Job DescriptionEquinox is seeking aCreative Director with a strategic point of view and strong foundation in art direction and design to help shape and evolve the creative expression of the brand.
Working closely with the VP of Creative, the Creative Director will serve as a strategic partner and creative leader, translating brand and business objectives into compelling ideas, breakthrough campaigns, and elevated experiences across every touchpoint.
The ideal candidate combines impeccable taste and conceptual thinking with strategic vision and strong leadership skills. They will inspire and elevate the creative team, champion brand excellence, and drive creative work from vision through execution-helping to define the next chapter of Equinox.
Responsibilities & Requirements
Including but not limited to the following:
Creative Vision & Strategic Leadership
- Partner closely with the VP of Creative as a trusted strategic partner to define and advance the overarching creative vision, brand positioning, campaign strategy, and long-term brand direction.
- Translate evolving business priorities, consumer insights, and cultural trends into compelling creative strategies and opportunities to innovate, differentiate, and elevate the Equinox experience.
- Lead the development of integrated creative concepts that strengthen brand equity, drive cultural relevance, and support business objectives.
- Help establish the creative priorities, standards, and strategic direction for the broader creative organization.
- Represent creative leadership in cross-functional conversations, bringing a strong point of view and the ability to influence decisions at a senior level.
Brand Stewardship & Visual Direction
- Own and champion the visual expression of Equinox, pushing creative boundaries while ensuring consistency, sophistication, and the integrity of the brand's premium positioning across all touchpoints.
- Guide the continued evolution of the brand's visual identity, balancing its established codes with progressive creative thinking.
- Set the standard for art direction, graphic design, photography, film, typography, and visual storytelling.
- Maintain a discerning eye across campaigns, digital platforms, social, content, experiential, environmental, and member-facing communications.
- Remain deeply connected to developments in fashion, design, art, photography, architecture, and culture, bringing fresh perspectives and inspiration into the creative process.
Campaign Development & Creative Execution
- Lead the strategic, conceptual, and visual development of integrated brand campaigns, initiatives, and experiences across multiple channels, from initial concept through final execution.
- Drive breakthrough creative thinking, ensuring ideas are original, culturally resonant, and rooted in a clear strategic purpose.
- Direct and elevate creative presentations, treatments, mood boards, and storytelling that clearly communicate a compelling vision.
- Provide high-level art direction for photography, film, and content production, partnering with internal teams and external creative talent to deliver exceptional work.
- Oversee creative production and post-production, ensuring the highest standards of craft and consistency.
- Balance visionary creative thinking with a pragmatic understanding of timelines, budgets, resources, and business priorities.
- Know when to empower the team and when to step directly into the work to elevate an idea or solve a creative challenge.
Team Leadership & Creative Culture
- Manage, inspire, and develop a multidisciplinary creative team, fostering a culture of ambitious thinking, collaboration, creative rigor, accountability, and continuous improvement.
- Provide clear creative direction, actionable feedback, and mentorship, empowering designers, art directors, and creative partners to take ownership of their work while maintaining a cohesive creative vision.
- Identify opportunities to evolve team capabilities, creative processes, and ways of working to support both creative excellence and operational efficiency.
- Partner with the VP of Creative on team development, organizational priorities, talent planning, and the long-term growth of the creative function.
- Cultivate strong relationships with external creative partners, agencies, photographers, directors, and emerging talent.
Cross-Functional Partnership & Business Impact
- Serve as a senior creative partner and trusted extension of the VP of Creative, independently leading key initiatives, stakeholder relationships, and creative decisions across Marketing, Brand, Digital, Social, Content, Product, and other cross-functional teams.
- Build alignment around creative strategies, ensuring teams understand both the vision and the business rationale behind the work.
- Confidently present and defend creative recommendations to senior leadership, using strategic reasoning and strong creative judgment.
- Help prioritize creative initiatives and allocate resources to maximize both brand impact and team effectiveness.
- Champion the value of creativity as a driver of brand differentiation, consumer engagement, and long-term business growth.
Qualifications- 10+ years experience in creative direction, art direction, brand design, or related disciplines, with demonstrated leadership experience.
- A strong foundation in graphic design and visual art direction, supported by an exceptional portfolio of conceptual, sophisticated, and culturally relevant creative work.
- Experience leading creative teams and developing integrated brand campaigns, ideally within luxury, fashion, lifestyle, beauty or other premium consumer brands.
- Proven ability to connect brand strategy and business objectives with compelling creative ideas and execution.
- Deep expertise in visual identity, design systems, photography, film, typography, and contemporary visual storytelling.
- Demonstrated experience directing high-profile campaigns and productions, including collaboration with leading photographers, directors, and creative partners.
- Strong leadership and mentorship skills, with the ability to inspire teams, develop talent, and build a culture of creative excellence.
- Exceptional communication, presentation, and stakeholder-management skills, including experience partnering with executive leadership.
- A highly developed aesthetic sensibility and a strong understanding of luxury positioning, cultural relevance, and brand differentiation.
- Ability to navigate ambiguity, balance competing priorities, and make confident creative decisions in a fast-paced environment.
- A strategic, entrepreneurial mindset combined with exceptional attention to detail and an uncompromising standard of creative quality.
Pay Transparency: $210 - $230k + annual bonus
Additional InformationAS A MEMBER OF THE EQUINOX TEAM YOU WILL RECEIVE:- We offer competitive salary, benefits, and industry leading commission opportunities for club employees
- Complimentary Club membership
- Perks and incentives with our products and services including Personal Training, Pilates, Spa and Shop
This job description is intended to describe the general requirements for the position. It is not a complete statement of duties, responsibilities, or requirements. Other duties not listed here may be assigned as necessary to ensure the proper operations of the department.
