Design Director, Brand Creative NAM at adidas

adidas; Los Angeles (CA); Hybrid; USD 142,000 - 197,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical coverage

401(k) plan

Stock Purchase Plan

Flexible Time Off

Company holidays

Employee product discounts

Wellness programs

Commuter benefits

Job summary

adidas in Los Angeles leads Global Brand Creative to shape the visual look, tone, and feel of the brand across touchpoints. The Design Director translates objectives into concepts and campaigns, directing teams and external partners to deliver brand-aligned creative work.

The role shapes creative direction, collaborates with cross-functional partners, and drives end-to-end delivery within a fast-paced global environment. English proficiency is essential.

Qualifications

• Undergraduate-level education in Design or an equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience.
• 8+ years of experience in sporting goods, fashion, creative, or design industry with managerial experience.
• 2+ years of people management experience.
• Advanced experience developing creative communications and branded creative solutions.
• End-to-end design process experience including scoping, timelines, development, production, and pre-press.
• Proficiency with design applications.
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
• Strong visual and verbal communication skills; ability to communicate impactful creative ideas.
• Excellent English-language communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead creative development for Global Brand Creative across multiple consumer touchpoints, including 2D, retail, digital, branded content, campaigns, and moving image.
• Develop concepts and creative strategies that deliver against category objectives, project briefs, and the broader adidas brand vision.
• Advise Communications, Business Units, Creative Direction, and other partners on creative interpretation of strategic needs.
• Lead creative strategies from internal sell-in through consumer-facing execution to ensure quality and brand expression.
• Direct agencies, freelancers, photographers, videographers, art directors, and other creative resources to deliver cohesive and elevated work.

Skills

Creative leadership

End-to-end design process

Design applications proficiency

MS Office proficiency

Communication skills

English-language communication

Education

Undergraduate design education

Tools

Adobe Creative Suite

Job description

Position Overview

At adidas, we never launch a product unless we consider it perfect. That standard extends beyond the products we create to how we express our brand. Global Brand Creative shapes the visual look, tone, and feel of adidas across the edges of sport and the culture it inspires, combining creative vision, design craftsmanship, and consumer insight to build a globally relevant brand. The Design Director is a key creative leadership role responsible for developing and directing industry-leading creative solutions across multiple consumer touchpoints. With a focus on the sport and performance sides of the business, this role translates category and brand objectives into compelling concepts, branded content, campaigns, retail experiences, digital executions, and moving image that strengthen the adidas brand from internal sell-in through consumer-facing sell-out. Working across Brand Creative, Creative Direction, Product Marketing, Product Design, Communications, Business Units, agencies, and external creative partners, the Design Director leads creative development from concept through execution. The role sets creative priorities, guides internal and external teams, and ensures work delivers against the brief while maintaining a clear, desirable, and consistent global brand expression.

Key Responsibilities

• Creative Leadership: Lead creative development for Global Brand Creative across multiple consumer touchpoints, including 2D, retail, digital, branded content, campaigns, and moving image.
• Concept Development: Develop concepts and creative strategies that deliver against category objectives, project briefs, and the broader adidas brand vision.
• Brand Direction: Advise Communications, Business Units, Creative Direction, and other partners on the creative interpretation of strategic and project-specific needs.
• Creative Excellence: Lead creative strategies from internal sell-in through consumer-facing execution to ensure consistent end-to-end quality and brand expression.
• Team Leadership: Set creative and assignment priorities while directing internal teams and external creative resources toward world-class outcomes.
• Creative Community: Build a strong creative culture by developing distinctive opportunities for inspiration, learning, collaboration, and creative growth.
• Cross-Functional Partnership: Collaborate with brand, product, design, marketing, communications, and creative partners to maintain a strong consumer and brand focus.
• Creative Direction: Direct agencies, freelancers, photographers, videographers, art directors, and other creative resources to deliver cohesive and elevated creative execution.
• Creative Approval: Review and approve creative work throughout development and execution to ensure quality, consistency, and alignment with brand standards.
• Resource Management: Maximize creative impact within established budgets, timelines, and project requirements.
• Strategic Planning: Contribute to annual and long-term Creative Direction strategies in partnership with the Senior Design Director and broader creative leadership.
• Stakeholder Communication: Present creative strategies and solutions with clarity and influence, building alignment across a range of internal and external stakeholders.
• Continuous Improvement: Identify opportunities to strengthen creative processes, output, and ways of working, and initiate proposals or projects that advance the organization.
• Thought Leadership: Serve as a creative and brand-building thought leader for the wider Brand Creative team, particularly across sport and performance.
• Creative Network Development: Identify emerging creative talent, partners, resources, platforms, and approaches that can elevate the quality and relevance of adidas creative work.

