Art Director, Performance

About Upstart: At Upstart, the mission is to radically reduce the cost and complexity of borrowing for all Americans by leveraging creativity, experimentation, and advanced AI to reshape access to credit. The company partners with banks and credit unions to expand access to affordable credit through technology that uses over 3,000 signals to make smarter, fairer decisions for millions of customers. Upstart operates as a digital-first company with flexibility for employees to work remotely or from offices in Columbus, Austin, the Bay Area, or New York City. The Team: The Brand & Creative team at Upstart shapes the brand's voice, personality, and emotional connection with borrowers and partners. The team works within Growth, designing and creating impactful content across all channels, from digital discovery surfaces to campaigns and brand systems. Role - Art Director, Performance: You will create high-impact creative across Paid Social channels including Meta, TikTok, Google, and emerging platforms. Collaborating closely with Marketing and Creative teams, and external agencies, you will develop best-in-class work for evergreen and influencer programs. Your work will combine performance insights, channel best practices, and brand expertise to drive Upstart's future growth. Responsibilities: — Lead the creative vision and execution across Paid Social channels, ensuring design excellence, platform relevance, and brand consistency. — Stay informed on performance and testing results to generate creative hypotheses, inform future assets, and develop new creative tests. — Partner cross-functionally and with external agencies to concept, design, and deliver evergreen and influencer creative that drives measurable results. — Strengthen creative systems and workflows to improve speed, scalability, consistency, and output as channels evolve. — Apply generative AI throughout the creative process to accelerate ideation and asset development while maintaining strong creative judgment and oversight. Minimum Qualifications: — 7+ years of experience in art direction, design, or related creative discipline. — Portfolio demonstrating excellence in leading and executing high-impact performance creative across paid social channels. — Strong knowledge of channel-specific creative best practices, using performance data and structured testing to inform creative decisions and optimization. — Expert-level proficiency in design software including Adobe Creative Suite and Figma, with experience using AI-assisted design tools and workflows. — Bachelor's degree in Design, Visual Communications, or related field, or equivalent practical experience. Preferred Qualifications: — Ability to organize and lead multiple projects and priorities in a fast-paced environment. — Skilled in collaborating with cross-functional partners and managing external agency or vendor relationships. — Ability to clearly articulate creative decisions and recommendations to both creative and non-creative stakeholders. — Ability to translate business and performance goals into compelling creative strategies and concepts. — Knowledge of copy development and how messaging supports creative concepts and executions. Position Location: Remote, with team operating on East/West coast time zones. Majority of work can be accomplished remotely, with encouragement to participate in in-person sessions once or twice per quarter. Compensation and Benefits: — Anticipated base salary range: $138,000 to $182,000 USD per year, depending on geographic location, skills, experience, and education. — Additional compensation includes target bonuses, equity compensation, and generous benefits packages including medical, dental, vision, and 401k. — Benefits include competitive compensation, retirement benefits with company match, employee stock purchase plan (US only), comprehensive health coverage, health savings account contributions (US only), income protection benefits, paid time off and family leave, family-centered benefits, employee assistance program, financial wellness resources, wellness and productivity allowances, community events, and onsite perks at offices. Equal Opportunity: Upstart is committed to inclusive and fair hiring practices and provides reasonable accommodations during the hiring process upon request. To apply, visit: https://weworkremotely.com/remote-jobs/upstart-art-director-performance