Mid - Level Art Director

Publicis Groupe Africa Pty Ltd; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 420,000 - 660,000; Full time

Job summary

Publicis Groupe Africa, based in Johannesburg, is seeking a Mid-Level Art Director to join our vibrant creative team. You will craft concept-led designs and execute across social platforms, collaborating with strategists, developers, media and accounts to elevate client campaigns.

You’ll help shape campaigns with a human-centered approach, balancing aesthetics with practical delivery and tight deadlines in a fast-paced agency environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor-level or higher in Art Direction or Graphic Design.
• 3–4 years’ experience in a similar role.
• Strong concepting and design execution abilities.
• Proficient in MS Office (Word/PowerPoint).
• Experience with Adobe Creative Suite.
• Strong communication and presentation skills.
• Ability to multitask and meet tight deadlines.
• Understanding of best-practice interaction and visual design principles.

Responsibilities

• Think conceptually and deliver integrated concepts and designs."
• Be platform-neutral and craft-led in creative output across major social platforms.
• Collaborate with strategists, developers, media, accounts, and other teams.
• Lead and participate in pitches, brainstorming, and client presentations.
• Define aesthetic direction for campaigns and manage multiple projects.

Skills

Conceptual thinking

Communication

Time management

Presentation skills

Education

Art Direction / Graphic Design degree

Tools

MS Office

Adobe Creative Suite

PowerPoint

Illustrator

Photoshop

InDesign

After Effects

Figma

Job description

Company Description

Publicis Groupe Africa is a leading marketing, communications, and business transformation network operating across 36 African countries, combining creativity, technology, and local insight to deliver integrated client solutions.

Publicis Groupe Africa is part of Publicis Groupe, the second-largest communications group globally, founded in 1926. The African network operates as a partnership of 44 communications agencies with offices spanning 36 countries, including South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Egypt, Morocco, and many others.

Its headquarters are in Johannesburg and Cape Town, providing a central hub for continental operations.

Overview

Title: Mid-Level Art Director

Location: Johannesburg

Reporting To: Creative Director

THE OPPORTUNITY

Telecommunications is one of the most dynamic categories in the market, sitting at the intersection of technology, culture, connectivity, customer experience and everyday life. This role offers the opportunity to work with a leading telecommunications client and help shape the next generation of its agency partnership.

We are building a connected, future-fit model that brings together creativity, intelligence, data, technology, AI and world-class execution around the customer. It is an opportunity to influence the work and the capabilities we build, creating a partnership designed for today’s challenges and what comes next.

Responsibilities

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

As a creative you will work with our passionate, multi-talented studio delivering on exceptional, integrated concepts and designs to exceed client briefs and expectations.

As a Mid-level Art Director, you can expect to be craft-led and platform neutral conceptual thinker, in particular having an understanding of all major social platforms. You should have a desire to transform companies by creating beautiful, intuitive, and human-centred products and experiences.

You will be tuned into all aspects of South African popular culture and the platforms and media it plays in, as well as have a strong point of view on what it takes to win in this space.

Duties Include, But Not Limited To

• Be a conceptual thinker
• Be up to date with platforms
• Manage your creative process on projects
• Work with other disciplines (Strategists, Developers, Media, Accounts, etc.)
• Be a champion for creative innovation on every project you touch
• Participate in pitches for new business
• Define or apply the aesthetic of overall campaigns
• Manage multiple projects simultaneously
• Generate ideas and sell them into clients or other members of the team
• Mock up creative ideas
• Design across multiple channels
• Consistently produce creative elements against a deliverables list
• Participate in brainstorms & conceptualisation
• Lead the craft & design of your idea
• Compile presentations for clients and learn to present
• Attend client briefings & be prepared to present to clients

Qualifications

• Tertiary qualification in Art Direction / Graphic Design
• Must have a minimum of 3-4 years’ experience.
• Conceptual and design skills
• Proficient in MS Office (i.e. Word / PowerPoint etc.)
• Knowledge of and experience in Adobe Creative Suite applications
• Good communication & presentation skills
• Good multi-tasking skills (ability to work on more than one brief at any given time)
• Great time management
• Ability to work under pressure & meet tight deadlines
• Adopt problem solving skills
• Strong communication skills with ability to provide rationales for creative choices made
• Adequate presentation skills
• Working knowledge of existing and emerging technologies & platforms
• A strong understanding of best practice interaction and visual design principles
• Able to work with team members

Working Knowledge Of These Tools

• Illustrator
• Photoshop
• InDesign
• After Effects
• KeyNote / PowerPoint
• Figma
• Google Web Designer & DV360 (Advantageous)
• Facebook Creative Hub

BUSINESS KPI’s

• Demonstrate innovative ideas to the team to improve how we communicate our proposition
• Must be able to work on one sizable and two small size projects at any one time with oversight
• Have the ability to attend every review on a project with 3 new ideas

THE PERSON

• Team player with the ability to work independently
• Ability to work well in a highly pressurized, fast-paced environment
• Curious, imaginative creative mind with a passion for everything advertising related
• Meticulous with attention to detail
• Proactive - a “can do” attitude and willing to go the extra mile
• Accountable
• Solution and deadline driven
• Other:
• Flexible to work beyond normal office hours (overtime - if and when required)
• Able to work on alcohol brands (if and when required)

Additional Information

Publicis Groupe Africa is an equal opportunity employer and prohibits any forms of Discrimination or Harassment. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all our employees in line with our Employment Equity Plan.

All appointments will be based on qualifications, experience and best fit but preference will be given to candidates from designated groups.

PUBLICIS VALUES

Trust through respect, transparency and accountability. Talent through collaboration, development and high standards. Transformation through curiosity, continuous learning and improvements that create value for clients.