Associate Creative Director (ACD) →

Beyondstudios; Northern, New York (KY, NY); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Beyond Studios is seeking an Associate Creative Director who can think big, lead a room, and still make the work. This hands-on role requires you to design from start to finish and guide the creative direction of diverse projects for culture-forward brands.

You will lead multi-disciplinary work across merchandise, campaigns, identities, packaging, experiences, photography, and video, delivering bold ideas with meticulous craft.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of professional creative/design experience.
• Exceptional portfolio of real, executed work showing both concept and design ability.
• Expert-level command of typography, composition, color, imagery, branding, and art direction.
• Ability to take a project from blank page → big idea → visual system → finished design.
• Experience leading projects and directing other creatives while executing yourself.
• Strong instinct for culture and current aesthetics with independent thinking.

Responsibilities

• Lead projects creatively from the first idea through final execution.
• Concept and design campaigns, merchandise, identities, packaging, products, experiences, and brand worlds.
• Design extensively; this is a hands-on role, not management-only.
• Establish strong visual directions and push ideas beyond the obvious.
• Direct and mentor designers while contributing to the work when needed.
• Build decks, moodboards, visual systems, concepts, and presentations that sell ideas.
• Collaborate with production to realize ambitious concepts into tangible work.
• Present work to clients and communicate the thinking clearly.
• Balance multiple projects with craft, detail, and originality.
• Bring new references and perspectives to push Beyond's look and feel forward.

Skills

5+ years professional creative/design

Hands-on leadership

Typography and art direction

Branding and composition

Job description

Beyond Studios is looking for an Associate Creative Director who can think big, lead a room, and still make the work.

This is not a role where you concept, hand something off, and come back to review it. Our ACDs are hands-on designers who can lead the creative direction of a project while also jumping into the work and designing it from start to finish.

You’ll help create work for some of the biggest brands in culture across merchandise, campaigns, brand identities, packaging, products, experiences, photography, video, and everything in between.

We’re looking for someone with a sharp point of view, incredible taste, and the ability to turn a big idea into something people actually want to see, wear, share, or experience.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

• Lead projects creatively from the first idea through final execution.
• Concept and design campaigns, merchandise, identities, packaging, products, experiences, and brand worlds.
• Design. A lot. This is a hands-on creative role, not a management-only position.
• Establish strong visual directions and push ideas beyond the first, safest, or most obvious solution.
• Direct and mentor designers while being able to jump into the work yourself when needed.
• Build decks, moodboards, visual systems, concepts, and presentations that sell an idea as strongly as the final work.
• Work closely with production to turn ambitious ideas into things that can actually be made.
• Present work to clients and clearly communicate the thinking behind it.
• Balance multiple projects without sacrificing craft, detail, or originality.
• Bring new references, ideas, formats, and perspectives into the studio and help push what Beyond looks and feels like next.

WHO WE’RE LOOKING FOR

• 5+ years of professional creative/design experience, ideally within a design studio, creative agency, fashion, entertainment, music, sports, or culturally driven brand.
• An exceptional portfolio of real, executed work that clearly demonstrates both high-level conceptual thinking and your own design ability.
• Expert-level command of typography, composition, color, imagery, branding, and art direction.
• The ability to take a project from blank page → big idea → visual system → finished design.
• Experience leading projects and directing other creatives without losing the ability or desire to execute yourself.
• A strong instinct for culture and what feels current without simply following trends.
• Confidence presenting ideas, defending creative decisions, and working directly with clients.
• Experience across multiple disciplines. Merchandise, physical products, packaging, fabrication, photography, experiential, or production experience is a major plus.
• High attention to detail and the ability to move fast without making the work feel rushed.

PLEASE READ BEFORE APPLYING

This is a design-first creative leadership role. If your experience is primarily creative management or direction and you are no longer a highly capable hands-on designer, this role is not the right fit.

Your portfolio is the most important part of your application. We are looking for a body of work that clearly demonstrates the level of design craft, conceptual thinking, and execution expected of an Associate Creative Director. Applications without a portfolio, or portfolios that do not demonstrate significant professional design experience, will not be considered.

We’re not looking for someone to simply manage great creative.

We’re looking for someone who can make it.