Freelance Design Director

Complex
Los Angeles
Workplace: OnsiteFreelanceUSD 125,000 - 138,000 annuallyFunction: Design (Product/UX/UI/Visual)Experience: 6-8 yearsSkills: ["Art direction","Player-coach","Collaboration","Communication","Attention to detail","Problem solving","Time management","Creative urgency"]

Lead art direction and design for Complex’s Brand Partnerships team across video, photo, social, display, print, apparel, and immersive events. Work cross-functionally with branded content, account management, product, and experiential teams to shape creative concepts from pitch through launch. Serve as a player-coach, guiding partner designers and presenting work to senior leadership and brand clients, while executing in a fast-paced, detail-driven environment.

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FursaFursa
Complex
Complex
3 days ago

Freelance Design Director

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Last checked: 2 hours agoStatus: Live

Job Summary

Lead art direction and design for Complex’s Brand Partnerships team across video, photo, social, display, print, apparel, and immersive events. Work cross-functionally with branded content, account management, product, and experiential teams to shape creative concepts from pitch through launch. Serve as a player-coach, guiding partner designers and presenting work to senior leadership and brand clients, while executing in a fast-paced, detail-driven environment.
Location: Los Angeles
Workplace: Onsite
Employment Type: Freelance
Job Function: Design (Product/UX/UI/Visual)
Seniority: Director level

Key Responsibilities

  • •Mentor and lead concepting and pitching to internal and external teams, bringing campaign objectives to life with partner designers.
  • •Collaborate with design leadership, account managers, experiential and product teams to build a visual roadmap for deliverables.
  • •Execute projects from concept to launch, creating within workflow systems while applying Complex brand guidelines and visual identity.
  • •Present and pitch work to senior leadership and brand clients as needed.
  • •Translate larger campaign initiatives into display and social deliverables, including experiential and event design (from pop-ups to ComplexCon).

Pay and Benefits

Salary: USD 125,000 - 138,000 annually

Key Requirements

  • •6-8 years of graphic design experience with art direction experience in the last 3-4 years (agency, culturally-adjacent media publisher, or in-house brand).
  • •A passion for forward-thinking design across digital, print, experiential, and product.
  • •An impressive, wide-ranging portfolio (brand, print, event, editorial, and product is a plus).
  • •Strong attention to detail and a proactive approach to problem solving, with excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication.
  • •Expertise using industry-standard tools (Adobe Creative Suite, Figma, and 2D compositing required; 3D rendering experience is a plus).
Experience:6-8 yearsAgencyMedia publisherIn-house brandPop cultureMusicStreetwearFashionEventsExperiential
Skills:Art directionPlayer-coachCollaborationCommunicationAttention to detailProblem solvingTime managementCreative urgency
Tech Stack:Adobe Creative SuitePhotoshopIllustratorAfter EffectsGoogle SlidesFigmaReadyMagSketchUpMac

Eligibility

Work Authorization:Authorization required. Sponsorship not provided.

Company Brief

Complex
Complex is a media and entertainment platform covering pop culture, music, style, sports, and sneakers, producing editorial content, video series, and original programming targeting a young, culturally engaged audience.
Industry: Digital Media
Company Size: Large (251 to 1,000 employees)
Growth: Established Company
Headquarters: New York, United States
Founded: 2002
WebsiteLinkedIn