Senior Art Director

West Cary Group; Richmond (VA); On-site; USD 95,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

West Cary Group in Richmond, VA is seeking a dynamic Senior Art Director to lead concept development and visual execution for high-impact campaigns. You will mentor junior team members and collaborate with copywriters, UX and digital teams to deliver integrated creative solutions.

This role emphasizes strategic thinking, leadership, and a polished design aesthetic across print and digital media, with responsibility for delivering exceptional creative work on time and within client briefs.

Qualifications

• Minimum 7 to 10 years of art direction/design experience.
• Bachelor’s degree in visual arts or related field or equivalent work experience.
• Proficient in Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator) and Microsoft applications.
• Adobe After Effects is a plus.
• Extremely detail-oriented with strong visual design, layout and typography.
• Strong communication skills and ability to lead direct reports.
• Ability to thrive in a team and work with cross-functional groups.
• Strong understanding of social media and web technology.
• Previous ad agency experience is a must and print media experience desired.

Responsibilities

• Inspires, leads, and drives the visualization process from concept to final product.
• Develops original, strategically grounded campaign ideas across channels.
• Lead brainstorming sessions based on client intent.
• Provides creative solutions that fulfill the brief with exceptional design.
• Translate strategy and insights into memorable creative ideas.
• Mentor junior creatives and collaborate with copywriters to refine campaigns.
• Collaborate with UX and digital teams to ensure digital effectiveness.
• Present creative solutions to clients and internal teams.
• Assist with proposals, estimations, and project scoping.
• Partner with outside vendors to realize the creative vision.

Skills

Strategy thinking

Team leadership

Communication

Visual design

Layout/Typography

Attention to detail

Collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in visual arts or related field

Tools

Adobe Photoshop

Adobe InDesign

Adobe Illustrator

Microsoft Office

Adobe After Effects

Job description

West Cary Group is a full-service, digital marketing and technology agency based in Richmond, Virginia, which services numerous mid-sized local and Fortune 500 clients across a vast array of industries. Hopefully you enjoy the frenetic, dynamic, and exciting environment of a fast-growing firm, because we’re looking for dynamic Senior Art Director.

Position Summary:

Concepts, designs and executes visual solutions to deliver a high-quality creative product for West Cary Group with an emphasis on strategic thinking and team leadership.

Position Responsibilities:

• Inspires, leads, and drives the visualization process, from collaborative conceptualization through final product
• Develops original, strategically grounded campaign ideas that can extend across channels and executions.
• Lead brainstorming sessions to develop creative based on client intent
• Provides creative solutions that deliver on the brief in unique and innovative ways and maintain an exceptional design aesthetic
• Understands the business need behind client feedback and works with creative leadership to find the strongest creative solution.
• Utilizes animation and video to deliver engaging content and customer experiences
• Collaborates with UX and digital teams to ensure creative ideas translate effectively into digital experiences.
• Translates strategy and human insight into simple, memorable creative ideas.
• Manages multiple assignments while maintaining creative quality and meeting agreed-upon deadlines.
• Partners closely with copywriters to concept, develop and refine integrated campaign ideas.
• Partners closely with copywriters, designers and other creative team members to develop and execute successful campaigns and projects.
• Presents creative solutions to internal team and clients
• Assists with proposals, estimations and helps define project scope
• Works with outside vendors to ensure the vision for the creative product is brought to life effectively and on
• Mentors and supports the development of junior creative team members.
• Other duties as assigned

Requirements:

Role Qualifications:

• Focuses on the strategy of the creative product and its visual execution.
• Works closely with the Creative Director, providing thought leadership and guidance to other team members to ensure the quality and integrity of the product meets or exceeds product vision, and pushes the boundaries of competitive visual execution
• Supports team’s goal of delivering world-class creative products

Position Requirements:

• Minimum 7 to 10 years of experience in art direction/design
• Bachelor’s degree in a visual arts program or related field or equivalent work experience required.
• Must be proficient in Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator) and Microsoft applications
• Adobe After Effects is a plus (MacIntosh platform)
• Extremely detail-oriented and organized, with strong visual design skills, layout, typography and high graphic standards
• Strong communication skills and ability to lead direct reports
• Ability to thrive in a team
• Strong understanding of social media and web technology
• Previous ad agency experience is a must
• Previous experience in all print media desired