Creative Lead

Canlan Sports - North York, ON

Full Time
Senior
Hybrid

General description

Canlan Sports is the largest private-sector owner and operator of recreational sports complexes in North America. The company's success in the sports and recreation industry is attributed to a focus on innovative programming, service excellence, world-class sports communities and an understanding of its customers’ expectations and the commitment needed to deliver industry-leading participant experiences.

We are currently looking for a Creative Lead at Canlan Sports

Summary

Canlan Sports is looking for a Creative Lead to shape our brand identity, marketing campaigns and customer engagement across omni-channel platforms. This is not a UX/UI or product design role—it’s an opportunity to lead the evolution of a bold, engaging sports brand, ensuring our visuals resonate with communities across North America.

The ideal candidate is a brand builder and strategic thinker, capable of leading a team, developing a cohesive visual identity and delivering impactful marketing creative that drives awareness, retention and engagement. They will collaborate cross-functionally to bring Canlan Sports’ brands to life across digital, print, social, sponsorship activations and in-person experiences.

Responsibilities

Brand Identity & Creative Leadership: Define, evolve, and implement Canlan Sports’ brand vision across all marketing and customer touchpoints.
Marketing Campaign Development: Lead the creative direction for marketing campaigns, sponsorship activations, and promotional content.
Multi-Channel Creative Execution: Oversee and produce visuals for social media, digital ads, website, email marketing, in-arena experiences, and print.
Creative Team Leadership: Mentor and manage designers, setting a high standard for brand consistency and creative excellence.
Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with marketing, sponsorship, sales, and content teams to align creative work with business objectives.
Vendor & Partner Coordination: Manage relationships with external creative partners, agencies, and production vendors.
Brand Standards Development: Evolve and maintain a cohesive brand style guide, digital asset management platform, and design system that scales across platforms and campaigns.

Requirements

3-5 years of experience in brand/marketing design leadership, preferably in the sports, entertainment, or lifestyle industries.
Post-secondary accreditation in Graphic Design or a related field.
Advanced proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, Premiere, After Effects).
Proficiency in Figma for collaboration and UI prototyping.
Strong portfolio showcasing brand identity, campaign creative, and marketing assets.
Ability to develop compelling brand stories through visual design and multi-platform storytelling.
Excellent communication and presentation skills with experience working with executives and stakeholders.
Experience managing designers and working with cross-functional teams.
A passion for sports, recreation, and community engagement.

Relationships

You will work closely with:

Director, Marketing & CX
Graphic Designer
External Partners
Manager, Content Strategy
Content Specialist
Web Developers
Director, North American Programs
Product Managers
Director, Sponsorship Sales
Customer-Facing Managers and Senior Leadership

Salary range

$72,000-78,000

If you’re ready to take the next step in your design leadership journey, we want to hear from you! Please visit our website to apply online with your resume and portfolio. Applications without a portfolio will not be considered.