Creative Director, Motion - The Heist

JobsCloseBy Editorial Insights

The Heist, Thinkingbox’s motion design arm, is seeking a hands-on Creative Director, Motion in Toronto to lead a nimble team delivering high impact 2D and 3D campaigns. You’ll own creative direction, storyboard and styleframe development, oversee assets from concept to delivery, and partner with clients on the project lifecycle while helping with budgeting and workflows. Bring 8+ years in motion design with at least 3 in leadership, mastery of Cinema 4D and Redshift, plus After Effects and the Adobe suite, and a strong eye for storytelling. Your portfolio should show varied marketing work and leadership. Apply with resume and portfolio links; due to volume, not all submissions are answered, but all are kept for future opportunities and The Heist values inclusivity.

---

Who We Are Hi! We’re The Heist, the production, post production and motion design arm of Thinkingbox, the brief to built agency. Our team brings together unique perspectives in production, design, technology, and creativity that push the boundaries for our clients to create work that is uniquely ours. We are a curious bunch that loves to think big, continuously learn, and create. We love our culture and the natural collaboration that happens in and around our five offices, from dog parties, to happy hour Thursdays, we maintain a vibrant work environment. However, for one month a year we encourage our people to explore the world. Try working from another office or even the beaches of Mexico and expand your worldview, then bring that experience back to the team.
The Opportunity The Heist is on the hunt for an exceptional, hands-on Creative Director, Motion, to join our team in Toronto. In this role, you’ll lead a tight-knit team of motion designers, crafting visually stunning 2D and 3D motion graphics and animation for high-impact marketing campaigns. Reporting to the Director of Animation, you will work on advertising projects for a diverse range of clients, ensuring each campaign’s creative vision aligns seamlessly with client goals. Your role includes hands-on creation, storyboarding, and collaboration with our animation team, as well as client-facing responsibilities.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Lead and inspire a nimble team of motion designers and guiding projects with a strong creative direction.
• Be hands on and demonstrate intention when needed, be it in design or animation.
• Develop clear storyboards and polished styleframes that convey the narrative and aesthetic of each campaign.
• Oversee and participate in creating campaign assets, including 2D and 3D animation, ensuring all work aligns with brand guidelines and art direction.
• Provide clear, actionable feedback to team members, fostering growth and maintaining the highest quality of work.
• Engage directly with clients, interpreting their needs and providing creative insights throughout the project lifecycle.
• Collaborate with the motion team to adopt new processes and workflows that meet the unique demands of each marketing campaign.
• Contribute to project budgeting and resource planning to ensure efficiency.

What You’ll Bring

• A portfolio showcasing a refined taste in motion design in 2D and 3D across varied marketing and campaign styles.
• A desire to further your skills driven by your own curiosity.
• 8+ years of experience in a motion design role, with 3+ years in a leadership or senior capacity.
• Strong proficiency in Cinema 4D and Redshift.
• Demonstrated ability to create clear storyboards and refined styleframes that align with campaign goals.
• Mastery of the Adobe Suite (After Effects, Premiere, Photoshop, Illustrator) and a thorough understanding of the animation pipeline.
• Strong design sensibilities, demonstrating the ability to merge aesthetic and technical skills.
• Working knowledge of XParticles, Marvelous Designer, and/or Houdini is a big plus.
• Working knowledge of Figma.
• Strong organizational skills, with a solution-oriented approach to creative and technical challenges.

What We Offer

• Opportunities to grow and evolve alongside a dynamic, passionate team.
• A chance to work on exciting, high-impact projects across a variety of industries and styles.

Equal OpportunityAt The Heist, we’re committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels valued, heard, and empowered to thrive. We believe that diversity is our creative strength – it's the range of perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds that fuels our best ideas and most innovative solutions. We welcome and encourage applicants of all races, ethnicities, genders, identities, abilities, ages, sexual orientations, and backgrounds to apply. Your voice matters here.
To Apply Thank you for your interest in joining our team. Please submit your resume along with links to your online portfolio as part of your application (if applicable). Due to the volume of applications we receive, we’re unable to respond to every submission. However, all applications are kept in our talent database and will be considered for future opportunities.