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Art Director Animation Jobs (NOW HIRING)

SHADOW

Art Director

New York, NY · On-site

$90K - $115K/yr

SHADOW is seeking an Art Director with 4-6 years of design and art direction experience, preferably ... animation platforms, including Premiere Pro and After Effects. * Innovative: You are always on the ...

Quad

Art Director

Katy, TX · On-site

$104K - $109K/yr

Job Summary The Art Director develops strong visual concepts and brings creative ideas to life ... Develop creative assets for print, digital, and basic motion/animation. * Present concepts to ...

Quad

Art Director

Katy, TX

$109K - $114K/yr

Job Summary The Art Director develops strong visual concepts and brings creative ideas to life ... Develop creative assets for print, digital, and basic motion/animation. * Present concepts to ...

Quad

Art Director

Katy, TX · On-site

$104K - $109K/yr

Job Summary The Art Director develops strong visual concepts and brings creative ideas to life ... Develop creative assets for print, digital, and basic motion/animation. * Present concepts to ...

Apple

Art Director, Games Content

Cupertino, CA · On-site

$149K - $156K/yr

The Art Director will collaborate closely with the App Store Editorial team, as well as cross ... Working knowledge and experience in 3D and Animation.Working knowledge of UI/UX Design Tools such ...

The New York Times

Art Director, Visuals

New York, NY

$132K - $138K/yr

As the senior designer and art director on the Social Visuals team, you will collaborate with ... Direct the assignment of illustration, animation and video * Conceive and create original bespoke ...

The New York Times

Art Director, Visuals

New York, NY · On-site

$132K - $138K/yr

As the senior designer and art director on the Social Visuals team, you will collaborate with ... Direct the assignment of illustration, animation and video * Conceive and create original bespoke ...

Creative Cove Inc.

Art Director

Dallas, TX · On-site

$120K - $126K/yr

Our Greater Dallas based beauty client is looking for an Art Director with 2+ years experience for ... Suite; motion/animation skills (After Effects, Premiere) a plus. • Ability to work ...

Ovative group

Art Director

Minneapolis, MN · On-site

$126K - $132K/yr

We are seeking an Art Director who leads with bold conceptual vision, exceptional craft, and deep ... animation principles. * Deep fluency in AI creative tools across three disciplines: image ...

Haus

Art Director

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

$90K - $120K/yr

Haus is seeking an experienced Art Director to join our Los Angeles team. In this role, you will ... Understanding of UI/UX principles, responsive design, and how animation can enhance digital ...

Ovative group

Art Director

Chicago, IL · On-site

$124K - $130K/yr

We are seeking an Art Director who leads with bold conceptual vision, exceptional craft, and deep ... animation principles. * Deep fluency in AI creative tools across three disciplines: image ...

MobilityWare

Art Director

Irvine, CA · On-site

$129K - $136K/yr

One of our art directors is retiring. The role is big. The bar is high. This is a rare opportunity ... All aspects of the work (illustrations, textures, characters, UI/UX, tech art, animations ...

2K

Associate Art Director

Novato, CA · On-site

As an Associate Art Director at Cloud Chamber, you will join our talented development team to help ... We will work closely and constructively across design, art, engineering, animation, and audio teams ...

Cloud Chamber

Associate Art Director

Novato, CA · On-site

As an Associate Art Director at Cloud Chamber, you will join our talented development team to help ... We will work closely and constructively across design, art, engineering, animation, and audio teams ...

MobilityWare

Art Director

Irvine, CA

$129K - $136K/yr

One of our art directors is retiring. The role is big. The bar is high. This is a rare opportunity ... All aspects of the work (illustrations, textures, characters, UI/UX, tech art, animations ...

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All JobsArt Director Animation Jobs

Art Director Animation information

See salary details

$44.5K

$121.8K

$146.5K

How much do art director animation jobs pay per year?

As of Jun 16, 2026, the average yearly pay for art director animation in the United States is $121,757.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $121,000.00 and $127,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

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

To thrive as an Art Director in Animation, you need a solid background in visual design, storytelling, and animation principles, often supported by a degree in fine arts or animation and a strong portfolio. Mastery of industry-standard tools like Adobe Creative Suite, Toon Boom, Maya, and other 2D/3D animation software is typically required. Exceptional leadership, creative vision, and communication skills help you guide teams and unify diverse artistic styles. These skills are essential for delivering visually cohesive projects that meet creative goals and production deadlines in a collaborative environment.

How does an Art Director in animation typically collaborate with other departments during a production?

As an Art Director in animation, you’ll frequently collaborate with a variety of departments including storyboarding, character design, modeling, and lighting. You’ll be responsible for communicating the visual style and ensuring consistency across all assets, often attending cross-departmental meetings to review progress and provide feedback. This role requires strong interpersonal skills, as you’ll need to translate creative vision into actionable direction for artists, animators, and technical staff. Effective collaboration is essential to keep the production on schedule and maintain the project’s artistic integrity.

