Director, Design
Santa Monica
LA - Marketing – Marketing /
LA - Full-time /
Hybrid
Illumination is in search of a Director of Design to join our creative marketing team. We’re looking for an extraordinary designer with fire in their belly—someone with impeccable taste, a passion for multi-platform storytelling, and an intimidating attention to detail.
They have experience working with global IP, integrated partnerships, and high-impact designs that demand attention. They’ve wrapped double-decker buses, taken over Times Square, and crafted installations under impossible deadlines. Their portfolio boasts best-in-class case studies and a love for bold, boundary-pushing design, spanning digital, experiential, partnerships, and consumer products.
We’re after a Director, Design who loves to get their hands dirty and refuses to settle. Someone who lives for developing, pitching, and executing groundbreaking concepts and designs. They can deliver top-shelf work as both an individual contributor and a cross-functional collaborator. They’re fast, sharp, and get culture.
Responsibilities
- Be a force for stellar design and craft within the marketing department.
- Embrace all facets of graphic design from typography to color studies, from logos to layouts, from comps to characters.
- Collaborate with writers, directors, and other creatives to bring conceptual ideas to life through powerful pitch materials, mock-ups, and references.
- Play a critical role in concept development for Partnerships & Promotions, generating creative ideas, art direction, and campaign assets.
- Work with brand partners to identify the most compelling design solutions for digital, advertising, and experiential touchpoints.
- Partner with vendors and agencies to deliver hardworking campaign assets that connect audiences to our movies in meaningful ways.
- Provide clear, actionable feedback and direction on design elements from partners to ensure all visual components of our campaign align with the film’s voice and marketing objectives.
- Confidently communicate design thinking and direction in executive-level meetings and reviews, both internally and externally.
- Manage multiple projects and stakeholders simultaneously, balancing creative vision with marketing strategy.
- Ability to self-start in times of uncertainty and work proactively.
- Provide ongoing coaching, support, and inspiration for junior staff.
- Build authentic, collaborative relationships that elevate the entire creative marketing team.
- Strategize how design can address broader business or creative challenges, setting the vision for concept development and execution.
- Stay up-to-date with trends, cultural shifts, and new influences in the industry.
Qualifications
- You have 12+ years of design experience leading and collaborating on global marketing campaigns, either in-house or within a studio/agency environment.
- Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design.
- You have theatrical marketing experience working on blockbuster films.
- You are an expert at Adobe Creative Suite.
- You are passionate about conceptual design and storytelling, with expertise across various mediums, including digital, social, print, OOH, typography, sizzles, hype reels, and consumer products.
- You have a proven track record of creating groundbreaking 360° marketing campaigns in partnership with top-tier brands.
- Your portfolio demonstrates a history of delivering bold, innovative work that stands out in a competitive marketplace.
- You are deeply immersed in entertainment and pop culture, understanding how content can create emotional and personal connections with audiences.
- You have experience presenting design work to partners
- You bring significant leadership experience and deep expertise in design and art direction, viewing design not just as a visual craft but as a conceptual tool for storytelling, building experiences, and shaping brand perception.
- You have a diverse background in design for retail, fashion, consumer products, and style guide development.
- You excel at managing a high volume of design reviews without compromising quality.
- Your exceptional communication skills enable you to present creative concepts to senior leaders and represent the design team effectively in meetings and discussions.
The base salary range for this role is $110,000 - $140,000 per year. We rely on market indicators to determine compensation and an offer will consider various factors including experience, qualifications, skills, and training. Our comprehensive and competitive benefits package includes medical, dental and vision insurance for employees and their family, 401(k), paid time off, tuition reimbursement and a variety of other perks.
About Illumination
Illumination, founded by Chris Meledandri in 2007, is one of the entertainment industry’s leading producers of event-animated films, including Despicable Me—the most successful animated franchise in cinematic history—as well as Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax, Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch and The Secret Life of Pets and Sing films. The 2023 release of Illumination's The Super Mario Bros. Movie has joined the studio library, now comprising three of the top 10 animated films of all time. Illumination’s iconic, beloved franchises—infused with memorable and distinct characters, global appeal and cultural relevance—have grossed more than $9 billion worldwide. Illumination has an exclusive financing and distribution partnership with Universal Pictures.
Illumination is based in Santa Monica, CA and its studio, Illumination Studios Paris, is located in the center of Paris, France.
Illumination's policy is to provide equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, gender identity or expression, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, veteran status, membership in the uniformed services, genetic information, or any other basis protected by applicable law. Illumination will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with relevant legal requirements, including the City of Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative For Hiring Ordinance, where applicable.
