Senior Art Director, Motion/CGI

The Creative team at AKQA applies artistry and craftsmanship to strategic insight, bringing to life beautiful and technologically innovative ideas that move the world. From diverse backgrounds and disciplines, our creatives are innately curious and strive to transform client challenges into groundbreaking, design-led solutions.

As a Senior Art Director in our Amsterdam studio, you will play a key role in crafting visually striking concepts and executions across CGI, motion design, and interactive media. With a strong foundation in art direction and production craft, you will collaborate with specialised CGI artists and cross-disciplinary teams to create cinematic, technically precise, and emotionally resonant work.

From large-scale digital platforms and motion-led brand systems to experimental storytelling powered by emerging tools, you will help push the boundaries of digital creativity — delivering world-class craft while contributing to strong conceptual foundations.

You will report to the Creative Director and work closely with Design and Production leads to bring ideas to life at the highest standard.

ROLE REQUIREMENTS

• Develop and deliver high-quality creative work that blends art direction, design craft, and innovative use of technology.

• Establish & lead art direction across CGI and motion projects, supporting the creative vision set by senior leadership.

• Collaborate with specialised CGI artists across animation, modelling, rigging, lighting, and compositing to ensure quality and cohesion.

• Apply strong craft knowledge across CGI workflows, including modelling, lighting, animatics, grading, and retouching.

• Explore and contribute to AI-assisted workflows (e.g., ComfyUI, open-source models, LoRa training, Google partnerships) to enhance creative exploration and production efficiency.

• Provide hands-on support in compositing, grading, and finishing projects to elevate final outputs.

• Contribute strong conceptual thinking, ensuring ideas are strategically grounded and visually compelling.

• Work within advanced production workflows such as EXR and ACES, maintaining colour accuracy and consistency.

• Present creative ideas clearly and confidently to internal teams and clients.

• Demonstrate proficiency in editing (Adobe Premiere, After Effects), motion retouching (DaVinci), and emerging AI generation tools.

QUALITIES AND CHARACTERISTICS

• Proven experience as a Senior Art Director or in a comparable art/design role with strong conceptual and executional capability.

• A portfolio demonstrating high-level craft across CGI, motion graphics, and digital storytelling.

• Strong foundation in art direction and motion design, with solid understanding of CGI production pipelines from modelling to post-production.

• Hands-on craft expertise in compositing, grading, retouching, and finishing.

• Curiosity and practical experience with AI production tools, understanding their strengths and creative applications.

• Strong eye for visual storytelling and design excellence.

• Collaborative mindset, comfortable working within multidisciplinary teams.

• Confident communicator able to articulate creative rationale and executional approach.

• Motivated to grow toward greater creative leadership responsibility over time.

Explore our extensive range of benefits here.

We believe great work happens when we're together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection. That's why we’ve adopted a hybrid approach including required in-office days. If you require accommodations or flexibility, please discuss this with the hiring team during the interview process.

AKQA is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without discrimination or regard to particular characteristics. We are committed to fostering a culture of respect in which everyone feels they belong and has the same opportunities to progress in their careers.