Design Director Jobs in Chicago, IL
Design Director jobs in Chicago are concentrated in the Loop, River North, and Fulton Market, driven by demand from advertising agencies, consumer packaged goods firms, and technology companies. Employers actively hiring include Kraft Heinz, Rush University Medical Center, and JLL. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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Highwire's creative team sits within the agency's Innovation practice. We lead the creative strategy, design, and execution of powerful, valuable, and impactful ideas that drive business impact for our clients.
We weave insights into ideas, make ideas real, and combine multidimensional creativity with strategic storytelling so our clients stand out from the competition. We believe the biggest ideas don't have to be the most complex, and we champion the importance of matching high-caliber creative delivery with strategic motivation.
As the Associate Creative Director, Motion & Design, you will be a driving creative force within the agency, working on Fortune 500 clients. You will bridge the gap between high-level conceptual thinking and flawless visual execution, specifically spearheading our motion graphics, video, and digital design output.
In this role, you will lead the creative development of multi-channel campaigns, brand visual identities, and immersive digital experiences for a diverse roster of clients. You aren't just managing the work; you are setting the visual standard, leading pitches, and inspiring a talented team of designers and animators to push boundaries across social media, digital content, events, and interactive platforms.
You'll work seamlessly with our Creative Directors, Digital Strategy Leads, Project Managers, and Account teams to transform complex tech and B2B narratives into awe-inspiring visual stories. This position will report to the VP, Creative Director.
You'll co-lead creative for large-scale account engagements with high visibility and stakes. You'll join at the ground floor of our AI-integrated production workflows, working directly within a guardrail architecture team. You'll step into high-growth engagements, building a record of expanding scope and responsibility.
About you:
You are someone who is equal parts visionary storyteller and hands-on artisan. You know how to command a room, translate client goals into stunning motion and design systems, and elevate the skills of the creatives around you.
- Creative Vision & Motion Mastery: Your portfolio is a masterclass in modern digital design and dynamic motion graphics. You have a deep understanding of pacing, rhythm, and visual storytelling. You know how to break brand boundaries while respecting core parameters.
- Leadership & Mentorship: You are an empathetic, inspiring leader. You know how to give constructive, actionable creative feedback that elevates the work without crushing the creator's spirit. You have direct management experience, including delivering structured performance feedback and development conversations. You can point to specific examples of how you grew a team member's skill set or addressed underperformance directly.
- Strategic Communication: You are an exceptional presenter and storyteller. You can confidently sell bold creative concepts to C-suite clients and translate abstract strategic goals into concrete visual directions. You have a track record of defending creative direction in the face of pushback rather than simply executing a brief handed to you.
- Operational Excellence: You have owned delivery timelines across multiple concurrent workstreams, with a demonstrated ability to forecast capacity needs, flag bottlenecks before they hit deadlines, and escalate appropriately when scope or resourcing is at risk.
Key Responsibilities
- Creative Assessment & Execution: Lead the conceptualization and execution of high-impact design and motion concepts for web, social campaigns, event experiences, brand video, and digital products.
- Motion Pipeline Ownership: Establish and optimize the agency's motion design standards and best practices, including building scalable motion asset systems (templates, modular components, reusable frameworks) that support high-volume output without sacrificing brand consistency or craft quality. Own and continuously refine motion design workflows end to end (from storyboarding to final post-production), including capacity forecasting, escalation protocols, and bottleneck prediction across simultaneous high-volume workstreams.
- AI-Integrated Production: Operate within AI-supported creative production workflows, partnering with technical and AI-focused team members under established human-in-the-loop guardrails to balance speed, scale, and creative quality.
- Client & Pitch Leadership: Own creative presentations for major client accounts and high-stakes new business pitches. Effectively articulate the strategic "why" behind creative and motion-driven choices to non-creative stakeholders.
- Account-Creative Alignment: Manage friction points between creative timelines and account or client demands, protecting production quality and team capacity while maintaining a collaborative cross-functional relationship.
