Art Director

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

Job summary

The Trustees of the Smith College in Northampton, MA, seeks an experienced Art Director to provide creative leadership and project management within Communications & Marketing. You will guide the visual identity across print, digital, and campus campaigns, supporting enrollment goals and fundraising.

You will lead a team of graphic designers, collaborate with admissions and advancement, oversee brand templates, and direct photo/video shoots.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Graphic Design or related field.
• 8+ years design experience in higher education, in-house marketing or agency setting.
• Active driver's license.
• Knowledge of accessibility standards and production processes across multiple platforms.
• Technical skills: Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, Express) and familiarity with web/digital platforms.
• Soft skills: strong creative, conceptual decision-making, project management and collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Brand Champion & Quality Assurance: protect and evolve Smith's visual identity and brand guidelines across print, digital and media; enforce standards and supervise proofs.
• Collaborate with Admissions, Advancement and campus partners to support visual needs and brand templates.
• Lead campaign design and produce communications (brochures, invitations, ads, posters, web graphics).
• Provide art direction to the Smith Quarterly Editor and supervise photo/video shoots.
• Manage a team of graphic designers and projects from concept to completion, balancing deadlines and budgets.
• Perform other duties as assigned by management.

Skills

Project management

Leadership

Creative direction

Accessibility knowledge

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Graphic Design

Tools

Adobe InDesign

Adobe Illustrator

Adobe Photoshop

Adobe Express

Job description

If you have any questions about the position or our application process, reach out to us at [e-mail] .

Department

Communications and Marketing

Job Description

Job Summary

Reporting to the Senior Director of Marketing, the Art Director provides high-level creative communications leadership and project management within Communications & Marketing to support enrollment goals and strategic fundraising initiatives by leading the creative and graphic design services for the College. Responsibilities include ensuring the proper implementation of the Smith College brand across all visual communications and producing a variety of communications that serve the needs of the many constituencies throughout the College and that promote public recognition, awareness, and support of Smith College.

Essential Functions

Brand Champion & Quality Assurance (25%): Protect, enforce, and evolve Smith's visual identity and brand guidelines across print, digital and other media platforms. Contribute to brand strategy and establish creative standards and quality benchmarks across all creative disciplines, manage inspection of proofs for accuracy and adherence to appropriate production standards and suggest improvements and go on press with print vendors as needed.

Cross-Campus Collaboration & Design (25%): Resource, Ownership and Advocate of Self-Service Design Template platform: Partner with Admissions, Advancement, and other campus partners to support specific visual needs. Make recommendations to and influence campus partners regarding graphic design needs and ink and paper choices for print collateral. Meaningful contribute to strategy for and oversee self-service system of brand kit and templates available to campus partners.

Design Expertise and Creative Leadership (20%): In coordination with management, conceptualize and execute marketing campaigns and produce a variety of communications, including brochures, invitations, brand and enrollment advertisements, posters, web graphics, etc. Informed Aesthetic: Stay current with design trends, technologies, and best practices in higher education marketing and continuously develop new design and technical skills as needed.

Art Direction (10%): Provides art direction to the Smith Quarterly Editor. Supervises and/or art-directs photo and video shoots, both studio and on-location.

Management/Leadership (15%): Manage a team of graphic designers and design projects from concept to completion while balancing deadlines, budgets, and stakeholder feedback. Accountable for hiring, development / coaching, and performance-related decisions with support from Human Resources. Makes informed decisions impacting team and college including setting priorities, allocating resources, and problem-solving. Effectively communicates expectations, provides feedback, and ensures alignment with department goals. Addresses conflicts and challenges within the team to promote a positive work environment. Formulates and implements policies and procedures.

Perform other duties as assigned by management (5%)

MINIMUM REQUIRED Qualifications (education, experience, certifications, licenses, knowledge, skills)

Bachelor's Degree in Graphic Design, Visual Communication or Fine Arts

8+ years design experience in higher education, in-house marketing or agency setting

Active driver's license and the ability to drive

Knowledge of accessibility standards, strong understanding of creative production processes across multiple platforms and mediums, proven track record managing and developing creative teams

Technical Skills: Expert-level proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, Express) and familiarity with web/digital platforms.

Soft Skills: Exceptional creative, conceptual decision-making skills, project management, organizational skills, presentation abilities, and a proven ability to manage multiple projects in a fast-paced, collaborative and high-performing academic environment.

Additional Requirement for Applicants

Please include a design portfolio in addition to cover letter and resume.

Compensation

In addition to a competitive benefits package, annualized pay for this role is typically between $86,593.05 - $117,155.30 covering the middle half of market compensation. Actual compensation will vary ba

This is an in-person position based in Northampton, MA.