Art Director at Fender in Los Angeles, CA

Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (“FMIC”), an American icon born in Southern California, is a global leader in musical instrument manufacturing, marketing, and distribution. Fender is more than an instrument; it’s a cultural symbol that resonates worldwide. Our mission is to accompany each player at every stage of their musical journey with products and brand experiences that fuel their pursuit of musical expression. Within Fender Global Marketing we are building a global community of active players, artists & influencers across all our core physical and digital products and channels. We are seeking an experienced and talented Art Director to join our Creative team in Los Angeles, CA. This role is responsible for defining the visual style and overseeing the execution and development of all campaign assets for our product launches across channels, working with an external roster of agencies and freelancers. The role combines strategic thinking with polished execution, creating engaging customer facing experiences that shape the overall identity of the Fender brand. It requires knowledge of visual design trends; engineering and development processes; oversight of external teams including agencies, studios, production companies, vendors and freelancers; and exceptional communication skills. The ideal candidate is an expert in today’s digital landscape and is passionate about being an empathetic manifestation of the needs of our users. Given the accelerating diversity of artists and players who use Fender gear, the ideal candidate will also be comfortable taking the lead in helping Fender expand its brand voice to reach & engage a growing, more diverse audience of players, artists & influencers over time and across multiple media touch-points & multiple genres from Latin, R&B, Hip-Hop, Soul and Worship to Rock, Pop, and New/Alternative. Key Responsibilities: Creative Strategy & Execution: In conjunction with the Creative Team, development creative strategy in collaboration with the Integrated Marketing, Social Media, Artist Marketing and Digital Marketing teams. External Partner Management: Identify, onboard, and manage the day-to-day operations of external partners including agencies, design studios, production companies, photographers, and freelancers. Campaign Development: Conceptualize, design, and execute culturally relevant campaigns across digital, social, and video platforms, with a focus on digitally native content. Project Management: Oversee multiple projects simultaneously, from quick-turn photo and video productions with our own studio team to on-location shoots. Brand Expansion: Contribute to the global, multi-cultural expansion and authenticity of the Fender brand, ensuring our creative output resonates with a diverse audience across various genres. Creative Development: Make decisions that reinforce and elevate the Fender brand, creating engaging customer-facing experiences that shape the overall identity of Fender. Qualifications: Experience: 5+ years as a digital designer or Art Director, with strong social and digital competency. Portfolio: Exceptional portfolio showcasing, visual design, and photo/video art direction and experience working on set and in studio. Expertise and fundamental understanding of the intricacies and opportunities of designing for different digital platforms Skills: Proven ability to pitch and execute strong campaign concepts across diverse audiences and media. Experience in multi-cultural environments and with multi-cultural brands is a plus. A team player who thrives in a collaborative environment and who is just as at home ideating on a white board as getting in the trenches to do the production work necessary to bring a product to market. Technical Expertise: Mastery of tools such as Figma, Canva, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, After Effects, Illustrator, Premiere), Keynote and familiarity with current technologies. Communication: Strong written, oral, and visual communication skills. Must be open to and eager to execute on cross-functional feedback in the interest of delivering comprehensive solutions. Project Management: Experience managing a roster of external partners and handling high-growth, fast-paced environments. Education: Bachelor’s degree in Art, Fine Arts, or Design. Additional Skills: Broad hybrid skill set in design, ideation, photography, and motion graphics. Experience as a musician a plus Previous work experience in an entertainment or media company nice to have Self-starter who works well independently About Fender Musical Instruments: Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC) is one of the world’s leading musical instrument manufacturers, marketers and distributors, whose portfolio of brands includes Fender®, Squier®, Gretsch®, Jackson®, EVH®, Charvel® and Groove Tubes®, among others. For more information, visit www.fender.com. FMIC offers a competitive benefits package which includes medical, dental, 401(k), paid time off, and an equipment purchase program to help you get the band back together. Fender Musical Instruments Corporation is an equal opportunity employer and considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, gender, age, color, religion, disability, veterans’ status, sexual orientation, or any other protected factor. Fender is required by law in certain jurisdictions to include a pay scale in the job posting for this position.  “Pay scale” means the salary or hourly wage range that Fender reasonably expects to pay for this position; it is neither a promise nor a guarantee of the compensation that the successful candidate will receive.  The pay scale for this position takes into account the wide range of factors that Fender considers in making compensation decisions, including, without limitation: skill set, experience, and training, licensure and certifications, and other business and organizational needs.  If this is a remote position, the pay scale disclosed herein may be adjusted further based upon the applicable geographic differential associated with the location from which the successful candidate will work.  Please note that it is not typical for a Fender employee to be at or near the top of the pay scale for their role – especially as a new hire – and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case.  Subject to the foregoing, the current pay scale for this position is $100,000 - $120,000