Senior Creative Director, Experiential Design & Brand Environments

About the role

The Senior Creative Director, Experiential Design & Brand Environments plays a pivotal role in shaping how Hearst brands, businesses, and initiatives are experienced through physical and immersive environments. This hands-on role combines creative execution, strategic thinking, and project management to develop experiential activations, exhibitions, installations, branded environments, corporate events, retail pop-ups, interactive experiences, and cultural programming.

The primary near-term focus is to help lead the design and implementation of a multi-media space that will be installed on the first floor of the Hearst Tower, creating a dynamic, high-visibility experience for Hearst brands, partners, and key non-profit collaborators. The role serves as a connector between Hearst businesses, cultural institutions, creative communities, and emerging technologies, identifying opportunities that drive audience engagement, social conversation, earned media, and business impact.

Responsibilities

• Develop a deep understanding of Hearst’s businesses, corporate initiatives, communications priorities, and brand strategies.
• Translate Hearst brands, businesses, content, and corporate priorities into compelling physical experiences that communicate key messages and create memorable audience interactions.
• Work directly with Hearst’s outside experience design partner on the creation of the new multimedia space.
• Design and produce presentations, environmental graphics, video content, installation concepts, and experiential creative assets from concept through final execution.
• Collaborate with stakeholders across Hearst divisions to develop experiences that support business and communications objectives.
• Explore and implement emerging technologies including AI-driven experiences, interactive media, projection mapping, immersive storytelling platforms, digital installations, and innovative audience engagement tools.
• Manage budgets, approvals, project forecasting, and financial reporting.

Requirements

• 8+ years of experience in experiential design, exhibition design, environmental graphics, branded environments, retail activations, event design, architecture, or related creative disciplines.
• Quantifiable experience in the development and creation of large-scale installations, exhibitions, activations, pop-up environments, immersive experiences, or cultural programming.
• Experience managing budgets, schedules, fabrication partners, agencies, consultants, and production teams.
• Strong working knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite, top editing programs, and AI tools.
• Understanding of fabrication methods, materials, lighting systems, audiovisual technologies, installation logistics, and production best practices.
• Direct experience leading complex location-based entertainment experiences from initial design through implementation.

Skills

• Skilled in editing, design, digital artwork creation, and installation.
• A personal passion for location-based entertainment and regularly engages with a broad range of experiences in this area.
• Exceptional creative vision with a strong understanding of spatial design, environmental storytelling, audience experience, and brand communications.
• Fluency in AI tools, emerging technologies, and AI-enabled creative workflows.
• Deep understanding of experiential design, exhibitions, retail environments, installations, interactive media, and live events.
• Ability to identify and create culturally relevant moments that generate meaningful conversation, media attention, and social engagement.
• Strong organizational and project management skills with outstanding attention to detail and the ability to balance creative excellence with budget, schedule, and business objectives.

Pay

In accordance with applicable law, the reasonable estimate of the compensation for this role if hired in New York City is $180,000 - $190,000. If this role is open to candidates outside of New York City, the salary range would be aligned to that specific location.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance.
• 401(k) retirement plan.
• Paid holidays and paid time off.
• Employee assistance programs.

About Us

Hearst is a leading global, diversified information, services, and media company dedicated to innovating, informing audiences, and leading with purpose, integrity, and a culture of care. Our portfolio includes more than 360 businesses worldwide, including 35 television stations, 28 daily newspapers, over 200 magazine editions, and ownership stakes in leading cable networks such as A&E, HISTORY, Lifetime, and ESPN. On the business-to-business side, our companies include Fitch Group, Hearst Health, and Hearst Transportation.

About The Team

Our Corporate Teams deliver essential programs and services that support the entire Hearst enterprise. Spanning communications, employee benefits, finance, learning and development, legal, technology, and more, these teams lead initiatives that advance Hearst’s mission to inform and inspire.