Managing Consultant, Art Director

Environmental Resources Management (ERM); Knoxville (TN); Hybrid; USD 79,000 - 93,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid time off

Parental leave

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Life insurance

Disability insurance

AD&D insurance

401(k)

Job summary

ERM is seeking a highly talented and detail-oriented Art Director to join our global design team. You will lead creative work from concept through execution across digital, print, branding, and sustainability reporting.

You will mentor designers, collaborate with writers and strategists, and maintain high standards of quality while working in a hybrid model near Knoxville or remotely within ET/CST time zones.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in graphic design or equivalent experience.
• 4–6+ years of professional graphic design experience.
• 2+ years of leadership experience.
• Agency experience preferred.
• Strong portfolio spanning digital, print, interactive, and branding work.
• Proficiency in Mac OS, Adobe Creative Suite, Figma, and Microsoft Office.
• Solid understanding of typography, page layout, and design principles.
• Attention to detail and quality control.
• Ability to work with writers, strategists, and digital designers.
• Strong client communication and leadership in design discussions.
• Ability to multitask and meet tight deadlines.
• DEI&B integration into leadership culture.

Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and develop graphic designers and foster growth.
• Provide clear expectations and feedback on projects and career development.
• Consult with client teams on creative digital engagement strategies.
• Thrive in a fast-paced environment with shifting priorities.
• Balance workload across multiple projects and timelines.
• Own projects from concept to final delivery and ensure strategic alignment.
• Develop design estimates and contribute to proposals for sales opportunities.
• Lead by example through hands-on design and collaboration.
• Build trusted internal and external relationships.
• Research design trends and share insights with team.

Skills

Portfolio showcasing digital, print, &

Education

Bachelor’s degree in graphic design

Tools

Mac OS

Adobe Creative Suite

Figma

Microsoft Office

UX/UI design

CSS

HTML

Job description

Turn bold ideas into meaningful creative work that helps leading organizations communicate a more sustainable future. ERM is seeking a highly talented and detail-oriented Art Director with an impressive portfolio to join our growing global design team. This client-facing role may work remotely within the Eastern or Central time zones or in a hybrid model, with a preference for three days in person near our Knoxville office.

As Art Director, you will lead creative work spanning stakeholder engagement campaigns, brand storytelling, digital experiences, sustainability reporting, and pitch and agency deck design/layout, creating high-impact work from initial concept through final execution.

Why This Role Matters?

ERM Marketing & Communications Agency exists to give organizations building a sustainable future a market advantage. This role offers the opportunity to blend world-class creative work with work that truly matters, alongside people who are as genuine as they are talented. You will help Fortune 500 companies communicate some of their most important environmental and social initiatives while partnering with multidisciplinary teams across a global organization.

What Your Impact Is:

As Art Director, you will work under the direction of the Creative Director and collaborate with other Art Directors, graphic designers, project managers, and consultants to lead design on client engagements from creative concept through execution. You will lead, mentor, and develop graphic designers; provide clear expectations and feedback; build trusted client relationships; and bring strategic creative thinking to digital, print, interactive, branding, and communications work.

What You'll Bring:

Required Bachelor’s degree in graphic design or equivalent experience.

4-6+ years of professional graphic design experience.

2+ years of leadership experience.

A seasoned design professional; agency experience preferred.

Strength in people leadership.

Exceptional portfolio showcasing digital, print, interactive, and branding work.

Superior understanding of design principles, typography, and page layout.

Extreme attention to detail and proven commitment to quality control.

Interest in working with a variety of creative professionals, including writers, strategists, and digital designers.

Strength in client communications and leading design-focused discussions.

Self‑motivated, with personal initiative, a flexible attitude, and the ability to multitask and work with shifting deadlines.

Collaborative and generous with colleagues and invested in the team’s success as much as your own.

Open to input, feedback, and collaboration with colleagues, fellow creatives, and clients.

Able to work extended hours when necessary.

Conscientious with high attention to detail.

Versed in digital strategies and best practices while continuously looking for unexpected new ways to engage users.

Eager to expand and grow your skill set and experience as a creative professional.

Strong interpersonal skills, including diplomacy, tact, and assertiveness, as well as the ability to manage up and communicate effectively.

Ability to handle conflict and manage difficult conversations internally and externally.

Ability to work independently as well as part of a team and perform under pressure in a fast‑paced environment.

Integrates Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEI&B) into leadership culture.

Preferred Marketing, communications, and advertising experience.

Ability to communicate complex information to a broad audience of internal and external stakeholders.

Experience estimating design budgets.

Familiarity with AI design tools.

Data and infographic design experience.

