Sr Art Director

Who We Are MACH27 is a Los Angeles-based creative and design agency providing services in entertainment creative, multi-platform design packages, digital advertising strategy, key art design, print, out-of-home, photo and video content production, brand campaign ideation, and production. We are high-volume, fast-paced, and have an open mentoring culture with great industry leaders. With your expertise, esprit-de-corps, and passion, you will play a critical role in generating world-class art with a diverse, hard-working, and eclectic crew. We are proud and honored to collaborate with some of the best world-class partners including Disney, Hallmark Media, Max, IMAX, Netflix, NBCUniversal, Pluto TV, Snap, and Sony. The Role The Sr Art Director leads campaigns without the need of close supervision and sets the quality standard for the work produced under their direction. This role serves as creative lead across multiple accounts and is accountable for both creative quality and team performance. Mentorship of junior creatives is a core part of the job. How You’ll Contribute Serve as creative lead on flagship accounts and high-visibility campaigns, setting the quality standard for all work produced under your direction and pushing the team consistently toward output that is genuinely exceptional Guide the creative team in analyzing briefs deeply and with real rigor — help them identify the tension in the brief, the insight that makes a campaign idea land, the cultural moment worth tapping into, or the audience truth that separates a forgettable execution from a memorable one Own projects end-to-end from kickoff to post-mortem with full accountability for creative quality, timeline integrity, and team performance; proactively troubleshoot creative and logistical challenges as they arise rather than waiting for them to surface or escape Lead the team effectively in the absence of the Creative Director: provide clear, decisive creative direction, maintain team momentum, uphold the agency's creative standard, and make judgment calls with the confidence of someone who understands the work deeply and the business well Provide direction, feedback, and quality control over all assets within a campaign through crits and direct methods — your feedback should always be specific, tied directly to the brief and the brand, and framed in a way that helps the team understand not just what to change but why the change matters Communicate proactively with leadership and project managers about timeline risks, resourcing needs, and creative concerns — don't wait to be asked; bring information forward early enough that it can still be acted on, and come with a proposed path forward whenever possible Mentor designers and art directors through direct, consistent engagement — give feedback that builds skills, not just feedback that fixes deliverables; share the context behind your creative decisions so your team learns to think the way you think, not just execute the way you execute Ensure that every deliverable leaving your team meets internal and external visual communication and brand standards; you are the final quality gate before work reaches the ACD or CD, and that responsibility should be taken seriously on every project, not just the high-profile ones Actively contribute to the agency's creative culture: participate in crits beyond your own projects, share inspiration and industry knowledge with the broader team, and model the kind of creative curiosity and professional rigor that raises everyone's game Generate bold, attention-grabbing, culturally resonant creative concepts across multiple clients and genres Research and develop scrap boards that establish, drive, and elevate creative direction at a campaign level Articulate and present creative ideas with authority to clients, leadership, and cross-functional teams, command the room Leverage AI tools strategically for scrap, ideation, graphic exploration, typography concepts, and production mockups (while keeping original creative thinking at the center) Produce and design presentations and pitch decks that demonstrate both creative and strategic thinking Maintain well-organized, clearly labeled files and layers throughout the design process, including post-delivery server organization Other duties as assigned Who You Are 8–9+ years of proven experience in a design company, advertising agency, or in-house creative environment Portfolio demonstrating creative leadership — work that shows not just exceptional execution but the ability to shape a campaign's direction, elevate a team's output, and deliver results that move the client's brand forward Expert-level proficiency in Photoshop and Illustrator: able to direct and produce work at the highest level of craft, troubleshoot complex technical challenges, and establish production standards for the broader team Advanced experience with project management tools (Asana, Monday.com, or similar): able to oversee multiple concurrent campaigns, advise PMs on timeline and resourcing, and maintain creative accountability across a project portfolio Deep knowledge of key art and entertainment marketing, including an understanding of what drives audience engagement across theatrical, streaming, gaming, music, and live events Elite compositing skills — creates seamless, photorealistic images from the most challenging elements and makes every comp look like it was shot that way Does not just work with difficult photography — solves it; lighting corrections, color grading, exposure issues, and asset mismatches are handled with confidence and speed Deep, intuitive understanding of light, shadow, color grading, and visual atmosphere — used not just technically but expressively, to tell a story Sophisticated and authoritative compositional instincts — understands how to create images that command attention, convey emotion, and hold up across every platform and format Confident ability to articulate creative ideas, lead a room, and advocate for the work at every level of the organization Proven ability to mentor and develop creative talent — feedback genuinely elevates the people around them Strong communicator with leadership, project managers, and clients Highly organized, self-directed, accountable, and runs projects without being managed Developing financial and operational literacy — understands how creative decisions affect scope, timeline, and profitability, and can engage meaningfully with PMs and leadership on resourcing, capacity, and project economics Growth mindset — genuinely invested in developing others; understands that the measure of a senior creative is not just the quality of their own work but the quality they draw out of the people around them Highly fluent in Google Suite — able to build and lead client-facing presentations in Google Slides that are both visually compelling and strategically persuasive Why Work Here We want to make sure you’re taken care of while we create world class art. MACH27 is proud to offer a comprehensive benefits package to our team members alongside competitive compensation. We asked our team members what benefits they like the most and this is what they said: Full benefits package (health/dental/vision/HSA) $50,000 fully company-paid life insurance policy 401(k) with a 4% match (and no vesting period) 25 Days of Paid Time Off (PTO), plus twelve national holidays off and additional early release days Yearly performance, compensation, and inflation adjustment Potential year-end bonus Employee wellness benefits and mental health support Flexible location and hours policy Yearly employee development fund Transparent Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI) and culture initiatives Regular employee engagement events Mentorship focused development Creative office space near downtown Culver City Compensation The starting base compensation range for this position in the selected city is $134,700 - $172,720 annually. Compensation may vary outside of this range depending on a number of factors, including but not limited to the candidate’s certifications, location, prior experience, and qualifications. MACH27 uses Aon Radford as our primary compensation database for benchmarking, with millions of data points behind the job level/description data we consider in structuring the range for each role. MACH27 is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to making our team as inclusive and diverse as our audience and partners. We are dedicated to providing equal opportunity and reasonable accommodations for all employees. Come explore MACH27, where innovation, creativity, and passion come together. #J-18808-Ljbffr