Creative Director of Photography & Visual Storytelling (Volunteer)

Creative Director of Photography & Visual Storytelling (Volunteer)

PromiseStories | Brand, Campaigns & Documentary Imaging

Organization: Mentor A Promise (MAP)

Location: Hybrid (NYC-based shoots required)

Type: Founding Leadership (Volunteer Executive Track or Structured Contract Role)

Reports To: Chief Brand & Product Officer

Works Closely With: Creative Directors (Publishing, Fashion, Civic), PromisePublic, PromiseBridge, Communications & Media Team, Legal & Safeguarding Lead

About Mentor A Promise Visual Strategy

Mentor A Promise (MAP) operates across education, civic innovation, publishing, and community engagement. Our visual language must reflect the dignity, complexity, and humanity of the communities we serve.

Photography at MAP is not marketing decoration.

It is narrative infrastructure.

From children’s publishing campaigns to civic workwear launches, from community activations to policy briefings — visual documentation shapes perception, trust, and institutional credibility.

We believe in imagery that is ethical, consent-driven, culturally intelligent, and structurally powerful.

Role Overview

We are seeking a Creative Director of Photography & Visual Storytelling to define and lead MAP’s photographic vision across divisions.

This founding leadership role will establish visual standards, documentary ethics protocols, brand cohesion, and campaign-level art direction.

The Creative Director will oversee:

• Concept development
• Shot architecture
• Visual narrative systems
• Consent and safeguarding alignment
• Editorial cohesion across platforms

This role requires artistic authority, documentary discipline, and strong ethical judgment.

Key Responsibilities

• Define the visual identity and photographic direction for MAP across all divisions
• Develop cohesive campaign aesthetics for publishing, fashion, civic, and community initiatives
• Lead creative direction for photoshoots, field documentation, and brand storytelling
• Establish visual style guides (lighting, tone, composition, color architecture)
• Ensure all photography complies with youth safeguarding and consent protocols
• Oversee photographer coordination, shot lists, mood boards, and post-production standards
• Develop archival documentation systems for long-term institutional storytelling
• Collaborate with communications and policy teams for public-facing materials
• Guide ethical representation of students and families experiencing housing instability
• Contribute to grant submissions and institutional reports requiring visual documentation
• Maintain timely, professional responsiveness via email and chat in Google Workspace

Qualifications

• Background in photography, visual arts, documentary storytelling, or creative direction
• Demonstrated experience leading visual campaigns or documentary projects
• Strong understanding of lighting, composition, and narrative sequencing
• Experience working with vulnerable populations preferred
• Knowledge of consent, release forms, and safeguarding best practices
• Portfolio demonstrating visual coherence and storytelling depth

Preferred Skills

• Experience with nonprofit or civic storytelling
• Familiarity with brand systems and visual identity architecture
• Experience leading multidisciplinary creative teams
• Understanding of trauma-informed visual representation
• Proficiency in post-production workflows and digital asset management

Commitment

• Founding leadership role
• Structured engagement (minimum 5–10 hours per week for executive volunteer track; scalable during campaign cycles)
• NYC-based shoots required
• 6-month minimum commitment preferred

What You’ll Build

• A cohesive visual identity system for MAP
• Ethical photography standards embedded across programs
• Campaign-level imagery for publishing, fashion, and civic initiatives
• An archival visual narrative of MAP’s institutional growth

Images shape memory.

Memory shapes narrative.

Narrative shapes impact.

Help ensure that every image taken under MAP’s name reflects dignity, depth, and design excellence.

Thank you for your interest in volunteering with our organization. At this time, leadership volunteer opportunities are limited to individuals based in the United States due to legal, safeguarding, data-privacy, media release, and compliance requirements. We appreciate your interest in our mission and your understanding of these constraints.