Art Director: Brand Strategy & Creative Leadership

Smith College; College Place (WA); On-site; USD 87,000 - 117,000; Full time

Job summary

Smith College in Northampton, MA is seeking an Art Director to provide high‑level creative leadership and manage graphic design services across Communications & Marketing to support enrollment goals and fundraising initiatives.

As the lead creative professional, you will implement the Smith College brand across print, digital, and events, guide multiple platforms, and collaborate with Admissions and Advancement to deliver compelling campaigns while maintaining accessibility and quality.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Graphic Design and/or related field.
• 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 and multi-platform production processes.
• Expert-level proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite and familiarity with web/digital platforms.
• Strong creative, conceptual thinking, project management, organization and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Brand Champion: enforce Smith's visual identity and oversee brand quality across media.
• Collaborate with Admissions, Advancement and campus partners to support visual needs and template systems.
• Conceptualize and execute marketing campaigns across brochures, invites, ads, posters, web graphics and more.
• Provide art direction to shoots and supervise photo/video projects.
• Lead and develop a design team, manage budgets, deadlines and stakeholder feedback.

Skills

Branding

Design leadership

Project management

Team management

Accessibility standards

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Graphic Design

Tools

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

Job description

Smith College in Northampton, MA is seeking an Art Director to provide high‑level creative leadership and manage graphic design services across Communications & Marketing to support enrollment goals and fundraising initiatives.

As the lead creative professional, you will implement the Smith College brand across print, digital, and events, guide multiple platforms, and collaborate with Admissions and Advancement to deliver compelling campaigns while maintaining accessibility and quality.