Art Director

Smith College; Northampton (MA); On-site; USD 87,000 - 117,000; Full time

Job summary

Smith College in Northampton, MA is seeking an Art Director for the Communications and Marketing team onsite. This role leads creative communications and project management, guiding graphic design and art direction to help support enrollment goals and strategic fundraising.

You will ensure consistent brand execution across print and digital, while advancing creative solutions for a diverse audience. The position is Regular, with annual pay typically between $86,593.05 and $117,155.30;

Qualifications

• Enforce and evolve Smith's visual identity across print and digital.
• Lead brand strategy and establish design quality benchmarks.
• Oversee proof review, coordinate press with vendors.
• Serve as owner of Self-Service Design Template for campus partners.
• Advise on print collateral ink and paper requirements.
• Oversee self-service system for brand kits and templates.
• Conceptualize and execute marketing campaigns and produce collateral.
• Stay current with design trends and higher education marketing practices.

Responsibilities

• Lead creative communications and project management for the team.
• Guide graphic design and art direction to support enrollment and fundraising goals.
• Ensure brand consistency across print and digital media.
• Manage a design team from concept through completion, balancing deadlines and budgets.
• Collaborate with Admissions, Advancement, and campus partners on visual needs.
• Supervise photo and video shoots in studio and on location.

Skills

Brand guidelines enforcement

Art direction

Project management

Team leadership

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Graphic Design, Visual Communications, or Fine Arts

Tools

Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, Express)

Web/digital platforms

Job description

Smith College is seeking an Art Director for the Communications and Marketing team in Northampton, MA (onsite). This role leads creative communications and project management, guiding graphic design and art direction to help support enrollment goals and strategic fundraising. You will ensure consistent brand execution across print and digital, while advancing creative solutions for a diverse audience. The position is Regular, with annual pay typically between $86,593.05 and $117,155.30 (middle half of market compensation), and compensation may vary based on qualifications and schedule if not full-time.

What you'll do

• Protect and evolve Smith's visual identity by enforcing and improving brand guidelines across print, digital, and other media.
• Contribute to brand strategy by establishing creative standards and quality benchmarks across design disciplines.
• Oversee proof review for accuracy and alignment with production standards, recommending improvements as needed, and coordinate going to press with print vendors.
• Serve as the resource, owner, and advocate of a Self-Service Design Template platform by partnering with Admissions, Advancement, and other campus partners to meet visual needs.
• Advise campus partners on graphic design requirements and support decisions related to ink and paper for print collateral.
• Help shape and oversee the self-service system for brand kits and templates available to campus partners.
• In coordination with management, conceptualize and execute marketing campaigns and produce communications including brochures, invitations, advertisements, posters, and web graphics.
• Stay current with design trends, technologies, and higher education marketing best practices, building new design and technical skills over time.
• Provide art direction to the Smith Quarterly Editor.
• Supervise and/or art-direct photo and video shoots in studio and on location.
• Manage a team of graphic designers and design projects from concept to completion, balancing deadlines, budgets, and stakeholder feedback.
• Participate in hiring, development/coaching, and performance-related decisions with support from Human Resources.
• Make informed decisions impacting the team and college, including priorities, resource allocation, and problem-solving.
• Communicate expectations clearly, provide feedback, and keep the team aligned with department goals.
• Address team challenges and conflicts to support a positive work environment.
• Formulate and implement policies and procedures, and complete other duties as assigned by management.

What you bring

• Bachelor’s Degree in Graphic Design, Visual Communication, or Fine Arts.
• 8+ years of design experience in higher education, in-house marketing, or an agency setting.
• Active driver's license and ability to drive.
• Knowledge of accessibility standards, strong understanding of creative production processes across multiple platforms and mediums, and a proven track record managing and developing creative teams.
• Expert-level proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, Express), plus familiarity with web/digital platforms.
• Strong creative and conceptual decision-making, project management and organizational skills, presentation abilities, and experience managing multiple projects in a fast-paced academic environment.

Tools you'll use

Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, Express) and web/digital platforms.