Design Studio Director Job at Insight Global in Clearwater

We are seeking a seasoned and visionary Design Studio Director to lead our newly formed design organization. This individual will bring 15+ years of progressive creative leadership experience and a proven ability to drive design excellence, innovation, and measurable business impact across the full spectrum of visual communication.

About the Role

The Director will serve as both a strategic leader and hands‑on creative expert, overseeing graphic design, photo manipulation, motion graphics, animation, high‑production video, and AI‑driven design. This role requires bold vision, cultural fluency, and a strong fashion and beauty sensibility to elevate brand identity across all channels including retail, e‑commerce, social, digital, experiential, and in‑store environments.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Vision & Creative Leadership
• Partner with the AVP, Design Studio to define and execute a long‑term creative vision that integrates graphic, motion, animation, video, and AI design to elevate brand positioning and drive business objectives.
• Position the Design Studio as an innovation hub that balances speed, scale, and compelling storytelling.
• Lead the creation of visually striking, emotionally resonant content across all mediums while ensuring cohesive brand expression and consistency.
• Serve as the senior creative authority, providing inspirational leadership and decisive direction on major design initiatives.
• Combine artistic vision with business strategy, leveraging brand storytelling to drive cultural relevance and financial growth.
• Proactively anticipate industry trends, emerging technologies, and shifts in consumer behavior to maintain a competitive creative edge.
• Identify new revenue opportunities through brand partnerships, monetization strategies, and co‑branded content.
• Technical Expertise & Innovation
• Act as the department’s foremost technical expert with hands‑on mastery across advanced design tools, including:
• Photo Manipulation & Retouching: Adobe Photoshop (advanced compositing, color grading, photorealistic rendering)
• Vector Illustration & Graphic Design: Adobe Illustrator
• Motion Graphics & Animation: Adobe After Effects and 3D tools (Cinema 4D, Blender, or similar)
• Video Production & Post‑Production: Adobe Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, or equivalent
• AI‑Driven Design: Generative and AI platforms such as Midjourney, Stable Diffusion, DALL‑E, RunwayML, and Adobe Firefly
• Ensure the highest quality and consistency of visual brand execution across video, digital, print, social, visual merchandising, store design, and experiential environments.
• Drive adoption and continuous learning of emerging technologies to enhance creative innovation and efficiency.
• Team Leadership & Operational Excellence
• Build and lead a diverse, high‑performing Design Studio team, fostering a culture of collaboration, technical excellence, and artistic growth.
• Act as a hands‑on creative leader, managing day‑to‑day design operations and inspiring innovation across the team.
• Oversee execution of retail creative projects alongside the AVP, Design Studio and external agencies, ensuring alignment with brand strategy and marketing goals.
• Establish scalable creative workflows, standards, and best practices to ensure timely delivery and exceptional quality.
• Manage resource planning, project prioritization, and capacity across the creative services organization.
• Cross‑Functional & External Collaboration
• Partner closely with Marketing, Digital Marketing, Product Development, and Sales to align creative strategies with business goals.
• Serve as the primary liaison to external agencies, production partners, and technology vendors, ensuring adherence to brand standards.
• Represent the Design Studio as a senior stakeholder, clearly communicating creative strategy and technical rationale to executive leadership.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Graphic Design, Motion Graphics, Animation, Digital Media, Fine Arts, or a related field.
• 15+ years of progressive leadership experience in senior creative roles such as Design Director, Creative Director, or Executive Art Director (beauty or fashion experience strongly preferred).
• Exceptional portfolio demonstrating expertise across graphic design, motion, animation, video, and AI‑driven creative.
• Expert‑level proficiency with Adobe Creative Suite, 3D design software, and modern AI‑powered creative tools.
• Proven ability to build, mentor, and lead high‑performing creative teams.
• Strong communication and presentation skills with the ability to influence stakeholders at all levels.
• Strategic, analytical thinker with a highly creative and innovative mindset.
• Comfortable thriving in a fast‑paced, evolving, and ambiguous environment.

Required Skills

• Expertise in graphic design, motion graphics, animation, video production, and AI‑driven design.
• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite and other advanced design tools.
• Strong leadership and team management skills.
• Excellent communication and presentation abilities.

Preferred Skills

• Experience in the beauty or fashion industry.
• Familiarity with emerging technologies and trends in design.