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Animation Director Jobs in Virginia (NOW HIRING)

Sway Creative Labs

Art Director

Norfolk, VA · On-site

$70K - $90K/yr

Experience with motion design and animation principles; ability to direct animators or provide keyframe-level guidance * Familiarity with After Effects, Lottie, or comparable animation tools

Sway Creative Labs

Art Director

Norfolk, VA · On-site

$117K - $122K/yr

Experience with motion design and animation principles; ability to direct animators or provide keyframe-level guidance * Familiarity with After Effects, Lottie, or comparable animation tools

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Animation Director information

See Virginia salary details

$10.9K

$171K

How much do animation director jobs pay per year?

As of Jul 13, 2026, the average yearly pay for animation director in Virginia is $169,533.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $169,500.00 and $169,500.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as an Animation Director, and why are they important?

To thrive as an Animation Director, you need a strong background in animation principles, storytelling, visual design, and often a degree in animation or related fields. Proficiency with animation software such as Adobe After Effects, Maya, Toon Boom, or Blender, along with experience in project management tools, is typically required. Leadership, creative vision, and excellent communication are essential soft skills for guiding teams and collaborating with clients or stakeholders. These skills ensure cohesive, high-quality animations delivered on time, aligned with the project's creative goals.

What are some common challenges Animation Directors face when leading a team on a large project?

Animation Directors often encounter challenges such as aligning the creative vision across a diverse team, managing tight production schedules, and ensuring consistent animation quality throughout the project. Balancing creative input from animators, storyboard artists, and producers while adhering to budget and time constraints can be demanding. Effective communication, regular feedback sessions, and strong organizational skills are essential for overcoming these challenges and delivering a cohesive final product.

What Do Animation Directors Do?

An animation director is responsible for performing and overseeing a number of creative duties during the design, production, and post-processing of an animation. You may work at a film studio or video game company, collaborating with writers, illustrators, and visual designers to develop stories and graphics, and to define guiding aesthetic principles. You work closely with voice actors, animators, and sound design artists to create the final product, such as an animated movie, web short, TV show, or animation for a website.

What does an animation director do?

An animation director oversees the creative and technical aspects of an animation project, guiding the animation team to ensure the visual style and storytelling meet the project's goals. They review and approve animation work, coordinate with other departments, and often use tools like Maya or Adobe After Effects. Strong leadership, communication skills, and a solid understanding of animation principles are essential for this role.

How much does an animation director get paid?

Animation directors typically earn between $70,000 and $150,000 annually, depending on experience, location, and the size of the studio. Senior animation directors or those working on major projects can earn higher salaries, often supplemented with bonuses and benefits. Strong skills in animation software and leadership are important for higher pay levels.

What is the difference between Animation Director vs Animation Supervisor?

AspectAnimation DirectorAnimation Supervisor
ResponsibilitiesOversees the overall animation style, guides creative vision, and manages animation teams to ensure consistency and quality.Manages day-to-day animation production, assigns tasks, and ensures deadlines are met within the animation team.
Required SkillsStrong artistic vision, leadership, and experience in animation production.Technical expertise, team management, and workflow coordination.
Work EnvironmentCreative leadership in studios, overseeing multiple animation projects.Supervisory role within animation teams, often reporting to the Animation Director.

The Animation Director focuses on the creative and artistic vision of the animation, guiding the overall style and quality. The Animation Supervisor handles the operational aspects, managing the team to meet production goals. Both roles are essential in animation production, with the Director setting the creative tone and the Supervisor ensuring smooth execution.

Does Disney still hire 2D animators?

Disney Animation still employs 2D animators, particularly for projects that preserve traditional animation styles. While the industry has shifted toward 3D animation, some departments and productions continue to seek skilled 2D artists familiar with software like Toon Boom and Adobe Animate.

What are Animation Directors?

Animation Directors are creative professionals who oversee the visual development and production of animated projects such as films, TV shows, or video games. They manage teams of animators, guide the artistic direction, and ensure that the animation aligns with the project's vision and story. Animation Directors collaborate closely with producers, writers, and other departments to maintain consistency and quality throughout the animation process. Their role is crucial in bringing characters and worlds to life in a cohesive and engaging manner.

How can I become an animation director?

To become an animation director, you typically need a bachelor's degree in animation, film, or a related field, along with several years of experience in animation or visual effects. Developing strong leadership skills, a solid portfolio showcasing your work, and proficiency with animation software like Maya or Adobe After Effects are essential for advancing to this role.
More about Animation Director jobs
What are the most commonly searched types of Animation jobs in Virginia? The most popular types of Animation jobs in Virginia are:
What are popular job titles related to Animation Director jobs in Virginia? For Animation Director jobs in Virginia, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Animation Director jobs in Virginia look for? The top searched job categories for Animation Director jobs in Virginia are:
What cities in Virginia are hiring for Animation Director jobs? Cities in Virginia with the most Animation Director job openings:
Animation Director jobs near you
Infographic showing various Animation Director job openings in Virginia as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 3% Internship, 47% As Needed, 32% Full Time, 12% Part Time, 3% Temporary, and 3% Nights. Highlights an 69% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 28% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $169,533 per year, or $81.5 per hour.
Art Director

