Art Director - 212808

Aquent; Los Angeles, California (CA, MO); On-site; USD 83,000 - 99,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Job summary

Aquent in Los Angeles seeks an Art Director, Generative Art, to lead the creative direction and visual execution of AI-assisted imagery across the site and campaigns. You will translate briefs into polished, brand-consistent assets, collaborating with technical teams to adopt AI tools while maintaining high craft under tight production cycles.

Applicants should have 4–6+ years in art direction or related roles, a strong photography/lighting sense, and advanced Photoshop/Illustrator skills, plus

Qualifications

• 4–6+ years hands-on experience as Art Director or related role.
• Strong portfolio in photography, composition, and visual storytelling.
• Practical experience with Generative AI tools in production environments.
• Advanced proficiency in Adobe Creative Cloud (Photoshop, Illustrator).
• Proficiency in Figma and design system workflows.

Responsibilities

• End-to-End Image Creation: translate briefs into elevated visual worlds across digital channels.
• Photographic Art Direction: guide AI-generated imagery with lighting, lensing, and composition.
• Hands-On Craft: act as studio practitioner from briefs to production-ready assets.
• Post-Production QC: use retouching and compositing to refine outputs.
• High-velocity delivery: manage campaigns 2–4 week cycles without sacrificing craft.
• Bridge between design leads and AI toolmakers to ensure intent is realized.
• Protect brand standards across high-volume imagery.

Skills

Generative AI enthusiasm

Storytelling

Brand integrity

Tools

Weave

Figma

Photoshop

Illustrator

Job description

Pay Comments: W2, Benefits and 401k matching

Minimum Pay (per hour): 60.00

Maximum Pay (per hour): 72.00

Hours: Full-time

Duration: Through Jan 31, 2027 - Very Likely to Extend

Job Description

As the Art Director, Generative Art, you will lead the creative direction and visual execution of AI-assisted image creation across the client’s site imagery and omni-channel campaigns. Reporting to the Sr. Manager, you will serve as a primary visual practitioner—taking strategic briefs from concept to final imagery, establishing high craft standards, and ensuring brand fidelity at enterprise volume.

The ideal candidate is a classically grounded creative practitioner—someone with a strong background in art direction, photography, graphic design, or visual communications. You bring a refined eye for scene composition, lighting logic, and styling, paired with an eagerness to adopt and integrate Generative AI into a fast-paced production environment. You act as the bridge between creative intent and execution, working side-by-side with technical toolmakers to create photorealistic, elevated, brand-right imagery.

Key Responsibilities & Outcomes

• End-to-End Image Creation: Translate strategic briefs into cohesive, elevated visual worlds across digital, e-commerce, site modules, social, and in-store touchpoints.
• Photographic Art Direction: Apply a deep understanding of photography, camera mechanics, lighting logic, lensing, framing, and scene composition to direct and execute AI-generated imagery with the rigor of a studio or live-action shoot.
• Hands-On Craft: Act as an end-to-end studio practitioner—interpreting briefs, developing creative concepts, styling products within AI generation workflows, composing scenes, and delivering polished, production-ready assets.
• Post-Production Quality Control: Utilize retouching, compositing, and image-editing capabilities (Photoshop) to refine AI outputs, integrate product photography, and eliminate generic "AI aesthetics" in favor of authentic, commercially viable artwork.
• High-Velocity Delivery: Manage creative projects through tight production turnarounds (2–4 week campaign cycles) under production pressure without sacrificing craft or brand alignment.
• Cross-Disciplinary Bridge: Act as the creative translator between design leads, creative directors, and technical AI toolmakers—ensuring creative intent is accurately executed within generative systems.
• Brand Protection: Protect brand standards and visual consistency across high-volume image batches, maintaining cohesive lighting, product accuracy, and client brand identity.
• Collaborative & Adaptable: Thrives in a nimble, ego-free, "Swiss Army Knife" team environment where learning, experimentation, and peer-to-peer teaching are part of the daily culture.
• Resilience & Constructive Critique: Possesses a strong creative backbone and openness to feedback, navigating the heightened scrutiny and frequent iterations inherent to commercial AI imagery.

AI Tool Adoption & Workflow Integration

• Practical AI Application: Utilize primary node-based and studio AI tools (e.g., Weave, Figma, and related creative engines) to generate, refine, and iterate on campaign imagery.
• Workflow Optimization: Partner with technical AI specialists to test prompt strategies, reference inputs, and workflow improvements that enhance production speed and image fidelity.
• Tool Improvement Feedback: Provide hands-on feedback to technical toolmakers to refine UI, prompt controls, and generation templates for daily studio use.

Qualifications

Required Experience

• 4–6+ years of hands-on professional experience as an Art Director, Photography Art Director, Senior Graphic Designer, or Brand Designer within an advertising agency, brand studio, or commercial production environment.
• Ideally a demonstrated background in photography, lighting, visual composition, design, or fine arts, evidenced by a strong portfolio.
• Practical experience and strong enthusiasm for Generative AI tools, with a focus on real-world creative applications rather than theoretical knowledge.
• Advanced proficiency in Adobe Creative Cloud (Photoshop, Illustrator), with strong skills in image compositing, layout, and retouching.
• Proficiency in Figma and familiar with design system workflows.