Art Director, Brand Social

OhioX; Northern (KY); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Upstart is seeking an experienced Art Director, Social to lead organic social content and collaborate with the Brand & Creative team. You will shape culturally relevant, platform-native art direction across channels and contribute to brand campaigns with craft and perspective.

Join a digital-first team that values thoughtful, impactful work and partnerships across functions. Remote-friendly with in-person collaborations as needed, based in the US.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in art direction, design, or a related creative discipline.
• Experience creating organic social content, including trend-responsive and always-on creative.
• On-set production experience across photo or video.
• Proficiency in design software, including Adobe Creative Suite and Figma.

Responsibilities

• Lead art direction for organic social content, ensuring cultural relevance, platform fluency, and brand consistency across every asset.
• Partner directly with Social leadership to concept and execute work, taking ideas from concept through final execution.
• Contribute to brand campaigns alongside the Creative team, bringing craft and creative perspective to projects beyond social.
• Track cultural and platform trends closely, translating them into timely, on-brand creative.
• Balance a high volume of fast-turn social work with occasional campaign-scale production, applying judgment on where deeper investment is warranted.
• Direct on commercial and campaign sets, whether leading independently or supporting senior creative leadership.

Skills

Art direction

Organic social content

On-set production

Adobe Creative Suite

Figma

Education

Bachelor's degree in Design or related field

Tools

Adobe Creative Suite

Figma

Job description

About Upstart

At Upstart, we’re united by a mission that matters: to radically reduce the cost and complexity of borrowing for all Americans. Every day, we bring creativity, experimentation, and advanced AI to reshape access to credit, helping millions move forward financially with clarity and confidence.

As the leading AI lending marketplace, we partner with banks and credit unions to expand access to affordable credit through technology that’s both radically intelligent and deeply human. Our platform runs over one million predictions per borrower using more than 3,000 signals, powering smarter, fairer decisions for millions of customers. But the numbers only hint at the impact. Every idea, every voice, and every contribution moves us closer to a world where credit never stands between people and their financial progress.

We’re proudly digital-first, giving most Upstarters the flexibility to do their best work from wherever they thrive, alongside teammates across 80+ cities in the US and Canada. Digital-first doesn’t mean distant. We’re intentional about in-person connection through team onsites, planning sessions, and moments that spark creativity and trust. And whether you choose to work primarily from home or collaborate in-person from one of our offices in Columbus, Austin, the Bay Area, or New York City (opening Summer 2026), you’ll have the support to work in the way that works best for you.

If you’re energized by tackling meaningful problems, excited to innovate with purpose, and motivated by work that truly matters, we’d love to hear from you.

The Team:

Upstart’s Brand & Creative team shapes how the brand comes to life across every touchpoint, defining our voice, personality, and emotional connection with borrowers and partners. We sit within Growth, designing and creating for impact across all channels, from the digital surfaces where consumers first discover us to the campaigns and brand systems that make Upstart trusted and remembered.

How you’ll make an impact

As the Art Director, Social at Upstart, you will create culturally relevant, platform-native art direction across organic social, and contribute to brand campaigns alongside the broader Creative team. You'll combine cultural insight and design craft to help shape how Upstart shows up in culture.

• Lead art direction for organic social content, ensuring cultural relevance, platform fluency, and brand consistency across every asset.
• Partner directly with Social leadership to concept and execute work, taking ideas from concept through final execution.
• Contribute to brand campaigns alongside the Creative team, bringing craft and creative perspective to projects beyond social.
• Track cultural and platform trends closely, translating them into timely, on-brand creative rather than following after the fact.
• Balance a high volume of fast-turn social work with occasional campaign-scale production, applying judgment on where deeper investment is warranted.
• Direct on commercial and campaign sets, whether leading independently or supporting senior creative leadership.

Minimum Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in art direction, design, or a related creative discipline.
• Experience creating organic social content, including trend-responsive and always-on creative.
• On-set production experience across photo or video.
• Proficiency in design software, including Adobe Creative Suite and Figma.
• Bachelor's degree in Design, Visual Communications, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Ability to concept directly with social or community teams, rather than relying solely on handed-off briefs.
• Knowledge of internet and social culture, with the ability to translate cultural trends into on-brand creative.
• Skilled in balancing fast-turn social work with larger-scale campaign production.
• Experience working on an in-house creative team, or agency experience paired with an understanding of how in-house pace and priorities differ.
• Ability to use AI-assisted tools throughout the creative process, from ideation through execution.
• Skilled in collaborating with cross-functional partners, including Compliance and external production partners.

Position location

This role is available in the following locations: Remote

Time zone requirements

The team operates on the East/West coast time zones.

Travel requirements

As a digital first company, the majority of your work can be accomplished remotely. The majority of our employees can live and work anywhere in the U.S or Canada (outside of Quebec) but are expected to spend high quality time in-person collaborating via regular onsites and in-person meetings. The onsite cadence varies depending on the team and role; most teams meet once or twice per quarter for 2-4 consecutive days at a time.

United States | Remote - Anticipated Base Salary Range

At Upstart, your base pay is one part of your total compensation package. The anticipated base salary for this position is expected to be within the below range. Your actual base pay will depend on your geographic location–with our “digital first” philosophy, Upstart uses compensation regions that vary depending on location. Individual pay is also determined by job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for your preferred location during the hiring process.

In addition, Upstart provides employees with target bonuses, equity compensation, and generous benefits packages (including medical, dental, vision