Sr. Art Director

Curiosity Art Director

We're Curiosity. An independent creative solutions agency in Cincinnati that lives and breathes the power of being strategically curious. We ask insightful questions to uncover surprising perspectives. Because in a world with no definitive answers, the more curious you are, the more solutions you reveal.

Curiosity fuels brands with fascination. But for Activation, this mission is even sharper. We are the spark that brings ideas to life. Our job is to find the most fascinating, effective, and authentic ways for a brand to intersect with people's lives.

Curious Requirements:

The Art Director must be curious. You must think big thoughts and have the courage to break new ground and reinvent the definition of creativity and integration. You must be a good person who supports your supervisors and coworkers with empathy and honesty. You must believe in collaboration and positive confrontation for the sake of team and individual accountability. You must celebrate being a teacher and a mentor. You must be able to laugh with others and at yourself. You must comport yourself in a manner that engenders respect and promotes lasting relationships. You must have a big heart and a burning fire in your belly for storytelling. You must be indispensable. Above all, you must be willing to fail rather than settle for conformity.

Our goal is to create a creative culture and a company that is like no other. If this speaks to who you are and where you would like to grow your career, then please read on.

Job Description:

As part of the creative team, you will be expected to craft and execute ideas across various campaigns and media. You must be able to develop creative for both traditional and digital advertising as well as branding, packaging, POS and other design materials as needed. You must be strategic and collaborative, with strong interpersonal skills and a passion for creating insightful, intelligent work.

Strategic Functions:

• Develop strategic concepts, alongside copywriter/internal team, that communicate the objective of the piece.

Creativity:

• Deliver ideas that push the boundaries or demonstrate fresh ways of communicating the objective.
• Develop the look and feel of the work, always keeping in mind the proper branding and tone.

Presentations:

• Present work clearly to the internal team and client. This includes stating objectives outlined in the brief and reasoning as to why the concepts and visual choices being presented deliver on target.

Leadership:

• Must give clear direction to designers, production artists and outside vendors, and set goals to reach the desired outcome of project.
• Participate in approval of Creative Briefs, making sure all creative details are provided and scope of work is being communicated clearly to you.
• Set example/establish expectations by following in-house processes and policies.

Execution:

• Responsible for delivering any direct assignment work on time, according to quality standards of Curiosity, and to the expectations of the Client and our vendor partners.
• Responsible for the management of and quality of work delivered by outside vendors (directing photographers, freelance designers, wardrobe, directors, sound design, music, photo retouching, approvals of press proofs, web applications, etc.), as well as work delegated to an internal designer or production artist, making sure work remains on target, on budget, and on schedule.
• Manage timelines to deliver work on schedule.

Teamwork:

• Work closely with Creative Director and Project Manager to manage projects through to completion.
• Oversee the hiring of outside vendors (photographers, models, programmers, directors, freelance designers, producers, etc.), communicating why a particular vendor or talent is appropriate for each specific job.
• Build and maintain strong professional relationships with both clients and coworkers.

Requirements:

• A four-year degree in a related field, or equivalent work experience
• A portfolio filled with great ideas and award-winning concepts
• Ability to manage and contribute to numerous projects simultaneously
• Superior visual communication skills
• Willingness to fail or at least die trying
• High level of curiosity
• We're seeking portfolios with solid conceptual thinking and award-winning work spanning across strong executions of earned media, social and traditional advertising. Examples of produced work for TV/film is firmly required. Prior experience with Super Bowl TV campaigns is not firmly required but is a major plus!

This position reports to the Creative Director.