Art Director

VARSITY SPIRIT, A VARSITY BRANDS COMPANY - THE DRIVING FORCE IN SPIRIT ACROSS CHEER, DANCE, BAND AND YEARBOOK

For over 50 years, Varsity Spirit has been the leading global source for all things spirit, including cheerleading, dance team, performing arts and yearbook. Focused on safety, entertainment and traditional school leadership, Varsity Spirit’s 5,000+ employees are dedicated to celebrating school spirit. A leader in apparel innovation, educational camps, clinics, competitions, and yearbook, Varsity Spirit impacts more than a million athletes each year.

OUR COMMITMENT TO SAFETY

At Varsity Spirit, the safety and wellbeing of the young people we serve is of the utmost importance. Since our inception 50 years ago, we have been – and remain – steadfastly committed to doing our part to create a safe and positive environment for our participants’ physical, emotional, and social development, and promoting an environment free from abuse and misconduct. Varsity has a zero tolerance for abuse in its programs, events, and associated business activities. Varsity is committed to reporting all suspicions, allegations, and incidents of abuse in full accordance with local laws and reporting requirements. Learn more at Our Commitment to Safety - Varsity.com.

WORK TYPE: Onsite

LOCATION DETAILS: Indianapolis, IN

TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS: There is approximately 10% travel required for this position.

HOW YOU WILL MAKE AN IMPACT

The Art Director serves as a visual force behind Varsity Yearbook’s marketing and customer-facing creative. This role helps shape the look and feel of the brand across digital, print, packaging, campaigns and experiences. As a key member of the creative team, the Art Director plays a significant role in developing and executing visual concepts that are fresh, strategic and on-brand.

Reporting to the Director of Brand, Campaigns and Customer Engagement, the Art Director collaborates closely with marketers, writers, designers and product teams to bring ideas to life and ensure every piece of creativity reinforces our brand identity. From major product launches and national campaigns to sales resources and customer materials, these individual touches every project and leads with a deep understanding of design craft and storytelling.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Visual & Brand Leadership

• Define and evolve the Varsity Yearbook visual identity across all formats and channels.
• Develop brand-aligned creative concepts and executions for marketing campaigns, product launches, events and more.
• Maintain consistency in design, typography, color and visual standards across all deliverables.
• Function as a brand guardian, ensuring all creativity reflects the quality, energy and tone of Varsity Yearbook

Creative Execution & Project Involvement

• Lead the design process from concept to final execution for high-visibility campaigns and materials.
• Collaborate with writers, marketing leads, and other stakeholders to translate strategic goals into compelling visual solutions.
• Contribute to the development of customer-facing digital and print materials, including emails, social media, brochures, signage, product interfaces, and training tools.
• Review and refine work produced by other designers and external partners to maintain quality and brand alignment.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner closely with product marketing, field marketing, and content teams to support integrated campaigns and launches.
• Contribute to brainstorming and creative planning sessions across the marketing team.
• Provide design expertise and support across departments, including sales and operations, as needed.

Creative Process & Improvement

• Help evolve and improve design workflows, asset organization, and project intake.
• Stay current on design trends, tools, and techniques to continuously elevate the creative standard.
• Support the mentoring and development of junior designers or freelancers as needed.

Customer Collaboration & Workshop Support

• Engage directly with yearbook advisers and student staff through design critiques, providing expert feedback to elevate their work.
• Represent the brand and creative team in local and regional customer workshops, supporting direct learning and inspiration.
• Serve as a creative mentor during in-person and virtual training events, helping customers improve their design skills and understanding of visual storytelling.
• Collaborate with the marketing and customer experience teams to ensure customer-facing design support aligns with brand standards and product capabilities.

QUALIFICATIONS

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

• Deep understanding of design principles, typography, layout, and storytelling
• Expert proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign); familiarity with Figma or similar tools a plus
• Excellent mindfulness and ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Collaborative spirit with a high standard for quality and creativity
• Excellent diligence and ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Collaborative spirit with a high standard for quality and creativity

Education/Experience

• Yearbook experience a plus – whether as student, adviser or similar
• Bachelor’s degree in graphic design, Visual Communication, or related field
• 5–7 years of experience in design or art direction, preferably in an in-house or agency setting
• Strong portfolio highlighting brand systems, campaign creative, and multi-format design execution
• Experience in education, youth media, publishing, or ed-tech is a plus

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

The physical demands that are described as required are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Most of the time, you will work in an office or studio space, where you will be seated at a desk in front of a computer. The environment is usually quiet, focused, and organized, with team members collaborating on their individual or shared projects.
• Yearbook companies often have open-plan office environments or meeting rooms where brainstorming sessions, team collaborations, and client meetings occur. These spaces might have whiteboards, large monitors for presentations, or areas where visual ideas are pinned up for quick feedback.
• While the physical demands of an Art Director in a yearbook company are minimal compared to some other creative fields, there are still elements of strain, especially related to long hours at a desk and the stress of managing deadlines. Taking care of your physical health by paying attention to ergonomics, staying active, and managing stress levels is crucial to thrive in this role.

#LI-PC1

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities required of the employee for this job.

JOIN THE BEST TEAM IN SPORT & SPIRIT

At Varsity Brands, we believe every student deserves the opportunity to succeed and every educator wants to make a difference. It takes a team to make a real impact, and through our two divisions – BSN SPORTS and Varsity Spirit – and our network of 6,000+ employees and independent representatives, we are proud to partner with a wide range of educational institutions and club and professional sports to transform the student journey in SPORT and SPIRIT.

OUR VALUES

Service - We lead with heart. We champion community.

Passion - We love what we do. It fuels our purpose.

Integrity - We do what we promise. We own our actions and decisions.

Respect - We earn it by giving it. Because everyone deserves it.

Innovation - We never stop striving to be better. For ourselves and our community.

Transparency - We are committed to openness and honesty in everything we do.

OUR BENEFITS

We are committed to putting you and your families first. For benefits eligible roles, we offer a variety of choices and costs as well as program enhancements that align with our responsibility to elevate the employee experience. Some of our offerings include:

• Comprehensive Health Care Benefits
• HSA Employer Contribution/ FSA Opportunities
• Wellbeing Program
• 401(k) plan with company matching
• Company paid Life, AD&D, and Short-Term Disability
• Generous My Time Off & Paid Holidays
• Varsity Brands Ownership Program
• Employee Resource Groups
• St. Jude Partnership & Volunteer Opportunities
• Employee Perks including discounts on personal apparel and equipment!

Varsity Brands companies are equal opportunity employers. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran’s status, age or disability.