Art Director – Disney Television Animation

Job Position(s): Art Director - Disney Television Animation

Disney is hiring an Art Director for Disney Television Animation, based out of their Glendale, CA studio. This role sits at the center of the visual development pipeline, overseeing the design team and driving style consistency across every episode of an animated series from title card to end credits. It suits an experienced animation production artist who has led crews before and knows how to hold a visual identity together across a full season.

About the Role

Disney Television Animation has been producing kids and family content for over 40 years, working across traditional 2D, rig-based 2D, CG, and stop-motion formats. The Art Director works directly with the Executive Producer and director team to set and maintain the episodic look of a series, managing design output while coordinating with vendor animation studios on asset delivery. A typical day moves between giving notes on color design, reviewing storyboard pitches for complexity flags, and keeping the design schedule aligned with production deadlines.

Key Responsibilities

• Oversee the assembly and approval of the main model pack distributed to the assigned vendor animation studio for use as the production reference standard.
• Lead the Art Review, Black and White Line Art Review, and Color Art Review processes through to Executive approval, with follow-up reviews as the style evolves across seasons.
• Manage the full design team including Designers, Background Painters, and Color Designers, assigning work and monitoring schedules to maintain visual consistency throughout episodic television production.
• Read scripts and outlines, attend storyboard pitches and animatic reviews, and flag design count or complexity issues before they become production problems.
• Partner with the Producer, Line Producer, and Production Supervisor to build schedules and manage casting assignments across the production pipeline.
• Work with Technical Directors to ensure color-correct and technically accurate deliveries meet the requirements of the animation studio pipeline.

What You Bring

• Five to seven years of experience in artistic animation production, with team leadership experience preferred.
• Hands-on experience working directly with vendor animation studios on asset launches and episodic design delivery.
• Proficiency in Photoshop, Illustrator, and Harmony, with working knowledge of 3D technology where applicable.
• A broad knowledge of artistic styles across animation production formats, from 2D rigged pipelines to CG preschool and premium productions.
• Strong style guide creation skills and comfort communicating daily with both internal departments and external partner studios.

Why This Role

Disney Television Animation is one of the few studios producing original animated content at this scale across this many formats simultaneously, which means the Art Director role here carries real range and variety in the work. The studio matches talent to productions based on artistic style, so there is genuine consideration given to fit rather than just availability. Applications submitted to this posting remain valid through December 31, 2026, as Disney may consider candidates for any Art Director positions that open during that period.

Apply now for the Art Director position at Disney Television Animation and bring your animation production leadership to one of the most established studios in the business.