Art Director

Digital Waffle; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Digital Waffle in London is seeking a Lead Creative / Art Director to own the day-to-day creative output, combining big ideas with exceptional craft.

In this hands-on senior role you'll work with the Senior Creative Director, leading briefs from strategy through pitch, design and final execution, and confidently fronting pitches with senior brand leaders.

Qualifications

• 5+ years' experience in a creative agency or fast-paced environment.
• Strong background in design and/or art direction with a portfolio that has actually made it out into the world.
• Exceptional visual communication, art direction and design craft, including pitch decks.
• Genuine conceptual thinking, able to translate strategy and cultural insight into simple, compelling creative platforms.
• Confidence leading pitches and presenting to senior clients and brand leaders.
• Advanced Adobe Creative Suite skills and comfort using AI creatively across ideation, visualisation, art direction, rendering and moving image.

Responsibilities

• Develop original, culturally relevant creative ideas across experiential, events, influencer, social, content, PR, OOH and wider integrated campaigns.
• Take ownership of creative pitches end to end, from brief through core idea, narrative and visually exceptional decks to presentation.
• Personally bring ideas to life through strong design, art direction, visualisation, layouts and storytelling, working directly in creative tools rather than briefing others.
• Bring your own strategic thinking to briefs alongside the strategy team, translating audience, brand and cultural insight into compelling platforms.
• Protect the original idea and quality of execution from pitch through production and launch.
• Concept and art direct experiences, events, influencer trips, pop-ups and IRL activations, working closely with producers, 3D designers and fabricators.
• Establish and protect the visual world of campaigns across design, photography, film, social, environments and physical production.
• Confidently present and sell creative thinking to senior clients, protecting the strength of the idea through feedback.
• Act as day-to-day creative lead in the studio, working closely with the Creative Director to hold a consistently high standard across output.
• Line manage and mentor the Junior Designer, giving clear creative direction and space to develop.
• Help oversee the agency's own creative identity, credentials, pitch templates, case studies, website and awards materials.

Skills

Creative leadership

Art direction

Design craft

Pitching

Mentoring

Tools

Adobe Creative Suite

AI in ideation

Job description

A global integrated marketing agency with heritage in influencer marketing is hiring a Lead Creative / Art Director to act as number two in the studio and take real ownership of day-to-day creative output.

This is a hands-on, senior role for someone who combines big conceptual thinking with exceptional visual craft. You'll work directly alongside the Senior Creative Director, leading the day-to-day of the studio, owning briefs from strategy through pitch, design and final execution, and confidently fronting pitches and conversations with senior brand leaders. It's not a traditional Art Director role: you'll be as at home opening a blank deck and crafting a pitch from scratch as you are art directing a shoot, presenting to a client or working with fabricators to turn a 3D concept into a physical space.

Location: London (Liverpool Street), hybrid, 3 days per week on site

What you'll be doing:

• Develop original, culturally relevant creative ideas across experiential, events, influencer, social, content, PR, OOH and wider integrated campaigns
• Take ownership of creative pitches end to end, from brief through core idea, narrative and visually exceptional decks to presentation
• Personally bring ideas to life through strong design, art direction, visualisation, layouts and storytelling, working directly in creative tools rather than briefing others
• Bring your own strategic thinking to briefs alongside the strategy team, translating audience, brand and cultural insight into compelling platforms
• Protect the original idea and quality of execution from pitch through production and launch
• Concept and art direct experiences, events, influencer trips, pop-ups and IRL activations, working closely with producers, 3D designers and fabricators
• Establish and protect the visual world of campaigns across design, photography, film, social, environments and physical production
• Confidently present and sell creative thinking to senior clients, protecting the strength of the idea through feedback
• Act as day-to-day creative lead in the studio, working closely with the Creative Director to hold a consistently high standard across output
• Line manage and mentor the Junior Designer, giving clear creative direction and space to develop
• Help oversee the agency's own creative identity, credentials, pitch templates, case studies, website and awards materials

What you'll need:

• At least 5 years' experience within a creative agency or similarly fast-paced creative environment
• Strong background in design and/or art direction, with a portfolio of work that has actually made it out into the world
• Exceptional visual communication, art direction and design craft, including personally crafting beautifully designed pitch decks
• Genuine conceptual thinking, able to translate strategy and cultural insight into simple, compelling creative platforms
• Confidence leading pitches and presenting to senior clients and brand leaders
• Advanced Adobe Creative Suite skills and comfort using AI creatively across ideation, visualisation, art direction, rendering and moving image
• Comfortable moving between multiple clients, pitches and live projects while maintaining creative quality
• Understanding of photography, film, experiential production, materials, fabrication and the realities of turning ambitious ideas into physical experiences
• Solid grasp of working budgets, costs and production realities when developing ideas
• Strong feedback and mentoring skills, with the maturity to develop junior talent

Nice to have:

• Experience art directing or directing stills and moving-image shoots
• Background in beauty, fashion, lifestyle, entertainment or culturally driven consumer brands
• International campaign delivery across UK, Europe and US
• Strong understanding of influencer and creator culture

This role would suit a senior creative who wants ownership of the day-to-day of an ambitious studio, still wants to be on the tools, and cares deeply about ideas and craft in equal measure.