Art Director, Contract

Key Responsibilities

• Creative Strategy and Direction
• Lead creative conception and campaign strategy for new business pitches and existing client accounts
• Work in a fast-paced environment while maintaining project goals, timelines and objectives on track
• Execute high-level design work across digital, print, motion, and spatial mediums
• Experience leading content campaigns at scale— with a clear visual system holding it together
• Develop and present cohesive creative visions by translating briefs—from mood boards and wireframes to final executions
• Stay ahead of design trends, platform-native formats, and cultural moments to bring fresh thinking to every project
• Own the pitch process for creative—including concept development, deck design, and live presentation
• Production and Quality
• Manage the full creative production process across multiple clients simultaneously—from brief through final delivery—keeping timelines, deliverables, and revision cycles on track
• Lead QA review to ensure all assets meet technical specs, platform requirements, and brand standards before client-facing delivery
• Maintain project tracking in ClickUp (or equivalent), proactively flagging risks before they impact delivery
• Bridge the gap between paid media performance and creative—understanding metrics, budgets, and platform best practices to inform design decisions and adapt assets for performance
• Reporting & Insights
• Review monthly client creative performance against KPIs; synthesize findings into clear, actionable client-ready decks
• Develop monthly design trend reports to highlight key opportunities for Direct Agents’ clients and inform forward-looking creative strategy
• Work closely with paid media, account, strategy, and development teams to ensure creative is seamlessly executed and aligned with campaign goals
• Represent the creative team on client pitches and presentations as a senior voice for the work

What We're Looking For

• 6+ years of experience in art direction, creative direction, or integrated campaign design—agency experience strongly preferred
• A strong portfolio demonstrating concept-driven creative across digital, social, paid media, and brand campaigns
• Deep fluency in Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, After Effects); Figma experience a plus
• Proven ability to present and sell creative ideas to internal stakeholders and clients
• Strong understanding of paid media ecosystems and how creative decisions affect performance
• Experience managing or mentoring junior designers and directing freelancers
• Exceptional attention to detail with the ability to manage multiple workstreams simultaneously
• Active user of AI tools (Claude, ChatGPT, Midjourney, etc.) with hands-on experience applying them to creative workflows—from concepting and ideation to production efficiency
• Familiarity with project management tools (ClickUp, Asana, etc.) and Google Workspace

About the Role

This contract, NYC based role pays $40-50/hour depending on experience. Hours are Monday-Thursday 10:00am - 6:30pm.

Benefits

• Regular performance reviews with quarterly growth path check-ins
• Comprehensive health, dental, vision, and mental health benefits (One Medical, Talkspace, KindBody, Health Advocate)
• 15–24 days PTO/year depending on seniority, plus birthday off, 7 sick/safe days, and up to 12 weeks paid parental leave
• New MacBook Pro and access to cutting-edge AI tools across the agency
• Sun-drenched penthouse Acceleration Hub on 5th Avenue in Flatiron—with commuter benefits and Citibike membership
• Dog-friendly office, regular team events (Field Day, Ski Club, Golf League, holiday celebrations), and a culture built around ownership and ambition

Location

This role is based in our NYC headquarters. You must reside or be willing to relocate within commuting distance.