About Us

Sparks is a leading global brand experience agency, specializing in the design and execution of award-winning experiences that forge deep connections between brands and audiences. Recognized by Adweek as Experiential Agency of the Year, we bring a unique blend of strategic insight and execution excellence to every brand activation, corporate event, trade show exhibit, and immersive experience. Our commitment to creativity, innovation, and flawless execution drives us to craft impactful experiential marketing solutions that deepen relationships, inspire action, and build trust—all around the world.

Summary

The Associate Art Director provides visual direction and discipline leadership for projects of moderate complexity. Working under Creative Direction, they conceptualize and execute visual solutions that communicate client messages while exploring strategic concepts to shape overall design approaches. They manage multiple concurrent projects and may lead team members on specific assignments.

This position will support our Creative team. It is eligible to work a hybrid schedule based out of any of the following locations:

• Dallas, TX
• Philadelphia, PA
• Detroit, MI

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

• Leads and/or supports the creative direction for smaller-scale or defined segments of larger projects, working under the guidance of a Design Director or Creative Director
• Takes ownership of assigned initiatives to ensure design vision is effectively realized
• Actively contributes to the design process—conceptualizing, developing layouts, and producing final assets. Balances creativity with technical execution, often serving as a go-to resource for final production precision
• Offers support and feedback to junior designers, helping elevate their skills and fostering a collaborative, growth-oriented team environment
• Upholds visual consistency and brand alignment across assigned projects, reviewing and refining work to meet high creative standards
• Partners with internal teams—including designers, project managers, and client facing roles—to represent design objectives, align deliverables, and drive effective outcomes
• Approaches design challenges with practical solutions that enhance visual impact while maintaining strategic and production feasibility

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s Degree in Design or relevant field or equivalent experience
• 5-8 years of design experience
• Has expert knowledge and skills in relevant software applications and tools (Adobe Creative Suite - Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, PowerPoint, and Google slides and docs)
• Proven leadership capabilities, including project management experience and a track record of mentoring junior designers
• Ability to guide creative vision and lead cross-functional teams
• Actively and effectively managing timelines and deliverables of multiple projects simultaneously, some with short turnaround times
• Ability to communicate clearly, thoroughly and succinctly both verbally and in written form; Can clearly articulate an idea or design and the reason(s) behind it

Travel Requirements

What We Offer

Freeman provides benefits that aim to empower our people and their families to thrive mentally, physically, and financially.  These are a handful of the types of programs and benefits our full-time people may be eligible for.  There may be some variances in specific benefits across regions.

• Medical, Dental, Vision Insurance
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Paid Parental Leave
• Life, Accident and Disability
• Retirement with Company Match
• Paid Time Off

Diversity Commitment

At Freeman, our commitment to diversity and inclusion is helping us to create not only a great place to work, but also an environment where our employees, our customers and our communities around the world can reach their goals and connect with each other. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, veteran status and other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

#LI-Hybrid