- Team Management & Mentorship: Directly manage a team of motion designers and brand designers, including formal performance reviews and development planning. Foster a culture of continuous learning, creative experimentation, and technical growth, while holding the team to clear delivery and craft standards.
- Brand Guardianship: Act as the primary guardian of Highwire's own visual brand, while simultaneously ensuring clients' visual systems remain cohesive and forward-thinking across all mediums.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with Digital Strategy and Copy leads to ensure copy and visuals work in perfect harmony to drive measurable business results.
Candidate requirements
- Experience: 8+ years of professional design and motion experience, with at least 3+ years in a dedicated creative leadership or player-coach role (agency experience heavily preferred). Demonstrated direct people management experience, including conducting formal performance evaluations, is required.
- Portfolio: A portfolio demonstrating ownership of brand, motion, and video storytelling at a campaign or systems level, not just individual pieces, alongside strong typography, layout, and UI/UX fundamentals.
- Technical Mastery: Expert proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (After Effects, Premiere, Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign) and Figma. Experience with 3D software (Cinema 4D or Blender) is a massive plus. Experience with Final Cut Pro and DaVinci Resolve is helpful.
- Design Systems: Deep experience creating, scaling, and maintaining comprehensive digital and motion design systems.
- Strategic Intuition: Strong understanding of UX/UI principles, digital accessibility standards, and multi-platform social media optimization.
- Culture Fit: A thriving-under-pressure mentality with strong judgment for managing competing priorities across multiple concurrent projects. Working knowledge of AI-integrated creative workflows, including comfort operating within human-in-the-loop guardrails for AI-supported concepting and production.
The salary range for this position is $110,000 to $135,000, with the final offer based on a combination of factors, including education, relevant experience, skills, prior training, internal equity, and local geographic market data. This role also includes a competitive benefits package with medical, dental, and vision coverage, 401(k) matching, generous paid time off, and additional perks designed to support your overall well-being and growth. #LI-Remote
About Highwire
Highwire is a strategic marketing communications agency at the intersection of innovation and industry. We partner with ambitious companies and established brands to navigate complexity, lead markets, and grow with purpose. With integrated expertise in strategic marketing and communications, corporate reputation, creative, and insights, we cut through the noise to deliver bold ideas and measurable impact across B2B technology, healthcare, cybersecurity, energy, professional and financial services, and more.
At Highwire, we believe that storytelling fuels transformation. We know that the most impactful stories represent all voices and perspectives. As a values-driven agency, we foster an inclusive environment where everyone—regardless of age, race/ethnicity, size, shape, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion and different abilities–can feel safe, celebrated and worthy.
We ensure that every Highwire Walker has the requisite support to soar in their careers. Our commitment to diversity, inclusion and belonging is foundational and embedded in our business and culture. We aspire to change our industry and build a better future for all.
Our people-first culture is driven by four core values:
- Team Empowerment
- Growth Mindset
- Inclusion Always
- Fierce Distinction
We're looking for individuals with big ideas, strong opinions, and the energy to bring them to life. If you thrive in an environment that values personal accountability, high standards, and boundless motivation, this is the opportunity for you. Be part of our award-winning culture and contribute to an exciting and growing business where you can make a real impact.
Highwire. Above all.
Our people-first culture is reflected in the meaningful benefits, flexibility, and support we offer:
- Competitive salary with merit-based opportunities for growth
- Flexible hybrid work model tailored to your schedule and lifestyle
- Generous vacation policy, including extended summer and winter breaks
- Early log-off on Fridays through our Empower Hours program
- 401(k) plan with employer matching
- Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, plus FSA options
- Paid parental leave benefits
- Commuter benefits
- Annual Growth Mindset stipend for books, events, or learning experiences
- Monthly technology reimbursement
- Wellness benefit program for mental and physical health
- 501c3 donation matching program
- Mentorship and ongoing professional development opportunities
- Monthly recognition and team celebrations
- Employee referral and new business referral bonuses
- Quarterly Highwire events and team gatherings
- Dog-friendly office environment
- A supportive, inclusive, and collaborative workplace where you can grow and do your best work
Location & Work Environment
Highwire offers both remote and hybrid work options, depending on where you live.
