The Art Director will be responsible for idea development and hands-on creative execution for various high-priority, multi-discipline projects for ESPN, leading teams big and small. This includes identity branding, motion design, info system graphic builds, live action and photography shoots, consumer product creative, design toolkits, and large-scale animation design campaigns.

The Visual Storytelling division of ESPN Creative Studio is a team of creative directors, art directors, animators, concept artists, visual journalists, photo editors, web developers, graphic designers and strategy producers whose work reaches across every ESPN platform: We lead the creative direction and execution of on-air brand identities for ESPN’s live events and studio shows. We are responsible for the creative content on ESPN.com and the ESPN app, including photography, illustration, and interactive storytelling. We create and produce key art for ESPN+ and manage product art across our digital products. We manage the design voice of our ESPN brand, from holistic marketing campaigns to cross-platform creative systems.

Responsibilities:

• Create industry leading work that inspires and brings big ideas to life.
• Oversee and create multi-discipline design projects across platforms and products.
• Direct strategic design systems that are engineered for long-term success.
• Lead advanced motion design and animation builds and understand changing industry tools and technology. 
• Understand and produce live action shoots and elements.
• Prepare and present creative briefs to internal and external stakeholders.
• Continually evolve the build and infrastructure of our multiplatform design campaigns.
• Push for creative excellence and innovation while balancing the priorities of the business.
• Partner with stakeholder groups across ESPN to ensure collaborative success.
• Mentor and coach emerging designers across the team.

Basic Qualifications:

• Minimum of 5 years of professional experience working within a creative studio or media organization.
• In-depth knowledge of motion graphics, animation principles/techniques and render engines.
• Experience in live action environments.
• Experience in responsive digital design deliverables.
• Experience in leading brand identities and design systems.
• An understanding of the common behaviors of deliverables for digital and broadcast.
• A complete understanding of typography, composition, hierarchy, and motion design.
• Comfort and experience in leading teams and presenting to Sr. leadership.
• Fluent with Adobe Creative Suite, Cinema 4D, and Post Edit software.
• Proven project management skills with ability to prioritize and meet multiple deadlines.
• Reliable work-from-home setup with strong internet connection.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Knowledge of the sports design space, trends, and an understanding of ESPN’s place amongst the competition.
• Knowledge of ESPN distribution points, including MVPDs and SVODs
• Knowledge of project management tools, including Asana, Atlassian tools, Smartsheet, etc.

Required Education:

• College Diploma or equivalent

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The hiring range for this position in New York, NY is $130,790 to $175,450 per year. The base pay actually offered will take into account internal equity and also may vary depending on the candidate’s geographic region, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience among other factors. A bonus and/or long-term incentive units may be provided as part of the compensation package, in addition to the full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits, dependent on the level and position offered.