Senior Art Director

Create Group; Dubai; On-site; AED 240,000 - 360,000; Full time

Job summary

CREATE Group in Dubai is seeking a conceptually strong Senior Art Director to lead creative development and visual storytelling for a landmark island destination that is still being built.

Based at our Dubai studio, you will originate social-first ideas, direct the production team, art-direct on-island shoots, and craft a distinctive editorial visual language that moves beyond traditional luxury real estate marketing.

Qualifications

• 8–10+ years in senior creative roles.
• Portfolio includes real estate or destination campaigns.
• Strong command of identity, typography, photography, film and motion.
• Experience directing designers, editors and filmmakers.

Responsibilities

• Lead social creative direction, translating an established brand platform into a distinctive, recognisable editorial visual language.
• Originate social-first ideas with Copy, Strategy and Social that build fame, relevance and anticipation, going beyond content calendars and predictable property storytelling.
• Own the quality of creative output, challenging generic luxury imagery, weak storytelling and unnecessary effects.
• Direct the production team with clear briefs, treatments, references and storyboards.
• Art-direct original on-island photography and film from January, building a reusable visual library rather than development documentation.
• Direct the identity kit and launch grid ahead of the channel launch, and develop content for handovers and milestones.
• Use audience and performance insight to strengthen the work without losing the long-term ambition.

Skills

Creative leadership

Social-first campaigns

Brand storytelling

Art direction

Job description

CREATE Group (https://creategroup.me/) connects brave and ambitious regional storytellers with their communities. Awarded Campaign Magazine's Digital Agency and Independent Creative Agency, and one of Adweek's fastest growing creative agencies globally, our work spans social, enterprise web platforms, and apps - always backed by data, culture, and content that moves people.

We're looking for a conceptually strong Senior Art Director to lead creative development and visual storytelling for the social channels of one of Dubai's most iconic and ambitious destinations: a landmark island community that is still being built, and needs to make the world care before it opens.

Based at our Dubai studio, with on-island art direction on capture days. You'll report to our Creative leadership and art-direct a graphic designer, an editor and animator, and a content creator.

This is not an Art Director role about executing supplied ideas or keeping a beautiful feed running. You'll originate social-first ideas and build a visual world that looks and behaves differently from conventional luxury real estate marketing.

What You'll Do

• Lead social creative direction, translating an established brand platform into a distinctive, recognisable editorial visual language
• Originate social-first ideas with Copy, Strategy and Social that build fame, relevance and anticipation, going beyond content calendars and predictable property storytelling
• Own the quality of creative output, challenging generic luxury imagery, weak storytelling and unnecessary effects
• Direct the production team with clear briefs, treatments, references and storyboards
• Art-direct original on-island photography and film from January, building a reusable visual library rather than development documentation
• Direct the identity kit and launch grid ahead of the channel launch, and develop content for handovers and milestones
• Use audience and performance insight to strengthen the work without losing the long-term ambition

What We're Looking For

• 8 to 10+ years in creative roles at leading creative, integrated, digital or social-first agencies, with substantial Senior Art Director experience
• A portfolio that includes real estate, property or destination campaigns alongside luxury, premium lifestyle, hospitality, fashion, automotive or architecture work. We want to see how you made desirability, not just showed it
• Social-first campaigns and platforms that you originated, not traditional advertising ideas adapted for social
• Proven brand-building work: one idea that became an identifiable visual world across formats and touchpoints
• Expert command of identity, typography, photography, film, design and motion
• Experience art-directing photography and film from treatment and storyboard through to post-production
• Experience leading and directing designers, editors, animators and filmmakers, while remaining hands-on
• Confidence presenting ideas to senior clients and defending them with clear rationale
• UAE or GCC experience preferred but not essential

What Success Looks Like

• A strong, recognisable social visual identity is established before launch
• Original ideas are delivered throughout the programme, not only at launch
• The designer, animator and creator are well directed and produce consistently strong work
• The client recognises the strength and distinctiveness of the creative
• First-round submissions land well and avoidable rework drops

We think without borders, so that everyone can belong.

Apply now if you're ready to build the visual identity of a destination. Include your CV and a portfolio link showing the work you personally originated.