Creative Director/Design

Position Summary.

The Creative Director/Design is a key player in studio leadership, responsible for bringing an elevated visual design aesthetic, conceptual thought process, and design leadership to company projects and teams. Reporting to the Executive Creative Director, this role involves collaborating with cross-functional teams and creatives to produce compelling visual communications that align with client objectives.

You are an inspiring, hands-on leader, maker, and creative problem-solver with strong communication and craft-based design skills. You lead by example in thinking systematically, designing holistically, and collaborating with positivity; setting a high bar for the team and nurturing and developing their skills.

The Creative Director/Design will support studio-wide projects with a focus on growing the company Brand Studio and design leadership on the Google account, a tightly-knit team whose core function is storytelling through collaborative concepting and creation of animated videos, illustration, and design content.

The company is based in Portland, OR and Los Angeles, CA, and operates on a hybrid model. This is a contract position in 2024 with the potential to convert to full-time in January 2025. This position is open to candidates based in Portland, OR and California.

What You ll Do.

• Play a central role in growing and leading Company Brand Studio design capabilities across deliverables including but not limited to branding, graphic treatments, illustration, and design for motion (both animation and live-action video) including complex storyboards.
• Display exceptional visual design acumen with an elevated aesthetic.
• Provide design leadership and mentorship to company design team.
• Be a hands-on leader and maker conceiving compelling creative ideas and bringing them to life from concept through completion.
• Help define concepts, develop treatments, create prototypes, and inform art direction.
• Collaborate closely with producers, creative directors, designers, writers, and animators.
• Offer design critique and feedback on all design-based deliverables across Company projects.
• Become fluent in brand knowledge, guidelines, and systems for active clients.
• Establish trust while fostering strong client relationships.
• Demonstrate the ability to be proactive, innovative, detail-driven, and curious.
• Work in a highly-collaborative, low-ego environment.
• Have fun, spread a culture of integrity, and dream big.

Specific Responsibilities.

• Have a strong POV on design and how it manifests within the holistic creative.
• Play a lead role in motion video projects with design elements including title sequences, storyboards, illustrations, animation concepts, and typography treatments.
• Work closely with ECD, Creative Directors, Executive Producers, and Senior Producers to establish project roadmaps, offering insight into timelines and overall project approach.
• Provide mentorship and feedback to designers through regular internal reviews.
• Contribute to relevant new business pitches, including presenting to clients as appropriate
• Help Company design team organize and prioritize effectively, meet deadlines, and balance multiple projects simultaneously.
• Think conceptually about brand identity work and convey thinking through the presentation of ideas.
• Create design systems including logos, fonts, colors, graphic treatments, swag, and templates within the established brand guidelines.
• Contribute to relevant new business pitches, including presenting to clients as appropriate.
• Lead client presentations in partnership with the ECD, other Creative Directors, and design team.
• Engaged in learning new tools and technologies such as GenAI, the basics of LLMs, and how they can enhance traditional workflows.
• Have fun, spread a culture of integrity, and dream big.

Overall Qualifications.

• A minimum of 7-10 years of experience in a creative leadership role, preferably as an ACD or ADD level.
• Relevant portfolio showcasing brand identity, illustration, design for motion (both animation and live-action video), and integrated campaign identity or visual centers.
• A passion for hands-on design craft.
• Strong storytelling skills with an ability to generate multiple, unique directions.
• Excellent communication skills and an ability to articulate ideas and present creative work.
• Ability to work proficiently both autonomously and in highly collaborative environments while balancing multiple projects.
• Strong organizational and time-management skills, with the ability to handle multiple projects and meet tight deadlines.
• Proven expertise in design software and tools, including Figma, and Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign).
• Experience in After Effects, Premiere, and 3D a big plus, but not required.
• A desire to push creative boundaries and explore new technologies.
• Able to work effectively with remote team members.
• Experience working with tech clients and digital products is a plus.
• Experience offering mentorship or design leadership.
• Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in Design or Art Direction from a four-year university or two-year portfolio school preferred but not required.

Additional Information.

• This is a contract position in 2024 with the potential to convert to full-time in January 2025. This position is open to candidates in Oregon and California.
• Role requires a background check.