Senior Art Director

Misfits Market•New York, NY

20h•Remote

About The Position

We’re seeking a Senior Art Director with a strong track record of strategic brand stewardship and hands-on creative leadership. You will own and evolve our visual identity, lead a small internal studio (designer, video producer, and contract photographer) and supervise an external agency for private-label packaging. This role blends strategic vision with execution across digital/physical touchpoints, including paid and organic social, email design systems, motion graphics, landing pages, photography, and packaging. You’ll partner cross-functional teams to define and elevate a cohesive brand vision, foster team growth, and ensure consistent delivery at scale. Weekly presence in our Bushwick photo studio is expected, with a focus on mentorship and scalable processes in a fast-paced startup environment.

Requirements

8-10 years of experience in visual design/creative leadership, with direct-to-consumer brand experience (agency or in-house) and packaging-focused work.
A standout portfolio demonstrating leadership-level visual design across digital, email, motion, and editorial formats, with a proven track record of elevating brand systems.
Deep expertise in typography, layout, grids, color theory, and visual storytelling.
Proven experience designing for paid and organic social, email design systems, landing pages, out-of-home, and motion graphics; interest or experience with packaging regulations, print production, and private label branding is a plus.
Experience planning and directing photo/food shoots.
Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite and Figma; After Effects or equivalent motion design skills strongly preferred.
Substantial experience leading and managing external agencies/freelancers, with excellent briefing, milestone management, and QA.
Excellent collaboration and communication skills; capable of leading cross-functional initiatives and providing/receiving constructive feedback.
Ability to manage multiple, complex projects with tight timelines in a fast-paced startup environment.
Motion design fluency (basic to advanced) for social and product storytelling and TV experience is a plus.
Knowledge of design systems and scalable component libraries for web and email.

Responsibilities

People Leadership and Career Development
Directly manage a creative team, overseeing performance, growth, and workloads.
Coach for career development, provide ongoing feedback, set objectives, and create development plans aligned with company goals.
Foster a collaborative, inclusive creative culture; mentor direct reports and product design team members (dotted line relationship) and elevate overall design craft and storytelling.
Brand Stewardship and Creative Leadership
Own and evolve the visual identity system: brand guidelines, typography, color, grids, imagery, iconography, and motion language; ensure brand consistency across all channels.
Lead and supervise external creative production partners (including agencies freelancers for TV, OOH and other activations) for private-label packaging, including briefs, milestones, QA, and final approvals.
Translate brand strategy into compelling concepts and executions that drive business outcomes.
Creative Direction and Oversight
Set strategic direction for digital campaigns (organic and paid), email design systems, landing pages, and motion assets; align with Product, Marketing, Merchandising, and overall business goals and collaborate closely with UX designers on the Product team.
Review, critique, and approve concepts and deliverables across formats; uphold a high standard of polish and consistency.
Packaging Leadership (Scaled Emphasis)
Oversee private-label packaging projects as part of a broader brand program; collaborate with external partners and internal teams to ensure packaging aligns with brand narrative and production requirements.
Ensure package design balances quality shelf impact with the creative needs of a digital first business.
Visual Design and Execution
Create and curate high-quality visual assets across digital campaigns, social, storefront, internal comms, and photography.
Plan and direct photo shoots, including shot lists, prop sourcing, and on-set direction; tell compelling brand stories through imagery.
Digital and Interactive Design
Lead design for email systems, landing pages, and motion graphics; collaborate with Product on performance considerations for landing pages (conversion, accessibility, responsive design).
Maintain consistent design language across motion assets and interactive experiences.
Collaboration and Leadership
Partner with the Content Director and other brand marketing team members to develop integrated campaigns and maintain unified branding.
Lead design reviews, provide actionable feedback, and mentor the design and video team; foster a proactive, collaborative environment.
Production and Process
Define and optimize workflows, timelines, and quality controls for internal work and external agencies.
Maintain asset libraries, version control, and documentation of brand standards.