Mentor A Promise is hiring: Director of Illustration (Volunteer) in New York
Mentor A Promise, New York, NY, United States
Creative Director of Illustration & Visual Narrative (Volunteer)
PromiseStudios | PromiseStories (Publishing & Visual Storytelling Division)
Organization: Mentor A Promise (MAP)
Location: Remote with NYC-based collaboration as needed
Type: Founding Leadership (Volunteer Executive Track or Structured Contract Role)
Reports To: Executive Creative Director, PromiseStudios
Works Closely With: Creative Director of Children’s Literature, Graphic Design Lead, Animation Director, Marketing Creative Director, Accessibility Advisor
About Illustration at MAP Illustration at Mentor A Promise is not ornamental. It is emotional architecture. Within PromiseStories and PromiseStudios, illustration shapes
Children’s book worlds
Character psychology
Cultural representation
Visual tone
Educational accessibility
Our illustrated works reflect the lived realities of children experiencing housing instability, multicultural identity, resilience, imagination, and complexity.
We believe visual storytelling must be
Developmentally appropriate
Culturally intelligent
Emotionally grounded
Structurally refined
Role Overview We are seeking a
Creative Director of Illustration & Visual Narrative
to define and oversee the illustration identity across children’s publishing, campaign storytelling, and animated development.
This founding leadership role will
Establish illustration standards and stylistic frameworks
Guide character development and environmental world-building
Ensure emotional and cultural authenticity
Oversee consistency across books and series
The Creative Director will bridge
Literary narrative
Visual tone
Child development awareness
Cultural nuance
Brand coherence
This role requires artistic authority, narrative sensitivity, and strong editorial collaboration.
Key Responsibilities
Define the illustration style system for PromiseStories
Guide character design architecture across children’s titles
Ensure visual consistency across book series and campaigns
Collaborate closely with writers to align illustration with emotional pacing
Oversee illustrator selection, onboarding, and creative direction
Review sketches, drafts, and final art for narrative coherence
Ensure illustrations reflect inclusive and dignified representation
Develop visual tone guidelines for age groups (K–2, 3–5, middle grade)
Align illustration assets with publishing production standards
Contribute to animation transition readiness where applicable
Maintain timely, professional responsiveness via email and chat in Google Workspace
Qualifications
Background in illustration, visual arts, children’s publishing, or related field
Demonstrated experience illustrating or directing illustrated children’s works
Strong understanding of visual storytelling and character expression
Experience leading creative review cycles
Strong portfolio demonstrating narrative depth and stylistic discipline
Ability to collaborate across editorial and production teams
Preferred Skills
Experience working with culturally diverse narratives
Familiarity with trauma-informed storytelling
Experience in series-based publishing
Knowledge of print production workflows
Experience adapting illustration for animation pipelines
Commitment
Founding leadership role
Structured engagement (minimum 5–10 hours per week; scalable during production cycles)
Remote with NYC collaboration as needed
6-month minimum commitment preferred
What You’ll Build
A cohesive illustration identity for PromiseStories
Character systems rooted in dignity and depth
Visual continuity across children’s publishing initiatives
A scalable artistic framework for long-term series development
Children see the world before they fully read it. Help build illustrated worlds that honor their imagination — and their reality.
Thank you for your interest in volunteering with our organization. At this time, leadership volunteer opportunities are limited to individuals based in the United States due to legal, safeguarding, data-privacy, intellectual property, and compliance requirements. We appreciate your interest in our mission and your understanding of these constraints.
#J-18808-Ljbffr
Organization: Mentor A Promise (MAP)
Location: Remote with NYC-based collaboration as needed
Type: Founding Leadership (Volunteer Executive Track or Structured Contract Role)
Reports To: Executive Creative Director, PromiseStudios
Works Closely With: Creative Director of Children’s Literature, Graphic Design Lead, Animation Director, Marketing Creative Director, Accessibility Advisor
About Illustration at MAP Illustration at Mentor A Promise is not ornamental. It is emotional architecture. Within PromiseStories and PromiseStudios, illustration shapes
Children’s book worlds
Character psychology
Cultural representation
Visual tone
Educational accessibility
Our illustrated works reflect the lived realities of children experiencing housing instability, multicultural identity, resilience, imagination, and complexity.
We believe visual storytelling must be
Developmentally appropriate
Culturally intelligent
Emotionally grounded
Structurally refined
Role Overview We are seeking a
Creative Director of Illustration & Visual Narrative
to define and oversee the illustration identity across children’s publishing, campaign storytelling, and animated development.
This founding leadership role will
Establish illustration standards and stylistic frameworks
Guide character development and environmental world-building
Ensure emotional and cultural authenticity
Oversee consistency across books and series
The Creative Director will bridge
Literary narrative
Visual tone
Child development awareness
Cultural nuance
Brand coherence
This role requires artistic authority, narrative sensitivity, and strong editorial collaboration.
Key Responsibilities
Define the illustration style system for PromiseStories
Guide character design architecture across children’s titles
Ensure visual consistency across book series and campaigns
Collaborate closely with writers to align illustration with emotional pacing
Oversee illustrator selection, onboarding, and creative direction
Review sketches, drafts, and final art for narrative coherence
Ensure illustrations reflect inclusive and dignified representation
Develop visual tone guidelines for age groups (K–2, 3–5, middle grade)
Align illustration assets with publishing production standards
Contribute to animation transition readiness where applicable
Maintain timely, professional responsiveness via email and chat in Google Workspace
Qualifications
Background in illustration, visual arts, children’s publishing, or related field
Demonstrated experience illustrating or directing illustrated children’s works
Strong understanding of visual storytelling and character expression
Experience leading creative review cycles
Strong portfolio demonstrating narrative depth and stylistic discipline
Ability to collaborate across editorial and production teams
Preferred Skills
Experience working with culturally diverse narratives
Familiarity with trauma-informed storytelling
Experience in series-based publishing
Knowledge of print production workflows
Experience adapting illustration for animation pipelines
Commitment
Founding leadership role
Structured engagement (minimum 5–10 hours per week; scalable during production cycles)
Remote with NYC collaboration as needed
6-month minimum commitment preferred
What You’ll Build
A cohesive illustration identity for PromiseStories
Character systems rooted in dignity and depth
Visual continuity across children’s publishing initiatives
A scalable artistic framework for long-term series development
Children see the world before they fully read it. Help build illustrated worlds that honor their imagination — and their reality.
Thank you for your interest in volunteering with our organization. At this time, leadership volunteer opportunities are limited to individuals based in the United States due to legal, safeguarding, data-privacy, intellectual property, and compliance requirements. We appreciate your interest in our mission and your understanding of these constraints.
#J-18808-Ljbffr