Senior Art Director (12 month Fixed Term Contract)

Aesop; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading skincare brand is seeking a Senior Art Director for a 12-month fixed-term contract in London. This role emphasizes creative leadership in developing distinctive campaigns and experiences across all channels. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in leading campaigns, strong skills in Adobe Creative Suite, and a passion for digital design. The company promotes a flexible hybrid working environment along with various employee benefits including professional development opportunities and generous product discounts.

Benefits

Flexible, hybrid working pattern

Generous product discount allowance

Paid volunteering allowance

Bonus opportunity

Access to training and development programs

Employee assistance programs

Qualifications

• In-depth experience in a senior role, preferably in cultural settings.
• Ability to lead Art Direction for global campaigns with a hands-on approach.
• Experience in developing skincare/beauty campaigns with nuanced messaging.

Responsibilities

• Contribute conceptual thinking and execution for campaigns.
• Develop brand, product, and editorial content.
• Collaborate with digital teams on content and e-commerce initiatives.

Skills

Open mindset and curiosity

Experience in Art Direction

Digital design passion

Collaboration with creatives

Organizational skills

Tools

Adobe Creative Suite

HTML/CSS knowledge

Job description

Senior Art Director | London | 12 month Fixed Term Contract

For over 35 years, Aesop has carefully cultivated an inspiring and inclusive environment in which our employees are supported and encouraged to thrive. As a global retail organisation, we offer professional development and advancement opportunities to complement career goals and aspirations.

Our approach to skin care involves meticulous attention to detail, using only the most efficacious ingredients to create formulations which stir the self and senses. The same meticulous approach is taken during our recruitment process, seeking out considered and inspired individuals with a wealth of perspectives who bring out the best in themselves and others.

We aim to strike the right balance between people, planet and profit, actively reducing our footprint on the planet that generously sustains us. So far, this journey has led us to become a certified B Corp. We are committed to building a more sustainable and inclusive society.

Since 2023, Aesop has been part of the L'Oréal Groupe, the world’s number one beauty company. Founded in 1909 by Eugene Schueller, it is home to 37 global brands including Kiehl’s, Lancôme, SkinCeuticals, Nyx, YSL and L'Oréal Paris; and presents wide-ranging opportunities for long-term career growth.

A business doesn’t consist of walls or machines, but people, people, people. – Eugene Schueller

Role purpose

Aesop Creative is committed to delivering distinctive, environmentally conscious design and campaigns that resonate with local communities, avoiding mass‑market approaches. The Senior Art Director plays a pivotal role in ideating concepts and experiences while being hands‑on in creative development, art direction, and content execution across all channels. This position demands strong digital expertise, exceptional conceptual ability, and a deep understanding of design processes, alongside a collaborative and diplomatic approach to building relationships. Reporting to the Creative Director, the role works closely with Marketing, Digital, Copy, and Visual Merchandising to manage multiple projects from conception to completion, ensuring brand standards, quality, and consistency. Acting as an ambassador for Aesop values, the Senior Art Director upholds professionalism and meticulous attention to detail while advocating initiatives that enhance the brand image.

Role responsibilities include, but not limited to –

• Contribute exceptional conceptual thinking and execution for campaigns from conception to completion.
• Develop an impeccable brand, product and editorial content and experiences ensuring it meets KPI’s.
• Assist the Creative Director to honour our aesthetic heritage while driving innovation across projects and products, nurturing partners and prospects that align with the creative strategy.
• Encourage collaboration, ownership and continued learning and development; inspiring the continued quality of expression of the Aesop brand.
• Nurture and mentor art directors | graphic designers.
• Collaborate with the digital team across content and e‑commerce initiatives to drive aligned outcomes, including UX, module design and development, and asset creation (films, photography and illustrations) across digital and social customer ecosystem.
• Work closely with Product Team to ensure packaging and product design is viable and consistent across all communications.
• File preparation and management – ensure all work is filed and easily accessible as archives when required.
• Templates and Guidelines: Assist in the creation of digital templates, guidelines and specification documents, recommending enhancements and efficiencies.
• Assist with the onboarding of new team members as required.
• Advocate, endorse and implement the Creative Strategy.
• Foster a positive work environment for your colleagues to flourish and remain engaged.
• Work closely with immediate manager and ensure they are kept informed of relevant developments.
• Develop and endorse Aesop’s culture and values.
• Develop a good understanding of the business and support annual objectives.

This is a full time 12 month fixed term position operating with a hybrid working pattern.

What we are looking for

• Open mindset and deep curiosity seeking to understand others, listen without judgement and act on diverse perspectives.
• Commitment to fostering an inclusive and psychologically safe work environment.
• In depth experience in senior role (Art Director, Senior Art Director, ACD, Head of art / Head of digital or Design Director) preferably in a setting that has strong ties with the cultural sphere.
• Able to confidently lead the Art Direction of a 360 Global Campaign comprising stills and motion with a hands‑on approach at every step of development; from Brief, Concept, Pre‑Production, Production and Shoot, Post‑production, to Design roll‑out across all Channels.
• Experience in developing Skin Care and/or Beauty Campaigns and an interest in the nuances and layered messaging required to communicate Skin Care with a unique brand vision and scientific rigour.
• Concept, design and implementation including, but not limited to: responsive experiences, social media, e‑commerce, email, CRM, retail graphics and instore experiences, across all touchpoints of the retail ecosystem.
• The ability to tailor communications to meet the needs of various audiences, across print and digital platforms, without compromising Aesop’s voice or spirit.
• An awareness of cultural sensitivities in the territories in which Aesop operates.
• The ability to collaborate effectively with designers and other creatives, and a collaborative mindset in general.
• Conceptual, innovative, adventurous – while having an acute eye for detail and desire for quality.
• Ability to use insights to inspire digital products, services and solutions. Ability to adapt and implement quickly.
• Skilled in Adobe Creative Suite (CC) with an understanding of HTML/CSS, CMS systems, e‑commerce & tech infrastructure capabilities.
• Passion for digital design, and innovative technologies.
• Excellent organisation and project management skills and the ability to deliver a project on time and within budget.
• Exception visual, written and verbal communication.

What’s on offer

We takeaholisticapproachto employment, promoting professional development, career growth, employee wellbeing initiatives and encouraging deep connections with the local community through the Aesop Foundation, volunteering and matched giving programs. Employee benefits include -

• Flexible, hybrid working pattern
• Generous product discount allowance and bi‑annual complimentary product allocation
• Paid volunteering allowance for all employees
• Bonus opportunity based on personal, and business, performance
• Suite of options to aid development, including complimentary access to LinkedIn Learning, in‑house Product and Core skills training and study support opportunities
• Access to employee assistance programmes, complimentary subscription to Headspace mindfulness app and summer hours options.

Aesop is committed to attracting, developing and retaining the very best people by offering a creative and inclusive workplace where talent is truly recognised and rewarded. We are committed to promoting inclusion for all with the belief that diversity, inclusion and belonging plays an important role in the success of our organisation. We actively encourage everyone to consider becoming a part of our journey.