Illumination is in search of a Director of Design to join our creative marketing team. We’re looking for an extraordinary designer with fire in their belly—someone with impeccable taste, a passion for multi-platform storytelling, and an intimidating attention to detail.
They have experience working with global IP, integrated partnerships, and high-impact designs that demand attention. They’ve wrapped double-decker buses, taken over Times Square, and crafted installations under impossible deadlines. Their portfolio boasts best-in-class case studies and a love for bold, boundary-pushing design, spanning digital, experiential, partnerships, and consumer products.
We’re after a Director, Design who loves to get their hands dirty and refuses to settle. Someone who lives for developing, pitching, and executing groundbreaking concepts and designs. They can deliver top-shelf work as both an individual contributor and a cross-functional collaborator. They’re fast, sharp, and get culture.
Responsibilities
- Be a force for stellar design and craft within the marketing department.
- Embrace all facets of graphic design from typography to color studies, from logos to layouts, from comps to characters.
- Collaborate with writers, directors, and other creatives to bring conceptual ideas to life through powerful pitch materials, mock-ups, and references.
- Play a critical role in concept development for Partnerships & Promotions, generating creative ideas, art direction, and campaign assets.
- Work with brand partners to identify the most compelling design solutions for digital, advertising, and experiential touchpoints.
- Partner with vendors and agencies to deliver hardworking campaign assets that connect audiences to our movies in meaningful ways.
- Provide clear, actionable feedback and direction on design elements from partners to ensure all visual components of our campaign align with the film’s voice and marketing objectives.
- Confidently communicate design thinking and direction in executive-level meetings and reviews, both internally and externally.
- Manage multiple projects and stakeholders simultaneously, balancing creative vision with marketing strategy.
- Ability to self-start in times of uncertainty and work proactively.
- Provide ongoing coaching, support, and inspiration for junior staff.
- Build authentic, collaborative relationships that elevate the entire creative marketing team.
- Strategize how design can address broader business or creative challenges, setting the vision for concept development and execution.
- Stay up-to-date with trends, cultural shifts, and new influences in the industry.
Qualifications:
- You have 12+ years of design experience leading and collaborating on global marketing campaigns, either in-house or within a studio/agency environment.
- Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design.
- You have theatrical marketing experience working on blockbuster films.
- You are an expert at Adobe Creative Suite.
- You are passionate about conceptual design and storytelling, with expertise across various mediums, including digital, social, print, OOH, typography, sizzles, hype reels, and consumer products.
- You have a proven track record of creating groundbreaking 360° marketing campaigns in partnership with top-tier brands.
- Your portfolio demonstrates a history of delivering bold, innovative work that stands out in a competitive marketplace.
- You are deeply immersed in entertainment and pop culture, understanding how content can create emotional and personal connections with audiences.
- You have experience presenting design work to partners
- You bring significant leadership experience and deep expertise in design and art direction, viewing design not just as a visual craft but as a conceptual tool for storytelling, building experiences, and shaping brand perception.
- You have a diverse background in design for retail, fashion, consumer products, and style guide development.
- You excel at managing a high volume of design reviews without compromising quality.
- Your exceptional communication skills enable you to present creative concepts to senior leaders and represent the design team effectively in meetings and discussions.
