Art Director

About Campus Ink & The NIL Store

Campus Ink is a prominent collegiate apparel brand specializing in licensed merchandise and athlete partnerships, rooted in education. Committed to boosting student earning potential, Campus Ink trains students in design, marketing, and sales through its exceptional design program. Meanwhile, The NIL Store empowers student-athletes by helping them build their brand and increase revenue through merchandise sales.

Position Overview

We are seeking a proficient, hands-on Art Director to manage the artwork production for our apparel and merchandise collections. This role balances direct creative work with team leadership, overseeing design execution and production-ready artwork that reaches fans and athletes nationwide. The Art Director will collaborate with accounts and production teams to run day-to-day artwork operations, lead designers and illustrators, and establish efficient workflows to maintain high-quality creative output.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage apparel design from initial concept through production, ensuring alignment with brand guidelines and manufacturing standards.
• Oversee graphic design development across product lines to guarantee consistent visual quality and craftsmanship in final production files.
• Support the design-to-tech-pack process for jerseys and private label products in partnership with executives and manufacturers to ensure design fidelity and product excellence.
• Lead and mentor a team of designers and illustrators, delegating projects strategically, managing workloads, and providing constructive feedback.
• Maintain and enhance the creative workflow, optimizing intake, revisions, approvals, and production handoffs to reduce delays and improve turnaround times.
• Implement rigorous quality control on all artwork before it proceeds to production, preventing errors.
• Coordinate cross-functionally with business development and account management teams to align creative schedules with partner and licensing deadlines.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design, Apparel Design, or related field preferred, but strong portfolio may substitute.
• Expertise in apparel design, including knowledge of screen printing, embroidery, and digital decoration techniques.
• Minimum of 5 years in art direction or senior design roles with at least 1-2 years leading creative teams.
• Portfolio demonstrating production-ready designs for apparel, merchandise, or licensed products.
• Proficiency with Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator) and experience preparing print and embroidery production files.
• Strong project management capabilities to handle multiple projects and stringent deadlines effectively.
• Excellent communication skills with an emphasis on delivering clear creative feedback to team members.
• Highly self-motivated, organized, and detail-conscious.
• Must reside in Chicagoland area and be available onsite at least three days per week.

Benefits

• 401(k) matching program
• Paid time off
• Paid training opportunities
• Health, dental, vision, and life insurance coverage

Additional Information

Start date is immediate upon hiring. Campus Ink values diversity and equal opportunity and encourages an inclusive atmosphere for all employees.

Why Work With Us

Join our creative, innovative, and collaborative environment with competitive compensation, professional development paths, and the unique opportunity to contribute to the future of NIL and licensed merchandise industries.