Magazine Art Director

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; Salt Lake City (UT); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

The Magazine Art Director at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will establish and execute the magazine’s vision across print, digital, social, and video platforms.

The role is a strategic leadership position that oversees a team of designers and collaborates with General Advisory Officers, the Priesthood and Family messaging team, and product managers to deliver cohesive content and messaging.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree.

Responsibilities

• Lead complex projects and oversee designers, providing leadership and feedback throughout the publishing process.
• Develop design concepts representing a product, message, or experience that meets objectives.
• Collaborate with colleagues to lead design, visuals, graphics, and strategy for digital and print products.
• Write creative briefs and communicate vision and messaging to vendors for high-quality outputs.
• Oversee enterprise brand and style guide application across audience-specific products.
• Navigate multilevel approvals to translate business needs into products and experiences.
• Maintain quality, creative standards, and schedules across a global operations structure.
• Present ideas to executives and project teams, aligning with leaders' direction.
• Evaluate analytics to identify audience needs and shape short- and long-term product strategies.
• Manage staff in collaboration with HR, including promotions and role changes.

Skills

Leadership experience

Typography

Grid systems

Digital/social campaigns

Verbal and written communication

Cross-functional collaboration

Project management

Adobe Creative Suite

Public presentations

Mentoring designers

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Adobe Creative Suite

Adobe Premiere

After Effects

Figma

Job description

Job DescriptionThe Magazine Art Director establishes and executes the overall vision of the magazine as approved by the First Presidency in all channels, which includes (1) carrying prophetic messages to members worldwide, (2) supporting home-centered gospel learning, and (3) helping to build a sense of belonging among the worldwide community of Saints. The Magazine Art Director provides design direction for targeted audience content published in print magazines, social media, web, apps, video, streaming services, and other platforms. The Magazine Art Director also provides creative direction for the audience theme and derivative products and messaging. The Magazine Art Director works cooperatively with General Advisory Officers, the Priesthood and Family messaging team and product managers, and the Publishing Services Department for ideation, content coordination, planning, creative execution, and all other design needs. The Magazine Art Director is a strategic leader & decision driver, managing cross-functional relationships and leading a team of designers across multiple channel products. This is a people manager role.

The Magazine Art Director establishes and executes the overall vision of the magazine as approved by the First Presidency in all channels, which includes (1) carrying prophetic messages to members worldwide, (2) supporting home-centered gospel learning, and (3) helping to build a sense of belonging among the worldwide community of Saints. The Magazine Art Director provides design direction for targeted audience content published in print magazines, social media, web, apps, video, streaming services, and other platforms. The Magazine Art Director also provides creative direction for the audience theme and derivative products and messaging. The Magazine Art Director works cooperatively with General Advisory Officers, the Priesthood and Family messaging team and product managers, and the Publishing Services Department for ideation, content coordination, planning, creative execution, and all other design needs. The Magazine Art Director is a strategic leader & decision driver, managing cross-functional relationships and leading a team of designers across multiple channel products. This is a people manager role.

Responsibilities

• Lead complex projects and oversee designers by providing leadership & decision making to content creation teams; provide feedback on content throughout the publishing process as needed; oversee all aspects of the design work; build relationships with service providers, vendors, and other stakeholders.
• Develop design concepts that represent a product, a message, a story, or an experience that solves business and communication objectives.
• In collaboration with colleagues in other creative disciplines, the art director will participate in or lead the overall design, visuals, graphics, and strategy for the digital and print products for the assigned audience.
• Write creative briefs and communicate the vision, strategy, and messaging goals with contracted vendors to ensure high-quality products.
• Oversee the application of the enterprise brand and style guide while adapting for audience-specific products to ensure global brand standards are maintained.
• Work within multilevel approval structures to successfully interpret business needs, research, and policy requirements to produce products and experiences.
• Maintain the appropriate quality, creative standards, and schedules across a global operations structure.
• Prepare and give presentations both upline to executives, and downline to project teams, to present recommended ideas, concepts, and final products. Follow the direction of executive councils, officers, and leaders.
• Evaluate analytics on products for the assigned audience regularly to identify the needs of that audience worldwide and to form short- and long-term strategies for products.
• Manages the work of other employees (may include mixed workforce). Responsible, in partnership with HR, for employee management and recommends advancement, promotion or any other change of status of employees within their reporting line.
• To successfully perform the essential functions of the job there may be physical requirements which need to be met such as sitting for long periods of time and using computer monitors/equipment.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree.
• Eight years of design experience, with at least 2 years in a leadership or senior design role.
• Professional portfolio demonstrating strong typography, grid systems, long & short form layouts, and dynamic digital/social campaigns. Portfolio link required.
• Demonstrated people management leading content design teams. Inspires excellence and shows a willingness to lead & mentor fellow designers.
• Required proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite. Experience in Adobe Premier, AfterEffects, and Figma a plus. Demonstrated versatility in design expertise across print, web, mobile, video, and social media.
• Expert verbal and written communication skills. Must be able to aggregate and distill information from various sources, write solid design proposals and plans, and give credible presentations upline to executive leaders and downline to project teams.
• Competency over all aspects of a design project's development and progress, including working with cross-functional teams, multiple departments, and policy governance stewards to foster cross-departmental collaboration and coordination.
• Ability to lead on new projects with little detailed direction.
• To successfully perform the essential functions of the job there may be physical requirements which need to be met such as sitting for long periods of time and using computer monitors/equipment.

About Us

Church employees find joy and satisfaction in using their unique talents and abilities to further the Lord’s work. From the IT professional who develops an app that sends the gospel message worldwide, to the facilities manager who maintains our buildings— giving Church members places to worship, teach, learn, and receive sacred ordinances—our employees seek innovative ways to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with the world. They are literally working in His kingdom.

Only members of the Church who are worthy of a temple recommend qualify for employment. Apart from this, the Church is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in its employment decisions on any basis that would violate U.S. or local law.

Qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, national origin, color, gender, pregnancy, marital status, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or other legally protected categories that apply to the Church. The Church will make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with known disabilities.