Art Director

Art Director

Darktrace's internal creative agency is looking for an experienced and highly creative Art Director to help shape and elevate a world-class Blue-Chip brand. This is a hands-on maker role for someone with exceptional craft, strong conceptual thinking, and the ability to translate complex ideas into compelling visual storytelling across every touchpoint.

We're building a team of creative-minded storytellers who are passionate about the work and energized by the opportunity to push the brand forward. The right candidate lives and breathes brand experience and design, combining visual excellence with strategic thinking to create exceptional work across advertising, web, digital, data visualization, print, social, video, keynotes, and events.

You'll lead creative from concept to completion, driving ideation, shaping brand expression, and delivering high-quality work yourself. You are a natural creative leader with a sharp eye for detail, a passion for craft, and the ability to develop conceptual, identity-led campaigns, immersive experiences, and standout creative that raises the standard across the team.

Responsibilities:

• Be a master creative maker: develop and lead creative projects from conceptualization through design, execution, and delivery.
• Deliver high-fidelity work that is thoughtful, considered, and meets the requirements of the project brief.
• Demonstrate conviction and accountability through quality, effectiveness, and projects delivered on time and to spec.
• Be an expert multitasker, balancing workload across multiple projects in flight while understanding priorities and project parameters.
• Demonstrate the ability to execute on project requirements with urgency and accountability, while managing project requests outlined by the production team and Creative Director.
• Lead in creating compelling and inventive solutions and concepts for integrated campaigns that uphold and evolve the Darktrace brand.
• Evolve and push Darktrace's creative voice forward with a sharp art direction eye, exceptional craft, and a consistently high standard of visual excellence.
• Lead exploratory creative work that defines new visual territories and expands the brand's aesthetic boundaries.
• Develop and execute high-fidelity creative across campaigns, events, web, social, digital, print, OOH, motion, video, multimedia, and interactive experiences.
• Own projects from early concept through final delivery, ensuring work is strategically aligned and flawlessly executed.
• Translate abstract ideas, strategic inputs, and complex concepts into elegant, clear, and compelling visual communication.
• Bring abstract concepts to life through typography, illustration, iconography, photography, storyboarding, and graphic development.
• Build, maintain, and evolve style guides, brand kits, design libraries, visual systems, and modular design frameworks that ensure consistency, scalability, and excellence across outputs.
• Help innovate and elevate Darktrace's design, visual systems, and event graphics.
• Rapidly ideate on creative, producing comps, concept executions, and presentations for the work.
• Provide visual direction and art direction across illustration, photography, motion, video, and storytelling, both hands-on and through internal teams and external partners.
• Art direct internal videographers, photographers, external agencies, freelancers, and production partners to achieve the creative vision and ensure all work meets Darktrace's visual standards.
• Collaborate closely with the Creative Director, copywriters, designers, developers, videographers, photographers, and production team to deliver world-class creative solutions.
• Work closely with other team members and the production team to establish priorities, fidelity, and timely delivery of tasks.
• Partner cross-functionally with Creative, Brand, Marketing, Product, Content, Account, and client stakeholders to deliver cohesive and impactful creative solutions.
• Effectively communicate conceptual ideas and detailed design rationale, both verbally and visually.
• Clearly articulate and present work to the Creative Director and a wide range of creative and non-creative stakeholders.
• Ensure quality control and outcomes through art direction, critical thinking, and attention to detail.
• Develop a deep understanding of Darktrace's business strategies and goals, as well as the brand vision, systems, and documentation.
• Evangelize brand objectives, strategy, and art direction across projects, and advise other designers in collaboration with the Creative Director.
• Mentor designers and motion creatives, fostering growth, experimentation, feedback, and continuous improvement.
• Continuously self-educate on the competitive landscape, current design trends, emerging platforms, and new tools to maintain relevance in advertising and design.

Qualifications:

• 6 + years of relevant design/art direction experience, either in creative agency, studio or in-house.
• A BFA, BS, or MFA in Graphic Design or equivalent field is required.
• Strong portfolio demonstrating exceptional visual design and concept development, brand systems, campaigns, typography, layout and high-quality multi-channel execution. (Required to apply)
• Proven ability to concept, develop, and deliver impactful visual storytelling aligned to strategic objectives.
• A self-starter attitude with an excitement to work in a fast-paced, low-ego environment
• Expert proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite / Figma and a strong understanding of digital, experiential, and multi-platform design.
• Proficiency with business software (MS Office, Google Slides, Keynote)
• Strong understanding of branding, visual systems, UX/UI principles, and user-centered design for digital platforms.
• A professional knowledge of web and social media standards and limitations.
• Deep knowledge of motion, animation, storyboarding, and social-first creative development.
• Experience using generative AI tools for rapid concepting, creative exploration, and mood boarding.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, high-growth environment while managing multiple priorities and deadlines effectively.
• Strong communication and presentation skills, with the ability to explain creative decisions with clarity, confidence, and humility.
• Experience mentoring and elevating other creatives through thoughtful feedback and collaboration.
• Strong project management and design operations awareness, with the ability to help shape scalable ways of working.
• A high level of curiosity, ambition, and creative integrity, with a desire to constantly push the work forward.
• Experience in technology or cybersecurity is a plus.

Outline of Success:

Success in this role means consistently delivering world-class creative that is on brief, on time, and reflects the highest standards of craft, design strategy and visual excellence. Successful work will encapsulate the full requirements of the role in every project, every time, combining strong concepting, clear communication, brand consistency, strategic alignment, and exceptional execution across all touchpoints. This is a hands-on design role, taking projects from initial boarding and explorative concepting to execution and deployment.

Salary: $120,000-$140,000

Benefits:

• 100% medical, dental and vision insurance, plus dependents
• Paid parental leave
• Pet insurance Discount
• Life insurance
• Commuter benefits
• 401(k)
• Employee Assistance Program

As a growing business strengthening its governance and controls, this role plays a part in supporting high standards of integrity and accountability.

Darktrace is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We consider all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, veteran or military status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

Darktrace is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities in accordance with applicable laws. If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate in the application or interview process, please contact your Talent Partner.

Employment with Darktrace is at-will, meaning either the employee or Darktrace may terminate the employment relationship at any time, with or without cause or notice, except where prohibited by law or governed by a separate written agreement.