CREATIVE DIRECTOR – THEMED ENTERTAINMENT

Designer Jobs; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 225,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid Personal/Sick time

401K Retirement Plan

Year-end bonus eligibility

Long-Term Disability insurance

Medical, Dental and Vision options

Job summary

Adirondack Studios (ADKS) is seeking a Creative Director to shape story-driven, high-quality themed entertainment environments across the full project lifecycle. You will provide creative design authority, lead direction for themed environments from concept to installation, and collaborate with clients, partners, and teams to deliver creative, budget-conscious solutions.

The role requires 15+ years of leadership experience in design, proficiency with Adobe Creative Suite and 3D tools, and strong

Qualifications

• 15+ years of experience in creative leadership roles.
• Bachelor's or master's degree in fine art, Theater arts, Architecture, Experience Design, Industrial Design or similar design field.
• Proficiency with Adobe Creative Suite and 3D modeling tools such as Rhino, SKP and 3ds Max.
• MS Office experience (Word and Excel).
• Strong collaboration and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide creative design authority across company-wide decisions and maintain ADKS's creative vision and standards.
• Lead creative direction for themed environments from concept through production, fabrication, installation and closeout.
• Translate client goals and project requirements into feasible, budget-conscious, story-driven creative solutions.
• Oversee creative deliverables across design phases including key art, renderings, models, maquettes, presentations and graphics.
• Collaborate with design partners, clients, project teams, vendors, department heads and production partners to align scope, schedules, budgets and deliverables.
• Act as creative quality control to ensure work meets ADKS and client standards while maintaining consistency across projects.
• Lead, mentor, hire and develop Creative Design teams across multiple locations to foster collaboration and continuous improvement.
• Establish and improve creative processes, systems and standards to strengthen design operations and project delivery.
• Develop, manage and track budgets, schedules, staffing, scopes and subcontractors in partnership with PM and design leadership.
• Support project planning, proposals, scope development, cost estimating and successful delivery of creative design services.
• Build and maintain strong client relationships while representing client interests and ADKS's capabilities and reputation.
• Support business development through client presentations, new market opportunities, proposals and project pursuits.
• Represent the Creative Design Department in cross-functional collaboration and company-wide strategic planning.
• Identify solutions to creative and project challenges and ensure successful handoff of design packages to partners.

Skills

Creative leadership

Communication

Collaboration

Organizational skills

Visual communication

Team management

Education

Bachelor's/Master's in design

Tools

Adobe Creative Suite

AutoCAD

Rhino

SketchUp

3ds Max

Microsoft Office

Job description

Adirondack Studios (ADKS) is hiring a Creative Director to shape story-driven, high-quality themed entertainment environments across the full project lifecycle.

Responsibilities

• Provide creative design authority across company-wide decisions by establishing and maintaining ADKS's creative vision, quality standards, narrative, guest experience, and thematic integrity
• Lead creative direction for themed environments, including graphics and show sets, from concept through production, fabrication, installation, and closeout
• Convert client goals and project requirements into feasible, budget-conscious, story-driven creative solutions
• Oversee creative deliverables across design phases, including key art, renderings, models, maquettes, presentations, and graphics
• Collaborate with design partners, clients, project teams, vendors, department heads, and production partners to align scope, schedules, budgets, and deliverables
• Act as creative quality control, ensuring all work meets ADKS and client standards while maintaining consistency across projects
• Lead, mentor, hire, and develop collaborative Creative Design teams across multiple locations to foster collaboration, unity, creativity, and continuous improvement
• Establish and improve creative processes, systems, and standards to strengthen design operations and project delivery
• Develop, manage, and track creative design budgets, schedules, staffing, scopes, and subcontractors in partnership with project management and design leadership
• Support project planning, proposals, scope development, cost estimating, and successful delivery of creative design services
• Build and maintain strong client relationships while representing client interests and ADKS's creative capabilities, quality, and reputation
• Support business development through client presentations, new market opportunities, design approaches, proposals, and project pursuits
• Represent the Creative Design Department in cross-functional collaboration and company-wide strategic planning
• Identify solutions to creative and project challenges, ensuring successful handoff of design packages to partners, clients, production, fabrication, and installation teams
• Maintain proficiency with relevant design tools, including Adobe Creative Suite, AutoCAD, Rhino, SketchUp, Microsoft Office, and visual communication/sketching
• Travel as needed for client meetings, design reviews, business development, sales support, and project requirements
• Demonstrate strategic thinking, strong communication, adaptability, accountability, and relationship-building in a collaborative, team-oriented approach

Requirements

• Bachelor's or master's degree in fine art, Theater arts, Architecture, Experience Design, Industrial Design or similar design field, or equivalent professional experience
• 15+ years of experience as a Creative Director, Art Director, or similar creative leadership role
• Working knowledge of relevant design software, including Adobe Creative Suite, and familiarity with digital 3D modeling programs (e.g., Rhino, SKP, and/or 3dsmax)
• Familiarity with MS Office suite, including Word and Excel
• Ability to communicate visually via hand sketching or similar is preferred
• Strong organizational, planning, and interpersonal skills
• Strong creative vision with the ability to implement
• Ability to work collaboratively with clients as well as ADKS management and staff

Technologies

• Adobe Creative Suite
• AutoCAD
• Rhino
• SketchUp
• Microsoft Office, including Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel
• Digital 3D modeling programs (e.g., Rhino, SKP, 3dsmax)

Benefits

• Paid Personal/Sick time immediately upon hire
• 401K Retirement Plan after length of service milestone
• Year-end bonus eligibility based upon company performance
• No-cost Long-Term Disability insurance after length of service milestone
• Three options for Medical insurance, plus Dental and Vision insurance after length of service milestone
• Paid Vacation time immediately after hire
• Paid Holidays

Additional details

• Location: California (onsite)
• Salary: USD 120,000 - 225,000 per yearly
• Range of rates:
  • Argyle/Albany, NY: $120K - $165K
  • Orlando, FL: $135K - $195K
  • Pasadena/Los Angeles, CA: $160K - $225K