Art Director, Contract-to-Hire (Sports & Entertainment / Social Media)

About the role

A social-first marketing agency that works with some of the biggest brands in sports and entertainment is hiring an Art Director on a contract-to-hire basis. The agency powers global tentpole events, builds fanbases, launches shows, and shapes culture for partners across professional sports leagues, major streaming platforms, and global consumer brands.

Responsibilities

• Participating in and leading ideation and concept creation for social campaigns, tentpole events, live coverage, and client requests
• Overseeing review and approval of ideation and creative concepts developed by the internal team
• Translating client and partner briefs into clear, actionable creative direction
• Executing and overseeing art direction and creative production for client projects
• Maintaining and updating social identity guidelines as brand looks shift and grow
• Working closely with the video team on lo-fi and high-level video executions with a social-first approach
• Providing detailed feedback and creative input for both static and motion projects
• Staying on top of social media trends and emerging creative executions
• Attending client meetings to pitch ideation, explain creative decision-making, and ensure alignment on strategy and execution
• Leading and mentoring designers and ideators with clear direction and constructive feedback

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience as a designer, art director, or design director
• Experience working within agency, sports, and/or entertainment environments
• Experience working in the social media space, preferably within sports and entertainment
• Strong understanding of social-first storytelling and how content performs on Instagram, TikTok, X, and YouTube
• Proficiency with Adobe Creative Cloud (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign)
• Proficiency with Google Suite, especially Google Slides
• Base knowledge of Figma or comparable design and collaboration tools
• Strong portfolio demonstrating brand campaign, social media, and marketing work
• Excellent verbal and written communication and presentation skills
• Ability to operate autonomously, balancing creative quality, timelines, and budget constraints
• Passionate about sports and entertainment, specifically basketball (NBA, WNBA, NCAA) and football (NFL, NCAA)
• Comfortable with occasional evening, weekend, and travel requirements tied to live sports and entertainment events