Associate Art Director – Contract to Hire

Identity is recruiting for a permanent, full-time role. As part of our process, we engage designers in a paid 1099 contract period (not to exceed 60 days) prior to extending a full-time offer with benefits. This approach allows both parties to ensure strong alignment in expectations, working style, and overall fit. Contract details will be mutually agreed upon in advance of any work commencing.

Identity is seeking an Associate Art Director —bringing strong conceptual thinking, elevated design craft, and confidence presenting work across a dynamic portfolio of brands. This role is ideal for a well-rounded creative who thrives at the intersection of idea and execution, translating strategy into compelling visual storytelling across brand, campaign, and content initiatives.

You’ll play a key role in shaping creative direction while executing high-quality design—partnering cross-functionally and confidently presenting work that moves ideas forward.

What You’ll Do:

Contribute to and help lead the development of creative concepts and visual direction across client programs—bringing strategic ideas to life through thoughtful, elevated design.

Design and execute assets across digital, social, print, and presentation materials, ensuring high-quality, on-brand deliverables across all touchpoints.

Partner closely with copywriters, strategists, and senior creatives to develop integrated creative solutions that align with brand and campaign objectives.

Translate strategy and brand guidelines into cohesive, visually compelling systems that elevate storytelling and ensure consistency across executions.

Lead design for campaign elements from concept through final delivery—owning the creative process with a high level of accountability.

Build and design client-ready presentations, including concept decks and visual narratives that clearly communicate creative direction and thinking.

Present work internally and to clients, articulating rationale, creative decisions, and strategic alignment with confidence and clarity.

Provide guidance and feedback to junior designers, helping to elevate the overall quality and consistency of creative output.

Ensure accuracy, consistency, and craft across all deliverables—maintaining a strong attention to detail throughout the creative process.

Manage multiple projects and timelines simultaneously, demonstrating strong ownership, organization, and the ability to deliver on deadline.

Occasional flexibility in schedule may be required based on client needs and project timelines.

This list of duties and responsibilities is not exhaustive, and additional tasks may be required depending on business needs. This job description may be revised as necessary to reflect changing business requirements. It does not constitute an employment contract.

What You’ll Bring:

8–10 years of experience in a creative agency or in-house environment, with a strong foundation in both conceptual development and design execution.

A compelling portfolio that demonstrates strategic thinking, strong creative concepts, and high-level design execution.

Advanced proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite and Figma, with the ability to execute across multiple formats and platforms.

Experience developing and presenting creative work to internal teams and clients, with confidence in articulating ideas and defending creative decisions.

A strong understanding of typography, layout, color, and visual hierarchy—paired with an eye for detail and consistency.

Proven ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously while maintaining quality, organization, and timeliness.

A collaborative mindset, with a proactive, solutions-oriented approach to creative challenges.

A strong sense of ownership and accountability, with the ability to both lead and execute within a fast-paced environment.

What Sets You Apart:

You think strategically while executing at a high level—balancing big ideas with strong attention to craft.

You are confident owning and presenting your work, with the ability to clearly communicate creative intent and rationale.

You bring a point of view and can guide others—elevating both the work and the team around you.

You balance speed with precision, maintaining high standards while working efficiently.

You are collaborative, proactive, and solutions-oriented, contributing positively to team dynamics and creative outcomes.

Nice to Have:

Experience with motion design or video editing.

Background working with social-first or content-driven brands.

Familiarity with production across print, digital, and video environments.

Our Commitment
Identity is committed to building a strong, inclusive team and creating an environment where talented folks can thrive and feel a sense of belonging. We know that great candidates don’t always meet every listed qualification. If this role aligns with your experience and career goals—and you’re excited about the opportunity to grow, contribute, and do meaningful work—we encourage you to apply.

If you’re energized by creative storytelling, driven by strong ideas, and excited to bring brands to life visually—we’d love to meet you.

Why Identity?
We are a remote-first, culture-forward agency built on autonomy, accountability, and meaningful work. While our headquarters is in Birmingham, MI, our team works flexibly from wherever they do their best work—coming together intentionally for collaboration, client needs, and connection.

We offer:

Competitive health, dental, and vision coverage for the employee and dependents (70% employer-paid)

Company-paid life, disability, and identity-theft protection insurance

Traditional and Roth 401(k) with 3% Safe Harbor contribution

Generous PTO, 15 annual paid holidays, year-end paid soft office closure, and flexible work environment

Ongoing leadership access, mentorship, and professional development opportunities

Biannual off-site team retreats focused on growth, transparency, and celebration

Ongoing skill and professional development through workshops, conferences, educational seminars, thought leadership programming, and continuous process improvement—ensuring our team stays sharp, challenged, and ahead of the curve.

Identity is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Identity prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type and affords equal employment opportunities to employees and applicants without regard to race, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, family or marital status, age, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law (and general human decency).

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