Art Director

Sway Creative Labs

Norfolk, VA • On-site

$70K - $90K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Retirement, PTO

Re-posted 28 days ago

Job description

Sway Creative Labs is seeking an experienced and versatile Art Director to join our team. This role is ideal for a creative professional with strong conceptual instincts and the range to execute across multiple disciplines - web, print, brand identity, broadcast, and social. We're looking for someone who can ideate and lead, not just produce, and who brings the same rigor to a brand strategy conversation as they do to a final file.
Strong candidates will demonstrate fluency in at least three of our five core creative disciplines and will have a portfolio that reflects both conceptual thinking and craft-level execution.
What You'll Own
Creative Leadership & Concepting
  • Lead creative concept development across integrated campaigns, bringing original, strategy-driven ideas to briefs
  • Serve as the creative lead on assigned accounts, articulating and defending the visual direction to clients and internal teams
  • Collaborate with producers, developers, copywriters, and media teams to ensure the creative vision carries through every channel and deliverable

Web & Digital
  • Design digital experiences in Figma with proficiency in UX principles, responsive layouts, design systems, and developer handoff
  • Produce web assets, display advertising, email campaigns, and landing pages with consistency, accessibility awareness, and spec accuracy
  • Work fluidly with development teams, understanding how your designs will be built and communicating accordingly

Print & Identity
  • Lead brand identity projects from discovery through standards documentation - logos, typography, color systems, and usage guidelines
  • Design and prepare print-ready files across a range of formats, with a thorough understanding of production specifications and vendor requirements

Broadcast & On-Set
  • Art direct photo and video productions with confidence - providing clear visual direction on composition, wardrobe, set, and color
  • Develop pre-production materials including mood boards, shot references, and frame guides
  • Maintain creative integrity from concept through final delivery, including post-production review

Social
  • Design for social platforms with an understanding of each channel's native formats, content culture, and audience behavior
  • Concept social-first creative that is built for the medium, not adapted from other channels
  • Stay current on platform trends and emerging formats and apply that knowledge proactively

What We're Looking For
Core Qualifications
  • 3-5+ years of art direction experience in an agency or comparable creative environment
  • A portfolio demonstrating range across multiple disciplines - web, identity, print, broadcast, and/or social
  • Deep proficiency in Figma, including components, auto-layout, prototyping, and design system workflows
  • Strong command of Adobe Creative Suite: Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign
  • Solid understanding of design fundamentals: typography, color theory, composition, and visual hierarchy
  • Working knowledge of HTML and CSS sufficient to communicate effectively with developers
  • Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and communicate proactively on timelines and scope
  • Occasional travel and on-set availability required

Additional Assets
  • Experience with motion design and animation principles; ability to direct animators or provide keyframe-level guidance
  • Familiarity with After Effects, Lottie, or comparable animation tools
  • Background working on travel/tourism, food/beverage, healthcare, or entertainment accounts

What Success Looks Like
By the end of your first year, clients will request your involvement on their most important projects. Your work will raise the creative standard across the accounts you touch, and internal team members will seek you out early in the process because your involvement improves outcomes. Leadership will trust your creative judgment on complex, high-visibility initiatives.
Why Sway Creative Labs
Sway is an independent agency where your contributions are seen and valued by hands-on leadership. You'll work across industries and project types - brand campaigns, tourism initiatives, documentary content, digital platforms - with real ownership over creative decisions. We're looking for an Art Director who wants to grow across disciplines, not deepen a single specialty.
What We Offer
  • 15 Paid Vacation Days: Days reset at your start date and do not roll over. You'll have the ability to withdraw a negative balance of up to 5 days, and you begin the year with your days already afforded
  • Paid Holidays: Your Birthday, New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the Monday after the Super Bowl, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Juneteenth, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Friday after Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and the week between Christmas Eve and New Year's Day
  • Two-Hour Windows: So long as the privilege is not abused, we offer each employee 2-hour leave windows at the beginning (9am - 11am EST) and end of the workday (3pm - 5pm EST) to tend to any appointments like unexpected child care challenges, doctor's visits, home maintenance, etc. that do not count against your allotted paid time off
  • Health Plan: All employees are eligible to enroll in one of (3) Sentara Health Plans; with Sway covering 80% of employee's cost and 50% of your dependents
  • Dental Insurance: Sway pays 100% of employee's United Concordia Dental Plan
  • Retirement Benefits: Sway's 401(k) policy offers a solid foundation for your retirement planning; we match your contributions at a 1:1 rate for the first 3% of your pay, and then add an extra $0.50 for each dollar you contribute on the following 2% of your pay. Contributions are fully vested immediately.
  • Upskilling Opportunities: As "curiosity of craft" is one of our core values, Sway encourages continued education and skill advancement with 100% reimbursement of at least one approved employee upskilling initiative per year (conferences, courses, certifications, etc.)

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