Art Director (Trial Engagement)

Art Director (Trial Engagement)
Overview of the Role
Let There Be is a science marketing agency that helps leading healthcare brands
communicate and visualize science in clear, ownable, regulatory-approved ways. Our work spans animation, motion graphics, illustration, and visual storytelling, translating complex scientific concepts into content that is both accurate and memorable. There is no established playbook for visualizing mechanisms of action, biology, or scientific breakthroughs for everyday consumers; our team is helping invent that language.
We are looking for a talented Art Director to shape and lead the visual execution of that work. You will work closely with our Creative Director to set the visual direction on assigned projects, and guide our Illustrators and 2D/3D Animators, and interns day to day — turning unique creative directions into remarkable ads and education videos.
This is a paid trial engagement. To find the right long-term fit for this role, we are bringing on an Art Director for a defined trial period rather than hiring directly into a permanent seat. If the trial goes well, we intend to transition the strongest-fit Art Director into an ongoing role.
Requirements
2D/3D Animation Experience: Strong 2D or 3D animation experience is required. Either discipline is acceptable, but animation must be a core strength of your background — not a secondary skill.
Animation Portfolio: A substantial portfolio focused on animation and video work is required. Graphic design or other non-video work alone is not sufficient to meet this requirement.
Healthcare/Commercial Experience: Experience with healthcare or commercial content is useful, but not required.
Location: Candidates must be based in North America. The role is fully remote, with availability for collaboration and review meetings during Eastern Time business hours expected throughout the trial.
Compensation & Hours
Rate: $55.00 - $83.00 CAD / hour based on country and experience (paid as contractor).
Trial Period: 2-4 months of active project work, with hours scaled to real project need during that window.
Workflow: You'll direct ongoing, live, new or recently wrapped projects alongside our artist/animator team, so we can evaluate real output rather than a hypothetical.
Location: Fully remote. Availability for collaboration and review meetings during Eastern Time business hours is expected throughout the trial.
Core Responsibilities
Visual Execution: Immerse yourself in project briefs, brand context, and scientific content; develop Art Styles, Concept Art, and Treatments that hold up under client and internal review.
Script Alignment: Work closely with the script writer throughout each project so messaging and visuals move together, not separately.
Creative Presentations: Walk internal and client stakeholders through creative work at key milestones, clearly and credibly.
Team Direction: Set day-to-day deadlines and deliverables with 2D Illustrators/Animators, 3D Illustrators/Animators, and interns; give hands-on feedback on style frames, animatics, and final renders.
Mentorship: Onboard new illustrators and animators, and help less experienced team members grow their craft and speed.
Creative Standards & Tools: Keep templates, style guides, and the shared Creative Direction folder current so the whole team works from the same playbook.
Production Support: Help plan and direct live-action shoots as needed, and coordinate external production partners or freelance crews when a project scales beyond the in-house team.
Emerging Tools: Experiment with AI tools for reference generation, storyboarding, and sometimes production. Flag where these tools can speed up or extend our standard workflows.
What We Are Looking For
Proven Experience: A vast portfolio showing both 2D and 3D work, with an eye for high-quality, modern visual storytelling.
Leadership & Feedback: Experience giving feedback and managing illustrators and animators, and turning creative direction into clear, actionable notes.
Craft: A track record of turning dense or technical (healthcare/scientific) content into clear, compelling visuals.
Communication & Remote Setup: A reliable remote working environment with high-speed internet and clear audio quality for virtual syncs.
Professional Reliability: Self-motivated, proactive communication, comfortable owning multiple projects at once under real deadlines.
Openness to AI-assisted workflows and emerging visual tools.

How We Will Start
We are hiring for this role through a structured, paid trial. Our first step will be reviewing your resume and experience. From there, we will follow up with any additional next steps needed to assess fit — this may include a short creative challenge or exercise — before moving on to an introductory call to learn more about your experience, leadership style, and availability.
From there, we'll bring on an Art Director for the trial period, directing real projects alongside our illustration and animation team. We'll evaluate fit based on creative quality, leadership, communication, and how well your process meshes with our team and clients.
At the end of the trial, we'll move forward with an Art Director who is the strongest overall fit, with the goal of transitioning that person into an ongoing role.

Work arrangement
Yes