Art Director - Thinkingbox

Thinkingbox; Toronto; Hybrid; CAD 95,000 - 115,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Dog-friendly offices

Unlimited coffee, drinks, and snacks

Hybrid work arrangement

Flexible time off

Extended health benefits

Job summary

Thinkingbox is seeking an Art Director to lead creative across digital and experiential campaigns, guiding concept development from ideation to production. This hands-on role demands strong design craft, leadership, and the ability to collaborate with strategists, developers, and clients.

You will shape brand experiences across physical and digital touchpoints, balancing conceptual thinking with execution while staying current with design trends. Hybrid role in Toronto.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience as a designer in an agency or studio.
• At least 1 year in a leadership or mentorship role.
• A strong portfolio showing design craft, conceptual thinking, art direction, and digital experience.
• Experience developing creative concepts and presenting to clients.
• Strong understanding of UI/UX and design systems.
• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite and Figma.

Responsibilities

• Develop conceptual ideas, directions, and pitch decks for campaigns and experiences.
• Define and lead visual direction from concept to final delivery.
• Develop and present ideas and art direction to teams and clients.
• Collaborate with copywriters, strategists, and developers to turn insights into creative.
• Guide designers through execution with constructive feedback.
• Stay hands-on with key visuals, moodboards, and design systems.
• Push the creative vision from pitch to final delivery.
• Maintain attention to detail while managing multiple priorities.
• Stay current with design trends and emerging tech.
• Create style guides, specs, and design documentation.
• Mentor and shape Thinkingbox's creative culture.

Skills

Leadership

Portfolio development

Conceptual thinking

Digital design

Presentation skills

Team collaboration

Tools

Adobe Creative Suite

Figma

Job description

Who We Are

Hi! We're Thinkingbox, the brief to built agency. Creating innovative digital, experiential, social, and content, we partner with leading brands across industries like sports, gaming, entertainment, and technology. We believe the hands that carefully craft the work should belong to the minds that dreamed it. So while others pass the buck, we're already building. Because our thinkers are also the makers. Culture is at the heart of who we are, and our offices are hubs of natural collaboration. From hanging out with our office dogs to enjoying Thursday happy hours, we keep our work environment vibrant, welcoming, and fun. Each year, we also encourage our people to spend a month exploring the world, whether that means working from another office or even from the beaches of Mexico, to expand their perspectives and bring fresh inspiration back to the team.

The Opportunity

We're looking for a talented and conceptually-driven Art Director to join our creative team, leading work across digital and experiential campaigns. You'll help concept and shape creative across a range of projects, from high-profile integrated campaigns and immersive activations to digital platforms, microsites, video-first executions and more. You'll be involved from the early stages of conceptualization and ideation, developing creative ideas and pitch decks, while also bringing those ideas to life through strong design and visual direction.

This is a hands-on role where you'll continue to design, develop and present creative concepts, guide other designers, and collaborate with strategists, producers, developers, and clients to bring bold ideas to life. You'll help define how brands show up across both physical and digital touchpoints, balancing strong conceptual thinking with thoughtful design craft and execution.

What You'll Be Doing

• Develop and contribute to conceptual ideas, creative directions, and pitch decks for integrated campaigns, brand experiences, digital platforms, and immersive environments
• Define and lead the visual direction for campaigns, experiences, and digital work from concept through final delivery
• Develop and present conceptual ideas and art direction to internal teams and clients
• Collaborate with copywriters, strategists, and developers to turn insights and concepts into powerful creative
• Oversee and guide designers through execution, giving thoughtful and constructive feedback
• Stay hands-on in the design process, creating key visuals, layouts, moodboards, visual systems, and other creative assets
• Push the creative vision of each project from pitch to final delivery
• Maintain a strong attention to detail while managing multiple priorities
• Stay on top of design trends, emerging tech, and visual culture to inform your work
• Support production efforts by creating style guides, specs, and clear design documentation
• Help shape Thinkingbox's creative culture and voice through leadership and mentorship

What You'll Bring

• 5+ years of experience working as a designer in an agency, studio, or creative environment, with at least 1 year in a leadership or mentorship capacity
• A strong portfolio that showcases exceptional design craft, conceptual thinking, art direction, and digital experience
• Experience developing creative concepts and pitch decks, and confidently presenting ideas to internal teams and clients
• A strong understanding of visual storytelling, typography, layout, composition, and design systems
• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite, Figma, and other relevant design tools
• Strong understanding of UI/UX principles and digital production processes
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to clearly articulate your ideas and creative direction
• An entrepreneurial mindset and collaborative approach to problem solving
• Passion for innovation, storytelling, design, and pushing creative boundaries

Additional Info

• Monday - Thursday in office (Fridays are remote optional)
• Flexible time off, including paid vacation and sick days
• Consistent culture and team-building events
• Employee recognition and incentive programs
• Seasonal celebrations and gatherings throughout the year
• Office lunches
• Branded company swag
• Access to industry events, learning opportunities, and non-profit outreaches
• Dog-friendly offices
• Unlimited coffee, drinks, and snacks
• Flex work and travel options
• Comprehensive extended health benefits

$95,000 - $115,000 a year

Placement in the salary range will be based on factors such as internal equity, candidate experience, skills, and qualifications relevant to the role. If your compensation expectations fall outside of this range, we still welcome your application.

Equal Opportunity

At Thinkingbox, we're committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels valued, heard, and empowered to thrive. We believe that diversity is our creative strength - it's the range of perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds that fuels our best ideas and most innovative solutions. We welcome and encourage applicants of all races, ethnicities, genders, identities, abilities, ages, sexual orientations, and backgrounds to apply. Your voice matters here.