Job description

Adirondack Studios (ADKS) is hiring a Creative Design Department Director with a track record of taking ownership and delivering!

Our company designs, builds, and installs scenic and themed environments you experience in venues that range from theme parks to casinos, museums, live shows, retail, and public art. We have been in business since 1975 and our work is seen around the world. This is rewarding work with a company that is recognized as a leading force in the Themed Entertainment industry.

As Adirondack Studios’ Creative Design Department Director, you will work directly under the Vice President of Design to ensure extraordinary designs are produced on-time and on-budget. These designs can range from narratives, sketches, renderings, drawing packages, all the way to fully developed 3D models. Throughout the design process, ADKS collaborates with subcontractors, business development personnel, ADKS technical and production departments, clients, and vendors in order to produce quality and engaging designs. This position includes planning and strategy within the department in order to assure project design deliverables are prepared in a timely manner and per the schedule as well as managing design department growth, staffing, budget and schedule requirements across all ADKS design projects.

Why Should You Apply?

Work with a world class, international entertainment design and fabrication company
Have the opportunity to develop and lead a growing team of designers to see your work being produced and implemented across the globe.
Guide a well establish company looking to expand our horizons in an ever growing and evolving market
Work in a fun, fast-paced, creative environment with an energetic team

Responsibilities:
A strategic thinker who can build relationships both internally with our staff and externally with our clients. Proactive and responsible, adaptable and eager to accept challenges, excellent communicator and a team player. Represent ADKS and its commitment to producing excellent product and service.
Strategic planning in the development, proposal, and completion of ADKS creative design scope. Working with ADKS project teams and creative department managers and staff on the successful completion of project plans and scope. Develop, manage, and track design project budgets and schedules for successful completion in conjunction with ADKS project teams. Ensuring highest level of creative quality within the project requirements.
Work with our worldwide client base, representing their interests while supporting the overall project and company goals. Fulfill customer needs by providing creative, thorough, accurate, and professional design presentations: renderings, models, narratives, sketches, schematics, design development drawings, maquettes, graphics, shop drawings, and as-built documentation
Represent the Creative Design Department in coordination and collaboration with other ADKS department heads.
Act as quality control in conjunction with ADKS project teams and art direction to assure that design and project deliverables meet appropriate standards established by ADKS and its clients.
Identify and hire staff for the Creative Design office in conjunction with design leadership. Oversee Creative Design department employees located across several office locations fostering a sense of unity including training of new skills, software, and/or process to better support ADKS clients and projects
Ensure team adheres to current processes, identifying opportunities for continuous improvement, proposing and creating processes and tools to support design operations.
Work with ADKS project management staff, art directors, design management and staff to develop and meet project needs and staffing requirements including scheduling, tracking, and phasing of work programs. Management of design department subcontractors including identification, vetting, and negotiation in support of required design service.
Provide support of project deliverables across the design cycle including concept, schematic, and detailed design phases. Supporting successful handoff of creative design packages to client-partners as well as production design and fabrication/installation personnel.
Collaborative role in the building of strong client relationships. Role is client facing in support of ADKS business development, project and design teams.
Role includes working in support of ADKS business development goals including assisting in the acquisition of new clients and markets, development of appropriate design approach and cost estimation, project and scope of service objectives with potential clients.
Strategy and planning in the successful completion of project scope and finding solutions to project challenges as they develop as it relates to the Creative Design department scope of work and how those deliverables are utilized within the company.
Foster a sense of unity, collaboration, and positivity within the ADKS design departments
Experience with relevant design software including Adobe creative suite and/or AutoCAD as well as familiarity utilizing digital 3d modelling programs (rhino, skp, and/or Revit preferred). Strong skills in MS office suite including word and excel is necessary. Ability to communicate visually via hand sketching is preferred
Role will require travel including support of design-sales, project meetings, design reviews and overall project needs.
Role will report to the Vice President of Design

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in fine art, Theater arts, Architecture, Experience Design, Industrial Design or similar design field or commensurate work experience. 4+ years working experience as a designer or design manager.
Previous management experience is required including but not limited to oversight and management of staffing, scheduling and budget in support of design and/or design-production
Experience with relevant design software including Adobe creative suite and/or AutoCAD as well as familiarity utilizing digital 3d modelling programs (rhino, skp, and/or Revit preferred). Familiarity in MS office suite including word and excel is necessary. Ability to communicate visually via hand sketching or similar is preferred
Strong organizational, planning and interpersonal skills
Strong creative vision with abilities to implement
Ability to work in a collaborative manner with clients as well as ADKS management and staff

Benefits include:
Paid Vacation
Participation in company medical, dental, and vision insurance plan, following 90 Days of employment
Participation in the company’s Long-Term Disability Insurance. This is at no cost to the employee
Participation in ADKS 401K plan following 90 days of continuous employment and then at open enrollment
Participation in the ADKS Profit Sharing Plan following 3 years of employment and then at open enrollment

Please submit: Resume, Portfolio (or website), Cover Letter, and three references when applying.

This position will be headquartered out of Argyle, New York (1 hour north of Albany and 30 minutes from Saratoga Springs).

Adirondack Studios is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified candidates will receive consideration for this full time, salaried position without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, mental or physical disability, genetic information, marital status, citizenship status, military status, protected veteran status or any other category protected by law.

We are sure you will find Adirondack Studios an amazing place to work and look forward to hearing from you.

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