Art Director

About Shinola

At Shinola, we make beautiful, enduring, handcrafted goods that are built to be lived in, worn out, and well-loved.  Our thoughtful craftsmanship, timeless design, and spirited stories inspire our customers to live well, with confidence & joy—in a style that is uniquely their own!  Because we are a growing and evolving company, each employee is a key stakeholder, making decisions every day that directly impact our overall vision and direction. At Shinola, you’ll have the opportunity to make a significant contribution at the start of what we believe will become an iconic American brand.  

About The Role

At Shinola, we don’t just make watches — we make time human again. As Art Director, you’ll help shape the next chapter of an American brand built on craftsmanship, creativity, and culture. You’ll lead a small but mighty team of designers, storytellers to evolve Shinola’s visual language — from concept to campaign, from Detroit to the world. 

You’ll bring together art direction, cultural awareness, and brand design to create work that’s as emotionally resonant as it is visually iconic. You’ll collaborate closely with the Creative Director, marketing, and product teams to translate Shinola’s values into bold creative expressions that move people — across film, photography, digital, retail, and beyond. 

What'S Exciting About This Role:

• Lead a creative team in developing cutting-edge concepts and executing multi-channel campaigns that elevate Shinola's brand presence. 
• Contribute to the entire creative process, from ideation to execution, influencing product launches, brand initiatives, and seasonal campaigns. 
• Shape and evolve Shinola's brand visual identity across emerging platforms, ensuring a consistent and forward-looking representation. 
• Engage with artists and collaborators to bring fresh perspectives to the brand, fostering a culture that values creativity and craftsmanship. 
• Play a key role in budget allocation, aligning financial resources with brand expectations and ensuring impactful outcomes. 
• Work collaboratively with cross-functional teams, external vendors, and partners to achieve shared goals and maintain brand integrity. 

Key Responsibilities:

• Formulate and identify creative strategies with key stakeholders. 
• Align creative plans with company strategy, consumer needs, and brand goals. 
• Collaborate with partners across creative, marketing, e-commerce, merchandising, and external vendors. 
• Ideate, concept, and execute compelling creative visions aligned with marketing strategy and brand vision. 
• Develop holistic 360-degree omni-channel creative and art direction for seasonal launches and brand initiatives. 
• Maintain and enforce brand guidelines across all touchpoints. 
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to oversee brand look and feel throughout channels. 
• Partner with Ecomm Director to ensure brand consistency across the customer journey. 
• Manage and inspire others to deliver across multiple touchpoints. 
• Allocate budget across the holistic calendar and deliverables. 
• Budget in alignment with Brand and Plan on a page expectation for the year. 
• Collaborate with the Creative Director to allocate budget across key moments and brand initiatives. 
• Define deliverables for product launches, platform defining moments, and holidays. 
• Manage workflow process, creative execution, internal reviews, deadlines, and expectations. 
• Collaborate with stakeholders to ensure successful project outcomes. 
• Ensure effective brand architecture in collaboration with the Creative Director. 
• Create an integrated system of names, colors, visuals, tone, and voice defining the brand. 
• Evolve brand within existing and emerging platforms. 
• Cultivate a collaborative and craft-driven culture. 
• Demonstrate and inspire a positive growth mindset. 
• Adapt and evolve the visual brand identity across all channels and executions. 
• Identify, share, and collaborate with cultural fit artists and collaborators. 

Qualifications:

• BA or BFA in Graphic Design, Communication Design. 
• 5+ years proven experience directing photo shoots, video shoots, and launching multi-channel branded campaigns. 
• Expert level in Adobe Creative Suite, Asana, and Figma.
• 10+ years of agency experience. 
• 3+ years’ experience leading creative teams and managing budgets.  

Join Shinola and be part of a creative journey that merges tradition with innovation, crafting a brand that resonates with consumers seeking authenticity and excellence. This role offers the opportunity to lead, inspire, and contribute to the continued success of a distinguished luxury retail brand. 

Note: This job description is not meant to be all-inclusive.  Employee may be required to perform other duties to meet the ongoing needs of the organization.

Filson and Shinola are equal opportunity employers. We believe that every employee has the right to work in surroundings which are free from all forms of unlawful discrimination.  It is our policy that all decisions involving any aspect of the employment relationship will be made without regard to race, color, sex, religion, age, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability, veteran and military status, genetic information, political ideology or any other status or characteristic protected by local, state or federal law.  Discrimination and/or harassment based on any of those factors are totally inconsistent with our philosophy of doing business and will not be tolerated.

With regard to applicants or employees with disabilities, the company offers what the law refers to as "reasonable accommodation" to enable a person to perform his or her job.