Senior Art Director

Operatic Agency; Hamilton; Hybrid; CAD 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Life insurance

Disability insurance

Mental health support

Hybrid flexibility

Job summary

Operatic Agency in Hamilton, Ontario, is seeking a Senior Art Director to lead strategy, ideation, and design with a focus on websites and digital experiences.

You will collaborate with account leads, writers, designers, videographers, developers, and project managers to deliver thoughtful, effective work for clients while advancing UX/UI and accessibility standards.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in a marketing, creative or digital agency environment.
• Strong portfolio demonstrating strategic thinking, conceptual ideation, and high-quality execution across multiple formats.
• Experience leading end-to-end website design, from strategy and UX through development and launch.
• Expertise in information architecture, responsive interface design, accessibility, and user-centered design.
• Advanced proficiency in Figma, creating scalable design systems and developer-ready design files.
• Strong knowledge of development workflows and CMS platforms that inform design decisions.
• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign).
• Demonstrated experience using AI to improve efficiency and quality of creative workflows.

Responsibilities

• Own the creative direction and execution of projects across websites, campaigns, branding, video, print, OOH, digital advertising, and email.
• Contribute to project strategy by defining audience experience and creative opportunities.
• Translate briefs, research, and brand strategies into compelling concepts and design systems.
• Develop moodboards, storyboards, prototypes, and other planning materials.
• Lead end-to-end website design from discovery to launch.
• Build scalable, component-forward Figma systems and collaborate with developers.

Skills

Portfolio development

UX/UI design

Creative direction

Communication

Mentorship

AI-enabled design

Problem solving

Education

Graphic design degree or diploma

Tools

Figma

Adobe Photoshop

Adobe Illustrator

Adobe InDesign

CMS platforms

AI design tools

Job description

Operatic Agency isn’t just another creative digital agency—we're a powerhouse of research, strategy, storytelling, and technology that fuels business growth. Named one of Canada’s fastest-growing companies for six years, we bring brands closer to their audiences with bold ideas and cutting-edge executions.

If you’re passionate about transforming ideas into impactful narratives, thrive in a dynamic, fast-paced environment, and are eager to make a difference, we want you on our team!

About the Role:

We’re seeking a highly skilled and seasoned Senior Art Director to join our ambitious and talented creative team.

You’re a holistic creative thinker who can contribute meaningfully to strategy, conceptual ideation, and design, confidently owning projects from brief through final delivery. While the role spans integrated campaigns, branding, and content, it has a strong emphasis on website strategy, UX/UI design, and digital experiences.

You will work closely with account leads, writers, designers, videographers, developers, media managers, and project managers to deliver thoughtful, effective work for our clients.

What You’ll Do:

• Own the creative direction and execution of projects across websites, campaigns, branding, video, print, OOH, digital advertising, and email.
• Contribute to project strategy by helping define the audience experience and creative opportunity, and best approach to solving the client’s challenge.
• Translate briefs, research, and brand strategies into compelling creative concepts and design systems.
• Develop moodboards, storyboards, prototypes, and other materials needed to communicate and plan creative work.
• Challenge briefs and proposed solutions when a stronger approach could produce a better outcome for the client or audience.
• Lead end-to-end website design from discovery, UX, and wireframes through launch.
• Design accessible, conversion-focused digital experiences aligned with audience needs, client objectives, and business goals.
• Build scalable, atomic-level component-forward Figma systems and collaborate with developers to ensure seamless implementation and alignment with technical requirements.
• Perform design reviews and quality assurance throughout development.

Ownership, Problem Solving & Innovation

• Manage multiple projects, identify risks, and proactively solve problems in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
• Use AI tools purposefully to support research, ideation, visualization, prototyping, production, documentation, and quality assurance.
• Present creative concepts, strategies, and design decisions with clarity, confidence, and a strong rationale.
• Communicate proactively across teams, ensuring expectations, decisions, risks, and next steps are clear throughout a project.
• Provide constructive feedback and mentorship to junior and intermediate team members, fostering a culture of creativity and continuous improvement.

What You’ll Bring:

• A degree or diploma in graphic design, art direction, advertising, interaction design, or a related field or equivalent professional experience.
• 7+ years of experience in a marketing, creative or digital agency environment.
• A strong portfolio demonstrating strategic thinking, conceptual ideation, and high-quality execution across multiple formats.
• Experience leading end-to-end website design, from strategy and UX through development and launch.
• Expertise in information architecture, responsive interface design, accessibility, and user-centered design.
• Advanced proficiency in Figma, creating scalable design systems and developer-ready design files.
• Strong understanding of development workflows, CMS platforms, and technical constraints that inform design decisions.
• Expert-level proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite, including Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign.
• Demonstrated experience using AI to improve the efficiency, exploration and quality of your creative workflow.
• A sharp eye for craft, with an excellent understanding of typography, colour, layout, composition, and visual storytelling.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to write persuasive rationales and confidently present work to clients.
• A proactive, solutions-oriented approach to ambiguity, feedback and changing project requirements.

Why Operatic Agency:

Competitive compensation and benefits.

This role offers a salary of $80,000–$100,000 CAD commensurate with experience, plus a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, vision, life and disability insurance, and mental health support.

Meaningful, complex work.

You’ll lead projects across a diverse portfolio spanning pharma, healthcare, and consumer brand—with real creative and technical depth. Every project is different, and the work genuinely matters to the clients and audiences it reaches.

A team that holds a high bar—and supports each other in meeting it.

We’re proud of our culture: collaborative, accountable, and driven by a shared standard of excellence. We recognize great work and celebrate the people behind it.

Real investment in your growth.

We offer mentorship, access to industry tools and training, and advancement pathways. You’ll be supported by senior leadership who want to develop you, not just deploy you.

Hybrid flexibility.

Our head office is based in Hamilton, Ontario, and we operate on a hybrid model: 2 days per week in the office, with the remainder remote. You’ll have a collaborative home base with room to focus on your own terms.

Operatic Agency values inclusion and access for all applicants and employees. Should you require accommodation to participate in the application and interview process, please let us know. Only those selected for next steps will be contacted.