Creative Director (Freelance)

About Us

Hovercraft is a dynamic and innovative creative design firm that partners with brands to craft compelling experiences through design, strategy, and technology. We specialize in creating standout visuals, interactive digital content, and impactful branding solutions that push the boundaries of creativity.

The Role

We are looking for a proven leader with extensive experience executing high quality work at the intersection of the physical and digital worlds. You understand how to tell a brand narrative story in a variety of mediums: interactive installations, spatial environments, brand stunts, digital experiences, animation graphics. You lead by example and drive projects forward by rolling up your sleeves and actively participating in their development while maintaining a strong awareness of the big picture. You have a keen sense for spaces & places, and know how to marry design and technology in the real world. You have a discerning eye, a strong creative instinct, and the ability to instill confidence in those around you.

What You’ll Do

• Work cross-functionally with internal teams to execute high-level creative vision across a variety of projects from conception to installation.
• Set and lead concept development across campaigns and carve out space for your team to refine big ideas.
• Manage client relationships and expectations, serving as a reliable source of information for project status and creative resources.
• Develop a deep understanding of your design team’s capabilities and strengths in order to actively participate in the development of resourcing plans and general utilization of the creative team.
• Manage teams of 4-8 people across multiple quick-moving projects.
• Lead the strategic development of client assignments and new business opportunities. Develop and lead pitches to high-profile clients as needed.
• Keep a finger on the pulse of industry trends and emerging tech, so the work stays sharp and forward-thinking.
• Collaborate closely with production, technology and animation teams to help ensure that projects reach their full potential and are executed on time and on budget.

What We're Looking For

• 10+ years of experience in a creative role within an agency or design studio.
• 3+ years experience in a leadership position.
• A well rounded designer — you have a strong foundation of design principles, and understand how to tell a brand narrative storyline in a variety of mediums.
• Someone with an unrelenting standard of quality across everything they touch.
• A strong conceptual thinker with proven experience designing around loose briefs in a variety of 3D mediums.
• Excellent verbal, written and interpersonal communication skills and the ability to nurture open and effective lines of communication internally and with clients. You understand the importance of close collaboration in a remote environment.
• Proven track record of excellent time management and organization skills.
• Proficiency in industry-standard design and collaboration software, including Adobe Creative Suite, Figma, and Slack.

The pay for this position is starts at $75 hourly. Hourly rate is determined by a combination of factors that include qualifications, applicable skills, relevant experience and other budgetary considerations such as location/geography.

Hovercraft is a remote-first company, working primarily on Pacific and Mountain time. You must be eligible to work in the US as a 1099 contractor.

Recruitment Notice

We use AI-assisted tools solely to help identify and highlight keywords related to critical design skills and relevant experience within applications. These tools support our recruiting team by improving consistency and efficiency; they do not make hiring decisions. All applications are reviewed by humans, and AI is not used in a discriminatory manner or to evaluate personal characteristics unrelated to job requirements.