Manager, Brand Creative (Art Director)

PetSmart • Phoenix, AZ

2d • Hybrid

About The Position

PetSmart is building a modern, high-performing in-house creative organization—one that owns outcomes, moves fast, and leverages innovation to scale impact. As Manager, Brand Creative (Art Director), you are a player-coach creative leader who blends strong creative judgment, hands-on craft, and an AI-forward mindset to deliver exceptional brand work. In many organizations, this level of responsibility aligns to a Senior Art Director or Art Director with team accountability; at PetSmart, we’ve intentionally structured the Manager role to lead with both creative authority and people leadership. This role calls for a confident, collaborative leader who designs alongside their team, owns outcomes, and communicates with purpose. You are relentlessly curious about better, smarter, faster ways to create and scale impact—while protecting the integrity of the brand. You are brand-obsessed and have a keen eye for aesthetically impactful design, photography, and storytelling.

Requirements

• 6+ years of creative experience in retail, lifestyle, or consumer brands, including 1+ years leading or managing creatives
• Strong portfolio demonstrating brand-defining ideas, designs, photography, video, and campaign work
• Proven experience creating, evolving, and extending cohesive visual systems that scale across campaigns, brand identities, and style guides
• Expert in Adobe Creative Suite and presentation software; working knowledge of Figma and modern production tools
• Working experience with AI-enabled creative workflows and emerging technologies required
• Excellent communication, storytelling, and presentation skills
• Proven ability to balance creative vision with operational rigor
• Demonstrated interest in growth toward Senior Manager / Associate Creative Director. You’re willing to put in the hard work

Nice To Haves

• A visual storyteller with an exceptional eye for imagery, typography, composition, color, and brand expression
• A proactive, solution-oriented leader who takes full ownership and follows through
• Comfortable balancing hands-on design with people leadership, coaching, and mentorship
• Highly articulate communicator who can confidently present creative work to peers, senior leaders, and executives
• Experienced in art-directing photo and video shoots, including pre-production, on-set direction, and post-production
• Strategic and business-minded—you understand how creative drives emotional connection and business results
• Organized, decisive, and calm under pressure in a (very) fast-paced environment
• AI-obsessed and efficiency-minded, always experimenting with new tools, workflows, and ways of working
• Collaborative, kind, direct, and trusted by partners and peers
• Passionate about mentoring talent and building high-performing teams
• A true pet lover who brings heart, pride, and purpose to the work

Responsibilities

• Concept, art-direct, and design brand campaigns, seasonal storytelling, and evergreen brand moments across digital and physical channels
• Split your time between hands-on design and team leadership—staying close to the craft while elevating others
• Lead, mentor, and allocate work for 2–5 designers, fostering a culture of ownership, accountability, and creative ambition
• Actively lead and participate in brainstorming and creative sessions, shaping ideas into clear, executable concepts
• Art-direct photo and video shoots from concept through post-production, partnering with photographers, producers, stylists, and editors
• Translate creative briefs and business goals into compelling, on-brand creative solutions
• Partner with the Senior Manager and Creative Director to define, protect, and evolve PetSmart’s brand look, feel, and creative standards
• Co-govern external agencies and production partners aligned to brand and visual standards
• Collaborate deeply with Copy, Digital Creative, Store Creative, Marketing, Merchandising, eCommerce, and Loyalty teams to ensure holistic campaign alignment
• Present work with clarity and confidence to peers, senior leaders, and executive stakeholders
• Champion AI-enabled tools, automation, and modern production workflows to improve efficiency and scale—don’t wait to be told, go ahead and make it happen
• Stay ahead of cultural, retail, and design trends—keeping PetSmart’s brand work fresh, relevant, and differentiated

Benefits

• Pet-friendly environment, bring your pets to work and enjoy the on-site dog park!
• On-Site Events & Adoptions, enjoy community-building opportunities, including pet adoption days, seasonal celebrations, family events, art events, & holiday festivals
• “Top Dog” gym with equipment, fitness classes, massage therapists, personal trainers, and wellness spaces
• “Sit & Stay” Café serving fresh breakfast and lunch options, snacks, & more
• “Lil Paws” NAEYC-accredited onsite childcare facility providing high-quality early education
• Paid Volunteer Opportunities to spend time doing good for causes close to heart
• Print Center and Business Services, Dry Cleaning, Mother's Rooms, Sustainable Infrastructure & more

What This Job Offers

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