Experiential Art Director

Ironworks, Caterpillar Inc.’s in-house creative agency, is building immersive, on-brand environments and experiences from start to finish. This Experiential Art Director role focuses on creating permanent interior spaces and live, temporary activations, combining environmental design, interior graphics, and multimedia content with end-to-end design and build support through installation.

What you’ll create

• Immersive environments and experiences, spanning permanent interior spaces and live, temporary activations
• Distinctive visual identities that give each space or activation a clear point of view while staying unmistakably on-brand
• Environmental and interior graphic design including signage, wayfinding, murals, dimensional elements, and architectural branding
• Multimedia content that becomes part of the environment, including motion and video-wall content designed for both the display and the surrounding room
• Highly detailed, accurate print-ready files that translate concepts into production-ready deliverables

How you’ll work

• Shape the full journey through a space by aligning form, function, materials, and key moments to tell a cohesive story
• Lead design and build plans from first concept through fabrication and installation, including show day support for live experiences
• Partner with architects, fabricators, event producers, and production teams to align locations, specifications, and install details
• Travel to sites to art-direct execution and help ensure the final environment matches the intended vision
• Present ideas clearly to internal teams and in front of clients, explaining the rationale behind design decisions
• Manage multiple complex projects at once, maintaining a high creative bar and attention to detail under tight timelines
• Help strengthen a collaborative culture across creative peers, account partners, production teams, and clients

What you bring

• Strong conceptual thinking and a customer-focused mindset, using values and practices aligned with customer needs and satisfaction
• Demonstrated collaborative techniques and a relationship-centered approach with clients, vendors, and peers
• Real range across disciplines including environmental and interior graphics, spatial design, and experiential design with an instinct for movement and how people feel in a space
• Ability to craft a distinctive visual identity and apply it consistently across surfaces, screens, and moments
• Comfort partnering with architects, fabricators, and production partners with an understanding of how designs come together in the real world
• Sharp communication and presentation skills to explain the “why” behind your work
• Deep command of Adobe Creative Cloud, and sufficient comfort with Microsoft Office
• Hands-on art direction or senior-level design experience, in-house or at an agency
• Experience designing for large-format digital, video walls, or other in-space multimedia
• A portfolio showing range and craft across environmental, interior, and experiential work, including both permanent spaces and live experiences
• A track record of thriving in fast-paced, deadline-driven environments
• A bachelor’s degree in design or a related field, or equivalent experience

Compensation & location

• Location: Chicago, IL 60622 (onsite)
• Pay range: USD 97,530 - 146,290 per year

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision benefits
• Paid time off plan (Vacation, Holidays, Volunteer, etc.)
• 401(k) savings plans
• Health Savings Account (HSA)
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)
• Health Lifestyle Programs
• Employee Assistance Program
• Voluntary Benefits and Employee Discounts
• Career Development
• Incentive bonus
• Disability benefits
• Life Insurance
• Parental leave
• Adoption benefits
• Tuition Reimbursement

Posting dates: August 7, 2026 - August 14, 2026