Art Director

 

Description:

The Canadian Premier League (CPL) is seeking a highly skilled and forward-thinking Art Director to lead the evolution of the League’s visual brand identity and craft compelling, high-impact creative across multiple platforms. Reporting to the Director, Creative & Brand, you will play a pivotal role in shaping the League’s design language, elevating brand storytelling, and ensuring a cohesive and innovative visual identity across all touchpoints.

 

From overseeing large-scale branding initiatives to designing for social media, you will be at the forefront of CPL’s creative efforts. Your expertise will define the look and feel of our league and inspire soccer fans across Canada. If you live and breathe sports culture, branding, and design, thrive in a fast-paced environment, and are passionate about creating work that resonates with fans, players, and partners, this is the role for you.

 

It's an especially exciting moment for soccer with the 2026 World Cup approaching. The CPL is Canada's Tier 1 domestic professional men's league and also operates Canadian Soccer Business, the commercial entity powering Canadian soccer:

 

• https://www.canpl.ca
• https://cansb.ca

 

Brand Identity and Visual Direction:

 

• Develop and maintain CPL, League1 Canada, and Canadian Soccer Business visual brand identity, ensuring consistency and innovation across all marketing assets.

• Maintain comprehensive brand guidelines, including typography, colour palettes, iconography, and graphics standards.

• Lead the visual direction for major league initiatives, including seasonal campaigns, partnerships, sponsorships, and team branding.

 

Creative & Content Design:

 

• Design high-quality graphics for marketing campaigns, social media, sponsorships, merchandise, web assets, presentations, and in-venue experiences.

• Develop advertising assets across broadcast media, digital, social, and print.

• Conceptualize and execute engaging content that connects with fans, from motion graphics and infographics to matchday visuals and hype videos.

 

Stadium & Event Branding:

 

• Design branding materials for stadium experiences, matchday activations, and league events.

• Develop signage, banners, ticketing elements, and environmental graphics to bring the CPL brand to life in physical spaces.

 

Collaboration & Leadership:

 

• Work closely with the Director, Creative & Brand, marketing team, commercial business teams, soccer operations, clubs, and external partners to develop and execute impactful creative strategies.

• Mentor and guide designers, ensuring high-quality, consistent work across the team.

• Present and articulate design concepts to stakeholders with clarity and confidence.

 

 

Qualifications:

 

• 10+ years of experience in graphic design, branding, or art direction, preferably in sports, entertainment, or live events.

• Strong portfolio showcasing branding, broadcast, digital, social, and experiential design work in a sport of a fan-driven industry.

• Expert proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign – After Effects is a bonus).

• Deep understanding of sports culture, fan engagement, and emerging design trends in the industry.

• Ability to work in a dynamic, fast-moving environment while managing multiple projects.

• Excellent communication skills.

• A strategic thinker with a passion for pushing creative boundaries and generating impactful, innovative ideas.

• Exceptionally detail-oriented with the ability to execute high-quality work under tight deadlines.

• Strong problem-solving skills, with the flexibility to adapt and pivot quickly in a dynamic environment.

• Collaborative team player who thrives in cross-functional environments.