Associate Art Director

Job title: Associate Art Director

Company: Outerknown

Job description: Position Description: Associate Art DirectorPOSITION DESCRIPTIONTitle & Reporting RelationshipsPosition Title:Associate Art DirectorReports to:Creative Director / CofounderDepartment:Creative ServicesOversees:Direct Reports – Graphic Designers, Photographers, Photo Editors (inhouse and freelance)Interactions:Brand Marketing, Ecom, Merch & Design, Digital Marketing, Content & Community, Wholesale, Retail, PR, AmbassadorsMAIN PURPOSEThe role of Associate Art Director is responsible for consistent creative execution across all consumer touchpoints and all mediums aligned with the GTM strategies for Outerknown, Firewire Surfboards, and Slater Designs. The position is responsible for translating the overall vision, concept, and marketing briefs for each season into clear and inspiring photography and creative deliverables that elevate the storytelling of all brands across all channels, including digital, retail, and wholesale. The Associate Art Director must have premium brand experience and be a graphic designer in their own right. This role will manage a lean team of graphic designers alongside outside photographers; in addition to acting as a graphic designer in the day-to-day. This role includes ownership of all photography content—from planning and production through execution, editing and archiving—ensuring visual storytelling is aligned with the brand’s seasonal and overarching narratives across all channels. This role requires a deep-rooted understanding of the Outerknown, Firewire, and Slater Designs brands, culture, and lifestyle to create the most authentic brand experiences across all channels to inspire our passionate community.This role requires a minimum of 3 days in office in Carlsbad, CA (subject to change depending on business needs).DESIGN & PRODUCTION OVERSIGHT: DIGITAL & PRINT

• Oversee the design and production of all digital assets including, but not limited to, daily emails, paid digital, online experiences, journey stories, etc., incorporating all elements of graphic design, photography, video, and copywriting to ensure quality and consistency.
• Work closely with the Director of Digital Brand Marketing and Ecom teams to ensure that our web experiences inspire and drive conversion.
• Oversee the design and production of all printed materials such as catalogues and marketplace assets such as look books, selling tools, retail POP, retails windows, etc.
• The Associate Art Director must act as one of the graphic design team members, responsible for their own workload of executed deliverables
• Trims & Details: Support the product design and development teams on all design needs for product labels, trims and details.

VISUAL COMMUNICATION: PHOTOGRAPHY

• Lead the planning and execution of all photography including seasonal lifestyle, PDP (including ecomm fit shots), flats, and product content—ensuring brand storytelling is elevated and cohesive.
• Responsible for photoshoot production — deliver details briefs that include: look + feel mood boards, scouting & defining shoot locations, overseeing casting, styling direction, and shot lists to ensure the most authentic, relevant, and compelling brand expression.
• Responsible for ensuring all contractors have contractual agreements in place with terms that best serve the. ongoing needs of all brands
• This includes full oversight of photo production—owning timelines, talent coordination, shot lists, and post-production workflows—to ensure all content is delivered on time and aligned with campaign strategy. Ensuring that photoshoot productions are in line with the photo budget identified by the CD + Director of Digital Brand Marketing.
• Must be a strong photo editor, partnering with the CD on determining selects, and editing images which may include retouching, editing to clean backdrops, and cropping to necessary formats.
• This includes ensuring that all photography meet the same high standards of quality, style, and consistency. From lighting and composition to production ready imagery – every visual element must align with the brand’s aesthetic vision.
• Responsible for ingesting all image assets and managing our photo archive through our Digital Asset Management system in a timely manner.
• Responsible for administration and upkeep of Digital Asset Management system
• Work collaboratively with the Dir. of Digital Brand Marketing + GTM on video production as needed.
• Ability to step in at any time and shoot photos for all brands when necessary.

CROSS-CHANNEL COLLABORATION:

• Develop premium brand communications for OK/FW/SD, elevating our storytelling across all mediums and environments in collaboration with graphic designers, product designers, merchants, photographers, videographers (internal and external), copywriters, and other creative professionals to bring brand concepts to life.
• Elevate our brand experience by working closely with Creative Director & Director of Digital Brand Marketing to ensure all brand ambassadors/surf team members are utilized in the most timely and true ways.
• Collaborate closely with our Director of Digital Brand Marketing and with cross-functional partners to ensure all content is aligned with the product flow strategy as outlined in the various brand GTM calendars.
• Oversee outside contractors hired for specific brand executions.

CONCEPTUALIZATION: IDEATION & DESIGN

• Brainstorm & research references and themes in partnership with the Creative Director while collaborating with cross-functional teammates.
• Photography and campaign ideas should be developed with evolving trends in mind – with a clear vision for how imagery will support storytelling across channels.
• Strong ability to cite clear cultural references (people, eras, products, influences) past, present, and future with a deep understanding of surf culture is critical to the success of this role.
• Must be well-versed and up to date on current fashion and product trends, market trends, and cultural shifts, to ensure the brand’s visual identity remains relevant and innovative.
• A deep understanding of surf culture (past, present and future), including the people, places, legend and lore is critical to the success of this role.
• Proficiency in marketing analytics and data-driven decision-making as it relates to delivering creative.
• Must be ready to incorporate historical selling information and rigorous data analysis to inform future creative decisions.

TEAM MANAGEMENT:

• Must be experienced in leading creative teams, with a strong ability to navigate artistic temperaments while being able to balance the art and science of delivering creative that drives results.
• Lead by example taking on graphic design responsibilities, overseeing a team of designers, providing clear guidance and intelligent direction on all projects.
• Direct freelance photographers, photo editors, and stylists—ensuring that all visual assets are delivered with a consistent aesthetic, strategic focus, and high production value.
• Must be confident managing photo production crews, clearly communicating expectations, and providing thoughtful, efficient feedback from pre-production through post.
• Ability to direct traffic via Asana and schedule talent and workloads in keeping with evolving needs of the business.
• Ensure that all brand visuals & comms meet quality standards and brand guidelines consistently across all channels.

ESSENTIAL SKILLS & QUALIFICATIONS:

• Experience across creative and marketing for premium lifestyle brands, with a strong track record of successful campaigns and projects.
• Graphic Designer with a deep understanding of all digital design platforms, tools, technologies, and apps.
• Experience in overseeing photography production, from conceptualization to final execution, including working with photographers, videographers, editors, and other production teams.
• Competent in Asana and/or similar project management technology
• Strong leadership and managerial skills, with the ability to build and motivate high-performing teams – both directly and cross-functionally.
• Project management skills, including the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and meet deadlines.
• Skilled in the Adobe Creative Suite & Proficiency in the Microsoft Office Suite
• Strategic thinking and problem-solving abilities.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills with a tendency towards collaboration.
• Understanding of conceptual creative and brand work within apparel or hardgoods.
• Experience working with photo and video content management systems and production schedules is essential.
• Ability to remain flexible during changing priorities and business needs while adapting to changing market trends and industry dynamics.
• Bachelor’s Degree in Design, Graphic Design, Marketing, Art, or a related field or equivalent experience.
• A genuine enthusiasm for Outerknown, Firewire Surfboards, and Slater Design’s collective mission to be the most responsible ocean-inspired lifestyle brands, and create the highest quality and most innovative products.

Expected salary:

Location: Carlsbad, CA

Job date: Wed, 22 Oct 2025 01:30:53 GMT

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