Senior Art Director

Manifest; Illinois; Hybrid; USD 85,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work environment

Flexible PTO

Health plans + 401(k) match

Job summary

Manifest is looking for a Senior Art Director in Chicago with 5-7+ years in an agency or in-house setting to lead innovative design across print and digital channels. You will guide concepting, art direction for shoots, and production from concept to delivery while ensuring brand consistency and measurable impact.

The role demands a strong portfolio, a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent, and expertise in Adobe CC and Figma, with a hybrid onsite schedule three days a week.

Qualifications

• 5-7+ years of agency/inhouse design experience
• Portfolio of produced work required
• Bachelor's degree / Portfolio School or equivalent
• Expertise in Adobe Creative Cloud and Figma
• Experience concepting and designing across web platforms
• Onset photo shoot experience with pre-production and retouching direction
• Ability to clearly articulate and present ideas with confidence
• Hybrid 3x week onsite in Chicago

Responsibilities

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

Skills

Art direction

Concepting

Presentation

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree / Portfolio School

Tools

Adobe Creative Cloud

Figma

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 progressEnsure 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.