Animation Data Jobs in Illinois (NOW HIRING)

Creative Lab is Ovative's in-house creative engine - built on our vision of Modern Making. As part of the broader Creative Team (Influencer + Creative Lab), we unite brand strategy, cultural relevance, creators, AI enablement, and strategic media to create ideas people care about within systems designed to evolve.

We are seeking a Production Designer who thrives at the intersection of craft, precision, and speed. This is a maker who takes pride in flawless execution - someone who can take a concept from an Art Director, Designer, or Production Lead and bring it to life across formats, channels, and platform specs without missing a detail. You understand that great production isn't just about output volume; it's about protecting the integrity of an idea all the way to final delivery. You bring a strong eye for layout, typography, design systems, motion, and production fundamentals - and a fluency in AI tools that accelerate and enhance your workflow. You're the person the team counts on to get it done right, every time.

• Execute high-quality, on-brand creative assets across digital, social, paid media, email, and presentation channels, building from established concepts, templates, and brand systems with precision and care.

• Design and animate paid social and digital assets across platform-specific placements, applying strong fundamentals in layout, typography, hierarchy, spacing, and visual consistency throughout all production work.

• Resize, adapt, version, and scale campaign creative across formats, specs, and aspect ratios - maintaining design integrity from original concept to final file.

• Support dynamic creative, design systems, and templated production workflows that allow campaigns to scale efficiently.

• Build and traffic HTML5 display banner ads to platform specifications for Google, Meta, and programmatic channels, with a solid understanding of animation, file weight, and technical requirements.

• Leverage AI tools and generative workflows to accelerate asset creation, explore visual options, and expand production capacity without sacrificing craft.

• Partner closely with Art Directors, Designers, and Production Leads throughout the process - flagging inconsistencies, raising quality concerns, and contributing ideas that strengthen the final output.

• Maintain organized, well-structured file systems and asset libraries through consistent naming, archiving, and versioning that makes the whole team faster.

• Manage a high volume of concurrent projects with clarity and accountability, proactively communicating timelines, progress, and risks that could affect delivery.

• Incorporate feedback and revisions quickly and thoughtfully, treating iteration as part of the process.

• Stay current on platform specs, animation requirements, file formats, and production best practices across Display, Meta, Google, YouTube, TikTok, Pinterest, and emerging channels.

• Contribute to a culture of craft and continuous improvement - sharing tools, workflow shortcuts, and learnings that make the Creative Lab sharper and faster.

• Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design, Visual Communication, or a related field.

• 2-4 years of experience in an agency, in-house creative studio, or brand environment, with a proven track record of executing high-quality digital production work at volume.

• A portfolio demonstrating strong design fundamentals, meticulous attention to detail, and experience producing assets across digital channels - including work built within brand systems and templates.

• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Animate, After Effects) and Figma, with the ability to work quickly and accurately across all tools. Experience with Celtra or similar creative automation platforms is a plus.

• Working fluency in AI-powered production tools - including Adobe Firefly, Photoshop Generative Fill, and image generation - with the ability to accelerate production and expand creative options within established brand systems.

• Experience animating, developing, and trafficking HTML5 display creative, with a solid understanding of file weight, animation timing, platform specs, and QA best practices.

• Strong command of digital ad production requirements across Meta, Google, TikTok, and programmatic platforms - including sizing, format, and technical spec compliance.

• Exceptional attention to detail - you catch what others miss and take pride in delivering work that is accurate, consistent, and production-ready.

• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously in a fast-moving environment without compromising quality or missing deadlines.

• Strong communication habits - you keep stakeholders informed, ask clarifying questions early, and escalate proactively when something is at risk.

• A growth mindset - curious, adaptable, and motivated to keep learning new tools, platforms, and production best practices.

Benefits of Working at Ovative Group:

We provide strong, competitive, holistic benefits that understand the importance of your life inside and out of work.

Culture:

Culture matters and we've been recognized as a Top Workplace for tenyears running because of it. We demand trust and transparency from each other. We believe in doing the hard and complicated work others put off. We're open in communication and floor plan. We're flat - our interns sit next to VPs, our analysts work closely with senior leaders, and our CEO interacts with every single person daily. Put together, these elements help foster an environment where smart people can support each other in performing to their highest potential.

Ovative is committed to fostering an inclusive environment where everyone can participate and thrive. We do not tolerate discrimination of any kind, including on the basis of race, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. Our policies reflect this commitment-for example, our medical leave benefits are inclusive of same-sex partners, ensuring equitable care and support for all families.

Compensation and Insurance:

We strive to hire and retain the best talent. Paying fair, competitive compensation, with a large bonus incentive, and phenomenal health insurance is an important part of this mix.

We're rewarded fairly and when the company performs well, we all benefit.

Tangible amenities we enjoy:

• Access to all office spaces in MSP, NYC, and CHI

• Frequent, paid travel to our Minneapolis headquarters for company events, team events, and in-person collaboration with teams

• Generous paid vacation policy

• 401k match program

• Top-notch health insurance options, inclusive of same sex partners

• Family formation benefits including reimbursement options for fertility, pregnancy, and parenting needs

• Monthly stipend for your mobile phone and data plan

• Sabbatical program

• Charitable giving via our time and a financial match program

• Shenanigan's Day

Working at Ovative won't be easy, but if you like getting your hands dirty, driving results, and being surrounded by the best talent, it'll be the most rewarding job you'll ever have. If you think you can make us better, we want to hear from you!