Art Director

Overview

We’re looking for an experienced Art Director to support omni-channel campaigns for our large client, a well-known ecommerce lifestyle brand. This role exists to add experienced creative leadership and production support to an established creative team—not to reinvent the wheel, but to help deliver strong, thoughtful work at scale.

In this contract role, you’ll own campaigns from concept through delivery. You’ll lead visual direction, collaborate with internal partners, and spend meaningful time on set directing lifestyle photo and video shoots. Most Art Directors on this team are the sole AD on their projects, with autonomy and accountability for the work they lead.

This is a great fit for someone who enjoys variety, likes being close to production, and is comfortable navigating multiple stakeholders while keeping creative quality high.

What you’ll do

• Lead visual concepting and creative decision-making for omni-channel campaigns
• Take briefs from inception through delivery (concept, presentation, production, final assets)
• Direct lifestyle photo and video shoots, including ads and commercials
• Partner with producers, copywriters, designers, and external production teams
• Ensure creative works across eCommerce, digital, social, and some print
• Balance hands-on involvement with leadership and collaboration
• Manage timelines, feedback, and approvals with multiple stakeholders

What this role is (and isn’t)

This role is:

• Campaign-focused, not one-off assets
• Digital and eCommerce-first
• Heavily involved in production and on-set direction
• Collaborative, with strong stakeholder interaction

This role is not:

• A fashion-focused Art Director role
• A pure design execution role
• A junior or learning-on-the-job position

What you’ll bring

• 6+ years of Art Direction or senior creative experience
• Strong omni-channel portfolio with retail / eCommerce / lifestyle work
• Proven experience directing photo and video shoots
• Comfort working in fast-moving production environments
• Experience collaborating with agencies or production partners
• Ability to stay calm, flexible, and solutions-focused under pressure

Portfolio guidance

We’re especially interested in campaigns that show:

• eCommerce or retail storytelling
• Lifestyle imagery (home, kitchen, garage, patio, BBQ—not fashion)
• Digital-first thinking across multiple channels

Tools and technology you’ll use

• Adobe Photoshop (image editing and retouching)
• Adobe Illustrator (graphics and scalable assets)
• Adobe InDesign (layouts for digital and print)
• Adobe Acrobat (proofing and reviews)
• Mac-based workflow
• Experience with motion or simple animation is a plus, but not required.

What you get from this role

• Ownership of high-visibility, end-to-end campaigns
• Hands-on creative leadership, not just oversight
• Regular shoot direction and production experience
• A collaborative team of strategists, writers, designers, and producers
• The chance to influence how a major ecommerce brand shows up visually
• Variety: digital, social, ecommerce, print, photo, and video work
• Flexibility of remote work with the creative energy of on-set shoot days

Logistics​

• Freelance, often full-time hours (not guaranteed week to week)
• Most contractors are primarily dedicated to this work
• Production involvement 2–3x/month, sometimes multiple shoot days
• GTA-based shoots (Mississauga, Toronto); mileage reimbursed when applicable

​If your portfolio shows strong campaign thinking, beautiful and effective visual storytelling, and real on-set art direction experience, we’d love to see it.

About Aquent Talent

Aquent Talent connects the best talent in marketing, creative, and design with the world’s biggest brands.
Our eligible talent get access to amazing benefits like subsidized health, vision, and dental plans, paid sick leave, and retirement plans with a match. More information on our awesome benefits!

Aquent is an equal-opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, and other legally protected characteristics. We’re about creating an inclusive environment—one where different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives are valued, and everyone can contribute, grow their careers, and thrive.

LI-BC1