Art Director

Crooked believes that we need a better conversation about politics, culture, and the world around us-one that doesn't just focus on what's broken, but what we can do to fix it.

We are a media network that showcases stories, voices, and opportunities for activism that inform, entertain, and inspire action, because it's up to all of us to do our part to build a better world.

Job Summary :

We are looking for an Art Director to lead our very talented team of designers and drive the creative direction of our brand.

This design leader will provide creative and thought leadership that elevates and innovates on our existing brand and on the new opportunities that come our way, whether it be a new podcast, a podcast that needs a refresh, a voter outreach campaign, a new line of merch or a refreshed workspace.

Our organization is trying to create a new conversation about politics, and design has been central to achieving this.

The Art Director would report to the Head of Marketing and manage a team of in-house designers and design contractors, providing design leadership, inspiration and guidance through creative challenges.

They would also manage cross functional relationships with our content team, consumer marketing, ecommerce and more. As this role is, at times, external-facing, the art director would also interact with creators and producers and occasionally give creative direction and feedback to external vendors and agencies.

Crooked has adopted a hybrid work model for our entire staff. We believe that the best work is done in a hybrid capacity as it combines the flexibility of working from home with in-person collaboration.

We are ideally looking for Los Angeles-based candidates, or candidates willing to relocate within the first 3 months of accepting an offer.

How You'll Spend Your Time :

• Provide senior creative leadership to the Crooked design team, overseeing design output and creative excellence
• Develop creative briefs based on ideas established in brainstorming sessions with direction, schedules, and expected deliverables for the designers you are leading
• Work with Coordinator of Operations to scope and delegate projects to in-house designers and freelance designers and agencies
• Work with Coordinator of Operations to prioritize projects and initiatives and resource accordingly
• Lead creative review meetings, works with cross functional colleagues to program (Merch, Social, etc) and manage stakeholder feedback
• Develop and nurture cross functional relationships with company-wide stakeholders
• Collaborate with cross functional partners in creating creative briefs, aligning team priorities with business objectives to deliver high-quality work on time and within budget
• Work with marketing team leadership to deliver on company and marketing priorities, identifying opportunities for collaboration, up-leveling of creative product and improving the process and flow of our work
• Develop presentation approaches, styles, and techniques for the team to implement
• Analyze market trends, consumer need, and the competitive landscape

What You'll Bring To The Table :

• 6-8 years of professional design experience
• Strong creative vision with an understanding of business objectives
• A desire to lead a creative team and develop people leadership skills
• Ability to navigate and respond to creative feedback from non-designers
• Stakeholder and talent management skills. The ability to interpret feedback and make high priority collaborators feel understood
• An eye for composition, exceptional capability with typography, great taste and an awareness of trends and styles
• Inquisitive, excited to investigate new creative possibilities (emerging platforms, new techniques, different approaches to old problems)
• Able to use the Adobe Creative suite at a professional level
• A passion for politics, motion graphic and video editing experience is a plus

Pay and Perks :

At Crooked, we believe in paying employees at or above market rates that are informed by salary surveys and industry benchmarks.

In addition to competitive salaries, we offer full-time employees excellent benefits including :

• Paid healthcare
• 401k match
• Generous vacation
• 16 weeks of paid parental leave
• A discretionary year-end bonus
• Did we also mention our offices are closed at the end of the year?

When we open up a position, we conduct a market analysis to ensure we have the most up-to-date data. Once we're ready to extend an offer, we look at the individual's years of relevant experience and other compensable factors to determine a competitive offer.

And for this role, the starting salary range is $120,000 - $140,000.

About Us

We welcome everyone-as an inclusive workplace, we invite all our employees to bring their authentic, whole selves to work.

Our mission and intent is to encourage people from every nation, race / ethnicity, belief, gender, gender identity, sexual identity, disability, and culture to feel respected and valued for their unique contributions to our company.

We approach our work courageously, adapt and improve constantly, and celebrate the wins big and small. We cultivate a culture of creativity and expression at Crooked Media.

We hire the best talent, ensure they have the tools and training they need, and set them free. If you have a high degree of ownership and are driven to excel, you'll fit right in.

That's it. End of mission.