Art Director

Aquent is partnering with a globally recognized leader in athletic footwear, apparel, and equipment, a brand synonymous with innovation and inspiring athletes worldwide. This is a unique opportunity to join a team that is constantly pushing the boundaries of design and consumer experience.

We are seeking a visionary to dramatically shape the future of consumer retail experiences. This is an unparalleled opportunity to spearhead the development of groundbreaking retail concepts, transforming how consumers interact with a beloved global brand. You will be at the forefront of creating immersive environments and compelling storytelling that not only elevates brand perception but also drives significant consumer engagement across a vast retail landscape. Your innovative spirit and leadership will directly influence how millions connect with the brand, making a tangible difference in its global presence and consumer journey.

What You Will Do

• Lead projects from initial concept through to final delivery, creating innovative and original retail displays and digital solutions for diverse retail environments.
• Provide essential leadership development and design direction to junior-level designers, fostering a culture of creative growth and excellence.
• Collaborate extensively with both internal and external teams to skillfully manage multiple projects, ensuring creative intent, timelines, and budgets are consistently met through best practices.
• Craft, refine, and evolve compelling non-seasonal retail storytelling narratives across the entire portfolio of retail stores.
• Develop comprehensive creative direction for design development and establish clear implementation standards to ensure consistent execution across all projects.
• Oversee a team, guiding them to develop tailored approaches for each project that expertly balance consumer needs, brand integrity, and business partner objectives.
• Effectively communicate and present complex design concepts, producing compelling presentation materials and necessary project production files.
• Drive design excellence and cultivate collaboration across multiple simultaneous projects, delivering holistic creative solutions that align with long-term strategic goals.
• Leverage a proven track record of innovative use of emerging technology to build impactful spaces that significantly enhance consumer engagement and interaction.
• Work across a broad spectrum of design subject areas, including Environmental Graphic Design, Fixtures, Materials, and Digital design.
• Ideate groundbreaking creative concepts, visually illustrate your ideas, and maintain a hands-on approach as you lead projects to completion.

Your Expertise

• Minimum of 8 years of brand design experience, demonstrating creative sophistication in concepts and design/visual communications, including at least 3 years of management experience.
• A Bachelor's or Master's degree in graphic design, architecture, interior design, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Strong retail industry experience, particularly with retail environments, concepts, and programs.
• Exceptional oral and written communication skills, including meeting facilitation and presentations, with the ability to convey complex topics to senior creative teams.
• Proficiency in sketching design ideas and visually communicating concept development through ideation.
• A passion for current trends in Technology, Design, Art, Interactive, and Experience Design.
• A proactive, "can-do" attitude with a proven ability to adapt to changing business needs while consistently maintaining creative quality.
• A positive spirit and a sense of humor.
• A strong portfolio showcasing your work is required for review.

Must-Have Skills

• Illustrator
• Photoshop
• InDesign
• Keynote

Nice-to-Have Skills

• After Effects
• Premiere
• Miro
• Figma
• SketchUp
• Unreal Engine