Senior Art Director, 2D Illustration

Uses AI creative tools and explicitly mentions experimentation with vibe coding; comfortable integrating AI workflows into design.
About the Role Whatnot is hiring a Senior Art Director, 2D Illustration to lead art direction and illustration across brand, digital product, campaigns, events, and merchandise. This hands-on role requires strong 2D craft, visual strategy, storytelling, and cross-functional collaboration to create production-ready assets and evolve the brand.
Job Description Role Senior Art Director, 2D Illustration responsible for developing visual strategies and art direction that extend Whatnot’s brand across digital experiences, product launches, events, social, marketing campaigns, and merchandise. This is a hands-on generalist role that combines high-level creative strategy with day-to-day illustration and execution.
Key Responsibilities Develop visual strategies, moodboards, sketches, and production-ready assets to support product, marketing, events, and merchandising.
Provide clear art direction and actionable feedback to designers and illustrators; maintain and evolve visual systems.
Collaborate cross-functionally with designers, engineers, copywriters, marketers, and creative leads from brief through delivery.
Move quickly from brief to execution, cutting scope when appropriate while maintaining high craft standards.
Communicate concepts persuasively, lead projects end-to-end, and maintain a positive, collaborative team environment.
Use tools and AI workflows to communicate ideas and streamline creative processes.
Requirements 7+ years of experience in brand, campaign, or creative studio work with a portfolio demonstrating strong visual thinking and hands-on execution.
Demonstrated skill in storytelling through static and animated creative assets and polished illustration and graphic design solutions.
Strong art direction, taste, and experience working within or developing visual systems.
Excellent collaboration and communication skills; ability to give constructive feedback and lead cross-functional work.
Self-starter mentality, meticulousness, willingness to experiment and learn new tools.
Proficiency with Figma and Adobe Creative Suite; familiarity with AI creative tools and workflows.
Must live within commuting distance of one of the hub locations (San Francisco, New York, Seattle, or Los Angeles).
Nice to have Experience at a high-growth startup, marketplace, consumer app, creator platform, or fast-moving creative studio.
Experience art directing motion, building illustration systems, creating capsule collections, or building creative tools for design teams.
Passion or experimentation with AI tools and vibe coding.
Generous holiday and time off policy
Health insurance options: medical, dental, vision
Work-from-home support and home office setup allowance
Monthly allowances for cell phone, internet, wellness, and dogfooding the app
Annual childcare allowance and lifetime family-planning benefits (adoption/fertility)
Retirement offerings (401k with employer match up to 4% in the US; pension plans internationally)
Parental leave: 16 weeks paid + one month gradual return
Monthly and annual allowances and other care benefits
Location & Working Model Remote co-located model with hubs across the US (San Francisco, New York, Seattle, Los Angeles) and international hubs globally.
Flexibility to work from home or from an office hub; in-person time is valued for planning and collaboration. Candidates must live within commuting distance of a listed US hub for this role.
Compensation Base salary range: $158,000 - $200,000 (offers equity).
Figma Figma Weave Adobe Creative Suite ChatGPT Claude Gemini AI workflows
Skills Art Direction Illustration Visual Strategy Storytelling Visual Design Design Systems Collaboration Cross-functional Communication Feedback and Critique Creative Leadership Project Execution Self-starter / Proactive Attention to Detail
Experience Level Senior
USD 158,000 - 200,000/year
Employment Type Full-time
Generous holiday and time off policy
Medical insurance
Dental insurance
Work from home support
Home office setup allowance
Monthly cell phone allowance
Monthly internet allowance
Monthly wellness allowance
Annual childcare allowance
Lifetime family planning (adoption/fertility) benefit
401k with employer match up to 4% (US)
Monthly allowance to dogfood the app
16 weeks paid parental leave + one month gradual return

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