Associate Creative Director, Design

MATTE PROJECTS • New York, NY

6d • $130,000 - $150,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

MATTE is seeking an Associate Creative Director, Design with Motion/Animation Expertise to join their Creative department. This senior, hands-on creative leader will be responsible for developing and directing work across brand, campaign, experiential, content, digital, and motion. The ideal candidate will possess strong design and conceptual thinking skills, coupled with significant experience leading motion, animation, CGI, VFX, and post-production workflows. They should understand the entire moving-image production process, from creative development and storyboarding to post-production and final delivery, and be capable of guiding internal teams, external artists, and production partners. This role requires the ability to fluidly transition between creative direction and execution, manage multiple concurrent workstreams, uphold a high standard of craft, and translate ambitious ideas into creatively strong and technically feasible work. The position reports to the Design Director and collaborates closely with Creative Directors on projects, with project-specific creative leadership varying by assignment.

Requirements

• 7+ years of experience within a creative agency, design studio, production company, or similarly fast-paced creative environment.
• 4+ years leading significant creative projects and multidisciplinary teams.
• A portfolio demonstrating strong design and creative direction across brand, campaign, content, experiential, and/or digital work.
• Demonstrated experience directing motion design, animation, CGI, VFX, and/or post-production work is required.
• Strong understanding of animation and post-production pipelines, including the ability to scope, brief, review, and guide specialist teams.
• Experience taking projects from concept and pitch through production and final delivery.
• Strong design judgment and the ability to provide clear, actionable feedback across both static and moving-image work.
• Experience collaborating with Producers, production teams, external studios, artists, and vendors.
• Ability to lead multiple projects and shifting priorities without sacrificing creative quality.
• Strong client-facing communication and presentation skills.
• Experience mentoring and developing creative talent.
• Curiosity around emerging creative technologies and new approaches to design and production.

Responsibilities

• Lead the ideation, design, and development of brand, campaign, experiential, content, digital, and motion-led creative.
• Develop and communicate clear creative direction across visual identity, graphic design, motion, animation, and moving image.
• Concept and collaborate with Creative Directors, Art Directors, Designers, Copywriters, Experience Designers, Strategists, and Producers.
• Lead creative work from early concept and pitch stages through production and final delivery.
• Translate concepts into clear briefs, storyboards, references, and creative direction for internal teams and external partners.
• Maintain a high level of craft across multiple concurrent projects and fast-moving workstreams.
• Create and deliver compelling client presentations and confidently communicate creative rationale.
• Support new business pitches, presentation development, and pitch reviews.
• Help determine the strongest creative approach, team, and production methodology for each assignment.
• Contribute to the continued evolution of MATTE's own brand, creative vision, and expression across print, digital, and other owned channels.
• Provide informed creative leadership across motion design, animation, CGI, VFX, and post-production projects.
• Understand the workflows, production requirements, and technical considerations involved in creating high-quality animation and moving-image work.
• Partner with Producers to determine appropriate production approaches, timelines, staffing, and external partners.
• Scope and brief animators, motion designers, CGI artists, VFX teams, editors, and post-production partners.
• Review work throughout production and provide clear, actionable creative feedback on animation, movement, timing, compositing, rendering, edit, and overall craft.
• Identify technical or production risks early and work with Creative, Production, and Account teams to solve them before they affect quality, timing, or delivery.
• Ensure concepts remain creatively ambitious while being achievable within production realities.
• Lead motion and post-production reviews where appropriate and maintain clear communication between Creative, Production, and external partners.
• Help build and maintain MATTE's network of motion, animation, CGI, VFX, and post-production talent and partners.
• Stay current on emerging tools, technologies, and workflows across motion, 3D, real-time, AI-assisted production, and post.
• Support Creative and Account Directors in ongoing client management.
• Maintain strong working relationships with clients and confidently lead creative conversations and presentations.
• Collaborate with Account teams to solve creative challenges and support strong client relationships.
• Shepherd creative from concept through production, partnering closely with Producers and Project Managers to ensure successful delivery.
• Maintain clarity across teams and keep stakeholders informed of creative, production, or post-production changes that may affect scope, timing, quality, or delivery.
• Collaborate with Creative Directors to develop thoughtful, distinctive, and impactful creative solutions across a wide range of clients.
• Establish and maintain a consistently high visual and conceptual standard from concept through final execution.
• Work within client brand systems while identifying opportunities to push the work creatively.
• Ensure consistency across static, motion, experiential, and digital applications.
• Review creative at key milestones and ensure the original creative intent carries through production.
• Work strategically with internal teams to build, maintain, and improve creative processes, workflows, systems, and standards.
• Lead, develop, and mentor Designers, Art Directors, and junior creative talent across projects.
• Direct and motivate multidisciplinary teams, including internal talent, freelancers, studios, and agencies.
• Work with Operations and Creative leadership to identify staffing needs and build the right teams for each assignment.
• Help source, vet, recruit, and manage creative talent and external partners.
• Maintain strong channels of communication across Creative, Production, Accounts, Project Management, and other teams.
• Participate in and, where appropriate, lead creative reviews, status meetings, production reviews, and post-production meetings.
• Help strengthen motion, animation, and production knowledge across the broader Creative and Design teams.
• Maintain knowledge of current industry technology, trends, techniques, and emerging creative practices.

Benefits

• Full Medical, Dental and Vision coverage
• 401(k) with a 4% company contribution max match, eligible after 6 months of employment
• Fully covered yearly Citi Bike membership
• Talkspace membership
• Competitive PTO package
• End of Year Recharge paid time off
• Sabbatical Program option after three years of employment
• Parental Leave for all new parents
• Flexible work-from-home and remote options for specific roles

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed