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 seeks an Art Director to concept, create, and implement visual solutions for campaigns. You will set the artistic tone, ensure brand coherence, and guide teams across design, marketing, and advertising projects.

The role emphasizes ideation, omni-channel creativity, and contributing beyond design by shaping narratives and creative direction. Strong communication with clients and internal teams is essential.

Qualifications

• 2–3 years of experience as an Art Director in Advertising Agencies or similar environment.
• Portfolio demonstrating a variety of design projects.
• Strong conceptual and design ideas with business acumen and customer-focused attitude.
• Expertise with design tools, especially Adobe Creative Suite.
• Strong communication and presentation skills with clients and team.

Responsibilities

• Concept Development: generate ideas and produce visual concepts meeting client requirements.
• Visual Communication: create layouts, ads, multimedia content, and oversee their creation.
• Design Consistency: ensure a unified visual identity across platforms per brand requirements.
• Art Direction: guide multimedia production, photoshoots, and graphics to achieve desired visuals.
• Technical Proficiency: create and manage high-quality visuals using design software (e.g., Adobe Creative Suite).
• Client Interaction: understand visual needs, propose concepts, and present designs to clients.
• Quality Assurance: review designs to meet standards of innovation and visual excellence.
• Trend Analysis: stay updated on design trends and techniques.
• Teamwork: collaborate with account management, creative teams, and content creators.

Skills

Conceptual thinking

Creative ideation

Communication & presentation

Time management

Team collaboration

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.