Art Director – Concept Full Time NEW

About the Role

As an Art Director within Patagonia’s Creative Studio, you will be part of an in-house team that produces digital, editorial, film, photography, print, and marketing campaigns and assets that give voice to our business and environmental initiatives. You will also help develop and steward Patagonia’s global visual identity.

You will work within the concept creative team—a multidisciplinary group of art directors, writers, photo editors, and film producers—collaborating to tell stories rooted in our values and expressed through the products we make.

As the Art Director, you will support the development and execution of creative work across a defined body of projects within our marketing ecosystem. You will partner with program management, marketing, and creative leadership to bring our values and products to life for an external audience, contributing to campaigns that advance our mission and support broader business objectives. You will apply a consistent and cohesive visual language across channels, ensuring the work reflects both brand standards and creative intent.

Working with direction from Design Managers and Creative Directors, you will translate briefs into thoughtful, high-quality execution. As the Art Director, you will guide work from concept development through toolkit handoff—balancing hands-on making with collaboration across disciplines. You will apply established systems, frameworks, and brand guidelines to ensure consistency and clarity across outputs, while also contributing ideas that strengthen the work.

This role is both hands-on and collaborative. You will work closely with Channel Experience teams and Creative Production to deliver globally relevant, channel-ready work. As the Art Director, you will build strong working relationships across teams and communicate clearly to ensure alignment throughout the creative process. You will also partner across categories to support consistency of voice and a seamless Patagonia brand experience.

What You’ll Do

• Develop creative ideas that deepen connection to the natural world and inspire action in defense of our home planet
• Support the development of brand positioning and creative across long-term, seasonal, and platform-based campaigns
• Translate global briefs and creative direction into clear, compelling visual execution
• Present high-level creative concepts to stakeholders, demonstrating a cohesive visual strategy across all touch points.
• Partner closely with writers and photo editors to develop cohesive, high-quality campaign narratives
• Art direct both in-studio product photography and on-location shoots in support of campaign concepts
• Collaborate with Retail, eCommerce, and Social teams to ensure consistent execution across all channels
• Execute and refine creative work through final delivery—partnering with channel and production teams to ensure quality and consistency
• Support the identification and collaboration with external creative talent as needed
• Apply and uphold Patagonia’s visual system, including typography and core design assets
• Think across media and ensure ideas translate effectively across channels
• Partner with regional teams to ensure work translates with clarity and integrity across markets
• Support consistency across product marketing and sport storytelling in collaboration with category design leadership

Who You Are

• You have a genuine connection to environmental activism and outdoor sport—and an interest in where both are headed
• You believe in design as a tool for bringing meaningful change and business value
• You are a multidisciplinary creative, comfortable working across digital, print, and physical environments
• You’re a strategic thinker with the ability to translate ideas into thoughtful, real-world design solutions.
• You can clearly articulate creative decisions and collaborate effectively with partners
• You have an awareness of cultural and industry shifts and are curious about their impact on the work
• You are open, direct, and thoughtful in giving and receiving feedback
• You are self-motivated and able to work independently within defined direction
• You use sound judgment to solve problems within your scope of work
• You are reflective—aware of your own perspective and open to others

Experience You Bring

• 5+ years of experience in graphic design or art direction
• Strong typographic sensibility and attention to detail
• Proven ability to execute creative across multiple channels
• Highly collaborative, with strong communication and interpersonal skills
• Proficiency in Figma, Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop), and evolving creative tools like A.I.
• Experience working with consumer-facing brands, preferably within apparel, footwear, or accessories.

Hiring Range: $92,300 – $105,300 USD Annual

At Patagonia, pay ranges are assigned to a job based on the location specific market median of similar jobs according to 3rd party salary benchmark surveys. Individual pay within that range can vary for several reasons including skills/capabilities, experience, and available budget. The Hiring Range reflects where in the range we intend to hire for this role.

Benefits Patagonia offers a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, retirement and leave of absence plans. Benefit plans may vary slightly depending on the nature of your employment.

Workplace Location Overview This position is Hybrid, with a standard schedule of Tuesday – Thursday on-site and remote work on other days. Occasional additional office visits may be required for team events or critical meetings.

Employee Conduct It is the responsibility of every employee to contribute to a positive, inclusive work environment through cooperative and professional interactions with co-workers, customers and vendors.

Equal Employment Opportunity All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other factors prohibited by law.

Tagged as: art director, california, concept, creative, patagonia, ventura