Local Projects is a multi-disciplinary design studio best known for technologically advanced work that drives emotional engagement. Founded over 20 years ago, our NYC-based studio produces best-in-class, groundbreaking projects worldwide.

Reporting to the Director of Visual Experience Design, with Creative Director leadership on projects, the Art Director: Media & VFX leads teams of designers, animators, and editors to deliver innovative, cohesive solutions across physical and digital environments. This is a technical and creative role requiring expertise in media design with a strong focus on VFX, including photoreal CG character and environmental development, immersive scenes and backgrounds, physical design, and AV hardware systems, all within interactive narrative spaces. The role also calls for hands-on experience in 3D and game engine workflows to build immersive worlds.

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Responsibilities

• Lead with a technical and creative design process that embraces experimentation, iteration, and challenges conventions.
• Design with empathy, ensuring ADA accessibility across physical environments.
• Communicate design concepts, processes, and technical requirements clearly to teams and clients.
• Translate project strategies into actionable technical and creative design direction in partnership with project leads.
• Work within a unified design system and thematic narrative across phases of work and across disciplines.
• Coordinate technical and design dependencies, keeping budget, spec, and production constraints in mind.
• Flag challenges early and propose timely, thoughtful solutions.
• Manage multiple projects and consistently meet deadlines.
• Lead and participate in design reviews and working sessions.
• Support team members with actionable feedback and ongoing development.
• Stay current on industry practices and technical advancements, and share them with teammates.
• Contribute to studio-wide best practices and help evolve department standards.

Skills & Qualifications

• Experience as a CG design/artist lead in the animation and visual effects industry.
• Experience leveraging current AI workflows and models to improve pipeline efficiency.
• On-set Visual Effects Supervisor experience preferred.
• Exceptional design sensibility paired with strong technical expertise and conceptual thinking.
• Expert in CG software (Maya, Cinema4D, Unreal, or Unity).
• Experience with CG character pipelines and character VFX (e.g., motion capture or live-action face replacement).
• Familiarity with emerging AI support and efficiency tools (excluding character creation).
• Compositing skills, preferred (Nuke, Flame, or After Effects).

• Matte painting or world-building is a plus.

• Fluent in Adobe Creative Suite (After Effects, Photoshop) and Figma.

• Strong compositing and environmental rendering skills.

• Fluent in Google Slides and Keynote.
• Strong technical and design collaboration with motion/media teams, spanning animation, editing, and sound.

• Experience with 2D, CG, development, and post-production workflows is a must.
• Experience delivering high-end motion design and VFX.
• Experience leading teams of designers, animators, and editors.

• Strong ability to collaborate across creative technology, software development, physical (exhibit) design, and UI/UX teams.

• Experience working alongside development teams.
• Experience in establishing, leading, and delivering high-end UI/UX design.
• Experience with game engine workflows and world-building.
• Experience working in Unity and Unreal Engine.
• Experience pre-visualizations based on final physical installations.

• Experienced in using AI tools, Airtable (or similar), and Miro.
• Proactive, self-motivated, and comfortable working in fluid, collaborative environments.
• Strong communicator with excellent verbal, written, and presentation skills.
• Highly organized, with strong time management, prioritization, and delegation skills.
• Experience partnering with project managers and leads on project planning, scheduling, and defining design parameters within budget.
• Skilled at quickly sketching and iterating on design ideas.
• Comfortable balancing high-level vision across workstreams with direct design contributions.

Rate: $75 to $125 commensurate with experience.

Requirements

• Must be eligible to work in the U.S. without employer sponsorship. 
• Degree in Animation, Visual Effects, or equivalent experience.
• Strong portfolio demonstrating leadership in media-rich, character, and spatial design projects.
• Minimum 3-5 years of experience as an Art Director or project lead in a role similar to the one described above, with 8-10 years of total relevant design experience.
• Travel required (domestic and global).
• Must be able to work in our New York Studio as needed—flexible.
• Must hold a primary residence in one of these states: NY/NJ/CT/DC/VA/MD.

Benefits

Local Projects offers full-time staff medical, dental, and vision coverage; an FSA; a 401(k); short- and long-term disability insurance; life insurance; and a generous PTO package.

We welcome applications from all qualified candidates, including those from historically underrepresented communities, as we strive to ensure our workplace reflects a variety of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives.

Local Projects is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate based on sex, age, race, color, creed, national origin, alienage, religion, marital status, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, genetic information, citizenship, veteran or military status, or any other characteristic protected by law. All applicants will be considered for employment without regard to legally protected characteristics.