Senior Art Director

At Walk West, the Senior Art Director role’s quest to discover the next big idea is endless. They will partner with the Senior Copywriter and will fearlessly create beside one another. They need to chase curiosity, inspire change, and dig deep into the ‘why’. Creativity at Walk West means telling compelling stories, crafting thoughtful designs, and developing meaningful solutions.

The Senior Art Director will create and manage the overall design and visual style for websites, ad campaigns, magazines/newspapers/publications, photoshoots, and video productions. They will set the general artistic tone, using imagery and aesthetics to bring concepts, campaigns, and branding to life. They direct other designers and art directors to develop artwork and various layouts per project, overseeing the project from inception to completion. This management includes staying on budget, on time, and on strategy.

The role should inspire and be inspired by others to take our creative efforts to the next level. They should have a natural eye for design and a passion for delivering dynamic ideas that connect with any audience. Collaboration and creative problem solving are key to this position, as you will help grow Walk West’s

Creative team, working hand-in-hand with our full agency.

Responsibilities

• Work with entire team on a creative audit to elevate innovation and establish a unified brand understanding and company voice
• Conceptualize campaign vision, harnessing original graphics, copy, website content, social media, and other marketing materials
• Participate in creative briefs based on ideas from brainstorming sessions, with direction, schedules, and deliverables for the creative team
• Delegate projects to in-house designers and oversee overall creative process
• Obtain team approval of final layouts, storyboards, and illustrations; encourage members to provide feedback; and respond to internal commentary and requests
• Oversee presentation of final concepts and coordinate production and dissemination for cross-organizational use
• Work collaboratively across agency teams
• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications

• At least 6 years of experience in the creative and design industry, marketing, agency, or combination 
• Partner with Senior Copywriter to create inspiring and compelling work
• Participate in the process of hiring, training, resourcing, and mentoring staff
• Establish Creative department standards for online and offline production, productivity, and quality
• Ensure team adheres to current processes, identifies opportunities for improvement, and proposes and creates processes and tools to support design operations
• Collaborate with marketing and sales divisions in creating marketing plans and aligning team priorities with business objectives so that high-quality work is delivered on time and on budget
• Develop presentation approaches, styles, and techniques for the team
• Be in the know about current creative and market trends
• Strong creative and design portfolio, highlighting expertise in all areas
• Exceptional knowledge of and experience with Adobe Creative Cloud Suite, specifically XD, Illustrator, and Photoshop
• Organizational ability to manage multiple clients and simultaneously 
• Strong ability to present design decisions clearly and effectively, both internally and externally to clients
• Solid work ethic and personal accountability

This role will work on our hybrid schedule. Currently Walk West works in our office in Durham, NC on Thursdays. Therefore, this role is open exclusively to local candidates at present moment.

Walk West