Senior Art Director

Manifest; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 85,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work environment

Health plans with 401(k) match

Paid parental leave

Job summary

Manifest, a Chicago-based independent agency, seeks a Senior Art Director with 5-7+ years of agency/in-house experience. You’ll lead art direction for print and digital, concept multiple ideas, direct on-set shoots, and ensure brand consistency across channels.

Hybrid work—3 days onsite in Chicago—stresses collaboration and high-quality delivery. You’ll manage projects end-to-end, present concepts with confidence, and elevate client brands through compelling visuals and storytelling.

Qualifications

• 5-7+ years of relevant experience in agency or in-house design
• Portfolio of produced work required
• Bachelor’s degree / Portfolio School, or equivalent experience
• Expertise in Adobe Creative Cloud and Figma
• Experience concepting and designing across web platforms and digital media; print/in-store a bonus
• On-set photo shoot experience, including pre-production and retouching direction
• Ability to clearly articulate and present ideas with confidence
• Hybrid 3x week onsite in Chicago office

Responsibilities

• Act as an original thinker, creating innovative, culturally relevant website design
• Concept multiple creative solutions and develop high-fidelity visuals with quality control
• Provide art direction for lifestyle and product photo shoots
• Manage projects from concept through production and delivery, keeping stakeholders informed
• Ensure branding is consistent and communicated across all deliverables
• Present and strategic creative concepts to internal teams and clients
• Collaborate with team members across disciplines, flexible working independently or in a team

Skills

Art direction

Concept development

Presentation

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Tools

Adobe Creative Cloud

Figma

On-set direction

Job description

At Manifest, our work is fueled by data, ignited by creativity and driven by results. We are a proudly independent, full-service agency represented by diverse talents, backgrounds and expertise, and we have one goal: to deliver breakthrough ideas and brand experiences that drive emotional connections and measurable impact. Let’s chat.

We’re hiring a Senior Art Director with 5-7+ years of agency/inhouse experience to be an integral part of our creative team in Chicago. Through an omnichannel approach that combines innovative art direction and design, collaborative concepting, asset development and production, photo shoots, storytelling, and more, you’ll bring products and brands to life in a way that drives conversion while deepening brand affinity. In this role you will be responsible for developing print and digital concepts and content that elevates our clients’ products over their competition.

Responsibilities

• Act as an original thinker, creating innovative, culturally relevant, and effective website design
• Concept multiple creative solutions for any given project and develop high-fidelity visuals with strong quality control
• Provide art direction for lifestyle and product photo shoots
• Manage projects from concept through production/delivery, keeping stakeholders informed of progress
• Ensure branding is consistent, prominent, and communicated effectively across all deliverables
• Present and strategic creative concepts with confidence to internal teams and clients
• Collaborate with team members across disciplines, bringing flexibility to work independently or as part of a team

Requirements

• 5-7+ years of relevant experience in print and digital design in an agency environment
• Portfolio of produced work required
• Bachelor’s degree / Portfolio School, or equivalent experience
• Expertise in Adobe Creative Cloud and Figma
• Experience concepting and designing across web platforms and digital media. Bonus: print and in-store experience
• Onset photo shoot experience, including pre-production and retouching direction
• Ability to clearly articulate and present ideas with confidence
• Hybrid 3x week onsite in our Chicago office

What We Offer

• Private Company (Independent Agency) — Being a private organization allows us to move quickly so that we can deliver our best for our teams and our clients.
• Flexibility — We have a hybrid work environment and a flexible PTO plan that allows teams to take time off when they need it.
• Competitive Benefits and Salary — Multiple options for health plans based on your and/or your family’s needs, plus a 401(k) match and paid parental leave. The annual salary range for this role in the Chicago market is $85k-$100k in base pay, and the base pay offered will be determined on a case-by‑case basis based on experience, skills, training, certifications, education, etc., and will be informed by market data.

Manifest is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. Manifest recruits qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, gender, age, ethnicity, national origin, protected veteran status, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, genetic information, gender identity, marital status, pregnancy, citizenship status, or any other protected groups covered by federal, state or local laws.