As a Creative Director, you'll lead motion designers to craft compelling 2D/3D animations for marketing campaigns, ensuring alignment with client goals while managing project workflows.
Who We Are
Hi! We’re The Heist, the production, post production and animation arm of Thinkingbox, a global creative collective shaping the future of brands through craft and curiosity. Our team brings together unique perspectives in production, design, technology, and creativity that push the boundaries for our clients to create work that is uniquely ours. We are a curious bunch that loves to think big, continuously learn, and create. We love our culture and the natural collaboration that happens in and around our five offices, from dog parties, to happy hour Fridays, to random team trips to Whistler, we maintain a vibrant work environment. However, for one month a year we encourage our people to explore the world. Try working from another office or even the beaches of Bali and expand your worldview, then bring that experience back to the team.
The Opportunity
The Heist is on the hunt for an exceptional, hands-on Creative Director, Motion, to join our team in Chicago. In this role, you’ll lead a tight-knit team of motion designers, crafting visually stunning 2D and 3D motion graphics and animation for high-impact marketing campaigns. Reporting to the Director of Animation, you will work on advertising projects for a diverse range of clients, ensuring each campaign’s creative vision aligns seamlessly with client goals. Your role includes hands-on creation, storyboarding, and collaboration with our animation team, as well as client-facing responsibilities.
What You’ll Be Doing
- Lead and inspire a nimble team of motion designers and guiding projects with a strong creative direction.
- Be hands on and demonstrate intention when needed, be it in design or animation.
- Develop clear storyboards and polished styleframes that convey the narrative and aesthetic of each campaign.
- Oversee and participate in creating campaign assets, including 2D and 3D animation, ensuring all work aligns with brand guidelines and art direction.
- Provide clear, actionable feedback to team members, fostering growth and maintaining the highest quality of work.
- Engage directly with clients, interpreting their needs and providing creative insights throughout the project lifecycle.
- Collaborate with the motion team to adopt new processes and workflows that meet the unique demands of each marketing campaign.
- Contribute to project budgeting and resource planning to ensure efficiency.
What You’ll Bring
- A portfolio showcasing a refined taste in motion design in 2D and 3D across varied marketing and campaign styles.
- A desire to further your skills driven by your own curiosity.
- 8+ years of experience in a motion design role, with 3+ years in a leadership or senior capacity.
- Strong proficiency in Cinema 4D and Redshift.
- Demonstrated ability to create clear storyboards and refined styleframes that align with campaign goals.
- Mastery of the Adobe Suite (After Effects, Premiere, Photoshop, Illustrator) and a thorough understanding of the animation pipeline.
- Strong design sensibilities, demonstrating the ability to merge aesthetic and technical skills.
- Working knowledge of XParticles, Marvelous Designer, and/or Houdini is a big plus.
- Working knowledge of Figma.
- Strong organizational skills, with a solution-oriented approach to creative and technical challenges.
What We Offer
- Opportunities to grow and evolve alongside a dynamic, passionate team.
- A chance to work on exciting, high-impact projects across a variety of industries and styles.
Equal Opportunity
Here at Thinkingbox, we are committed to building an environment where our employees continuously feel included, valued and heard. Diversity is our creative strength and it’s a combination of our unique experiences and perspectives that make for some of the best problem-solving. The result? Creativity, growth and innovation. We strongly encourage all applicants, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, disability, or gender identity to apply.
To Apply
Thank you for taking the time to apply to Thinkingbox! Please remember to include your resume and links to your online portfolio with your application (if applicable). Due to the number of applications we receive, we are not able to contact everyone who applies. Note: all applications are stored in our talent database and you will be considered for future opportunities with us!
Top Skills
Adobe Suite
After Effects
Cinema 4D
Figma
Houdini
Illustrator
Marvelous Designer
Photoshop
Premiere
Redshift
Xparticles
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