What is the difference between Art Director Animation vs Character Designer?

AspectArt Director AnimationCharacter Designer
Primary FocusOversees the visual style and overall look of animation projectsCreates and designs characters for animation or games
Required SkillsArt direction, leadership, animation knowledge, visual storytellingDrawing, character development, creativity, understanding of anatomy
Work EnvironmentCollaborates with animators, designers, and producers in studiosWorks closely with directors, storyboards, and animation teams
Industry UsageCommon in film, TV, and large animation projectsPrimarily in animation, gaming, and character-centric media

While both roles require strong artistic skills, the Art Director Animation focuses on guiding the overall visual style of an animation project, whereas the Character Designer specializes in creating individual characters. Understanding these differences helps professionals choose the right career path or job focus within the animation industry.

What does an Art Director in Animation do?

An Art Director in Animation is responsible for overseeing the visual style and artistic direction of an animated project, such as a film, TV series, or video game. They collaborate with directors, producers, and designers to develop the look and feel of the animation, ensuring consistency in color, lighting, character design, and background art. Art Directors also guide and mentor the art team, review artwork, and make key creative decisions to achieve the desired visual storytelling. Their role is crucial in shaping the project's unique aesthetic and bringing the director's vision to life.
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Art Director Animation jobs near you
Art Director

Art Director

SHADOW

New York, NY • On-site

$90K - $115K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Retirement, PTO

Posted 22 days ago

Job description

SHADOW is seeking an Art Director with 4-6 years of design and art direction experience, preferably working with consumer brands. This is a cross-divisional agency role, responsible for executing campaign concepts and developing visual assets and design elements for SHADOW's full roster of clients. The ideal candidate has a proven ability to manage a robust workload in a dynamic setting.
What You Bring:
  • Portfolio: You have an impressive portfolio of creative work that demonstrates an ability to deliver across various forms of art direction and design
  • Technical Know-How: You are fluent in Adobe Creative Suite, including Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and comfortable with video editing and animation platforms, including Premiere Pro and After Effects.
  • Innovative: You are always on the pulse of design, video, style and cultural trends, and have the necessary context to think unconventionally and deliver cutting edge work.
  • Organized: You can own and manage projects independently or incorporate within a team, always delivering on deadlines. You're buttoned-up and can juggle multiple different projects at once.
  • Communication & Presentation skills: Exceptional verbal and written communication skills. Comfortable with client communication and presenting creative concepts both externally and internally.

What You Do:
  • Creative Ideation: Develop and design concepts for client projects in collaboration with the creative, strategy and social divisions, including social media content, photo/video, events/experiences, digital/web and more. This includes overseeing the creation of moodboards, storyboards, and design mocks, working with creative leads to ensure all client-facing presentations meet agency standards of polish and impact. You're capable of both directing and doing the work, consistently elevating every design touchpoint.
  • Campaign Work: Execute campaign ideas and visual elements across a number of mediums, including print and graphic design, video, motion, experiential and digital/web.
  • Brand Identity: Thoughtfully and creatively help brands establish their design guidelines and identity
  • Asset Creation: You direct the asset compilation, design and layout of company decks, presentations, client strategies and other miscellaneous materials.
  • Relationships: Build and maintain agency rolodex of creative talent including photographers, designers, directors, illustrators, animators, etc. Oversee and mentor designers.

Please note that if you are to progress in the interview process, an assignment will be included as part of the candidate assessment.
A quick note: This job description is meant to provide an overview of the role and its core responsibilities, but it's not a complete list of everything the position may involve. As our teams and business continue to grow, responsibilities may shift and evolve based on company and client needs.
Annual Compensation
$90K - $115K (commensurate with experience)
What We Provide:
  • Medical + dental + vision insurance
  • Generous PTO and paid holidays
  • Dedicated mental health days
  • Unlimited sick time
  • Give Back. We want SHADOWs to extend their hearts and give back to their various communities and interests, on the clock! We offer 40 hours of paid VTO annually (voluntary time off)
  • 401(k) retirement plan with matching
  • Pre-tax commuter and healthcare benefits
  • 12 weeks paid leave for new parents
  • Individualized career mapping
  • Summer Fridays (early close Fridays Memorial Day - Labor Day)
  • Hybrid work schedule (1-3 days in office per week, depending on role)

While SHADOW intends to maintain these employee benefits, the Company reserves the right to modify, amend or terminate these benefits at any time and for any reason.
Additional Information
SHADOW promotes a diverse and high performing company culture. SHADOW is dedicated to providing equal opportunities to all qualified persons, and to recruit, hire, train, promote, and compensate persons in all jobs without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or sexual orientation.
All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

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