Art Director

M+C Saatchi KARSA; Kuala Lumpur; On-site; MYR 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

M+C Saatchi KARSA in Kuala Lumpur is seeking an Art Director who can conceptualize, create, and implement visual concepts for advertising and marketing campaigns. You will lead omni‑channel creative direction, ensure brand coherence, and work with cross‑functional teams to shape ideas, narratives, and high‑impact visuals.

We expect a portfolio demonstrating expertise in Adobe Creative Suite, strong conceptual thinking, and a customer‑focused attitude.

Qualifications

• Minimum 2–3 years of experience as an Art Director in Advertising Agencies or a similar work environment.
• Portfolio demonstrating a range of design projects.
• Strong conceptual thinking, design sense, and business acumen with a customer‑focused attitude.
• Expertise with design tools, especially Adobe Creative Suite.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills; able to articulate design concepts to team and clients.
• Experience managing teams and projects related to design.
• Strong eye for aesthetics and meticulous attention to detail.
• Proficient time and project management to meet deadlines.
• A passion for innovative design technology and market trends.

Responsibilities

• Concept Development: Work with cross‑functional teams to generate ideas and produce visual concepts that satisfy client requirements and project objectives.
• Visual Communication: Create visually appealing layouts, ads, multimedia content, and other marketing collateral, and oversee their creation.
• Design Consistency: Maintain a unified and consistent visual identity across various platforms by ensuring all visual assets comply with brand requirements.
• Art Direction: Provide creative guidance to multimedia production, graphics, and photoshoots to achieve the intended visual result.
• Technical Proficiency: Create and manage high-quality visual designs using design software and tools, such as Adobe Creative Suite.
• Client Interaction: Work directly with clients to understand their visual needs, make creative suggestions, and present visual concepts while articulating the value of the offered designs.
• Quality Assurance: Review and approve every visual design work to satisfy the highest standards of innovation, quality, and visual excellence by reviewing and approving it.
• Trend Analysis: To stay competitive, keep abreast of developments in the industry’s design trends, innovative technological advancements, and avant‑garde creative techniques.
• Teamwork: Work together with the account management team, creative teams, and content creators to comprehend project specifications, match layouts to client objectives, and adapt as needed in response to input.

Skills

Conceptual thinking

Creativity

Communication

Team leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design or related

Tools

Adobe Creative Suite

Job description

The significant role of the creative position of an art director is to conceptualise, create, and implement visual concepts for projects involving design, marketing, and advertising. They are essential in setting the tone for artistic direction, guaranteeing brand coherence, and producing visually stunning content.

This role goes beyond executional design work. The Art Director is expected to be highly concept-driven, with ideation at the core of their thinking, and capable of developing strong omni-channel creative solutions. They will contribute beyond design by shaping ideas, narratives, and the overall creative direction of campaigns.

Key Responsibilities

• Concept Development: Work with cross‑functional teams to generate ideas and produce visual concepts that satisfy client requirements and project objectives.
• Visual Communication: Create visually appealing layouts, ads, multimedia content, and other marketing collateral, and oversee their creation.
• Design Consistency: Maintain a unified and consistent visual identity across various platforms by ensuring all visual assets comply with brand requirements.
• Art Direction: Provide creative guidance to multimedia production, graphics, and photoshoots to achieve the intended visual result.
• Technical Proficiency: Create and manage high-quality visual designs using design software and tools, such as Adobe Creative Suite.
• Client Interaction: Work directly with clients to understand their visual needs, make creative suggestions, and present visual concepts while articulating the value of the offered designs.
• Quality Assurance: Review and approve every visual design work to satisfy the highest standards of innovation, quality, and visual excellence by reviewing and approving it.
• Trend Analysis: To stay competitive, keep abreast of developments in the industry's design trends, innovative technological advancements, and avant‑garde creative techniques.
• Teamwork: Work together with the account management team, creative teams, and content creators to comprehend project specifications, match layouts to client objectives, and adapt as needed in response to input.

Qualifications

• Minimum 2 – 3 years of experience as an Art Director in Advertising Agencies or a similar work environment.
• A record of accomplishment of success in art direction or a similar creative position, along with a portfolio that includes a variety of design projects.
• Display a solid grasp of conceptual and design ideas as well as business acumen and a customer‑focused attitude.
• Expertise with design tools and software, especially Adobe Creative Suite.
• Strong creative and imaginative skills, including the capacity to realize artistic notions.
• Proficiency in communication and presentation, particularly in communicating design concepts with team members and clients.
• Prior experience managing teams and projects related to design.
• Strong eye for aesthetics in design and meticulous attention to detail.
• Proficiency in time management and project management to reliably meet deadlines.
• An ongoing learner who has a deep interest in innovative design technology and market trends.

If you’re passionate about ideas, design, and creating work that makes a cultural impact, we’d love to hear from you. Apply with your resume and portfolio, and let’s create something powerful together!