Art Director

The Kitchen North America; Toronto; On-site; CAD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A creative agency in Toronto is seeking an experienced Art Director to lead a dynamic team in producing high-quality, innovative content across various platforms. The ideal candidate has over 3 years of experience, a strong portfolio showcasing groundbreaking work, and proficiency in Adobe Creative tools. This role involves collaboration, leadership, and the ability to manage multiple projects in a fast-paced environment. Be part of a team recognized for excellence in the advertising industry.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience as a Creative Designer or Art Director with a proven track record of leadership.
• Broad portfolio demonstrating innovative and social media work.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills – both written and verbal.

Responsibilities

• Lead the creative team and manage visual quality.
• Collaborate and brainstorm for innovative design ideas.
• Manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.

Skills

Art Direction

Innovative Design

Brand Design

Presentation Design

Collaboration

Leadership

Education

College or University diploma in Advertising, Graphic or Communication Design

Tools

Adobe Creative Cloud

Mac OS

SharePoint

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

PowerPoint or Keynote

Job description

The Kitchen brings together a range of disciplines and capabilities. It’s a team of creatives, producers, data analysts and social experts working together to deliver remarkable ideas that live in a variety of mediums, from everything from social to TV. This team moves at the speed of culture. It is built to respond to trends and events as they happen, coming up with the ideas that transcend social media to capture the spirit of the moment, earn media impressions, and get the country talking.

Are you ready to join an award‑ambitious team that’s making waves in the advertising industry? Our incredible team has been recognized internationally by industry giants like Cannes, One Show and was named Campaign’s Global ‘In‑House Agency of The Year’, further solidifying our position as a leader in the industry. Join us and be a part of something truly special – a team that’s dedicated to creating ground‑breaking work and pushing limits.

At The Kitchen, we’re not just looking for individuals who want to be a part of the advertising industry – we’re looking for trailblazers who are ready to lead the way to the next big thing! We want individuals who are passionate about producing award‑winning work and have an innate drive to their craft and are eager to generate innovative ideas both within and outside of the brief.

OVERVIEW

As the team’s Art Director, you’re a key contributor of ideas, and the visual leader of a creative team dedicated to producing high quality content. Your work will stand out on social platforms and in the real world, driving conversation and headlines. You’ll be a leader to a team of Social Creatives, and a partner to a Writer who (like you) wants to make clever, disruptive work for iconic brands.

You’ll partner with your team’s Creative Director, your writing partner and a team of Designers and Creators to innovate, and design ideas that break the norms and disrupt social media. When the Kitchen isn’t reacting to cultural moments, it’s making its own moments: planning 365 days of culture: acts, content, thumb‑stopping design, and interactions that breathe personality and life into amazing brands all year long.

You’ll need a strong understanding of the best‑practice design principles for Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, but you’ll also need to be comfortable breaking them with innovation that captures attention in new ways. Your experience in traditional mediums will help you raise the quality of work that we do and ensure we tell compelling stories. You’ll work at a pace that fits the dynamic needs of an agile agency, working quickly when needed to capture the moment, and taking the time to perfect ideas when the opportunity allows it. You’ll use your unique skillset and design eye to inspire others around you.

Your work will make a meaningful impact with a multi‑talented team in North America (Toronto & Chicago) that blurs the lines of what marketing can be in today's always‑on, socially connected marketing industry.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

• ART DIRECTION: You are an experienced design leader who manages others to a level of visual quality that meets your own high standards. You have experience elevating others’ work.
• INNOVATIVE & TRADITIONAL DESIGN: You work in a wide range of mediums ranging from traditional video and photo content, real world design (experiential) and social media content.
• BRAND DESIGN: You are the final voice in ensuring these brands have a consistent high‑quality look and feel across all mediums.
• IDEATION: Participates in and occasionally leads brainstorms with positive energy and big‑idea thinking – ability to think about how we can bring ideas to life visually, but also able to think broadly about big ideas and how they come to life. You understand how to spot a consumer or cultural tension point, and to find an idea that leans into it.
• PRESENTATION DESIGN: Manages a team to create compelling visual stories that bring ideas to life and gets hands‑on as required to design those presentation decks that sell through big ideas. Develops storyboards and presentation decks that help preview the creative ideas we want to make.
• LEADERSHIP: Manages the career and development of a team of Designers, including a direct report.
• COLLABORATION: Works as a part of a cross‑functional Design Team, and as part of a larger Creative Team.
• WORKFLOW MANAGEMENT: Can manage multiple priorities and assignments in a fast‑paced, active environment to deliver high quality work, on‑time and with accuracy. Knows how to delegate work and manage a team's capacity.

EXPERIENCE & SKILLS

• 3+ years of experience as a Creative Designer performing at an Art Director level, or experience as an Art Director with a proven track record of leading other designers and stewarding brands
• A broad portfolio that includes examples of work you have created yourself, as well managed a team to create alongside you
• Your portfolio should include examples of ground‑breaking, innovative work, and social media work that elevates the medium
• College or University diploma in Advertising, Graphic or Communication Design is preferred
• The ability to execute concepts at a level that is among the top tier in the industry
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills – both written and verbal
• Exposure to Art Direction, Photo Shoots, and UI/UX are an advantage
• Proficient using Mac OS, Adobe Creative Cloud (Expert knowledge of Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign), SharePoint, Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint (or Keynote)

The Kitchen, Kraft Heinz, and Salt are committed to Equal Employment Opportunity and to attracting and retaining the most qualified employees regardless of race, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender, age or disability.