Creative Director, Editorial

The Atlantic; New York (NY); On-site; USD 200,000 - 275,000; Full time

Job summary

The Atlantic is seeking a Creative Director to oversee visual direction and brand expression across editorial platforms including print, website, app, podcasts, video, and live events.

Based in New York City or Washington, D.C., you will lead the art department, guide design, illustration, and photography for our journalism, and collaborate with editors to shape a distinctive, high-impact visual narrative.

Qualifications

• Proven leadership with creative vision and people management.
• Strong design and journalistic sense, bridging concept and reporting.
• Excellent organizational skills and deadline-driven multi-project management.
• Established relationships with photographers and artists.
• Adaptable with grace under pressure.
• Clear communication and collaborative spirit.
• Thrives in fast-paced, demanding environment.
• Expertise with Adobe tools: Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign/K4.

Responsibilities

• Oversee visual direction and brand expression across all platforms.
• Lead the art department and guide design, illustration, and photography for journalism.
• Collaborate with editors and writers to shape visual storytelling.
• Manage external photographers, illustrators, and other artists.

Skills

Leadership

Creative vision

Design sense

Organization

Photographers network

Adaptability

Communication

Fast-paced environment

Tools

Photoshop

Illustrator

InDesign

K4

Adobe Creative Suite

Job description

Role Overview

The Atlantic is seeking a Creative Director to oversee visual direction and brand expression across all editorial platforms—including the print magazine, website and app, podcasts, video, and live events. The Creative Director will manage the Atlantic’s art department, and lead the team’s work on design, illustration, and photography across The Atlantic’s journalism.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated talent for leadership, including creative vision, people‑management experience, and the ability to both identify and execute against goals
• Astute design and journalistic sense, and facility with both conceptual and reportorial work
• Strong organizational skills, including the ability to work effectively under deadlines and to manage concurrent projects
• Established relationships with photographers, illustrators, and other artists, and a keen eye for emerging talent
• Adaptability to change and grace under pressure
• Clear communication skills and a collaborative spirit
• Energized by a fast‑paced and intensely demanding creative environment
• Expertise with Adobe Creative tools, including Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign/K4

Location

This position is based in New York City or Washington, D.C.

Compensation

Salary minimum: $200,000; Salary maximum: $275,000

About The Atlantic

The Atlantic has, for more than 160 years, advanced ideas that matter and sparked global conversation on the most important issues of our time. We aim to bring clarity and original thinking to questions of consequence, on topics ranging from politics, the economy, and global affairs to technology, science, and culture. As the third-longest-running magazine in America, we find ourselves at a remarkable moment: one of both continuation and transformation, of upholding our legacy while continuously reinventing ourselves for the future.

The Atlantic Monthly Group LLC ("The Atlantic") is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The Atlantic is committed to diversity and encourages members of traditionally underrepresented communities to apply, including women, LGBTQ people, people of color, and people with disabilities. We do not discriminate against our applicants because of race, color, religion, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation, and pregnancy), national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other status protected by applicable law.

Job offers to work at The Atlantic are contingent upon the candidate’s successful completion of reference checks and compliance with The Atlantic's COVID-19 vaccination policy. The Atlantic requires all employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19, including subsequent boosters, and submit proof of vaccination status. Employees who cannot receive the vaccine because of a disability/medical contraindication or sincerely-held religious belief may request an accommodation (e.g., an exemption) to this requirement.