Art Director (Contract-to-Hire)

Art Director – STN Digital Overview At STN Digital, we help the biggest brands in sports and entertainment win on social media. Our work powers global tentpole events, builds fanbases, launches shows, sells products, and shapes culture for partners like Netflix, the NFL, Hulu, Nike, NBA teams, and more. The Art Director will play a key role in advancing our vision and expanding our reach. This role leads creative output across all social platforms and client touchpoints, translating social strategy and brand stories into compelling, high-performing creative. But the work goes beyond execution. The Art Director is expected to think critically about how brands show up in the sports and entertainment space, identifying opportunities to push clients toward creative that feels culturally relevant, not just brand-compliant. This means knowing when to work within a brand system and when to challenge it. The best candidates will have a point of view on how legacy brands and category-dominant companies can earn their place in sports and entertainment culture, rather than simply sponsor it. You'll partner closely with Social and Client Service teams to develop brand and campaign initiatives, ensuring all social content is cohesive, intentional, and built to perform. Ultimately, this AD serves as both a creative steward and a cultural translator, accountable for making sure client campaigns feel native to the ecosystem while still delivering measurable value. The Role The Art Director position requires a strong understanding of social-first storytelling and how content performs on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, X, and YouTube. The Art Director must be adept at translating campaign strategies into scroll-stopping creative while balancing brand guidelines with the fast-paced, reactive nature of sports and entertainment, where real-time moments and cultural trends shape content opportunities daily. This role is client-facing. The Art Director works directly with brand partners to present concepts, navigate feedback, and ensure deliverables meet both creative and business objectives. A deep awareness of fan culture, platform trends, and social best practices is essential to producing work that earns its place in the feed. In addition to client work, the role involves leading and mentoring designers and ideators, providing clear direction, and maintaining high standards across multiple channels. There are no direct managerial responsibilities, but strong cross-functional communication is a core expectation of the position. What You’ll Do Ideation & Concept Development Participate in, and at times, lead the ideation and concept creation efforts around social campaigns, tentpole events, live coverage, and other client requests In conjunction with the Director of Social, oversee the review and approval of all ideation and creative concepts developed by STN’s internal team Collaborative with the internal team to translate client and partner briefs into clear, actionable direction that will guide ideation and concept development Art Direction & Feedback Loop Execute and oversee art direction and creative production for client projects Ensure all creative output meets STN quality standards and implements the usage of social best practices Take a hands on role in the creative process to establish well thought out art and design structure across all creative output Maintain and update social identity guidelines as the brand look shifts and grows Work closely with the Director of Video on the production of lo-fi and high level video executions, focusing specifically on ensuring a social-first approach is taken Provide detailed feedback and creative input for both static and motion projects Stay on top of social media trends and emerging creative executions, applying them strategically to our creative output Creative Presentation & Client Management Attend internal meetings and actively participate in client-related discussion Pitch ideation to the internal team and collaborate on creative pivots as needed Attend client meetings as requested to pitch ideation, explain creative decision making, and ensure alignment on strategy and execution Who You Are 5+ years of experience working as a designer, art director, and/or design director Experienced working within agency, sports, and/or entertainment environments Experienced working in the social media space, preferably within sports and entertainment Demonstrated ability to operate autonomously within defined project scopes, making decisions that balance creative quality, timelines, and budget constraints Excellent verbal and written communication and presentation skills Strong sense of creativity and innovation Excellent time management and prioritization skills Managerial skills, including delegating tasks and delivering feedback Ability to adapt to different styles and visions to fit clients’ needs Willingness to receive and implement feedback to improve creative output Highly organized with strong systems-thinking capabilities Proactive in identifying risks and solving problems before they escalate Comfortable collaborating cross-functionally across company org chart Passionate about sports and entertainment, specifically basketball (NBA, WNBA, NCAA) and football (NFL, NCAA) What Success Looks Like Creative consistently meets STN’s high-quality standards Creative is consistently delivered on-time Creative strategy and art direction are rooted in a social-first, entertainment-driven perspective Creative strategy constantly shifts based on social performance and analytical insights Risks are identified early and resolved proactively Leadership trusts creative output meets client expectations and social best practices Pitch decks are easy to understand, well organized, and properly branded Most Critical Outcome (MCO) Deliver STN standard of excellence across all creative executions and outputs Job Details Location: Remote (San Diego-based a plus) Reports to: Sr. Creative Director Type: Contract-to-Hire Compensation: CA-based hourly rate is $41.73 - $49.04 per hour. Actual compensation is dependent on experience, location and job-related qualifications and may vary for positions outside of California. Education & Experience 5+ years of relevant experience in graphic design, art direction, or design direction within an agency, sports, entertainment, or media environment Proficient use of Adobe Creative Cloud (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign) Proficient use of Google Suite with emphasis on Google Slides Base knowledge of Microsoft PowerPoint Base knowledge of Figma (or comparable design and collaboration tools) Strong portfolio demonstrating brand campaign, social media, and marketing executions Strong organizational and documentation skills with a systems-oriented mindset Ability to operate effectively in a collaborative, pod-based structure Sports and entertainment industry experience strongly preferred Physical Requirements Comfortable working in an office for 40 hours/week with the understanding that working within the sports and entertainment industry will require evening and/or weekend work. Occasional travel required GOAT Fundamentals (Our Foundation) At STN, we don’t just have values - we have behaviors that define how we show up and win together. At STN, our goal is never just to be good - it’s to be extraordinary. We believe extraordinary performance starts with extraordinary people, grounded in an extraordinary culture. The 28 fundamentals ( HERE ) below define the behaviors that shape our unique award-winning culture. Together, they set us apart and fuel our drive to remain the #1 social-first marketing agency in the world.