Required Qualifications

• Undergraduate-level education in Design or an equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience.
• At least 8 years of experience in the sporting goods, fashion, creative, or design industry, including experience at a managerial level.
• Minimum of 2 years of people management experience.
• Advanced experience developing creative communications and branded creative solutions.
• Proven experience across the end-to-end design process, including project scoping, timeline planning, design development, production, execution, and pre-press processes.
• Expert proficiency with relevant design applications.
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
• Strong visual and verbal communication skills with the ability to develop and communicate impactful creative ideas.
• Excellent English-language communication skills.

Preferred Experience

• Demonstrated experience concepting and executing branded content and campaigns for global audiences.
• Experience directing multidisciplinary creative work across 2D, retail, digital, and moving image.
• Experience leading internal creative teams and external agencies, freelancers, photographers, videographers, and other creative partners.
• Strong understanding of sport, performance, fashion, and the cultural influences shaping consumers and brands.
• Demonstrated passion for creativity, design, sport culture, and the adidas brand.

Work Environment

This position is based in Los Angeles, California and follows the adidas hybrid work policy. Employees are expected to work in the office Monday through Thursday, with flexibility to work remotely on Friday. In-office attendance may also be required on Fridays for highly collaborative work or in-person presentations. The role operates in a fast-paced, highly collaborative global creative environment involving internal teams and external creative partners. The working language is English.

Reporting Structure

This role works in support of and in close partnership with the Senior Design Director, Brand Creative. The Design Director has significant cross-functional exposure across Design Directors, Senior Designers, Creative Operations, Holistic Brand Expression, Product Marketing, Product Design, Communications, Business Units, agencies, art and creative directors, and external creative resources. The role includes leadership and management of creative teams and resources in support of Global Brand Creative priorities.

Compensation & Benefits

The anticipated low and high end of the base pay range for this position is $141,900 - $196,885. Actual salary will be based on various factors, such as a candidate’s experience, qualifications, skills & competencies, and proficiency for the role.

• Comprehensive medical coverage including HSA with employer funding or FSA options, dental, vision, and prescription plans.
• Short and long term disability coverage.
• Basic life and AD and D insurance with supplemental employee paid options.
• 401(k) retirement savings eligibility subject to applicable service, hours, and age requirements, plus access to the adidas Stock Purchase Plan subject to eligibility requirements.
• Flexible Time Off accrued at one hour for every 30 hours worked, up to a maximum of 80 hours per year.
• Eleven Company-Designated paid holidays.
• LTD employees are not eligible for the Floating Holiday.
• Eligible leave programs, including applicable parental leave and income replacement benefits.
• Employee product discounts and access to wellness and Employee Assistance programs.
• Access to eligible voluntary benefits, including legal, pet insurance, commuter, and voluntary time off programs.

Equal Employment Opportunity

At adidas, we foster a workplace culture built on respect, collaboration, and opportunity where employees can grow, contribute, and perform at their best. We value diverse perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds because they strengthen our teams, drive innovation, and help us better serve athletes, consumers, and communities around the world. adidas is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.

Company Culture

At adidas we have a winning culture. But to win, physical power is not enough. Just like athletes our employees need mental strength in their game. We foster the athlete’s mindset through a set of behaviors that we want to enable and develop in our people and that are at the core of our unique company culture: This is how we win while playing fair. Courage: Speak up when you see an opportunity; step up when you see a need.. Ownership: Pick up the ball. Be proactive, take responsibility and follow-through. Innovation: Elevate to win. Be curious, test and learn new and better ways of doing things. Teamplay: Win together. Work collaboratively and cultivate a shared mindset. Integrity: Play by the rules. Hold yourself and others accountable to our company’s standards. Respect: Value all players. Display empathy, be inclusive and show dignity to all. At adidas, we strongly believe that embedding diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) into our culture and talent processes gives our employees a sense of belonging and our brand a real competitive advantage. – Culture Starts With People, It Starts With You – By recruiting talent and developing our people to reflect the rich diversity of our consumers and communities, we foster a culture of inclusion that engages our employees and authentically connects our brand with our consumers.