Senior Art Director, Creative Development

dentsu; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 72,000 - 96,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, vision, dental

401(k)

Flexible PTO

Job summary

Dentsu is hiring a Chicago-based Senior Art Director to lead shopper, retail, POS and commerce creative. You will guide designers, partner with creative directors, strategy, accounts and production to bring ideas to life across in-store and digital experiences.

The role emphasizes hands-on conceptual leadership, mentoring juniors, presenting work to clients, and delivering high-quality, brand-aligned visuals. Applicants located in Chicago preferred, with weekly onsite collaboration.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in advertising, shopper or retail marketing or integrated agencies.
• Strong concept development and art directing for shopper/retail campaigns.
• Beverage/alcohol experience preferred; CPG exp is relevant.
• Portfolio showing work across retail, shopper, experiential, and digital channels.

Responsibilities

• Develop concepts for shopper, retail, POS, and commerce programs.
• Create visual solutions for in-store campaigns, displays, merchandising, sampling.
• Translate insights and brand objectives into creative executions.
• Lead projects from concept to execution with quality and brand alignment.
• Mentor junior designers and collaborate with cross-functional teams.

Skills

Art direction

Shopper marketing

Retail marketing

POS campaigns

Brand storytelling

Mentoring juniors

Presentation skills

Communication skills

Conceptual thinking

Job description

Senior Art Director, Creative Development

We are hiring a Chicago-based Senior Art Director to support shopper marketing, retail marketing, point-of-sale creative, and commerce activations for a leading global beverage alcohol company. This role is designed for a highly conceptual, hands-on creative leader who creates and executes impactful work across retail, shopper, experiential, and omnichannel touchpoints. The Senior Art Director will partner with Creative Directors, Strategy, Account, and Production teams to bring ideas to life while providing day-to-day creative guidance to designers and junior creatives.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop creative concepts for shopper marketing, retail activation, POS, and commerce marketing programs.
• Create compelling visual solutions for in-store campaigns, seasonal promotions, displays, merchandising, and sampling initiatives.
• Translate shopper insights, brand strategies, and retail objectives into engaging creative executions.
• Lead projects from concept through execution while ensuring quality, consistency, and brand alignment.
• Collaborate closely with account, strategy, production, and experiential teams.
• Contribute hands‑on design and art direction across physical and digital commerce touchpoints.
• Present creative work internally and to clients with confidence and clarity.
• Mentor junior designers and support a collaborative creative culture.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in advertising, shopper marketing, retail marketing, commerce marketing, or integrated agency environments.
• Strong experience developing and art directing shopper marketing, retail, POS, and activation campaigns.
• Beverage alcohol experience preferred; CPG experience highly relevant.
• Portfolio demonstrating strong conceptual thinking and execution across retail, shopper, experiential, and integrated campaigns.
• Experience creating work for both retail environments and digital commerce channels.
• Excellent visual design, storytelling, presentation, and communication skills.
• Experience mentoring junior creatives or leading projects, without primary responsibility for managing large creative teams.
• Must be located in Chicago (preferred) or New York for weekly onsite collaboration in our Dentsu offices.

Preferred Experience

• Retail or shopper marketing agency experience.
• Experience supporting beverage alcohol or consumer packaged goods brands.

Salary

The anticipated base salary range for this position is $72,000-$96,000. Placement within the range is based on experience, skills, and other factors permitted by law.

Benefits

• Medical, vision, and dental insurance
• Life insurance
• Short‑term and long‑term disability insurance
• 401(k)
• Flexible paid time off
• At least 15 paid holidays per year
• Paid sick and safe leave
• Paid parental leave
• Dentsu also complies with applicable state and local laws regarding employee leave benefits, including, but not limited to providing time off pursuant to the Colorado Healthy Families and Workplaces Act, in accordance with its plans and policies.
• For further details regarding Dentsu benefits, please visit www.dentsubenefitsplus.com.

Job Details

• Location: Chicago
• Brand: Dentsu Creative
• Time Type: Full time
• Contract Type: Permanent

Equal Opportunity

Dentsu is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees. We do this without regard to race, color, national origin, sex , sexual orientation, gender identity, age, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, ancestry, physical or mental disability, marital status, political affiliation, religious practices and observances, citizenship status, genetic information, veteran status, or any other basis protected under applicable federal, state, or local law.

Accommodations

Dentsu is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to, among others, individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans. If you need an accommodation because of a disability to search and apply for a career opportunity with us, please send an e‑mail to [e-mail] by clicking on the link to let us know the nature of your accommodation request and your contact information. We are here to support you.

About Dentsu

For over 120 years, innovation has been a core tenet of our offering - exploring new ways to reach, engage and nurture relationships with audiences. Together we drive a multiplier effect for clients at a global scale, through the development of Integrated Growth Solutions that are underpinned by our promise to clients: innovating to impact. Be a force for good. Sustainability is a vital part of our business and an important area of focus for our clients. We're leading the way - helping to build a more sustainable planet. Dream loud. In this moment of transformation, we need our people to be fearless, embracing change and ambiguity, driven by the love for their work and excitement for the future. Team without limits. We create opportunities for connection and collaboration between our colleagues and clients, building a sense of belonging and having some fun along the way. Find out more about us.