Art Director - Cape Union Mart

Cape Union Mart Group; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 600,000 - 840,000; Full time

Job summary

The Cape Union Mart Group is seeking an experienced Art Director to lead the visual development and execution of brand communications across multiple channels from our in‑house studio in Cape Town. You will translate brand strategy into distinctive, commercially effective creative work while guiding a team of designers.

With 7+ years of art direction and graphic design experience, you will shape campaigns, supervise shoots, storyboards, and ensure high‑quality craft across digital, print and

Qualifications

• 7+ years of art direction and graphic design experience.
• Strong conceptual thinking and ability to lead campaigns.
• Proven ability to direct shoots and develop visual narratives.
• Excellent leadership and communication with senior stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Lead integrated brand campaigns across digital, retail, print and social channels.
• Translate briefs into strong concepts and scalable campaign systems.
• Maintain high visual craft and guide designers throughout.
• Collaborate with marketing, design, digital and production teams.
• Present concepts to stakeholders with clear strategic rationale.
• Direct photo shoots, styling and on-set art direction.
• Create storyboards for video and motion content.
• Manage multiple projects, balancing vision, brand and deadlines.

Skills

Conceptual thinking

Visual storytelling

Creative direction

Leadership

Communication

Education

Tertiary qualification in art direction or graphic design

Tools

Adobe Photoshop

Adobe Illustrator

InDesign

Adobe After Effects

Job description

Opportunity

The Cape Union Mart Group is looking for an experienced and conceptually strong Art Director with exceptional graphic design skills to join our in‑house creative studio within the Marketing department in Cape Town. This role is responsible for leading the visual development and execution of compelling digital and through‑the‑line brand communications across Cape Union Mart, K‑Way and our rewards programme. The ideal candidate combines strong conceptual thinking with hands‑on design expertise and is able to translate brand strategy into distinctive, relevant and commercially effective creative work.

Key Requirements

A strong conceptual thinker and visual storyteller who can lead creative projects from brief through to final execution, while remaining hands‑on and collaborative within a fast‑paced in‑house studio environment.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Lead the development and execution of integrated brand campaigns across digital, social, retail, print and other through‑the‑line channels, ensuring alignment with brand strategy, identity and commercial objectives.
• Translate marketing briefs and strategic objectives into strong creative concepts, visual territories and campaign systems that are distinctive, relevant and scalable across multiple touchpoints.
• Set and maintain a high standard of visual craft, providing clear art direction and constructive guidance to designers and other creative team members throughout the creative process.
• Work closely with marketing, copy, design, digital and production teams to develop ideas, solve creative challenges and deliver cohesive campaign executions.
• Present and motivate creative concepts to internal stakeholders, confidently articulating the strategic and creative rationale behind the work.
• Direct and oversee photographic shoots, including pre‑production, styling and on‑set art direction, ensuring that visual storytelling supports campaign objectives and brand aesthetics.
• Conceptualize and create storyboards for video and motion content, defining narrative flow, composition and visual direction to guide production.
• Manage multiple creative projects simultaneously, balancing conceptual ambition, brand consistency, deadlines and production requirements while ensuring work is delivered to a high standard.

Knowledge, Experience & Qualifications Required

• 7+ years of relevant experience in art direction and graphic design, ideally within an advertising agency, design studio, retail environment or in‑house creative team, with proven experience operating at a senior level.
• A compelling portfolio demonstrates strong conceptual thinking, art direction, graphic design, campaign development, photographic direction and video or motion storyboarding.
• Proven experience directing photographic shoots and developing visual narratives, preferably within outdoor, lifestyle, retail or related consumer brands.
• Strong leadership and communication skills, with the ability to guide creative teams, give constructive feedback and collaborate effectively with senior stakeholders.
• Advanced proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite, particularly InDesign, Photoshop and Illustrator. Experience with Adobe After Effects or other motion and video tools is advantageous.
• Strong understanding of typography, layout, image‑making, brand systems and integrated campaign design across both digital and physical environments.
• A tertiary qualification in art direction, graphic design, visual communication or multimedia design is preferred.

Please note: The Cape Union Mart Group is committed to transformation. Appointments and promotions will be made based on candidates who best meet the requirements for the position. Candidates that enhance the diversity of the team will be given preference, in line with our Employment Equity plan.