Art Director

Job Type: Exempt

Reports to: Creative Director

Overview

Our Art Director is responsible for the idea concepting, photo art direction, visual design, and execution of creative campaigns across print, digital, social, and video channels. They bring advanced conceptual skills, a keen eye for visual detail, and a high level of craft to every deliverable, turning strategic insights into compelling campaigns.

The Art Director collaborates closely with Copywriters, Creative Leadership, Strategists, Project Managers, and Producers to bring un-ignorable work to market. They possess a strong conceptual skillset, visual aesthetic, a desire to push creative boundaries, and a collaborative spirit that helps elevate the agency’s work and culture.

Core Responsibilities

• Concept & Execute: Develop innovative creative concepts and visual directions across social, digital, broadcast, and print platforms that align with client brand strategies.
• Maintain Visual Consistency: Develop and adopt unique visual styles and tonal personalities that reflect individual client brands and guidelines.
• Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration: Partner effectively with Strategy, Brand Integration, Project Management, and Production teams to deliver high-quality work on schedule and within budget.
• Strategic Alignment: Ensure conceptual and visual solutions directly support established client goals, strategic objectives, and campaign briefs.
• Hands-on Execution: Build pixel-perfect assets from initial concepting through final mechanical design and production delivery.
• Trend Awareness: Stay up to date with contemporary advertising, visual trends, pop culture, and emerging media to keep agency work fresh and relevant.
• Presentation Skills: Organize and prepare presentation decks; confidently present ideas internally and participate in client presentations.
• Quality Assurance: Ensure all deliverables are error-free, visually polished, and aligned with agreed-upon concepts.
  

Professional Qualifications/Competencies

• Portfolio Required: A strong portfolio demonstrating creative concepting, high-craft visual aesthetic, and multi-channel campaign execution.
• Experience: 3–5 years of professional art direction or design experience in an advertising agency or fast-paced in-house marketing team.
• Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Graphic Design, Advertising Art Direction, or equivalent portfolio school training/professional experience.
• Software Mastery: Advanced proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Figma/XD).
• Motion/Video Skills: Proficiency or working knowledge of Premiere, After Effects, or 3D software is a strong plus.
• Tech-Forward: Eagerness to adopt new creative technologies and tools, including generative AI, to enhance workflow and visual exploration.
• Communication: Clear verbal and written communication skills for articulating design rationale internally and to clients.
• Adaptability: Openness to feedback, constructive critique, and iterative refining of work.
  

What we expect of each other

• Embrace our company values by seeing challenges as opportunities, welcoming diverse ideas and perspectives, creating new futures, and celebrating our successes.
• Build and maintain positive relationships with clients and colleagues.
• Accept direction openly and demonstrate a willingness to grow and learn.
• Take pride in our work by meeting deadlines and holding ourselves accountable.
• Bring a positive, solution-oriented attitude to the office each day.
• Mentor and support the growth of teammates who can benefit from our experience and perspective.
• Show interest in and contribute to the financial success of the agency, including understanding how our individual roles support Rise and Shine’s overall financial health.