Art Director

Aquent; Beaverton (OR); On-site; USD 90,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

Aquent seeks an Art Director to lead consumer-led retail concepts, evolve the retail business, and deliver scalable design solutions for immersive environments.

With 8+ years in brand design and 3+ years in management, you will guide junior designers, collaborate across teams, and push innovative use of technology to elevate the brand globally. This on-site role is based in Beaverton, Oregon.

Qualifications

• 8+ years in brand design with concept development and visual communications.
• 3+ years of management experience leading designers.
• Bachelor’s or Master’s in graphic/architecture/interior design or equivalent.
• Strong retail industry experience with store concepts and programs.
• Excellent oral and written communication; able to present to senior teams.
• Proven ability to sketch design ideas and communicate concepts visually.
• Passion for Technology, Design, Art, Interactive and Experience Design.
• Proactive attitude with ability to adapt to changing business needs while maintaining quality.

Responsibilities

• Lead projects from concept to delivery for innovative retail displays and digital solutions.
• Provide leadership development and design direction to junior designers.
• Collaborate with internal and external teams to manage multiple projects, timelines, and budgets.
• Create, refine, and evolve non-seasonal retail storytelling across the full portfolio of stores.
• Build comprehensive creative direction for design development and establish implementation standards.
• Manage a team to develop tailored approaches balancing consumer needs, brand integrity, and partner objectives.
• Communicate and present complex design concepts with compelling materials and production files.
• Drive design excellence and foster collaboration across multiple projects.
• Leverage emerging technology to build impactful spaces and enhance consumer engagement.

Skills

Illustrator

Photoshop

InDesign

Keynote

Education

Bachelor’s/Master in graphic design, architecture or interior design

Tools

After Effects

Premiere

Miro

Figma

SketchUp

Unreal Engine

Job description

We are looking for an Art Director to spearhead the development of consumer-led retail concepts and evolve the retail business. Candidates must have retail story design/story telling experience. You will be instrumental in crafting impactful and scalable design solutions for immersive retail environments and experiences. This position demands an innovator who is constantly expanding the possibilities of immersive design, ensuring every solution reflects a powerful design ethos and elevates the consumer retail journey. Your work will directly influence brand perception and consumer interaction, making a tangible difference in the brand’s global presence.

What You Will Do

• Lead projects from conception to delivery, realizing innovative, original retail displays and digital solutions for diverse retail environments.
• Provide leadership development and design direction to junior-level designers, fostering a culture of creative growth.
• Collaborate extensively with internal and external teams to manage multiple projects, ensuring creative intent, timelines, and budgets are met through best practices.
• Create, refine, and evolve non-seasonal retail storytelling across the full portfolio of retail stores.
• Build comprehensive creative direction for design development and generate implementation standards for consistent execution across all projects.
• Manage a team to develop tailored approaches for each project, balancing consumer needs, brand integrity, and business partner objectives.
• Communicate and present complex design concepts effectively, creating compelling presentation materials and producing project production files as needed.
• Drive design excellence and foster collaboration across multiple projects simultaneously, delivering holistic creative solutions aligned with long-term strategy.
• Leverage a track record of innovative use of emerging technology to build impactful spaces, enhance consumer engagement, and interaction.
• Work across various design subject areas including Environmental Graphic Design, Fixtures, Materials, and Digital design.
• Ideate creative concepts, illustrate your ideas, and maintain a hands-on approach as you lead projects to completion.

What You Bring

• 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