Contract Art Director

Tecovas; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 95,000 - 128,000; Full time

Job summary

Tecovas in Austin, TX, seeks an experienced Art Director on a 1099 contract basis to shape and execute brand stories across campaigns, social, email, paid media, retail and more. The role is Austin-based with in-person collaboration preferred and a 40-hour workweek.

You’ll partner with writers, photographers, designers, and marketers to elevate the Tecovas visual identity while delivering high-quality craft across channels. This is a 4-month engagement with a competitive flat monthly rate.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in art direction, design, or a related creative role, ideally within fashion, lifestyle, retail, or another consumer brand.
• A portfolio demonstrating strong conceptual thinking, visual storytelling, and integrated campaign work.
• Proven ability to develop a compelling creative idea and carry it consistently across multiple channels and formats.
• Strong design instincts, including typography, composition, color, photography, and brand systems.
• Experience art directing both photography and motion content, including casting, wardrobe styling, location, and talent direction.
• Fluency in Figma and Adobe Creative Suite.
• Strong communication and presentation skills, with the ability to articulate the thinking behind the work.

Responsibilities

• Concept Development: Develop original, culturally relevant creative concepts rooted in the Tecovas brand strategy and creative vision.
• Integrated Campaign Direction: Art direct integrated campaigns from initial concept through final execution.
• Visual Systems: Translate campaign ideas into cohesive visual systems across social, paid media, email, digital, retail, print, and experiential touchpoints.
• Creative Partnership: Partner closely with copywriters to build ideas in which the visual and verbal storytelling work together.
• Creative Communication: Create campaign presentations, mood boards, storyboards, design explorations, and other materials that clearly communicate a creative vision.
• Photo & Motion Direction: Art direct photography and video, including pre-production planning, shot development, on-set direction, and post-production feedback.
• Production Integrity: Collaborate with designers and channel partners to ensure work maintains its integrity as it moves through production and adaptation.
• Creative Direction & Feedback: Provide clear, thoughtful creative direction and feedback while creating space for collaborators to contribute.
• Stakeholder Presentation: Present work to creative leadership and cross-functional stakeholders, incorporating feedback without losing sight of the core idea.
• Project Management: Manage multiple projects and timelines in a fast-paced environment while maintaining a high standard of craft and attention to detail.
• Brand Stewardship: Help evolve the Tecovas visual identity while protecting the elements that make the brand recognizable and distinct.
• Product Storytelling: Turn craft, materials, seasonal collections, and product features into compelling brand stories.

Skills

Art direction

Brand systems

Typography

Color theory

Communication

Storytelling

Collaboration

Design instincts

Figma

Tools

Figma

Adobe Creative Suite

Job description

Tecovas was founded with the simple goal of making the world's best western boots, apparel and leather goods - and selling them at a fair price. We are a brand revolutionizing a category and welcoming first-time boot buyers and western enthusiasts alike.

Tecovas is looking for a conceptually strong, highly collaborative Art Director to join our creative team on a contract basis. Reporting directly to Sr Design Director, you will help shape and execute compelling brand stories across campaigns, social, email, paid media, retail, and other customer touchpoints - moving comfortably between big-picture concept development and hands-on execution, and partnering closely with copywriters, designers, producers, photographers, and cross-functional marketing teams to create work that feels unmistakably Tecovas.

This role is Austin-based, with in-person collaboration preferred.

What you'll do:

• Concept Development: Develop original, culturally relevant creative concepts rooted in the Tecovas brand strategy and creative vision.
• Integrated Campaign Direction: Art direct integrated campaigns from initial concept through final execution.
• Visual Systems: Translate campaign ideas into cohesive visual systems across social, paid media, email, digital, retail, print, and experiential touchpoints.
• Creative Partnership: Partner closely with copywriters to build ideas in which the visual and verbal storytelling work together.
• Creative Communication: Create campaign presentations, mood boards, storyboards, design explorations, and other materials that clearly communicate a creative vision.
• Photo & Motion Direction: Art direct photography and video, including pre-production planning, shot development, on-set direction, and post-production feedback.
• Production Integrity: Collaborate with designers and channel partners to ensure work maintains its integrity as it moves through production and adaptation.
• Creative Direction & Feedback: Provide clear, thoughtful creative direction and feedback while creating space for collaborators to contribute.
• Stakeholder Presentation: Present work to creative leadership and cross-functional stakeholders, incorporating feedback without losing sight of the core idea.
• Project Management: Manage multiple projects and timelines in a fast-paced environment while maintaining a high standard of craft and attention to detail.
• Brand Stewardship: Help evolve the Tecovas visual identity while protecting the elements that make the brand recognizable and distinct.
• Product Storytelling: Turn craft, materials, seasonal collections, and product features into compelling brand stories.
• 5-7+ years of experience in art direction, design, or a related creative role, ideally within fashion, lifestyle, retail, or another consumer brand
• A portfolio demonstrating strong conceptual thinking, visual storytelling, and integrated campaign work
• Proven ability to develop a compelling creative idea and carry it consistently across multiple channels and formats
• Strong design instincts, including typography, composition, color, photography, and brand systems
• Experience art directing both photography and motion content, including casting, wardrobe styling, location, and talent direction
• Fluency in Figma and Adobe Creative Suite
• Strong communication and presentation skills, with the ability to articulate the thinking behind the work

What you bring to the table:

• You are as excited by the sharpness of the core idea as you are by the details of the final execution.
• You can build within an established brand while continuing to push it forward.
• You have a strong point of view without being precious about the work.
• You balance creative ambition with practical problem-solving.
• You enjoy collaborating across creative disciplines, respond well to feedback, and navigate shifting priorities with ease.
• You can move quickly without allowing the work to become generic.
• You understand how to balance brand storytelling with real channel and business needs.
• You have a genuine interest in culture, style, storytelling, and building a modern Western brand with broad relevance.

Contract Details:

Employment Type: 1099 Independent Contractor
Hours: 40 hours/week
Location: Hybrid
Duration: estimated 4 months; Mid-September - End of December
Compensation: Competitive flat monthly rate

About Us:

Based in Austin, TX, Tecovas brings the spirit of the West to the modern consumer. Handcrafting the best Western footwear, workwear, apparel, and accessories, Tecovas has grown rapidly since its founding as the first digitally native Western brand in 2015, serving customers through www.Tecovas.com, Tecovas Stores from coast to coast, and select wholesale partners. We're certainly growing- and hiring passionate, humble, positive, and talented people determined to help us continue to grow!

Important note: We strive to hire values-aligned people because we believe it takes each and all of us to be successful, and lead with grit, speed and a clear vision of where we're headed. In a remote setting, interviewing at Tecovas may include phone interviews, virtual "on-site" interviews, and on-the-job mock cases. We are committed to run a thorough process for candidates with whom we identify a potential match, and we will do our best to follow-up with each and every applicant! If you're on the fence, just give it a try!