Experience with major social and digital engagement platforms.

Accessibility experience for websites and PDFs.

Experience with multi‑page editorial layout design, including annual/sustainability reports, books, and magazines.

Proficiency with Mac OS, Adobe Creative Suite, Figma, and Microsoft Office.

Solid understanding of UX/UI design for digital experiences.

Knowledge of CSS and HTML.

Retouching capabilities.

Experience with Slack, Teams, and Monday.com project management software.

Experience managing outside vendors, including design, photography, video, developers, and printing.

Video and animation production.

Illustration.

3D rendering.

Working knowledge of Workiva and InDesign integration.

Sustainability experience.

Consulting experience.

Key Responsibilities:

Lead, mentor, and develop our graphic designers, creating an environment where people can do meaningful work and grow their capabilities and careers.

Provide clear expectations and feedback for projects and career development.

Consult with client teams and directly with clients on creative, engaging ways to leverage communications in the digital space.

Thrive in a fast‑paced environment with shifting priorities and scale ideas under tight timelines.

Balance workload across multiple projects in flight while understanding priorities and project parameters.

Own projects from early concept through final delivery, ensuring work is strategically aligned and flawlessly executed.

Work with leadership to develop sales opportunities specific to design, prepare estimates, and contribute to proposals.

Lead by example through hands‑on design, collaboration, and creative problem‑solving.

Build strong and trusted relationships internally and externally.

Research and report on design trends to the design team and broader company.

Assist in recruiting and onboarding efforts.

Present design work, answer questions, and provide strategic insight on client calls.

Aid the agency in setting and managing client design project schedules.

Oversee existing design rules and processes with the design team.

For the Managing Consultant, Art Director position, the anticipated annual base pay is $79,000 - $93,100 (USD). Actual pay will depend on factors such as education, experience, skills, location, performance, and business needs. In some cases, pay may fall outside this range. This role may be eligible for bonus pay subject to the sole discretion of ERM and its policies and procedures (casual and fixed term/flex force employees are not bonus eligible).

We offer a comprehensive benefits package, including paid time off (vacation, sick, and floating holidays), parental leave, medical, dental, vision, life, disability, AD&D insurance, 401(k), and other applicable benefits to eligible employees.

Who We Are:

As the largest global pure play sustainability consultancy, we partner with the world’s leading organizations, creating innovative solutions to sustainability challenges and unlocking commercial opportunities that meet the needs of today while preserving opportunity for future generations. At ERM we know that creating a diverse, equitable and inclusive work environment is an essential part of making our company a great place to build a career. We also see our diversity as a strength that helps us create better solutions for our clients. Our diverse team of world‑class experts supports clients across the breadth of their organizations to operationalize sustainability, underpinned by our deep technical expertise in addressing their environmental, health, safety, risk and social issues. We call this capability our “boots to boardroom” approach for its comprehensive service model that allows ERM to develop strategic and technical solutions that advance objectives on the ground or at the executive level.

ERM does not accept recruiting agency resumes. Please do not forward resumes to our jobs alias, ERM employees or any other company location. ERM is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes.

ERM is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.

Thank you for your interest in ERM! #LI-KB1 #LI-Remote #LI-Hybrid

At ERM, sustainability is our business. We are the world’s largest advisory firm focused solely on sustainability, offering unparalleled expertise across business and finance. ERM partners with clients to operationalize sustainability at pace and scale, through our unique combination of strategic transformation and technical delivery capabilities. Our diverse global team of experts works with the world’s leading organizations to help them set clear sustainability targets, measure progress and operationalize strategy through deep implementation and business transformation. With more than 50 years of experience, our ability to integrate sustainability solutions and our depth and breadth of technical knowledge are why organizations choose to partner with us as their trusted advisor. Every one of us firmly believes in the potential to create value for our clients through an integrated approach to sustainability (because we have personally seen it and professionally achieved it). Our team members are passionate about client service. We work closely with our clients to help them operationalize their sustainability goals and meet their environmental, health and safety objectives while advancing ERM’s purpose through delivering tangible progress in what the United Nations coined The Decade of Action. Organizing our people across globally integrated communities of technical and strategic talent positions ERM to be a “boots to boardroom” leader in bringing that value creation to our clients, partners, and the world. We recruit exceptional professionals with a personal and professional passion for sustainability and nurture them to even greater success as specialists. We prepare our consultants to bring integrated, innovative and sustainable solutions to our clients and provide opportunities for ongoing development across a variety of subject areas related to technical, business, and personal growth. At ERM, effort pays off and becomes career defining work that leaves a positive imprint on our planet.