Art Director

ITP Media Group; Dubai; On-site; AED 180,000 - 300,000; Full time

Job summary

ITP Media Group is seeking an Art Director to lead the visual identity and design across print, digital, social, video, and experiential formats. You will develop compelling visual concepts, shape brand identities, and translate ideas into high-quality creative work that resonates with regional audiences.

Collaborate with editors to craft cover concepts and signature franchises, manage design systems, and ensure bilingual RTL outputs.

Qualifications

• 5–10+ years of editorial/brand art direction experience.
• Landmark covers/features and cross-platform systems experience.
• Typography mastery and strong grid systems.
• Advanced Adobe Creative Cloud and motion tools knowledge.
• Strong collaboration and stakeholder management.

Responsibilities

• Own and maintain brand style guides and design systems across print and digital.
• Partner with Editor‑in‑Chief on cover concepts and franchises.
• Lead issue design from planning to final files for a monthly print cadence.
• Oversee digital design for feature templates, social, and newsletters.
• Build shoot treatments, lighting, styling to brand standards.
• Maintain talent roster and source regional/international creatives.
• Set motion guidelines for video opens and graphic packages.

Skills

Editorial art direction

Typography

Brand design

Design systems

Adobe CC

Figma

Motion design

Photography direction

Stakeholder management

Cross-platform design

Tools

Adobe Photoshop

Adobe InDesign

Adobe Illustrator

Lightroom

Capture One

After Effects

Premiere Pro

Figma

Job description

Overview

ITP Media Group is hiring an Art Director to lead the visual identity and design execution of across multiple platforms and media. The role involves developing compelling visual concepts, shaping brand identities, and translating ideas into impactful, high-quality creative work across print, digital, social, video, and experiential formats. across print, digital, social, video, audio, and live experiences. The Art Director will drive the visual agenda, translate editorial ideas into striking, culturally resonant design, and uphold world‑class standards while building a distinct regional aesthetic.

Key Responsibilities:

• Own and maintain brand style guides, design systems, and component libraries for print and digital; ensure consistent application across English and Arabic outputs (RTL considerations, bilingual typography).
• Partner with the Editor‑in‑Chief on cover concepts, tentpole packages, and signature franchises; champion visual excellence and originality.
• Lead issue design from flat - plan to final files: pacing, visual hierarchy, typography, image selection, and layout craft for a monthly print cadence.
• Oversee digital design for feature templates, social franchises, newsletter layouts, and article packaging on .com; ensure responsive, accessible, and on‑brand execution.
• Build shoot treatments and storyboards; lighting, styling, and composition meet brand standards.
• Maintain a best‑in‑class roster of regional and international visual talent; source fresh voices and experimental approaches.
• Set motion guidelines for video opens, lower thirds, kinetic type, and graphic packages; partner with video leads on story packaging and color grading.
• Create social‑first visual systems (Reels/Shorts, carousels, Stories, TikTok) that translate the brands refinement into high‑impact, platform‑native design.
• Oversee podcast identity systems (cover art, episode templates, waveform/video art) and live/experiential branding for talks, salons, and exhibitions.
• Partner with commercial, priva agency, and partnerships teams on branded content and special projects within licensor guidelines.
• Present creative to internal stakeholders and clients with clarity and conviction; adapt feedback without compromising craft.
• Implement efficient workflows, file architectures, store and label clearly in our DAM (digital asset management) system for images, layouts, and motion assets.
• Maintain rights and clearances documentation for imagery, artwork, fonts, and music; coordinate with legal/standards when needed.
• Foster an inclusive, experimentation‑friendly culture that prioritizes craft, originality, and regional representation.
• Run portfolio reviews and contribute to talent scouting across the region.
• Track global design trends, print/digital craft, emerging tools (e.g., Figma components, generative/assistive AI, color pipelines), and apply learnings judiciously.
• Pursues visual benchmarks, showcases, exhibitions—that raise ITP Media MENA’s profile and influence.

Qualifications

• Around 5–10+ years of experience in editorial/brand art direction with a portfolio of landmark covers/features and cross‑platform systems (print, web, social, motion).
• Mastery of typography and grid systems along with fluency in photographic direction, image editing, and art production.
• Advanced proficiency in Adobe Creative Cloud (InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, Lightroom), Capture One; working knowledge of After Effects/Premiere or equivalent motion tools; Figma or similar for digital systems.
• Strong prepress knowledge (color management, retouch supervision, proofing, press checks) and digital accessibility best practices.
• Experience commissioning and directing photographers/illustrators; robust network in MENA and internationally.
• Exceptional collaboration, presentation, and stakeholder management skills; calm under pressure, detail‑obsessed, deadline‑reliable.