Senior Art Director

Socket.dev; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 95,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Socket.dev is seeking a Senior Art Director to bring big ideas, exceptional design craft, and a strong point of view to our consumer-brand work. You will shape visual direction across campaigns, product launches, e-commerce, social, and video from concept to delivery.

You’ll collaborate with the Creative Director and design team, mentor designers, and ensure visuals align with brand strategy while delivering compelling consumer experiences.

Qualifications

• 4+ years of art direction and design experience in an agency or brand environment.
• Brand identities, visual systems, and large-scale brand/product guidelines.
• Packaging and POP/display experience is a plus.
• Proficiency with Adobe Creative Suite and Figma/Sketch.
• Strong typography, color, photography, composition, layout, and UX.
• Experience directing photo and video production.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Highly organized with an exceptional eye for detail.

Responsibilities

• Take on large design initiatives and product launches with a high craft bar and brand vision.
• Direct large-scale photoshoots and video shoots with shot lists, style references, mood boards, storyboards.
• Oversee retouching to ensure final delivery is polished and consistent.
• Bring passion for Beauty and Food spaces using category insights to drive creative.
• Partner with DEX/Strategy, and Account/Ops to align content hierarchy and approvals.
• Help build PDP experiences blending visuals and copy for purchase intent.
• Extend campaigns across channels: retail, site, paid/social with consistent messaging.
• Collaborate with Creative, Studio and clients to align visuals with product needs.
• Interpret brand guides across all communications.
• Utilize Airtable and DAM tools to manage content workflows.

Skills

Art direction

Brand building

Creative concepting

Storytelling

Design craft

Photography direction

Video direction

Tools

Adobe Creative Suite

Figma

Sketch

DAM tools

Job description

ABOUT US

tmsunitestechnology,marketingandsourcing todrive transformational changefor the world’s leading brands.With 1000+employees across 26 countries, we offer an impressive range of solutions — from inspiration and innovation to categorymanagement and delivery. Most importantly,we'reaplace where you can achievegreat things,and be recognized as the best.

Our parent company, HAVI, is a global, privately held company that deliversexpertiseand experience acrossanalytics,packaging, sourcing, supply chain, andlogistics. Together, we unlock potential in our shared talent, more careeropportunities and benefits, and an elevated service for our clients — which include the likes of McDonald’s, T-Mobile, O2 andadidas — as well as their customers.

Check out our latest and greatest work, from Happy Meals and reusable packaging to adidas immersive experiences, digital campaigns, and more: https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/792991243

Learn howwe'rebringing together technology, marketing, and sourcing to transform brands through "The Power ofAnd": https://vimeo.com/792991410

tmsis a place where brilliant people are better together. Discover what life is like at a company where you can achievegreat thingsand feel like you truly belong https://vimeo.com/841244881?share=copy

WHAT MATTERS THE MOST

Breakthrough, business-driving ideas come from extraordinary people with the freedom to be their most authentic selves atwork. And we know authenticity and diversity — critical elements of our business — can only be realized when we create accessand equity for all. We foster a culture of inclusion and belonging and aspire to be ever-evolving, always growing and listening.

If you want your ideas to be heard and to contribute to a culture of inclusion and authenticity, bring us your voice!

ROLE OVERVIEW

Today,we’relooking for aSenior Art Directorwho bringsbig ideas, exceptional design craft, and a strong point of view to everything they create.In this role,you’llsplit your time across two exciting consumer businesses—from a fun, highly visual CPG candy brand to a diverse portfolio spanning beauty, personal care, and home.

Workingcloselywith theCreative Directorand design team,you’llhelp shapevisual direction across campaigns, product launches, e-commerce, social, digital, photography, and video. From dreaming up the big idea and building mood boardsto directing shootsand obsessing over the final details,you’llhave a hand in bringing the work to life from start to finish.

We’relooking for someone who is equally energized bycreative thinking andgreat design— a natural storyteller whowantsto build brands, create compelling presentations, deliver memorable consumer experiences, and turn products into things people want to engage with.

You’llwork closely withcopywriterswhile having an opportunity tomentor designers, collaborate with cross-functional teams and clients, and oversee photo and video productions from concept through delivery.

Ifyou’rea designer at heart, love pushing creative boundaries, thrive in a fast-moving environment, and want the opportunity to make a visible impact across some seriously fun consumer brands,we’dlove to meet you.

DIGGING A LITTLE DEEPER

In this roleyou’ll…

• Take onlargedesign initiatives and product launches, ensuring every project meets a high craft bar and reflects the big-picture brand vision.

• Direct large-scale photoshoots and video shoots, including the development of shot lists, style references, mood boards, and storyboards.

• Oversee and direct retouching with the studio team to ensure final delivery is polished and consistent.

• Bring a passion for the Beauty and Food space, using category-specific insights to drive compelling creative.

• PartnercloselywithourDEX/Strategy, and Account/Opsteamsto align on content hierarchy and approvals, and to ensure copy and visuals ladder up to the creativevision

• Help build best-in-class PDP (Product Detail Page) experiences that drive purchase intent by seamlessly blending visuals and copy

• Extend campaign and product narratives across channels: design and adapt visuals for retail placements, site, paid/social content, and other brandtouchpoint— ensuring the messaging stays consistent while the execution fits each format.

• Collaborate with the Creative,Studioand client stakeholders to ensure visual direction aligns to the product — supporting related needs like packaging, toolkits, social/paidcontentand other retail content.

• Interpret and implement visual brand guides, translating them effectively throughout all brandcommunitcations

• Utilize organizations tools likeAirtableand Digital Asset Management (DAM) programs to manage content and dynamic creation workflows

SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

• 4+ years of art direction and design experience in an agency or brand environment, with a strong background in CPG, retail, e-commerce, digital commerce, and/or consumer brands.

• Exceptional design and brand-building skills, with experience developing brand identities, visual systems, and large-scale brand and product guidelines. Packaging and POP/display experience is a plus.

• Expert-levelproficiencyin Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign) and strong experience with Figma and/or Sketch.

• Strong command of design fundamentals including typography, color, photography, composition, layout, hierarchy, and user experience. Motion graphics experience is a plus.

• Proven creative concepting and storytelling skills, with a portfolio thatdemonstratesfresh thinking, strong visual storytelling, and exceptional execution across a range of projects and channels. Experience with kids, character, gaming, or promotional design is a plus.

• Experience directing photo and video production, including developing storyboards, building creative treatments, and partnering with production teams, photographers, directors, stylists, and talent to bring creative concepts to life.

• Exceptional communication and presentation skills, with the ability to articulate and sell a creative vision,whilecollaboratingwith clients and cross-functional partners.

• Highly organized with an exceptional eye for detail, able to manage multiple projects, priorities, and deadlines whilemaintaininga high creative bar and never losing sight of the bigger picture.