Group Head : Art

99C; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 600 000 - 850 000; Full time

Job summary

A leading creative agency in Cape Town is seeking a Creative Group Head to lead and inspire a team of art directors. The ideal candidate will have over 8 years of experience in the advertising sector and a strong portfolio demonstrating innovative concepts across multiple channels. Responsibilities include overseeing team operations, developing compelling creative strategies, and ensuring high-quality deliverables. Candidates must possess strong leadership skills, familiarity with design software, and the ability to manage client relationships effectively.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in a leadership role in advertising or a related field.
• Strong portfolio showcasing exceptional creative concepts across various channels.
• Ability to work under pressure and meet tight deadlines.

Responsibilities

• Oversee and mentor a team of art directors, providing guidance and support.
• Drive the development of innovative and compelling creative concepts.
• Collaborate with production teams to ensure successful project delivery.

Skills

Leadership and mentoring

Creative concept development

Strategic thinking

Client relationship management

Attention to detail

Team collaboration

Education

Tertiary degree or diploma in art direction, marketing, or communications

Tools

Adobe Creative Suite

Microsoft Office Suite

Job description

You will be responsible for leading and inspiring a team of talented art directors to create exceptional visual concepts across all channels. You will play a pivotal role in developing innovative and impactful campaigns that resonate with our target audiences, driving brand awareness and engagement.

Responsibilities

• Oversee and mentor a team of art directors, providing guidance, support, and inspiration to foster their creative growth.
• Drive the development of innovative and compelling creative concepts that align with client objectives and brand identity.
• Ensure the highest standards of quality and execution in all creative deliverables.
• Lead and inspire Art Direction best practice.
• Ensure consistency and integration of art direction across all communication channels.
• Responsible for seeing the idea through the creative process to final sign off.
• Mentor junior and mid-level art directors.
• Participate in new business initiatives, from identifying opportunities to pitch development.
• Hands‑on creative development from concept to implementation.
• Provide quality assurance of all creative deliverables.
• Collaborate with copywriters and other team members to develop the overarching creative strategy and big ideas for campaigns.
• Demonstrate a strong understanding of consumer insights and market trends to create relevant and engaging content.
• Think critically and creatively to solve complex challenges and generate unique solutions.
• Interact with other agency teams / divisions to develop creative concepts.
• Work to brief and show understanding and relevance to the target market.
• Research and implement AI‑powered design tools and techniques to streamline workflows and enhance creative output.
• Utilize AI algorithms for tasks such as generating design ideas, creating custom illustrations, and optimizing visual assets.
• Stay up to date on the latest design software, hardware, and industry trends.
• Leverage technical skills to create visually impactful and technically sound designs.
• Create social, digital, print, TV, OOH and editorial layouts and oversee shoots.
• Manage the day‑to‑day operations of the art direction team, including workflow, deadlines, and – along with Traffic – optimal resource allocation to enable quality delivery.
• Ensure efficient and effective execution of creative projects, from concept to completion.
• Collaborate with production teams to ensure seamless transition of creative concepts into production.
• Oversee creative consultations with strategy and account teams to assure appropriate creative strategies, adequacy / accuracy of input, production support, necessary reviews, and client presentations.
• Present creative concepts to clients and effectively communicate the creative rationale and solution, ensuring all concepts are well thought‑out, strategic, highly creative, and effectively answer the brief requirements.
• Build strong relationships with clients and foster trust and collaboration.
• Address client feedback objectively and openly, and make necessary adjustments to creative deliverables.
• Demonstrate a deep understanding of retail marketing and consumer behaviour.
• Develop creative concepts that are tailored to the unique challenges and opportunities of the retail environment.
• Integrate AI‑powered design tools wherever possible, streamlining workflows and enhancing creative output.
• Ensure team proficiency with the latest design software.

Leadership and Team Development

• Conduct performance reviews and individual development plans for team members, focusing on creative growth and skill enhancement.
• Achieve consistent team satisfaction scores, measuring the effectiveness of mentorship and guidance provided to junior and mid‑level art directors.

Consistency in Creative Output

• Maintain consistently high levels of adherence to brand standards and quality expectations across all creative deliverables.
• Ensure that % of projects meet consistency and integration standards across channels.

Project Delivery and Resource Management

• Complete creative projects on time and within the allocated resources by effectively managing workflow and collaborating with the Traffic team.

Satisfaction and Communication

• Present creative concepts to clients with a goal to first time approval on initial presentations.
• Satisfactorily address and implement client feedback, ensuring responsiveness to client needs and alignment with project briefs.

Through AI and Technical Proficiency

• Integrate AI‑powered design tools wherever possible, streamlining workflows and enhancing creative output.
• Ensure team proficiency with the latest design software.

Qualifications and Experience

• Tertiary degree or diploma in art direction and marketing and / or communications.
• 8+ years of experience (preference will be given to candidates from agency environments).
• Strong conceptual ability demonstrated by an impressive portfolio of work.
• Experience in omni‑channel advertising is crucial.
• Proven experience as a Creative Group Head or a similar leadership role in advertising or a related field.
• Strong portfolio showcasing exceptional creative concepts and execution across various channels.
• Ability to lead and inspire a team of creative professionals.
• Deep understanding of design principles, typography, and color theory.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Strong attention to detail and organizational ability.
• Ability to work under pressure and meet tight deadlines.
• Passion for creativity and a commitment to delivering exceptional results.
• Ability to balance working personally on projects, as well as overseeing campaign development within your teams.
• Need to be able to work with Adobe Creative Suite software (Acrobat, InDesign, Photoshop, After Effects, etc.).
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (MS Word, MS PowerPoint, etc.).
• Team player with the ability to work independently, as well as collaborate with broader teams.
• Resilient, with ability to remain calm in a highly pressurized, fast‑paced environment.
• Creative, out‑of‑the‑box thinker with both a strategic and creative mindset.
• People‑focused, approachable, dependable, emotionally intelligent, empathetic and compassionate.
• Proactive and resilient, assertive, accountable and proactive.
• Problem‑solver, deadline and solution driven.
• Meticulous with excellent attention to detail.
• May be required to work on alcohol brands and / or alcohol‑related material.