Motion Design Director

The Role

You are an exceptional motion designer, an inspiring team leader, and someone who believes in the power of movement to bring brands to life.

You combine ambitious creative thinking with exceptional craft and a natural ability to inspire those around you. You're deeply hands-on, confident guiding others, and passionate about developing motion identities that are as thoughtful as they are distinctive.

As Motion Design Director in our Los Angeles studio, you'll lead and develop our motion design team, working closely with Creative Directors to bring ambitious brand ideas to life through motion. You'll champion exceptional motion craft, strengthen and evolve our motion capabilities, and help build a team that produces outstanding work.

This is an opportunity to make a meaningful impact on the quality of our motion work, our people's development, and the continued growth of motion as a creative discipline within the studio.

Your Responsibilities

1. Lead, mentor, and inspire a team of motion designers, creating an environment where exceptional craft, experimentation, and creative growth can thrive.

2. Partner closely with Creative Directors to translate overarching creative concepts into distinctive motion identities, principles, and systems.

3. Help develop and strengthen our motion offering in Los Angeles, identifying opportunities to expand our capabilities, improve our craft, and bring new approaches to the work.

4. Remain deeply hands-on, designing and directing exceptional motion work while providing thoughtful feedback and creative guidance to the wider motion team.

5. Champion motion as an integral part of brand identity, collaborating with Design, Strategy, and Digital teams to bring a motion perspective into the creative process early.

6. Set a high standard for motion craft and execution, ensuring work is conceptually strong, beautifully executed, and consistent with the broader creative vision.

7. Collaborate with internal teams and external creative partners, providing direction and guidance across animation, 3D, and other motion disciplines to deliver cohesive, high-quality work.

8. Develop and articulate compelling motion principles and creative narratives, presenting motion concepts and decisions to clients in partnership with Creative Directors.

9. Bring a forward-thinking perspective on emerging technologies, including 3D, generative AI, and new creative tools, and explore how they can strengthen our capabilities and expand creative possibilities.

10. Support the motion team's growth and development through regular feedback, mentorship, and opportunities to build confidence, creative judgment, and technical expertise.

11. Take ownership of the quality and delivery of motion work, working closely with the wider team to manage priorities, resources, and timelines while maintaining a strong commitment to craft.

12. Contribute actively to the culture and creative ambition of our Culver City studio, bringing curiosity, generosity, and enthusiasm for making exceptional work together.

About You

• You have extensive motion design experience, with a standout portfolio of brand identities, motion systems, and creative work that demonstrates exceptional conceptual thinking and craft.

• You're an experienced team leader who inspires, mentors, and develops motion designers while fostering a collaborative, ambitious creative culture.

• You have a deep understanding of branding and can translate creative concepts into distinctive motion identities, balancing big ideas with thoughtful execution.

• You're highly proficient in After Effects, with strong working knowledge of 3D workflows, Figma, and emerging creative technologies, including generative AI.

• You're a confident communicator and collaborator, comfortable presenting work to clients, partnering with Creative Directors, and guiding internal and external creative teams.

• You're excited to help shape and strengthen our motion offering in Los Angeles and are willing to work from our Culver City studio four days a week.

Our Responsibilities

1. We will ensure you have meaningful and regular access to your manager to support your personal development and career trajectory.

2. We will actively reward performance with promotions, pay increases, and a discretionary annual bonus of up to 10% of salary to all employees.

3. We ensure Koto is an equal environment for all its employees.

4. We will support you in taking family leave and offer significant paid maternity and paternity.

5. We actively encourage you to take 25 vacation days per year, plus US national holidays (on average 10) and a studio closure between Christmas and New Year.

6. We offer a 401(k) plan you can contribute to, and Koto matches up to 4%.

7. We provide a monthly $ 105 employee wellness benefits package through Juno.

8. We offer YCN access and fund relevant training opportunities for any employee looking to develop themselves and their career.

9. We reward five years of service with $5,000 and five days' holiday. We reward ten years of service with $10,000 and four weeks' holiday.

10. We will give you the opportunity to work from any of the five Koto studios globally, with appropriate planning and application.

Our Culture

• At Koto, we encourage our team to be ‘rationally optimistic’ about the potential of our work, our clients, their businesses, and the power of brand.

• We pursue the best briefs, want to inspire meaningful work, and, for those interested, provide an opportunity to make the work of their lives. We are actively cultivating leadership, culture, and spaces to encourage this.

• We work in person with an optional WFH day on Friday and an additional 2 weeks of remote work per year. We believe this produces the best work, mentoring opportunities, collective learning, and culture.

• We encourage autonomy, allowing team members to manage their time, hours, and personal commitments to complete their work.