Creative Director at aofl

Company Overview: Age of Learning® is the leading developer of engaging and effective Pre-K through 5th grade learning resources that help children build a strong foundation for academic success and a lifelong love of learning. The company’s research-based curriculum, developed by education experts, includes the award-winning programs ABCmouse.com® Early Learning Academy and Adventure Academy™, as well as the adaptive, personalized school solutions, My Math Academy®, My Reading Academy®, and My Reading Academy Español. Having served over 50 million children worldwide, Age of Learning is a global leader in efforts to advance equity, access, and opportunity for all children. To learn more about Age of Learning, visit www.AgeofLearning.com. Summary: The Creative Director will own the experience system for ABCmouse, our flagship product—defining how visual design, game mechanics, and educational outcomes come together to create engaging, effective learning for young children. This role shapes the experience of millions of kids by designing cohesive worlds, motivating game loops, and progression systems that make learning feel playful, rewarding, and meaningful. You will lead creative direction across art, UI/UX, animation, and game design, while guiding core gameplay systems such as progression, rewards, and meta-mechanics. Partnering closely with curriculum, research, product, and engineering, you will ensure that every creative and gameplay decision supports learning goals, usability, and long-term engagement at scale Responsibilities: • Define and own the creative vision, tone, and style for ABCmouse across all experiences and features. • Lead the end-to-end creative direction for gameplay, UI/UX, visual design, animation, characters, and worldbuilding. • Ensure a cohesive, high-quality learning experience by integrating art, design, curriculum, and user experience into a unified product vision. • Drive the design of engaging play patterns across digital pet interactions, exploration features, rewards, and educational activities. • Partner closely with product, engineering, and research to translate strategy and learning objectives into delightful, developmentally appropriate interactive experiences. • Oversee creative development from concept through production, guiding prototyping, iteration, and polish. • Mentor and lead multidisciplinary creative teams, including design, art, animation, and curriculum. • Provide clear, actionable creative feedback that elevates work quality and aligns teams around the vision. • Establish and maintain a high bar for craft, including interaction quality, animation fidelity, usability for young children, and emotional resonance. • Apply observational research, usability studies, and data insights to refine and evolve experiences while staying true to the creative vision • Collaborate on long-term content and feature roadmaps, ensuring new additions extend the world in meaningful, engaging ways. • Champion the child’s experience and developmental needs in every design decision. • Foster a culture of creativity, curiosity, and thoughtful experimentation across the team. Minimum Qualifications: • Proven experience leading creative direction for mobile or casual games, with a strong portfolio of polished, high-quality interactive experiences. • Deep understanding of mobile gameplay loops, progression systems and player motivation. • Demonstrated ability to lead and inspire multidisciplinary teams, including game designers, artists, animators, and UX/UI designers. • Proven ability to collaborate effectively with Product and Engineering and Research partners • Strong capability in crafting cohesive product experiences, ensuring gameplay, visual design, UI/UX, animation, and sound all work together seamlessly. • Exceptional communication and storytelling skills, able to articulate vision clearly and align cross-functional partners. • High standards for craft and usability, with a sharp eye for detail, interaction quality, and overall product polish. • Comfort using data, user insights, and iterative testing to refine creative decisions and elevate player experience • A portfolio demonstrating creative excellence, strong craft, and thoughtful product or gameplay design • Systems-level thinking across visuals, interactions, and gameplay Preferred Qualifications: • Experience with early childhood, educational products, or learning-focused platforms • Experience working on long-lived, large-scale consumer products Why You’ll Love Working Here ·        Mission-driven work focused on helping children learn and grow ·        High-impact ownership of our most important and widely used product ·        Opportunity to shape the long-term creative direction of a beloved learning platform This role is ideal for a seasoned creative leader who thrives at the intersection of visuals, UX/UI, and game or feature design, and who enjoys partnering cross-functionally to build meaningful, learner-centered product experiences. Total Compensation: The estimated salary range for a new hire in this position is $180,000 to $240,000 USD, depending on factors such as knowledge, skills, experience, and location. This position is also eligible for an annual discretionary bonus based on overall company performance and individual contributions. Age of Learning currently provides:  • 90% of employee health and welfare benefits premiums & 65% of dependent benefits premiums  • A 401(k) program with employer match  • 15 paid vacation days (increases to 20 days on your 3rd anniversary), 12 observed national paid holidays, 9 sick days, and 16 paid volunteer hours per year  • Our flexible work culture means 2 or more days in the office (hybrid) or 100% fully remote options available for most positions Security Advisory At Age of Learning, we prioritize a safe recruitment process. Communication will come solely from official Age of Learning email addresses, @aofl.com, or our verified LinkedIn Recruiter accounts — be cautious of deviations. We will never request sensitive personal information during the early application stages. Interviews are conducted via phone, in person, or Zoom — never through messaging apps. Job offers are communicated verbally and followed by written documentation via Docusign. Any requests for personal information will occur through secure channels only. An Equal Opportunity Employer Age of Learning, Inc. (the “Company”) is committed to a policy of Equal Employment Opportunity and will not discriminate against an applicant or employee on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, national origin or ancestry, sex, gender expression, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy, veteran or military status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, domestic partner status, genetic information, or any other legally-recognized protected basis under federal, state, or local laws, regulations, or ordinances. Age of Learning, Inc. (the “Company”) will consider qualified applicants with criminal histories pursuant to EEOC requirements and state applicable laws, e.g. New York City Fair Chance Act. Employee/Applicant Privacy Notice