Full-Time
Art Director
Motion, The Heist
Thinkingbox
51-200 employees
Global creative agency producing brand videos
Compensation Overview
CA$120k - CA$150k/yr
Toronto, ON, Canada
Hybrid
Fridays remote optional; in-office Monday-Thursday.
 Art, Graphics & Animation (1) |
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- A stunning portfolio demonstrating strong art direction in motion across multiple styles and platforms.
- 7+ years of experience in motion design or animation, with at least 1-2 years in a senior or leadership role.
- Strong background in visual storytelling, typography, color theory, and design principles.
- Expertise in Cinema 4D, Redshift, and Adobe Creative Suite (After Effects, Illustrator, Photoshop, Premiere).
- Familiarity with Houdini, XParticles, Marvelous Designer, or Substance Painter is a bonus.
- Excellent communication skills – both visual and verbal.
- Ability to manage timelines, provide mentorship, and balance hands-on work with strategic thinking.
- A deep passion for craft and a desire to push what’s possible in motion.
- Lead concept development and the realization of creative direction for motion projects.
- Create styleframes and storyboards that define tone, motion language, and aesthetic.
- Oversee/guide and participate in the execution of 3D/2D motion graphics, ensuring quality and cohesion.
- Collaborate with creative directors, producers, and designers to shape campaign narratives.
- Give thoughtful and actionable feedback that elevates the work.
- Direct small to mid-size teams of animators and designers across various projects.
- Contribute to pitch decks, treatments, and new business efforts when needed.
- Stay ahead of industry trends, tools, and techniques to continuously elevate our creative output.
Thinkingbox is a global creative collective that produces high-quality digital content to help brands tell their stories. It offers services in video production, animations, and digital media across North America and other regions through localized content. It partners with brands to develop and execute campaigns from concept through post-production, earning revenue from project-based work and ongoing collaborations. Its approach combines scalable end-to-end storytelling with localized content to help brands build recognition, engagement, and growth.
Company Size
51-200
Company Stage
N/A
Total Funding
N/A
Headquarters
Vancouver, Canada
Founded
2009
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See people who can refer or advise you
Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- 2026 Tinder Canada work shows Thinkingbox still wins culturally relevant consumer campaigns.
- Corey Hankey's 2024 COO role should tighten operations and client retention.
- Alex Panousis as chief growth officer strengthens new-business capture across North America.
What critics are saying
- Creative services face commoditization as clients shift spend to in-house teams.
- Dependency on marquee accounts like Adobe and Riot Games creates renewal concentration risk.
- If growth stalls, Thinkingbox's acquired-office model becomes an integration drag across markets.
What makes Thinkingbox unique
- Thinkingbox spans six offices and combines production, strategy, and technology.
- Corey Hankey became COO in 2024, signaling disciplined multi-office delivery.
- Its roster includes Adobe, Chobani, Intuit, Riot Games, and Magic: The Gathering.
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Benefits
Hybrid Work Options
Flexible Work Hours
Paid Vacation
Paid Sick Leave
Health Insurance
Company News
LOS ANGELES, April 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Heist, a Thinkingbox company known for pushing the boundaries of brand storytelling through animation, motion, and live-action, today announced a significant expansion with key creative and production hires from The Mill. The move includes the opening of a new Chicago office to support the continued growth of The Heist and its parent company, Thinkingbox.Leading the expansion is Patrick Coleman, who joins The Heist as Executive Creative Director. Patrick brings an award-winning portfolio and a team of long-time collaborators from The Mill, marking one of the most significant team transitions in the design and animation space in recent years. He will oversee creative operations across North America, with a primary base in Chicago."I'm beyond excited to join the Heist family," said Coleman. "It's an incredible opportunity to bring along so many talented friends to strengthen an already thriving studio and help elevate it even further. The creativity, warmth, and 'can-do' attitude truly resonate with me—I'm thrilled to see what we do together!"Also joining from The Mill are Blake Nickle, now Director of Production, Chicago, and Jason Esser, Creative Director at Thinkingbox
To bring more of an AI-first mindset to the role, Clark joins from Thinkingbox, where she worked for nearly a decade, serving as managing partner, focusing on operations and production.
Today, Thinkingbox, the experience agency shaping the future of brands through craft and curiosity, announces Corey Hankey as its first-ever chief operating officer (COO).
Creative experience agency Thinkingbox has tapped Alex Panousis to take on the role of chief growth officer within the collective.