Art Director IV

Overview

Aquent is seeking a visionary **Art Director** to join our client, a leading global professional services organization. This is an incredible opportunity to make a significant impact by shaping innovative design solutions that elevate brand experiences and drive business objectives across a diverse portfolio of high-profile events and tradeshows. If you are a creative champion with a passion for experiential design and a knack for leading teams to deliver award-winning concepts, we invite you to bring your unique vision to the forefront and inspire unforgettable experiences.

As an accomplished creative leader, you will be instrumental in transforming strategic visions into tangible, impactful experiences. Every creative task will be an opportunity to push boundaries, ensuring unique, memorable, and innovative outcomes that help our clients solve their most complex challenges. You will not only advance the work with your vast experience and knowledge but also inspire and mentor a talented team, fostering a culture of excellence and innovation.

• Candidates for this role must be based out of one of the following locations: 
• Atlanta, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, Portland, St. Louis
• Candidates must be within 50 miles of a client office in locations above.
• This is currently a remote role but candidates must be agreeable to a possible hybrid work situation in the future.
• Candidates will be required to be onsite at a client office on their first day
• Candidates must be open to being asked to work specific days at an office

**Your Impact:**

* Lead creative initiatives for a large portfolio of events and tradeshows, directly influencing brand experiences and business growth.
* Shape innovative design solutions from strategy through execution, ensuring every detail aligns with and elevates brand objectives.
* Collaborate with diverse teams to develop compelling creative briefs, storyboards, and layouts that effectively communicate design concepts.
* Drive ideation sessions, mentor creative professionals, and contribute to the development of award-winning content.
* Articulate and present compelling creative concepts to gain stakeholder alignment and advance critical project goals.
* Work closely with graphic designers, motion graphic designers, videographers, and content strategists to create cohesive, elevated visual content across complex event channels.

**Key Responsibilities:**

* Lead creative initiatives for a broad range of events and tradeshows, ensuring alignment with strategic visions.
* Influence the development of creative briefs, storyboards, and layouts, effectively communicating design concepts.
* Lead and facilitate ideation sessions, fostering new design perspectives and inspiring innovation.
* Mentor and coach creative professionals, providing constructive feedback and developing conceptual skills.
* Collaborate with multi-disciplinary creative teams to produce cohesive and elevated visual content.
* Present and articulate compelling creative concepts to stakeholders, securing alignment and advancing project goals.
* Manage multiple event deliverables simultaneously, ensuring high-quality execution from strategy to completion.
* Proactively foster strong client relationships, building trust and identifying new opportunities for collaboration.
* Apply sound business acumen to comprehend strategic visions and influence creative development throughout the event lifecycle.

**Qualifications:**

**Must-Have Qualifications:**

* Bachelor’s degree in graphic design or a related discipline, or equivalent work experience as an Art Director.
* Eight years of dedicated event-related art direction and design experience.
* Comprehensive knowledge of event and creative industry practices, digital trends, innovation, and technology, demonstrated through a strong portfolio.
* Advanced creative conceptual thinking and design skills, coupled with the ability to constructively critique colleagues’ concepts.
* Proven ability to drive the development of creative briefs and storyboards, effectively selling design concepts and guiding design direction.
* Innovative mindset with current knowledge of design and creative technology trends relevant to events.
* Advanced proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite and proficient in prototyping.
* Strong leadership skills, demonstrated by leading by example.
* Experience in successfully leading creative project teams and individuals, overseeing the implementation of event vision, concept, and design deliverables across various platforms and media, including reviewing work, troubleshooting, and providing feedback.
* Experience in successfully mentoring and coaching creatives in developing conceptual skills, including critiquing design projects and providing constructive feedback in a virtual environment.
* Experience working and mentoring in a fast-paced, matrixed agency or in-house team environment on a range of creative initiatives.
* Strong communication skills, active listening, and diplomacy when collaborating with internal team members and business partners.
* Advanced problem-solving skills to identify, resolve, and overcome challenges effectively.
* Ability to inspire, guide, and cultivate innovation and creativity by harnessing the strengths of diverse skillsets within a multi-disciplinary creative team.

The target hiring compensation for this role is $80 per hour.

Compensation is based on several factors including, but not limited to education, relevant work experience, relevant certifications, and location.

**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. We also offer free online training through Aquent Gymnasium. 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.

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