Art Director III

Aquent (United States); Cleveland (OH); Remote; USD 55,000 - 96,000; Full time

Job summary

Aquent is seeking an exceptionally talented Art Director III to lead design innovations for a prestigious professional services client. You will shape visual narratives, translate business goals into compelling presentations, and guide a team to deliver award-winning visuals across reports, events, and digital initiatives.

The role requires a Bachelor’s in design, 8+ years of art direction, a strong portfolio including PowerPoint work, and proficiency in Adobe CC.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in graphic design or related field is required.
• Eight or more years of art direction and design experience in fast-paced environments.
• Outstanding portfolio with strategic design, conceptual thinking and digital trends, including PowerPoint presentations.

Responsibilities

• Lead the creative direction for a diverse client portfolio across reports, publications, leadership decks, events and digital initiatives.
• Drive high-energy ideation sessions to inspire fresh concepts.
• Collaborate with internal teams to shape briefs, storyboards, and layouts.
• Present compelling concepts to stakeholders and align on momentum.
• Mentor and coach a team of creatives in a virtual environment.
• Ensure top-quality design deliverables across media and platforms.
• Build strong relationships with internal partners to develop new opportunities.

Skills

Art direction

Leadership

Presentation

Mentoring

Strategic design

Creative ideation

Communication

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in graphic design or related field

Tools

Adobe Creative Cloud

PowerPoint

Prototyping tools

Adobe Workfront

Job description

Are you ready to elevate your creative career and lead design innovation for one of the world’s most prestigious professional services organizations? As an elite creative champion, you will have the unique opportunity to partner with Aquent and our client to transform complex business challenges into memorable, award-winning visual experiences in the form of presentations, thought leadership pieces, and event visuals. In this role, your strategic vision and artistic leadership will directly shape high-impact initiatives, driving conceptual storytelling that captivates audiences and advances major business objectives.

TITLE: Art Director III

LOCATION: Remote; must reside in Atlanta, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, or St. Louis. The role is remote but candidates must come on-onsite for their first day of work and for occasional meetings if needed.

HOURS: Full-time

DURATION: 3 months with the potential to extend indefinitely

We are seeking an exceptionally talented and visionary Art Director to join a dynamic team where your creative leadership will directly shape compelling visual narratives and drive strategic impact for a diverse portfolio of projects. This is an incredible opportunity to influence innovative thinking, translate complex business needs into unique visual experiences, and inspire teams to deliver award-winning creative that truly makes a difference. You will be at the forefront of conceptualizing and executing design solutions that are not just aesthetically brilliant, but also strategically sound and deeply engaging.

What You Will Do

In this collaborative and influential role, you will lead the creative direction for a diverse portfolio of client projects, campaigns, and digital initiatives. You will act as a strategic partner, translating complex business goals into compelling visual narratives.

• As part of the organization’s Presentation and Design Team, lead art director for reports, global publications, leadership presentation decks, wave space initiatives, and major event visuals.
• Initiate and lead high-energy creative ideation sessions to inspire fresh design perspectives and innovative concepts.
• Collaborate closely with internal teams and stakeholders to influence the development of creative briefs, storyboards, and layouts.
• Articulate and present compelling creative concepts to stakeholders, gaining alignment and driving project momentum.
• Mentor, coach, and inspire a team of talented creatives, providing constructive feedback and fostering their conceptual growth in a virtual environment.
• Ensure the successful execution of design deliverables across various digital platforms and media, maintaining the highest standards of quality.
• Proactively build and foster exceptional relationships with internal partners to co-develop new creative opportunities.

What You Bring

• A Bachelor’s degree in graphic design, a related discipline, or equivalent professional art direction experience.
• Eight or more years of dedicated art direction and design experience within a fast-paced, matrixed agency or in-house team environment.
• An outstanding digital portfolio demonstrating superior conceptual thinking, strategic design, and current digital design trends. Must include examples PowerPoint presentations. Additionally, any other thought leadership pieces and event visuals are highly preferred.
• Advanced proficiency in Adobe Creative Cloud, prototyping tools, and PowerPoint.
• Strong business acumen with the ability to comprehend strategic visions and translate them into actionable creative directions.
• Exceptional leadership, communication, and diplomacy skills, with a proven track record of leading creative teams and managing project budgets and resources.

Bonus Points

• Proficiency or experience with Adobe Workfront is highly beneficial.