Senior Art Director

Christie´s; London; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading auction house in London is seeking a Senior Art Director to join their creative team. The ideal candidate will lead art-led campaigns that celebrate the brand's heritage while innovating in the digital space. Responsibilities include managing creative teams, overseeing production of video content, and ensuring cohesive brand presence across platforms. Candidates should have a strong portfolio and experience in luxury brand environments.

Benefits

27 days annual leave

Flexible Fitness Fund

Discretionary Bonus

Private Health Insurance

Competitive Life Insurance

Qualifications

• Demonstrable years in a creative or art direction role.
• Strong eye for type design and motion graphics.
• Proven track record of leading concept development.
• Experience managing and mentoring a small creative team.
• Strong understanding of AI tools.

Responsibilities

• Support the Head of Creative in campaign execution.
• Sign off on video and social content.
• Partner closely with marketing and content teams.
• Commission and manage external creative crews.
• Provide on-set art direction during shoots.

Skills

Creative direction

Art-led campaigns

Luxury brand storytelling

User experience design

Managing creative teams

Education

Experience in fast-paced agencies

Tools

Adobe Creative Suite

Figma

After Effects

Monday.com

Job description

Christie’s, the world’s largest Art Business, is an incredibly exciting & enriching place to start or continue your career. Whether you work within one of our Specialist Art Departments, or in one of our more Operational teams, we are all working together with one common goal in mind: to continue the success of this 250 year old company, steeped in history, bringing fresh ideas whilst not forgetting our shared values; Integrity, Excellence, Innovation, Responsibility & Relationships. Colleagues across all departments are truly passionate about what they do and it is inspiring to work with industry leaders across our business.

Why This Role Matters

We are seeking an exceptional Senior Art Director to join our in-house creative team at one of the world’s leading auction houses. This is a unique opportunity for a digital-first creative leader with a strong background in art-led campaigns, cutting-edge design, and luxury brand storytelling. The ideal candidate will bring a deep understanding of elegant, intuitive user experiences and have a refined eye for creating sophisticated assets that honour our heritage while pushing creative boundaries in the digital space. The role will report into our Head of Creative, EMEA and be based in London, with 3 days in the office.

How You'll Make an Impact

• Support the Head of Creative, in developing the concept and execution of high-impact, 360° campaigns across photoshoots, video content, print, digital, motion graphics and social channels.
• Sign off on all video and social content, ensuring that all content that lives across Christie’s channels is cohesive and on brand.
• Develop compelling and cohesive creative assets that combine user-centred design with brand storytelling.
• Partner closely with cross-functional teams, including marketing, content, and specialist departments, to ensure a consistent and elevated brand presence across all touchpoints.
• Translate brand strategy into visual narratives that resonate with global luxury audiences.
• Shape the evolution of the Christie’s brand in a digital-first world, drawing on its rich heritage and prestige.
• Foster a collaborative, adaptable, and solution-oriented creative environment that supports innovation and excellence.
• Commission and manage external creative crews, including photographers, directors, stylists, and videographers, to deliver high-quality campaign content.
• Collaborate with producers to scope, brief, and budget shoots across digital, social, and print platforms.
• Develop creative briefs and mood boards that clearly communicate artistic vision and brand alignment to external partners.
• Review treatments, casting, and locations to ensure they align with brand identity and campaign objectives.
• Provide on-set art direction during shoots to ensure visual integrity, storytelling impact, and adherence to creative concepts.
• Manage multiple production timelines, balancing creative ambition with budget and schedule constraints.
• Manage and mentor a small team of designers, motion artists, and content creators to deliver exceptional creative output.
• Oversee production of video content (in collaboration with the inhouse video team), from storyboarding to post-production, ensuring high-quality delivery and alignment with brand tone.
• Stay up to date with digital trends, platform updates, and creative best practices to drive continuous improvement and innovation.
• Prioritize and manage multiple projects simultaneously in a fast-paced environment with tight deadlines.
• Champion a collaborative, feedback-friendly, and solutions-oriented team culture.

What you’ll bring to the team

• Demonstrable years in a creative or art direction role, preferably in a fast-paced agency, media, fashion, luxury, or in-house brand environment.
• Strong eye for type design and motion graphics.
• Proven track record of leading concept development and execution of 360° campaigns (digital, social, video, print, experiential).
• Experience developing and evolving brand identity and visual systems across platforms.
• End-to-end experience building integrated campaigns—from ideation and storyboarding to production and delivery.
• Strong portfolio showcasing art-led, visually impactful campaigns with clear narrative and brand alignment.
• Have experience managing internal stakeholders and senior leadership team.
• Skilled in presenting creative concepts and influencing stakeholders at all levels.
• Experience managing and mentoring a small creative team.
• Stong understanding of AI tools, whilst appreciating the authenticity of the art and works at Christie’s.
• Strong understanding of creative studio processes and ways of working.
• Front-end knowledge and experience to help take design to final product.
• Experience in Adobe Creative Suite –Figma and aftereffects and project management tools (Monday.com is a plus)

What’s great about working for us

27 days annual leave + 1 day Birthday leave

Christie’s Christmas office closure (guaranteed between 25th Dec – 2nd Jan) – in addition to annual leave: almost two weeks to fully switch off and spend time with friends and family

Additional 1 week’s annual leave within the year of a 5-year anniversary i.e. 5th, 10th, 15th and so on

Volunteering day: Take an additional day of annual leave to volunteer for a charitable organisation that’s important to you

Donation matching of up to £500 per annum to help you support the organisations you care about

Flexible Fitness Fund - £400 per year expense allowance for health and wellness related activity (taxable)

Access to world-renowned art: with regular exhibitions in our galleries to wander around and exclusive guided tours hosted by specialist colleagues

Discretionary Bonus (dependent on the business and employee performance payable in March each year)

Generous retirement plan: We will double match your pension contribution up to 5% of your basic salary (Max 10% contribution from Christie’s)

Private Health Insurance – no employee contribution needed, subsidised for other family members

Dental Insurance – (may be extended at personal cost)

Generous Income Protection Insurance in the event of accident, sickness or injury after 12 months

Competitive Life Insurance policy from first day

Employee Assistance Programme – access to personal advice and support services including counselling

Eyecare vouchers (once a year)

Cycle to Work scheme

Christie’s Extras – discounts on over 800 retailers, holiday packages, dinners and weekly shops

Seniorcare by Lottie, a comprehensive eldercare solution

Robust family first policy:

Ø 16 weeks full pay on Maternity Leave

Ø Four-day week, for eight weeks, at full pay on return from Maternity Leave

Ø Dependent back-up care: 10 sessions/ days of childcare or eldercare per year

Ø The Stork Club: Our community of parents who meet regularly over breakfasts, lunch, afternoon tea…

*Christie’s reserves the right to change company benefits at any time

Closing Date: 24th August

#LI-Hybrid

About Us

Christie’s is the world’s leading art business. Since 1766, we are known for our extraordinary art, unparalleled service and expertise, as well as international glamour.

Every year, we offer around 350 live and online auctions in over 80 specialist categories – including all areas of fine and decorative arts, Asian art and luxury collectables – as well as a long and successful history of private sales.

Contact us in 46 countries, or visit one of our 10 international salerooms in London, New York, Hong Kong, Paris, Geneva, Milan, Amsterdam, Dubai, Zürich and Shanghai.

Our Recruitment Privacy Notice can be found here