Hybrid: Candidates located within commuting distance of our New York, NY or San Francisco, CA offices follow a hybrid schedule, with three in-office days per week.
Remote: We hire for fully remote roles in the following states: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Washington, D.C..
Please note: We are only able to consider candidates who reside in one of the locations listed above at the time of hire.
Join the Highwire team
If you're inspired by the opportunity to shape meaningful stories and grow alongside a team that values innovation, accountability, and inclusion, apply below to start the conversation.
Please note: This posting may be used to build our talent pipeline, connect with top professionals in the industry, or extend reach across multiple locations. We welcome all interested candidates to apply and explore opportunities at Highwire!
Highwire's creative team sits within the agency's Innovation practice. We lead the creative strategy, design, and execution of powerful, valuable, and impactful ideas that drive business impact for our clients.
We weave insights into ideas, make ideas real, and combine multidimensional creativity with strategic storytelling so our clients stand out from the competition. We believe the biggest ideas don't have to be the most complex, and we champion the importance of matching high-caliber creative delivery with strategic motivation.
As the Associate Creative Director, Motion & Design, you will be a driving creative force within the agency, working on Fortune 500 clients. You will bridge the gap between high-level conceptual thinking and flawless visual execution, specifically spearheading our motion graphics, video, and digital design output.
In this role, you will lead the creative development of multi-channel campaigns, brand visual identities, and immersive digital experiences for a diverse roster of clients. You aren't just managing the work; you are setting the visual standard, leading pitches, and inspiring a talented team of designers and animators to push boundaries across social media, digital content, events, and interactive platforms.
You'll work seamlessly with our Creative Directors, Digital Strategy Leads, Project Managers, and Account teams to transform complex tech and B2B narratives into awe-inspiring visual stories. This position will report to the VP, Creative Director.
You'll co-lead creative for large-scale account engagements with high visibility and stakes. You'll join at the ground floor of our AI-integrated production workflows, working directly within a guardrail architecture team. You'll step into high-growth engagements, building a record of expanding scope and responsibility.
About you:
You are someone who is equal parts visionary storyteller and hands-on artisan. You know how to command a room, translate client goals into stunning motion and design systems, and elevate the skills of the creatives around you.
- Creative Vision & Motion Mastery: Your portfolio is a masterclass in modern digital design and dynamic motion graphics. You have a deep understanding of pacing, rhythm, and visual storytelling. You know how to break brand boundaries while respecting core parameters.
- Leadership & Mentorship: You are an empathetic, inspiring leader. You know how to give constructive, actionable creative feedback that elevates the work without crushing the creator's spirit. You have direct management experience, including delivering structured performance feedback and development conversations. You can point to specific examples of how you grew a team member's skill set or addressed underperformance directly.
- Strategic Communication: You are an exceptional presenter and storyteller. You can confidently sell bold creative concepts to C-suite clients and translate abstract strategic goals into concrete visual directions. You have a track record of defending creative direction in the face of pushback rather than simply executing a brief handed to you.
- Operational Excellence: You have owned delivery timelines across multiple concurrent workstreams, with a demonstrated ability to forecast capacity needs, flag bottlenecks before they hit deadlines, and escalate appropriately when scope or resourcing is at risk.
Key Responsibilities
- Creative Assessment & Execution: Lead the conceptualization and execution of high-impact design and motion concepts for web, social campaigns, event experiences, brand video, and digital products.
- Motion Pipeline Ownership: Establish and optimize the agency's motion design standards and best practices, including building scalable motion asset systems (templates, modular components, reusable frameworks) that support high-volume output without sacrificing brand consistency or craft quality. Own and continuously refine motion design workflows end to end (from storyboarding to final post-production), including capacity forecasting, escalation protocols, and bottleneck prediction across simultaneous high-volume workstreams.
