Art Director

About the role

The Role

We are searching for an Art Director to touch every piece of the creative process and help develop culture-first work as part of the NY creative team. From initial concept to final production, you will serve as a steward of storytelling for brand partners, transforming ideas into compelling work across diverse formats and styles. The ideal candidate possesses a firm grasp of design fundamentals and a commitment to creating beautifully original work, all while partnering closely with teammates across functions. You will work most intensely with a Writer partner to ensure narrative and visual language remain tightly aligned.

Above all, we seek a person ready to become a Spoon, someone who gives a damn, tries anything, and genuinely enjoys the people they work with. This role is based in our New York office and follows a hybrid schedule, requiring in-office presence on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. The anticipated annual salary range for this position is $80,000 - $110,000. Final compensation is determined by factors such as relevant experience, knowledge, skills, job duties, and geographic location. In addition to salary, the role includes access to programs such as medical, dental, and vision insurance, 401(k) matching, paid time off, and other benefits and perks.

#LI-DNI

What you'll do

• Lead end-to-end visual strategy for brand partners, owning the narrative arc from raw concept to influential cultural signal.
• Orchestrate intake sessions to capture brand truth and strategic guardrails before any line is written or pixel is placed.
• Construct visual systems and mood boards that define tone, grid logic, and motion for multi-format stories and cross-channel executions.
• Partner with a Writer ally to ensure narrative and visual language remain tightly aligned throughout every iteration of the work.
• Review drafts with ruthless empathy, balancing daring concepts with grounded execution to ensure clarity, originality, and strict alignment with partner objectives.
• Ship cohesive assets across screens and surfaces, managing intricate details without losing the human warmth that makes stories resonate.
• Guide partners through evolving creative, translating feedback into elevated outcomes that protect and enhance long-term brand equity.
• Champion experimentation by testing visual languages, pushing formats, and documenting patterns for future reuse and scale.
• Collaborate with production teams to preserve artistic intent, solving technical constraints while safeguarding the integrity of the design.
• Advise on rhythm and hierarchy so that every layout invites pause, curiosity, and a second thoughtful look from the audience.
• Stir the status quo by crafting integrated work that resonates across culture and channels, capturing the attention of curious and diverse audiences.
• Act as a steward of storytelling, ensuring that every piece of creative reflects the brand partner's truth in a memorable and meaningful way.

Requirements

• Understand foundational design principles deeply and apply them to build coherent, memorable identities for complex challenges.
• Bring integrated campaign experience, connecting strategy, story, and visual treatment across a wide range of touchpoints and formats.
• Hold holistic thinking, weaving channel-specific executions into one recognizable voice that feels unmistakably tied to the brand.
• Possess at least three years of hands-on experience shaping visual language under demanding briefs and tight deadlines.
• Work comfortably in a hybrid environment, maintaining the required in-office presence on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.
• Demonstrate a firm grasp of craftsmanship, showing an unwavering commitment to creating beautifully original work that stands out in crowded markets.
• Show the ability to partner effectively with cross-functional teammates, including writers, producers, and strategists, to elevate shared goals.
• Remain committed to the ethos of giving a damn, trying new approaches, and genuinely enjoying the collaborative process with every team member.

Nice to have

• Preference for candidates who naturally blend strategic thinking with bold visual storytelling in their past work.
• Evidence of experimentation with visual languages that push formats and translate into reusable systems and patterns.

Practical notes

This role is based in our New York City office and operates on a hybrid schedule. You are expected to be present in the office on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. The anticipated annual salary range for this position is $80,000 - $110,000, with final compensation influenced by relevant experience, knowledge, skills, job duties, and geographic location. In addition to salary, the role includes access to a suite of programs such as medical, dental, and vision insurance, 401(k) matching, paid time off, and other benefits and perks where applicable. #LI-DNI