Creative - Art Director
5 days ago
New York
Job Description Creative Director Location: New York, NY (Hybrid – 4 Days On-Site) Salary: $70,000 annually Department: Creative / Content / Brand Innovation Reports to: Head of Original Content, Digital Growth Lead Employment Type: Full-Time About the Role HOT 97 and WBLS are seeking a culture-driven Creative Director to lead the visual evolution of two of the most influential brands in music, media, and New York culture. This role is responsible for shaping, guiding, and executing creative across radio, digital platforms, social media, FAST TV, live events, and experiential marketing—ensuring the brands remain culturally resonant while evolving for modern, multiplatform audiences. As Creative Director, you will set creative direction, design high-impact visuals, and collaborate closely with programming, on-air talent, production, marketing, and digital teams. You’ll balance hands-on creative execution with high-level vision, helping translate legacy brands into bold, future-facing visual systems. This position follows a hybrid work model, with four days per week required on-site at our Manhattan headquarters. Why You’ll Love This Role • Lead Iconic Brands: Define and elevate the visual identity of HOT 97 and WBLS—cornerstones of Hip-Hop, R&B, and urban culture., • Culture at the Core: Your work will live at the intersection of music, media, and real-time cultural moments., • Creative Ownership: Own visual direction across platforms—from social and broadcast to FAST TV and live events., • Massive Reach: Your creative will be seen by millions of listeners, viewers, and fans nationwide. Creative & Visual Direction • Lead the evolution of HOT 97 and WBLS visual identities across all platforms, • Define creative direction for campaigns, programming, and brand initiatives, • Ensure consistency and excellence across digital, broadcast, social, and experiential creative Oversee and design creative supporting station and talent-led programming, including: • Mornings with Mero, • Nessa On Air, • Funk Flex programming and freestyles, • DJ Camilo mixes, • Weekend specialty programming, • Interview series and talent-led content, • Podcast visuals and episode packaging, • YouTube thumbnails and channel branding, • Instagram and TikTok graphics, • Web editorial visuals, • Promotional templates Lead creative direction and visual standards for HOT 97 TV and FAST channel programming, including: • Lower thirds and chyron systems, • Show title cards, • Promotional graphics and brand toolkits Experiential & Event Creative Lead creative development for major events and activations, including: • Summer Jam, • Circle of Sisters, • Concerts and station events, • Sponsor activations and branded integrations Drive creative across marketing and content initiatives, including: • Artist interview and content launches, • Seasonal and tentpole programming campaigns, • Cultural moments and heritage storytelling, • Sponsorship and partner integrations, • Set and execute creative direction across platforms, • Design and approve campaign key art, • Maintain brand systems and visual consistency, • Lead talent-driven branding and show identities, • Develop scalable design templates and toolkits, • Create sponsorship-ready layouts and creative systems, • Support merchandise and brand extension concepts, • Build presentation decks for executives and partners You are: • Deeply embedded in music, culture, and visual storytelling, • Fluent in social-first, digital creative leadership, • Comfortable leading creative across multiple platforms and formats, • Hip-Hop visual language and cultural aesthetics, • Urban lifestyle branding, • Broadcast and FAST channel packaging workflows, • Youth audience and internet culture trends, • Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop & Illustrator required), • Strong typography and visual system design, • Social-first creative workflows, • After Effects and motion design, • Figma for collaborative design systems, • 3D design or animation, • UI / web design experience, • Media or entertainment, • Music platforms or labels, • Broadcast environments, • Digital publishing, • Campaign creative, • Brand systems and visual direction, • Social and digital storytelling visuals, • Show and talent branding You’ll help define creative supporting: • HOT 97 programming, • WBLS programming, • Summer Jam and signature events, • FAST channel visual systems, • Talent-driven and original content, • Sponsor and brand partner campaigns, • Next-generation multicultural storytelling Together, these platforms reach millions of listeners, viewers, and fans across radio, digital, streaming, and live experiences each year.