Art Director

A major theme park owner and operator.

Location

China

Report to

Senior Director

Job Summary

He/she will be responsible for the managing and directing the successful creative interpretation of the Resort product (Theme Parks, Water Parks & Hotels) from design through to attraction opening, ensuring at each stage the product is approved and delivered to the agreed creative vision, brief, quality, brand DNA, project budget and schedule.

Responsibilities

• Work with the Creative team and partners to help complete the detailed design & specifications for the new China Projects.
• A key part of the role is based on site at the assigned Site in China, working with the team to art direct all guest experience aspects of the agreed component through to completion.
• Proactively suggest and obtain agreement regarding alternative & additional design solutions, including value engineering and RFIs, whilst preserving highest standards of guest experience and creative intent.
• Support other design & project team members through proactive & clear communication, feedback and collaboration.
• Ensure all creative design is developed within the parameters of schedule, quality and budget, including discussions with relevant partners to agree any adjustments & exceptions.
• Ensure all learnings from previous projects & resorts (physical and process) are incorporated to prevent mistakes from reoccurring, whilst also improving the guest and operational experience.
• Ensure detailed design & execution of all aspects of the guest experience is compliant with agreed creative intent and also the brand guidelines, (including proportions, scaling, brick and character representation, colours, finish, tone of voice, etc).
• Develop effective relationships with Project Managers, Design Managers, Operations Team, Partnership team, as well as internal teams.

Requirements

• Strong creative, with proven experience at proactively leading successful projects and teams. In depth knowledge/experience of Hotels, Water Parks, and/or Theme Park Attractions design; including Architecture, Theming, Rides, Storytelling, Internal & External Area development design & delivery experience.
• Thorough understanding of and ability to creatively direct a range of suppliers from concept through to delivery; including 3D theming, models & props, scripts, AV and special effects, visualisers and graphic artists, architects and interior design, ride manufacturers and associated systems, show control, as well as acting and writing talent.
• Strong creative designer, capable of self-generating bespoke visual output, sketches, drawings, and supporting text/documents for both the briefing and recording of information.
• Experience of working with IPs and delivering to their exacting requirements and managing accordingly to ensure brand compliance, and in doing so, being trusted to work in accordance with strict confidentially and non-disclosure agreements
• Ability to influence at all levels; This role is all about being a team player working across multiple disciplines, within international and local teams, and with the skills to ensure the efficient and accurate interpretation of the designs into the final product and experiences.
• Impeccable communication ability, whether with peers or senior directors, and capable of flexing style accordingly.
• It is essential for all candidates to have skills in English (in spoken and written forms) and fluent in Chinese (Mandarin).