- AI-Integrated Production: Operate within AI-supported creative production workflows, partnering with technical and AI-focused team members under established human-in-the-loop guardrails to balance speed, scale, and creative quality.
- Client & Pitch Leadership: Own creative presentations for major client accounts and high-stakes new business pitches. Effectively articulate the strategic "why" behind creative and motion-driven choices to non-creative stakeholders.
- Account-Creative Alignment: Manage friction points between creative timelines and account or client demands, protecting production quality and team capacity while maintaining a collaborative cross-functional relationship.
- Team Management & Mentorship: Directly manage a team of motion designers and brand designers, including formal performance reviews and development planning. Foster a culture of continuous learning, creative experimentation, and technical growth, while holding the team to clear delivery and craft standards.
- Brand Guardianship: Act as the primary guardian of Highwire's own visual brand, while simultaneously ensuring clients' visual systems remain cohesive and forward-thinking across all mediums.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with Digital Strategy and Copy leads to ensure copy and visuals work in perfect harmony to drive measurable business results.
Candidate requirements
- Experience: 8+ years of professional design and motion experience, with at least 3+ years in a dedicated creative leadership or player-coach role (agency experience heavily preferred). Demonstrated direct people management experience, including conducting formal performance evaluations, is required.
- Portfolio: A portfolio demonstrating ownership of brand, motion, and video storytelling at a campaign or systems level, not just individual pieces, alongside strong typography, layout, and UI/UX fundamentals.
- Technical Mastery: Expert proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (After Effects, Premiere, Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign) and Figma. Experience with 3D software (Cinema 4D or Blender) is a massive plus. Experience with Final Cut Pro and DaVinci Resolve is helpful.
- Design Systems: Deep experience creating, scaling, and maintaining comprehensive digital and motion design systems.
- Strategic Intuition: Strong understanding of UX/UI principles, digital accessibility standards, and multi-platform social media optimization.
- Culture Fit: A thriving-under-pressure mentality with strong judgment for managing competing priorities across multiple concurrent projects. Working knowledge of AI-integrated creative workflows, including comfort operating within human-in-the-loop guardrails for AI-supported concepting and production.
The salary range for this position is $110,000 to $135,000, with the final offer based on a combination of factors, including education, relevant experience, skills, prior training, internal equity, and local geographic market data. This role also includes a competitive benefits package with medical, dental, and vision coverage, 401(k) matching, generous paid time off, and additional perks designed to support your overall well-being and growth. #LI-Remote
About Highwire
Highwire is a strategic marketing communications agency at the intersection of innovation and industry. We partner with ambitious companies and established brands to navigate complexity, lead markets, and grow with purpose. With integrated expertise in strategic marketing and communications, corporate reputation, creative, and insights, we cut through the noise to deliver bold ideas and measurable impact across B2B technology, healthcare, cybersecurity, energy, professional and financial services, and more.
At Highwire, we believe that storytelling fuels transformation. We know that the most impactful stories represent all voices and perspectives. As a values-driven agency, we foster an inclusive environment where everyone—regardless of age, race/ethnicity, size, shape, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion and different abilities–can feel safe, celebrated and worthy.
We ensure that every Highwire Walker has the requisite support to soar in their careers. Our commitment to diversity, inclusion and belonging is foundational and embedded in our business and culture. We aspire to change our industry and build a better future for all.
Our people-first culture is driven by four core values:
- Team Empowerment
- Growth Mindset
- Inclusion Always
- Fierce Distinction
We're looking for individuals with big ideas, strong opinions, and the energy to bring them to life. If you thrive in an environment that values personal accountability, high standards, and boundless motivation, this is the opportunity for you. Be part of our award-winning culture and contribute to an exciting and growing business where you can make a real impact.
Highwire. Above all.
