CREATIVE DIRECTOR – THEMED ENTERTAINMENT

Adirondack Studios (ADKS) is hiring a Creative Director to shape story-driven, high-quality themed entertainment environments across the full project lifecycle.

Responsibilities

• Provide creative design authority across company-wide decisions by establishing and maintaining ADKS’s creative vision, quality standards, narrative, guest experience, and thematic integrity
• Lead creative direction for themed environments, including graphics and show sets, from concept through production, fabrication, installation, and closeout
• Convert client goals and project requirements into feasible, budget-conscious, story-driven creative solutions
• Oversee creative deliverables across design phases, including key art, renderings, models, maquettes, presentations, and graphics
• Collaborate with design partners, clients, project teams, vendors, department heads, and production partners to align scope, schedules, budgets, and deliverables
• Act as creative quality control, ensuring all work meets ADKS and client standards while maintaining consistency across projects
• Lead, mentor, hire, and develop collaborative Creative Design teams across multiple locations to foster collaboration, unity, creativity, and continuous improvement
• Establish and improve creative processes, systems, and standards to strengthen design operations and project delivery
• Develop, manage, and track creative design budgets, schedules, staffing, scopes, and subcontractors in partnership with project management and design leadership
• Support project planning, proposals, scope development, cost estimating, and successful delivery of creative design services
• Build and maintain strong client relationships while representing client interests and ADKS’s creative capabilities, quality, and reputation
• Support business development through client presentations, new market opportunities, design approaches, proposals, and project pursuits
• Represent the Creative Design Department in cross-functional collaboration and company-wide strategic planning
• Identify solutions to creative and project challenges, ensuring successful handoff of design packages to partners, clients, production, fabrication, and installation teams
• Maintain proficiency with relevant design tools, including Adobe Creative Suite, AutoCAD, Rhino, SketchUp, Microsoft Office, and visual communication/sketching
• Travel as needed for client meetings, design reviews, business development, sales support, and project requirements
• Demonstrate strategic thinking, strong communication, adaptability, accountability, and relationship-building in a collaborative, team-oriented approach

Requirements

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in fine art, Theater arts, Architecture, Experience Design, Industrial Design or similar design field, or equivalent professional experience
• 15+ years of experience as a Creative Director, Art Director, or similar creative leadership role
• Working knowledge of relevant design software, including Adobe Creative Suite, and familiarity with digital 3D modeling programs (e.g., Rhino, SKP, and/or 3dsmax)
• Familiarity with MS Office suite, including Word and Excel
• Ability to communicate visually via hand sketching or similar is preferred
• Strong organizational, planning, and interpersonal skills
• Strong creative vision with the ability to implement
• Ability to work collaboratively with clients as well as ADKS management and staff

Technologies

• Adobe Creative Suite
• AutoCAD
• Rhino
• SketchUp
• Microsoft Office, including Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel
• Digital 3D modeling programs (e.g., Rhino, SKP, 3dsmax)

Benefits

• Paid Personal/Sick time immediately upon hire
• 401K Retirement Plan after length of service milestone
• Year-end bonus eligibility based upon company performance
• No-cost Long-Term Disability insurance after length of service milestone
• Three options for Medical insurance, plus Dental and Vision insurance after length of service milestone
• Paid Vacation time immediately after hire
• Paid Holidays

Additional details

• Location: California (onsite)
• Salary: USD 120,000 - 225,000 per yearly
• Range of rates:
  • Argyle/Albany, NY: $120K – $165K
  • Orlando, FL: $135K – $195K
  • Pasadena/Los Angeles, CA: $160K – $225K

What to submit

• Resume
• Portfolio (or website)
• Cover letter
• Three references