employer's job description requires a bachelor's degree or higher in a specific field such as graphic design, communications, fine arts, or marketing. Generic management experience alone won't satisfy USCIS. The key is showing the role demands theoretical and practical application of a defined discipline, not just years of creative work.
Which visas can sponsors use for a VP of Creative candidate?
H-1B is the most common path and covers up to six years of initial status. Australian nationals can use the E-3 visa, which carries a separate annual cap and requires the same specialty occupation standard. Candidates from Chile or Singapore may qualify for the H-1B1 visa. All three require the employer to file a Labor Condition Application with DOL before sponsorship proceeds.
How do I find employers actively sponsoring VP of Creative roles?
Migrate Mate lists U.S. employers with verified LCA sponsorship history for creative leadership positions, searchable by role and location. This lets you target companies that have already navigated the filing process for comparable titles rather than approaching employers who have never sponsored a creative executive.
Does my degree field need to match the creative discipline exactly?
USCIS looks for a direct relationship between your degree field and the specific duties of the VP role. A degree in graphic design supports a role overseeing visual brand identity. A business administration degree alone is unlikely to satisfy the specialty occupation requirement for a creative leadership position, even with extensive industry experience.
Can a VP of Creative candidate self-petition for a green card without employer sponsorship?
An EB-1A extraordinary ability petition allows self-sponsorship if you can demonstrate sustained national or international recognition in the creative field through awards, published work, judging roles, or media coverage. The NIW (National Interest Waiver) under EB-2 is harder to establish for creative roles but not impossible if your work has broad societal impact.
What is the prevailing wage requirement for sponsored Vice President of Creative jobs?
U.S. employers sponsoring a visa must pay at least the prevailing wage, which is what workers in the same role, area, and experience level typically earn. The Department of Labor sets this rate to make sure companies aren't hiring foreign workers simply because they'd accept lower pay than a U.S. worker. It varies by job title, location, and experience. You can look up current prevailing wage rates for any occupation and location using the OFLC Wage Search page.