Retail Art Director

Purpose of the Job

Our client offers a suite of devices and tools that are used daily by billions and trusted by over 6 million businesses. We are seeking a Retail Art Director who will lead creative direction, visual design integrity, and agency production for our client’s hardware and services area across third-party (3P) retail and B2B partners (print and digital assets).

This role will act as the principal creative bridge between our client’s Global Design/Brand teams, Partner Marketing Managers, GTM leads, and external creative production agencies. You will steer creative concepting, adapt first-party global toolkits into retail-ready executions, enforce rigorous brand and technical quality standards, and guide the client’s agency partners through fast-paced, multi-retailer launch cycles.

This role is remote but applicants must be based in the San Francisco Bay Area to attend occasional onsite reviews in Mountain View, CA.

Key Responsibilities

1. Creative Direction & Brand Stewardship

• Uphold the client’s Global Brand Standards: Translate client’s Global Hardware and Retail Design toolkits into channel-specific retail marketing collateral across print, in-store fixtures, and digital surfaces, ensuring strict brand compliance (e.g., typography, photography guidelines, AI feature lockups, legal disclaimers).

• Lead Creative Reviews: Review partner-led creative assets to ensure that the client’s creative brand standards are upheld.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with client teams (Partner Marketing Operations, Product Marketing Managers (PMM), Go-To-Market (GTM) leads, and Production PgMs) to navigate Plan of Record (POR) changes, disclaimer updates, and tight turnarounds diplomatically and efficiently.

• Develop and Maintain Seamless Creative Partnership: Foster strong creative connection and collaborative partnership with the client’s Global Creative team to ensure that you are able to communicate and guide execution of their vision to cross-functional partners.

• Executive Communication: Thoughtfully present concept decks, adaptations, and retail solutions in executive forums, effectively communicating how you bridge the gap between the client and their partners’ creative requirements.

2. External Agency Governance & Creative POC

• Creative POC for client’s Agency Partners: Serve as the primary creative lead for the client and their agency partners - managing daily creative briefing, critique, unblocking, and art direction.

• Agency Throughput & Quality Control: Review and approve mechanical builds, multi-asset digital banner suites, animated retail screens, and video end cards. Ensure delivery meets launch deadlines without compromising aesthetic quality.

• Co-Lead Office Hours: Co-host structured briefing and creative review office hours with client agency teams to resolve scope ambiguities, streamline revisions, and maintain project velocity.

3. Creative Operations & Process Evolution

• Enforce Studio SOPs: Champion studio SOPs, adhering strictly to structured delivery protocols and established ways of working (e.g., centralized repository tracking, formal asset handoffs with verified drive links, and eliminating fragmented chat requests) with ongoing openness to adapt.

• File Integrity & Tooling Standards: Oversee asset transitions across design platforms (Figma, Adobe Creative Suite / Photoshop / Illustrator / After Effects) to ensure production vendors receive native, uncompromised layered mechanicals.

Knowledge, Skills + Experience

Minimum Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design, Visual Communications, Fine Arts, Art Direction, or equivalent practical experience.

• Experience: 6+ years of art direction, visual design, or creative production experience within a design studio, creative agency, or corporate brand marketing team.

• Retail & Channel Expertise: Demonstrated track record designing for major consumer electronics/tech retail channels (Best Buy, Target, Walmart, Amazon, Home Depot, Lowes).

• Software Mastery: Expert-level proficiency in Figma, Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, After Effects) and Google Workspace.

• Print & Mechanical Production: Deep understanding of pre-press print production, mechanical file preparation, color proofing, large-format in-store signage, and structural retail fixtures.

• Agency Management: Proven experience acting as the creative lead or creative POC directing external creative/production agency partners.

• Diplomatic Communication & Professional Maturity: Demonstrated ability to remain poised, constructive, and solutions-oriented when creative work is challenged by cross-functional stakeholders or shifting commercial requirements.

• Hardware & Tech Background: Prior experience supporting consumer electronics, hardware ecosystems (smartphones, smart home, wearables), or high-profile tech brands (e.g., Google, Apple, or similar).

• Agility & Ambiguity Management: Proven success in navigating fluctuating launch timelines, late-breaking copy/legal revisions, and multi-stakeholder approval matrices.

• Detail Oriented and Organized: Proven track record of being able to manage multiple projects in parallel and balance between high level guidance and reviewing for meticulous detail (i.e. superscripts in disclaimers).

• Highly motivated, determined, and organized problem-solver with rigorous attention to detail

• A true team player whose first priority is the client’s satisfaction

• Contains a love of efficiency, the desire to produce a high-quality deliverable, and an ability to execute against multiple projects ​in a technical work environment with often uncertain circumstances

• Ability to maintain strict confidentiality

• Self-­motivated, flexible individual with strong communication and leadership skills

• Able to provide a portfolio of work