Associate Design Director (On-Site)

Who are we?

MATTE is a 360° creative studio at the convergence of hype, storytelling and design. We bring people together to inspire new ways of engaging, to provoke long term progress, and to entertain audiences around the world, while helping forward-thinking brands and institutions nimbly and truly do the same. Our studio capabilities range from strategic ideation and insights, creative development, branding and identity, experiential, web design and development, campaigns and content creation, all the way through full-scale production and execution.

About this role: 

MATTE is seeking an Associate Design Director who is equal parts conceptual creative and hands-on designer, someone who can develop big ideas and execute them with craft, precision, and taste. This role is a hybrid of Art Direction and Design: you will shape visual direction, design across mediums, and elevate the work through thoughtful storytelling and culture-forward thinking.

The ideal candidate is multidisciplinary, brand fluent, culturally tuned-in, and comfortable moving fluidly between concepting, designing, presenting, and being on set. You will collaborate across Strategy, Creative, Design, and Production to craft boundary-pushing work for MATTE and our brand partners.

This role reports into the Design Director. Responsibilities include:

• Lead concept development for campaigns, brand identity, content, and experiential work.
• Drive visual storytelling and establish the look + feel across all creative expressions.
• Execute high-level design work across digital, print, motion, and spatial mediums.
• Balance hands-on design with overarching creative direction.
• Partner with Creative Directors and Strategy to translate insights into impactful creative.
• Present ideas and visual systems directly to clients, refining work based on feedback.
  Guide and mentor designers, elevating craft and pushing conceptual thinking.
• Work closely with producers and be present on set to ensure visual continuity and quality.
• Stay ahead of cultural trends, design innovation, and emerging technologies to push the work forward.

• 8–9+ years of experience in design and art direction within creative agencies, studios, or production environments.
• A portfolio that demonstrates exceptional branding and campaign work, with clear evidence of concept leadership and refined execution.
• Strong ability to develop and scale visual systems across multiple touchpoints.
• Deep cultural fluency and a sharp design POV, with an instinct for what’s relevant now—and what’s next.
• Experience leading projects, mentoring designers, and collaborating cross-functionally at a senior level.
• On-set experience working with directors, photographers, and production teams.
• Advanced proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite; motion, 3D, or emerging-tech fluency is a plus.
• Confident, collaborative, and decisive—able to lead creatively while remaining flexible and solutions-oriented in a fast-paced environment.
• Fluent in Figma and Cinema4D
• This job is located in New York, and is in office Monday-Thursday, Fridays work remote.

Salary Range: $145,000-165,000/year based on experience

Benefits include:

• Full Medical, Dental, and Vision coverage
• 401k with a 4% company contribution max match 
• Fully covered yearly Citibike membership 
• Talkspace membership 
• Competitive PTO package
• End of Year Recharge paid time off
• Sabbatical Program option after three years of employment with us
• Parental Leave for all new parents

Everyone is welcome at MATTE - we’re passionate about building a team that reflects the diversity of our community and creating an environment where our differences are celebrated. MATTE provides equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. In addition, MATTE will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities.