Senior Art Director, Events & Experiences Creative

Salesforce•Chicago, IL

4d•Onsite

About The Position

Salesforce is seeking a Senior Lead, Art Direction to provide creative leadership and hands-on execution for their events portfolio. This role requires someone who can establish a clear art direction vision and ensure its flawless execution from concept to completion. The ideal candidate will be proficient in event design, translating brand identity into physical spaces, and possess strong brand design skills to ensure all work is on-brand and polished. Responsibilities include designing event footprints, mapping user journeys, directing copy for a cohesive narrative, leading design teams, and collaborating with various departments. The role involves extensive travel to oversee on-site execution and make real-time decisions. The candidate should be able to translate strategy into tangible experiences, maintain quality control, and present creative direction to senior stakeholders. Managing multiple concurrent event programs while balancing creative ambition with production timelines and budgets is also key.

Requirements

8+ years of design/art direction experience, with a portfolio spanning event design and brand design
Demonstrated experience designing event footprints and user journeys for large-scale activations
Proven experience leading and mentoring designers or art directors
Deep fluency in environmental and spatial design — stage design, signage, wayfinding, large-format production
Strong brand design background, with an eye for how identity systems translate into physical space
Experience directing copy or working closely with copywriters to shape a cohesive event narrative
A track record of translating strategy into experience — turning briefs into tangible, on-brand spaces
Meticulous attention to detail and a track record of maintaining quality under tight deadlines
Confident presenter, comfortable pitching and aligning senior stakeholders
Willingness and ability to travel extensively to oversee on-site event design and setup
Expert proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite and Figma; familiarity with 3D/rendering tools is a plus
B2B and/or tech experience is a strong plus

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with 3D/rendering tools

Responsibilities

Set and own the art direction vision for assigned events, ensuring every touchpoint — environmental graphics, signage, stage design, activations — reflects a cohesive, on-brand story
Design event footprints and map user journeys, choreographing how attendees move through and experience a space from arrival to departure
Translate strategy into experience — turning a marketing or brand strategy into a tangible, well-paced physical narrative
Direct copy across environmental and wayfinding touchpoints to ensure the event narrative holds together from entrance to exit
Lead and mentor a team of designers and art directors, providing hands-on creative direction and a consistent bar for craft
Partner with brand design, copy, producers, and strategists to translate concepts into production-ready creative
Maintain strict quality control across all design deliverables, catching inconsistencies and detail issues before they reach production
Travel to events to oversee on-site design execution and setup, making real-time creative and production calls
Present creative direction and rationale to senior stakeholders, building alignment across cross-functional partners
Manage multiple concurrent event programs, balancing creative ambition against production timelines and budgets