Design Manager

Role Overview

• Lead visual design across high-impact and highly executional company initiatives – setting creative direction and ensuring exceptional craft across design, activations, photography, video, motion and emerging media.
• Function as a heads-on creative leader who can move fluidly between concepting, art direction, constructive critique and execution when needed.
• Translate brand strategy into compelling visual systems and storytelling—bringing Solventum’s newly launched brand to life with clarity, consistency and originality.
• Establish and uphold creative standards, ensuring all work reflects best-in-class design thinking and execution.
• Represent Solve Studio within the organization modeling trust, credibility and partnership, including selectively engaging with external agency partners.
• Partner closely with the Senior Director , Creative of Solve Studio to advocate the studio’s creative vision, team structure and ways of working.
• Mentor and develop designers and creative partners—fostering a culture of curiosity, accountability, inclusion and creative confidence.
• Play a key role in building an in-house team from the ground up, helping define roles, workflows and expectations as the studio scales.
• Create an environment where creative talent can do their best work while feeling supported, challenged and inspired.
• Oversee and contribute to integrated visual storytelling across channels, including brand campaigns, marketing assets, digital experiences, photography and video.
• Partner with writers, brand strategists, project managers, producers and marketers to ensure visual and narrative cohesion across initiatives.
• Guide art direction for photo and video shoots, including storyboard development and leadership —aligning creative vision with production realities and business objectives.
• Help shape creative workflows that balance speed, quality and innovation — defining, embracing and implementing new tools, including AI, to enhance creative output and efficiency.
• Partner with studio and enterprise leaders to explore how AI can support ideation, production and scale — while maintaining human-centered creativity and brand integrity.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in design (or related)
• 10+ years of progressive creative experience, including hands-on design and leadership in an agency or in-house studio environment
• Proven ability to lead at a Creative Director level—setting vision, guiding teams and elevating creative quality
• Broad creative skillset with deep experience in visual design and demonstrated leadership across photography and video
• Strong portfolio showcasing brand-building work, integrated campaigns and high-craft visual storytelling
• Experience partnering with senior stakeholders and translating complex business needs into compelling creative solutions
• Demonstrated people leadership: mentoring talent, giving thoughtful critique and building strong creative teams
• Comfort navigating ambiguity and building structure in a growing, evolving organization.

Benefits

• Medical, Dental & Vision
• Health Savings Accounts
• Health Care & Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts
• Disability Benefits
• Life Insurance
• Voluntary Benefits
• Paid Absences
• Retirement Benefits