Introduction
University of the People (UoPeople) is the first non-profit, tuition-free, American, accredited, 100% online university. Today, UoPeople has over 170,000 students enrolled from more than 200 countries and territories, including 18,800 students who are refugees. UoPeople is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC).
We believe that higher education is a basic human right and that it can transform not only the lives of students, but also their families’ lives, their communities, their nations, and, by extension, the world. See President Reshef’s TED Talk when he announced the founding of the University.
UoPeople is an innovative university, and we welcome team members who bring creativity and innovation to their roles. We’re a fast-paced organization with remote teams all around the globe. If you’re a self-starter who wants to succeed alongside a passionate team, we’d love to hear from you!
UoPeople is supported by the generosity of individuals and foundations, including the Gates, Hewlett, Ford Foundations, Foundation Hoffmann, and others. The University has been covered by The New York Times, BBC, NPR, Times Higher Education, U.S. News & World Report, and many other leading media outlets. President Reshef’s TED Talk and Nas Daily interview about the University have more than 30 million combined views
University of the People, the first accredited, tuition-free American online university, on a path to one million students, is transforming how global education is delivered through scalable digital operations, technology, and mission driven growth. We are hiring a AVP, Brand & Creative to lead the global brand strategy, creative direction, storytelling, and content ecosystem that supports UoPeople’s long term enrolment growth and global reputation.
This role will lead the global Brand & Creative function within a lean, high impact marketing organization designed to support rapid international growth. The position is responsible for building a globally resonant, emotionally compelling, and culturally adaptable education brand while ensuring creative execution directly supports student acquisition, engagement, retention, and institutional credibility.
Unlike traditional large enterprise creative leadership roles, this position requires a hands on leader who combines strategic brand thinking with operational execution. The VP, Brand & Creative will work closely with Growth, Analytics, and Operations teams while directly overseeing internal creative resources and external agency partners.
Technology and AI enabled creative workflows will play an important role in increasing production speed, scaling content operations, supporting localization, and improving operational efficiency across global markets.
The leader will oversee:
• Global brand strategy and positioning
• Creative development and campaign direction
• Content production and storytelling
• Social media creative ecosystem
• Student and alumni storytelling programs
• AI enabled creative operations
• Creative agencies and production partners
• Global brand governance and localization
The ideal candidate should come from global brand environments, with strong experience building scalable brands, managing lean creative organizations, and balancing strategic leadership with executional involvement.
Essential Functions and Responsibilities
• Lead the global brand and creative function, ensuring consistent, high quality brand execution across all regions, channels, and audience segments while supporting UoPeople’s long term growth strategy
• Develop and evolve UoPeople’s global brand positioning, messaging frameworks, campaign narratives, and storytelling architecture to strengthen awareness, engagement, and enrollment growth
• Oversee all creative output including campaign concepts, visual identity, copy standards, social content, presentations, student communications, and externally produced assets
• Build scalable creative workflows and production systems capable of supporting high volume content generation within a lean organizational structure
• Drive the development of student storytelling and user generated content programs that amplify authentic student experiences and strengthen emotional connection with the UoPeople mission
• Partner closely with Growth, SEO, Analytics, and Operations teams to align creative strategy with funnel performance, conversion optimization, and enrollment objectives
• Leverage AI enabled creative tools and automation technologies to accelerate content production, improve localization workflows, support rapid asset adaptation, and increase team productivity while maintaining quality standards
• Manage external creative agencies, video production vendors, freelancers, and localization partners while ensuring speed, quality, cost efficiency, and brand consistency
• Ensure all brand and creative execution is culturally appropriate and effectively adapted across priority international markets including India, MENA, Sub Saharan Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia
• Build and lead a high performing creative organization while fostering collaboration, accountability, operational agility, experimentation, and continuous improvement
• Partner with executive leadership to strengthen institutional reputation, donor communications, strategic announcements, and mission driven storytelling initiatives
Key Competencies and Qualifications
• 15-12 years of experience in brand leadership, creative strategy, content marketing, or integrated marketing leadership roles within high growth, digital first, mission driven, technology, EdTech, or consumer focused organizations
• Strong experience leading global brand and creative functions with demonstrated success scaling brands internationally and supporting measurable growth outcomes
• Proven ability to operate effectively within lean, fast paced environments where strategic leadership and hands on execution are equally important
• Strong background in campaign development, storytelling, creative direction, digital and social content ecosystems, and integrated brand marketing
• Experience managing internal creative teams, agencies, freelancers, and production partners across multiple regions and markets
• Exposure to AI enabled creative tools, automated content workflows, generative AI platforms, and technology enabled marketing operations
• Strong executive communication, stakeholder management, and cross functional collaboration capabilities
• Experience working within multicultural or global organizations with strong understanding of regional adaptation and culturally sensitive brand communication
• Preferred experience within globally distributed organizations
• A bachelor’s degree is required, with advanced education preferred
Executive Role Scope and Leadership Impact
The VP, Brand & Creative leads a globally visible function responsible for shaping UoPeople’s international brand identity, creative ecosystem, and storytelling strategy across all major student markets.
The role oversees internal creative operations, agency partnerships, global campaign development, AI enabled creative workflows, and multi-regional content execution while supporting strategic enrolment growth objectives.
The position significantly influences:
• Global brand positioning
• Student acquisition effectiveness
• Institutional reputation
• Creative operating models
• AI enabled content production strategy
• Localization and market adaptation
• Social and community engagement strategy
• External creative partnerships and vendor management
This leader plays a critical role in ensuring UoPeople’s mission and growth ambitions are translated into a scalable, globally compelling, and operationally effective brand experience.
