Senior Art Director

Merkle Italia; Toronto; Hybrid; CAD 95,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

RRSP

Paid time off

Job summary

Dentsu Creative in Toronto is seeking a Senior Art Director to lead visual design and art direction across social, digital, experiential, and traditional channels. You will collaborate with copywriters, strategists, and account teams to deliver integrated ideas that resonate with culture and audiences.

The role emphasizes high craft, a strong portfolio, and a passion for culture, craft, and continuous learning, with a focus on responsible, human-centered storytelling.

Qualifications

• 6+ years of experience in art direction and design.
• A strong portfolio demonstrating visual storytelling, conceptual thinking, and polished execution.
• Proven experience art directing or designing creative for branded campaigns across multiple channels.
• Strong ability to translate ideas into clear, compelling visual expressions and systems.
• Proficiency in industry-standard design tools such as Photoshop, InDesign, After Effects, Figma, or similar software.
• Curiosity and openness to exploring AI-enabled creative tools and their role in modern workflows.
• Clear point of view on social platforms, trends and tech fit.

Responsibilities

• Develop insightful, objective-driven concepts that build brand presence, personality, and cultural relevance.
• Lead visual design and art direction on assigned projects, ensuring a high level of craft, consistency, and creative integrity.
• Collaborate closely with copywriters, designers, strategists, and account teams to bring integrated ideas to life across platforms.
• Translate creative concepts into compelling visual systems across social, digital, experiential, and traditional channels.
• Contribute to creative workstreams that incorporate AI-enabled tools to support ideation, experimentation, prototyping, and production.
• Stay curious about new creative technologies, design trends, and cultural shifts and share learnings with the team.
• Respond to feedback thoughtfully and iteratively to protect the core idea and quality.
• Support fast-moving timelines and cultural moments with flexibility and collaboration.
• Partner with Creative Leads to uphold standards and foster a positive team culture.

Skills

Art direction

Visual storytelling

Collaboration

Creative thinking

AI tools

Tools

Photoshop

InDesign

After Effects

Figma

Job description

## Senior Art DirectorApplylocations: Torontotime type: Full timeposted on: Posted Todayjob requisition id: R1127737**Job Description:**Joining Dentsu Creative, you will be part of a creative network, delivering ideas that are brought alive in new ways. Along the way, you will team up with inspiring people across the world and become part of a truly inclusive culture where everyone is given the opportunity to thrive and create the best work of their careers; always learning and always listening to shape ideas, create culture and change behavior. By bringing together the capabilities, experience and relationships of our collective experts, the opportunities for personal growth and development are endless.Diversity is embedded in who we are and all that we do: our mindset, our solutions, and in our teams to empower an inclusive, equitable environment. We put our people at the center, creating space for growth, understanding, and learning so they can thrive. Our differences make us richer and enable stronger relationships with each other and foster greater impact for our clients. We engage with our communities to drive positive social impact by fostering equity and working to create a digital society that works for all. Dentsu Creative is an agency of dentsu.We’re looking for a Senior Creative Team (Senior Art Director) who is passionate about creating meaningful, attention‐getting work—ideas people want to engage with, share, and talk about. You’re a strong visual storyteller who helps brands find and express their personality through culture, design, and entertainment. You bring confidence in your craft, a clear point of view, and a collaborative spirit that helps push ideas further.In this role, you contribute high‐quality creative work from concept through execution, with increasing ownership over projects and visual expression. You’re comfortable leading visual design and art direction within campaigns, while working closely with copywriters, strategists, and account partners to deliver thoughtful, inclusive, and effective creative.You bring strong conceptual thinking, a social‐first mindset, and experience creating work across digital and traditional channels. You stay closely connected to culture—and you’re curious about how emerging technologies, including AI, can support creative exploration, efficiency, and storytelling in responsible, human‐centered ways.Reporting to Creative Leads, you’ll help concept and execute ideas across multiple mediums, contributing to work that breaks through the clutter and connects with audiences in relevant, meaningful ways.To apply for the **Senior Creative Team**, just submit your application through the portal and make sure to include the name of your creative partner so we can review you together.* **Senior Copywriter** – R1127735* **Senior Art Director** – R1127737Don't forget to **upload your portfolio** as part of your application—we'd love to see your work!**Responsibilities*** Develop insightful, objective‐driven concepts that build brand presence, personality, and cultural relevance.* Lead visual design and art direction on assigned projects, ensuring a high level of craft, consistency, and creative integrity.* Collaborate closely with copywriters, designers, strategists, and account teams to bring integrated ideas to life across platforms.* Translate creative concepts into compelling visual systems across social, digital, experiential, and traditional channels.* Contribute to creative workstreams that incorporate AI‐enabled tools to support ideation, experimentation, prototyping, and production—applying strong human judgment, taste, and direction.* Stay curious and engaged with new creative technologies, design trends, and cultural shifts; share relevant learnings with the team.* Respond thoughtfully and constructively to feedback, iterating work while protecting the core idea and creative quality.* Support fast‐moving timelines and cultural moments with flexibility, collaboration, and a solutions‐oriented mindset.* Partner with Creative Leads to uphold creative standards and contribute to a positive, collaborative team culture.**Skills and Experience*** 6+ years of experience in art direction and design, with experience across both social‐first and integrated campaign work.* A strong portfolio demonstrating visual storytelling, conceptual thinking, and polished execution.* Proven experience art directing or designing creative for branded campaigns across multiple channels.* Strong ability to translate ideas into clear, compelling visual expressions and systems.* Proficiency in industry‐standard design tools such as Photoshop, InDesign, After Effects, Figma, or similar software.* Curiosity and openness to exploring AI‐enabled creative tools (e.g., for ideation, mood‐boarding, prototyping, or production), with an understanding of their role in modern creative workflows.* A collaborative mindset and comfort working across disciplines, perspectives, and feedback styles.* Passion for culture, craft, creativity, and continuous learning.* A clear point of view on how social platforms, design trends, and emerging technologies fit into the broader consumer experience.* Automotive and Finance experience is an asset.**Additional Information**Vacancy: Is this posting for the purposes of filling an existing vacancy? [Y/N]- **Yes**The salary range for this position is **CAD $95k-$110k** Actual salary within the salary range will be based on a variety of factors including relevant experience, knowledge, and skills. A range of medical, dental, RRSP, paid time off, and/or other benefits also are available to all permanent employees.**AI Disclosure**: [dentsu] utilizes artificial intelligence tools as part of its recruitment process, as during the sourcing and screening stages. All other parts of the dentsu application and hiring processes do not utilize artificial intelligence tools.We know through experience that different ideas, perspectives and backgrounds foster a stronger and more creative work environment that delivers better business results. We strive to create workplaces that reflect the clients we serve and where everyone feels empowered to bring their full, authentic selves to work. We are committed to working with our candidates from all ability levels throughout the recruitment process to ensure that they have what they need to be at their best. If you need accommodation during the application or interview process, please contact [e-mail] or to begin a conversation about your individual accessibility needs throughout the hiring process.#LI-NC1**Location:**Toronto**Brand:**Dentsu Creative**Time Type:**Full time**Contract Type:**Permanent