Art Director — Brand & Campaigns Lead

Impleo; Charlotte (NC); On-site; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Hornets Sports & Entertainment in Charlotte, NC, seeks an experienced Art Director to lead brand visuals across print, digital, arenas and live events. You will mentor designers, translate strategy into creative concepts and ensure on-brand delivery for all touchpoints.

Candidate must have 5+ years of design leadership, a strong portfolio, mastery of typography and Adobe Creative Suite, and comfort collaborating across teams in a fast-paced sports environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design, Visual Communication or related field; or equivalent professional experience.
• 5+ years of professional design experience, preferably in brand, agency, sports, or consumer-facing environments.
• Experience directing and mentoring designers or managing creative teams.
• Strong portfolio showing conceptual thinking, art direction, and multi-channel craft.
• Advanced typography, layout, color, imagery, and visual hierarchy.
• Ability to translate strategy into creative solutions across touchpoints.
• Experience developing campaign systems and maintaining brand consistency.
• Proven ability give clear, constructive feedback and manage timelines.
• Strong presentation and communication skills for stakeholders of all levels.
• Proficiency in print/digital production processes; familiarity with photography, motion, and animation is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead development of concepts, visual systems and campaign ideas across channels.
• Manage day-to-day creative direction for a team of designers with clear expectations and timelines.
• Review work and provide constructive feedback to improve quality and craft.
• Mentor designers through coaching and growth opportunities.
• Translate briefs into compelling visual ideas supporting sales, partnerships and marketing.
• Own initiatives from concept to delivery, ensuring on-brand and timely output.
• Clarify objectives, audiences, messages, deliverables and success criteria with stakeholders.
• Collaborate with Video, Animation and Digital teams for integrated campaigns.
• Present concepts confidently with strategic and creative rationale.
• Maintain and evolve brand standards while pushing distinctive, relevant visuals.
• Oversee production quality and channel-specific requirements.
• Improve workflows, reviews, prioritization and team effectiveness.
• Identify risks early and propose solutions.
• Stay informed on design, sports, tech and culture; bring inspiration to the team.
• Attend selected games/events to experience the brand firsthand.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Skills

Brand leadership

Art direction

Team management

Presentation skills

Typography & layout

Adobe Creative Suite

Figma

AI tools familiarity

Photography basics

Basketball branding

Education

Bachelor degree

Tools

Adobe Creative Suite

Figma

AI tools

Job description

Hornets Sports & Entertainment in Charlotte, NC, seeks an experienced Art Director to lead brand visuals across print, digital, arenas and live events. You will mentor designers, translate strategy into creative concepts and ensure on-brand delivery for all touchpoints.

Candidate must have 5+ years of design leadership, a strong portfolio, mastery of typography and Adobe Creative Suite, and comfort collaborating across teams in a fast-paced sports environment.