Art Director in Milwaukie, Oregon at Dark Horse Comics

Position Objective

The Art Director is a senior-level design leader responsible for providing creative direction, design review, and mentorship to Design department staff and partners for the Publishing division. This role maintains the department's standards for creative, technical, and procedural excellence while ensuring projects move efficiently through the design and production pipeline. The Art Director is accountable for developing and sustaining brand guidelines for their division and serves as a key creative resource across publications, packaging, promotional materials, and other design deliverables. As a senior member of the department, this position may be called upon to support broader department needs, provide backup leadership to the Creative Director, and contribute to cross-functional initiatives.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

Art Direction & Creative Leadership

• Provide design direction and creative oversight for publications and related design projects within the Publishing division, including products, packaging, promotional materials, branding, and advertisements.
• Develop, document, and maintain brand guidelines and design standards for the Publishing division; ensure consistent execution across all deliverables.
• Review design work produced by department staff and external designers or creatives; provide clear, actionable feedback aligned with brand and quality standards.
• Lead conceptualization and creative development in collaboration with the Creative Director and cross-functional partners.
• Collaborate on design-related initiatives and problem-solving with department leadership and stakeholders.

People Management

• Directly supervise, mentor, and coach graphic designers and other design staff assigned to the Publishing division, serving as their primary point of accountability for day-to-day work quality, professional development, and adherence to department standards.
• Manage timekeeping and time-off requests for all direct reports.
• Provide ongoing performance feedback and formal input for annual staff performance reviews; make recommendations regarding professional growth and compensation adjustments where applicable.
• Establish a positive standard for creative quality, professionalism, and work ethic within the team.
• Train and onboard new staff and partners on department processes, brand standards, and technical requirements.
• Partner with the Creative Director and Design Manager on staffing needs, workload distribution, and team capacity planning.

Project Oversight & Production

• Oversee and direct the delivery of assigned design projects from brief through final output, ensuring deadlines are met and quality standards are maintained.
• Work within established company and department processes and procedures; support the smooth functioning of schedules and assignments in partnership with the Design Manager.
• Exercise strong written and verbal communication skills in managing project status, stakeholder expectations, and cross-departmental coordination.
• Lead project teams as needed for execution of complex or high-priority deliverables.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner directly with the Creative Director, Design Manager, department heads, project managers, Print, Scheduling, and Production departments, and outside creators or licensors to guide development and execution of design work.
• Serve as backup to the Creative Director when requested; participate in broader department conversations, planning, and strategic initiatives as assigned.
• Stay current with emerging technologies, industry trends, and best practices; share knowledge with the team to support continuous improvement.

REQUIREMENTS

Required

• 7+ years of professional graphic design experience, including a minimum of 2 years at a senior level.
• Proficiency with macOS, Google Suite, Zoom and Adobe Creative Cloud applications.
• Strong communication, project oversight, and problem-solving skills.
• Demonstrated collaboration and cross-functional partnership skills.
• Experience mentoring, training, or leading design staff.
• Demonstrated leadership capabilities with ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced creative/production environment.
• Ability to multitask, adapt to changing technology, meet tight deadlines, and communicate feedback and concerns professionally.

Preferred

• 7+ years of experience within the Dark Horse Design department.
• Deep expertise in publication design for both Direct Market and Book Market channels.
• High-level familiarity with Dark Horse design and production processes, procedures, digital files, and technical environment.
• Understanding of website design and browser/platform differences.
• Knowledge and experience with multimedia: sound, lighting, video, photography, and digital motion.
• Spreadsheet proficiency.
• Knowledge of the comics industry, general pop culture, and specialty collector markets.