Head of Creative, Athleta

About Athleta

For 25 years, Athleta has focused on one mission: empowering women and girls. The brand is built around inspiration, collaboration, connection, and inclusion, and it looks for people who are energized by active living, personal growth, and creating products and experiences that make a difference.

Athleta operates as a certified B Corp, using business as a force for good by placing people and the planet alongside profit. The company believes in the strength of collective effort and welcomes leaders who want to help shape that impact.

About the Role

The Head of Creative will own Athleta’s visual identity and brand storytelling across every customer touchpoint. This leader will drive creative excellence that brings together purpose, performance, and community, helping express the brand’s mission to unlock the potential of women and girls through motivating, purpose-led work.

Reporting to the Chief Marketing Officer, this role sits on the Athleta Leadership Team and leads the in-house creative function, including art direction, copywriting, design, and styling. The position also partners closely with Marketing, Product, Visual Merchandising, and external agencies to deliver creative work that is emotionally engaging, strategically sound, and aligned with the brand experience.

The successful candidate will build and develop a diverse, high-performing team and shape a culture rooted in inclusion, inspiration, accountability, and innovation. This role is expected to model values-based leadership, strengthen team collaboration, and help bring Athleta’s brand vision to life through powerful storytelling and strong creative execution.

What You'll Do

• Shape and refine the creative strategy so it genuinely resonates with women and girls while encouraging confidence, movement, and connection.
• Develop creative ideas that create a sense of belonging and purpose across retail, digital, social, packaging, and experiential channels.
• Maintain a consistent brand voice and ensure all creative work feels emotionally aligned across every customer interaction.
• Use consumer, cultural, and market insights to guide creative choices that deepen engagement and brand affinity.
• Create and execute a comprehensive creative vision that supports the long-term brand roadmap and marketing strategy.
• Build a high-performance creative environment that values inclusion, innovation, and measurable results.
• Work with Brand Marketing, Product, and Visual Merchandising to make sure creative direction supports business priorities and strengthens market differentiation.
• Partner with outside agencies to produce integrated campaigns that protect brand integrity and inspire action.
• Lead, motivate, and develop a diverse creative team through coaching, empowerment, and ongoing growth opportunities.
• Hire and retain exceptional creative talent with an emphasis on curiosity, collaboration, and advancement.
• Encourage close partnership across functions so creative execution stays aligned with marketing and brand storytelling.
• Recognize and celebrate team success as the group brings Athleta’s mission and values to life.
• Work with creative operations and production teams to establish efficient workflows that support strong, high-quality output.
• Advance creative innovation by tracking new trends, cultural signals, and emerging formats that keep the brand relevant and aspirational.
• Evaluate creative effectiveness and refine output to maximize impact on both the brand and the business.
• Ensure brand consistency across retail, digital, social, packaging, and events to deliver a unified and inspiring experience.

Who You Are

You are a seasoned creative leader with deep experience shaping brand direction in apparel, lifestyle, or agency settings. You know how to build emotionally compelling storytelling, guide diverse teams, and collaborate effectively across internal functions and external partners.

• Bring 10+ years of progressive creative leadership experience in apparel, lifestyle, or agency environments.
• Have a track record of evolving brands through purpose-driven and emotionally resonant creative work.
• Know how to develop, mentor, and retain diverse creative teams with strong performance.
• Can build trust and alignment with internal stakeholders and external agencies.
• Have strong execution skills across design, photography, and digital best practices, with solid omnichannel marketing knowledge.
• Can measure creative performance and improve outcomes against business objectives.
• Communicate ideas clearly through storytelling, presentations, and strong interpersonal skills.
• Are comfortable using Adobe Creative Suite, G-Suite, Keynote, and similar tools.
• Are open to travel when needed to support creative work and collaboration.

Compensation

The salary range for this position is USD 320,000 to USD 350,000 per year. Pay may vary depending on qualifications, experience, skill level, competencies, and work location. Compensation will meet applicable minimum wage requirements or the minimum of the stated range, whichever is higher, according to city, county, and state rules.

Benefits at Athleta

• 50% discount on regular-priced merchandise across Old Navy, Gap, Banana Republic, and Athleta, plus 30% off outlet merchandise for all employees.
• Access to one of the industry’s most competitive paid time off programs.
• Up to five paid volunteer hours each month to support a charity of choice.
• 401(k) plan with company matching contributions of up to 4% of base pay.
• Employee stock purchase plan.
• Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance coverage.
• Additional benefits may be available for eligible employees.

Equal Opportunity

Gap Inc. is committed to maintaining a workplace free from harassment and discrimination. The company hires, trains, and promotes qualified individuals without regard to protected status and strives to foster a diverse, inclusive environment where everyone feels they belong.

Gap Inc. has been recognized for its commitment to diversity and inclusion, including acknowledgments from Forbes as one of the World’s Best Employers and one of the Best Employers for Diversity.