Senior Art Director: Strategic Creative Leader

West Cary Group; Richmond (VA); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

West Cary Group, a full-service digital marketing and technology agency based in Richmond, Virginia, is seeking a Senior Art Director to lead visual strategy and execution for high-profile campaigns. You will collaborate with Creative Director and cross-functional teams to shape concepts into final creative products.

We value strong leadership, relationship-building with clients, and the ability to mentor junior creatives while delivering top-tier design across print and digital media in a

Qualifications

• 7–10 years of art direction/design experience
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent work experience
• Proficient in Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator; After Effects is a plus
• Strong attention to detail and visual design fundamentals
• Experience leading teams in an agency setting

Responsibilities

• Inspires, leads, and drives the visualization process from conceptualization to final product
• Develops original, strategically grounded campaign ideas across channels
• Lead brainstorming sessions based on client intent
• Provides creative solutions that deliver on the brief with strong design aesthetics
• Mentors junior team members and partners with copywriters and designers to execute campaigns
• Manages multiple assignments and meets deadlines while maintaining quality

Skills

Creative leadership

Strategic thinking

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in visual arts

Tools

Adobe Creative Suite

After Effects

MS Office

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