Our people-first culture is reflected in the meaningful benefits, flexibility, and support we offer:
- Competitive salary with merit-based opportunities for growth
- Flexible hybrid work model tailored to your schedule and lifestyle
- Generous vacation policy, including extended summer and winter breaks
- Early log-off on Fridays through our Empower Hours program
- 401(k) plan with employer matching
- Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, plus FSA options
- Paid parental leave benefits
- Commuter benefits
- Annual Growth Mindset stipend for books, events, or learning experiences
- Monthly technology reimbursement
- Wellness benefit program for mental and physical health
- 501c3 donation matching program
- Mentorship and ongoing professional development opportunities
- Monthly recognition and team celebrations
- Employee referral and new business referral bonuses
- Quarterly Highwire events and team gatherings
- Dog-friendly office environment
- A supportive, inclusive, and collaborative workplace where you can grow and do your best work
Location & Work Environment
Highwire offers both remote and hybrid work options, depending on where you live.
Hybrid: Candidates located within commuting distance of our New York, NY or San Francisco, CA offices follow a hybrid schedule, with three in-office days per week.
Remote: We hire for fully remote roles in the following states: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Washington, D.C..
Please note: We are only able to consider candidates who reside in one of the locations listed above at the time of hire.
Join the Highwire team
If you're inspired by the opportunity to shape meaningful stories and grow alongside a team that values innovation, accountability, and inclusion, apply below to start the conversation.
Please note: This posting may be used to build our talent pipeline, connect with top professionals in the industry, or extend reach across multiple locations. We welcome all interested candidates to apply and explore opportunities at Highwire!
See All 12 Design Director Jobs in Chicago
Find roles in Chicago that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Design Director JobsDesign Director Job Market in Chicago
Who's Hiring
- Kraft Heinz2
- Rush University Medical Center2
- JLL1
- Mars1
- Highwire1
Top Industries Hiring
- Education2
- Food & Beverage2
- Construction & Real Estate2
- Healthcare & Medical Services2
- Investment & Asset Management2
Design Director Jobs in Chicago: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a design director job in Chicago?
Focus your search on Chicago's three strongest hiring corridors: the Loop for financial services and consulting firms, River North for advertising and branding agencies, and Fulton Market for tech and startup employers. Candidates with a portfolio that demonstrates brand system leadership, cross-functional team management, and work produced for national consumer or B2B brands stand out. Chicago employers also respond well to candidates with experience in retail, food and beverage, or healthcare design given the concentration of those industries locally.
Which companies hire design directors in Chicago?
Companies currently hiring design directors in Chicago include Kraft Heinz, Rush University Medical Center, and JLL, per current listings on Migrate Mate as of June 2026. Chicago's hiring mix skews toward established agencies, large consumer brands headquartered here, and mid-size technology companies that maintain substantial in-house creative teams.
Are there remote design director jobs in Chicago?
Yes, though remote availability depends on the employer type: agency and brand-side roles that require frequent in-person creative reviews are less likely to be fully remote, while design director roles at software and platform companies tend to offer more flexibility. About 22% of design director openings tied to Chicago are remote or hybrid as of June 2026, with hybrid arrangements most common across Fulton Market and the Loop tech employers.
How can I get a design director job in Chicago with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path in Chicago is moving up from a senior designer or design lead role at a mid-size agency or in-house team, where director-level responsibility is often earned before the title is awarded. Chicago's advertising and branding agencies in River North regularly promote from within, and consumer brands headquartered here such as those in food, retail, and healthcare often post associate director roles as a stepping stone. Building a portfolio with systems-level work and evidence of team mentorship makes the jump more credible locally.
Which industries hire the most design directors in Chicago?
Most design director openings in Chicago sit in Education, Food & Beverage, and Construction & Real Estate, per current listings on Migrate Mate as of June 2026. Chicago's role as a headquarters city for consumer brands, a hub for independent and holding-company agencies, and a growing center for enterprise technology creates consistent demand across all three sectors.
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See All 12 Design Director Jobs in Chicago
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