The Contract Art Director is responsible for conceptual development and the execution of creative deliverables. These responsibilities include creating and communicating concepts, implementing marketing strategies and developing interactive design solutions. Reporting to the Creative Director, the Art Director will work with and lead a collaborative team of designers, copywriters and production specialists. Balancing creative thinking with interpersonal skills, this person will demonstrate an ability to justify concepts to both the client and the project team.

You Will: 

• Develop concepts, communicate ideas, and design solutions that meet or exceed strategic objectives in a highly collaborative and iterative studio environment
• Balance strategic development with client business objectives
• Direct & delegate to core creative services disciplines (design, information architecture, audio design, production and copywriting)
• Directly contribute to project design and development:- create storyboards / initial graphic concepts- conceive functional design solutions- create site grids and interface demos
• Provide quality assurance of all creative deliverables
• Mentor and coach team members through project development and performance management
• Build and maintain a rapport with clients, partner agencies and vendors
• Contribute to the innovative development of the creative department

You Have:

• Strong design portfolio 5+ years design and interactive work experience
• Experience leading a team of designers, production specialists and writers to creative excellence
• Well-developed communication skills
• Ability to think creatively and justify concepts to clients and team members
• Experience with strategic brainstorming, campaign development, creative brief development and creative execution
• Ability to work on multiple projects simultaneously
• Proven aptitude for quick creative thinking with acute attention to detail within demanding deadlines
• Solid working knowledge of the latest design tools including Adobe CS, Sketch, Principle
• Passion for interactive storytelling, ecommerce, product design, or design systems
• Experience using video, motion samples and/or prototyping to sell your creative ideas to team members and stakeholders
• Comprehensive understanding of interaction and UI design
• Committed to the profession of visual communication

The Talent Team at Critical Mass is focused on ensuring we provide the best training, mentorship, and employee experience possible! CM new hires & employees are the future of our organization, and we want to set you up for long-term success. In an effort to do so, we expect our team to work from an office a minimum of 4 days a week. The ask stems from our want to:

• Strengthen opportunity for continuous learning
• Improve collaboration and team relationships.
• Increase employee engagement

We understand that not everyone may feel comfortable with this expectation, so we ask that you please let us know immediately if there are any concerns so we can help navigate accordingly.

Critical Mass is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We do not tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, disability, age, or other legally protected status. If you are an individual with disabilities who would like to request an accommodation, please reach out to accommodations@criticalmass.com.

We are committed to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion within our pool of candidates, with a target of achieving at least 50% representation from underrepresented communities.

The Critical Mass Talent Acquisition team will only communicate from email addresses that use the URLs criticalmass.com and us.greenhouse-mail.io. We will not use apps such as Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, or Google Hangouts for communicating with you. We will never ask you to send us money, technology, or anything else to work for our company. If you believe you are the victim of a scam, please review your local government consumer protections guidance and reach out to them directly.

If U.S. based: https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/job-scams#avoidIf Canada based: https://www.canada.ca/en/services/finance/consumer-affairs.htmlIf U.K. based: https://www.gov.uk/consumer-protection-rightsIf Costa Rica based: https://www.consumo.go.cr/educacion_consumidor/consejos_practicos.aspx