Senior Art Director

We-Are-Social; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Passport program

Global offices

Snacks

Job summary

We Are Social in Los Angeles is seeking a Senior Art Director who thrives in a fast-paced, trend-driven environment. You’ll translate client needs into visually compelling narratives, mentor juniors, and push creative boundaries across campaigns while staying ahead of social moments.

You’ll lead design directions, present concepts to clients, and collaborate with a large team to deliver high‑impact work. Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite, After Effects, and Premiere is essential, along with a

Qualifications

• 6+ years of art direction in a fast-paced agency
• Strong portfolio with sophisticated typography and composition across digital/traditional media
• Experience presenting and working directly with clients
• Proficiency across Adobe Design suite; After Effects and Premiere
• Deep familiarity with ethical AI frameworks and the legalities of AI-generated content in a commercial setting
• Excellent attention to detail

Responsibilities

• Concept and create strong ideas that resonate with target audiences
• Design for clients and agency new business efforts, within brand guidelines
• Develop concepts aligned with client objectives and maintain high agency standards
• Present and defend art direction to leadership and clients, translating feedback into tasks
• Navigate tight deadlines and evolving budgets, preserving the original vision
• Mentor junior/mid-level creatives and foster high performance
• Integrate advanced AI tools to speed up visual identities and assets
• Infuse generative AI into pitches and mockups to win new business
• Research emerging AI trends and establish best practices for AI use in the creative dept

Skills

Adobe Suite proficiency

Client presentations

Mentoring juniors

AI ethics awareness

Tools

Adobe After Effects

Adobe Premiere Pro

Job description

THE ROLE

We Are Social is looking for a culture-hungry Senior Art Director to join our growing team and wants to make cool stuff that people will love! You are a strategic creative powerhouse responsible for translating client needs to visual narratives. You lead the vision for integrated campaigns while mentoring junior talent, pushing boundaries, and staying ahead of trends.

WE ARE

A creative agency powered by social connections. That means we thrive on what’s trending and creating campaigns that get people buzzing. We call it “Ideas Worth Talking About,” and we're proud to have played a part in some of the most culturally relevant campaigns of the decade for brands like McDonald’s, Adidas, Universal Studios, and YouTube.

WHY YOU’LL LOVE IT HERE

• We like to laugh, we live for celeb gossip and we’re great on AUX
• Our passport program lets you explore and work from one of our 18 other offices worldwide, including Paris, Singapore, Madrid, Dubai, London and more
• You best believe we know how to celebrate our wins. And our losses (it’s how we learn)
• From carbon offsets to community kitchens, we’re passionate about making a difference
• Did we say snacks? Because we have great snacks

YOU ARE

• A person who thrives in a fast-paced environment, responding quickly and proactively
• Not interested in just following trends – you want to create them
• A self-starter, who’ll take ideas from concept to execution, navigating feedback like a pro

What matters is your deep understanding of what resonates with social audiences. This role is energetic, innovative and forward-thinking. Alongside engaging with communities, you’ll guide brands by staying ahead of social trends and cultural moments. In return, you’ll join a global agency dedicated to generating buzzworthy ideas for some of the world’s leading brands.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

• Concept and create strong, compelling ideas that resonate with target audiences
• Design for clients and agency new business efforts, working within brand guidelines while pushing for design excellence
• Develop creative concepts that align with strategic client objectives, ensuring all visual output maintains the highest agency standards from ideation to final delivery
• Present and defend art direction to internal leadership and external clients, effectively decoding feedback into actionable creative tasks for the broader team
• Navigate complex project constraints, including tight deadlines and evolving budgets by finding innovative solutions that preserve the integrity of the original vision
• Manage multiple concurrent projects of varying complexity with precision and adaptability under pressure
• Act as a primary mentor for junior and mid-level creatives, providing constructive feedback and fostering a culture of high-performance and continuous visual improvement
• Implement advanced AI tools to supercharge the creative lifecycle, from generating comprehensive visual identities to rapid video asset creation
• Infuse generative AI into client pitches and prototypes to create hyper-realistic product shots and fully realized campaign mockups that win new business
• Proactively research emerging AI trends and tools, leading the team in ethical discussions and establishing best practices for AI usage within the creative department
• Ideate and build effective stories that match the quality of each social platform
• Excellent communicator who can confidently articulate ideas to others, from storyboard to final work
• Design visually engaging presentations, create mockups & do light retouching as needed that help sell creative ideas to top clients in the industry
• Work collaboratively with a large team of creatives from ideation to execution to help to ensure ideas are created and brought to life

REQUIREMENTS FOR THIS ROLE

• 6+ years of experience in art direction within a fast-paced agency environment
• Portfolio demonstrating sophisticated creative thinking, nuanced typography, and expert-level composition across digital and traditional media
• Experience presenting and working directly with clients
• Comfortable working in a fast paced environment, and managing multiple projects at once
• Proficiency across Adobe Design suite; fluency in both After Effects and Premiere
• Deep familiarity with ethical AI frameworks and the legalities of AI-generated content in a commercial setting
• Excellent attention to detail

JOIN US

At We Are Social, we celebrate diverse perspectives and experiences. We welcome unique voices and talents, especially those not traditionally embraced by advertising. Discover more about our culture and our work.

Let’s make great things together.

We Are Social is an equal opportunity employer, committed to providing employment opportunities regardless of race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding, age, sexual orientation, military or veteran status, or any other protected classification, in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. For California applicants, you may view We Are Social's Privacy Notice for California Employees and Job Applicants at https://wearesocial.com/us/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/07/CA-Employee-and-Job-Applicant-CPRA-Notice.pdf