Art Director

Chapman University Careers•Irvine, CA

21h•Onsite

About The Position

The Art Director serves as the No. 2 to the Associate Creative Director, guiding a cross-functional creative team in the conception, design, and execution of visual materials, for print and digital collateral as well as for multimedia executions. This is a player-coach role in which the Art Director actively designs a significant portion of the department’s deliverables, including key art; viewbooks, magazines, invitations, and other print collateral; and advertising campaigns and individual ad assets. In addition to managing and executing projects, the Art Director works closely with creative and marketing leadership in the management of the university brand, as well as the schools and colleges brand positions, and in support of enrollment, reputation, and fundraising initiatives. The Art Director helps to maintain the department’s creative budget and workflow and serves as a key collaborator in translating marketing objectives into cohesive visual campaigns across channels. The Art Director does not have direct reports at present but has broader oversight and mentorship duties with respect to team projects. This position is in person in Orange, CA and the candidate will be expected to be in the office a minimum of four days a week.

Requirements

At least five years of progressive experience in a graphic design arena with experience serving as a creative lead on projects/campaigns.
Ability to work in collaborative environment.
Leadership and management experience.
Strong competency in building, leading, and influencing teams.
Strong organizational skills to coordinate and track the progress of multiple jobs at a time and meet deadlines.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills; strong problem-solving skills.
Self-motivated, well organized, assertive, and able to work under pressure and meet tight deadlines.
Creative and strategic thinker willing to explore creative options and expand communication opportunities.
Knowledge of design techniques, tools and creative expression; demonstrate creativity.
Expert proficiency with the Adobe Creative Suite; proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite applications, and project management software.
Applicants who lack current and deep expert proficiency in InDesign, Illustrator, and similar applications will not be considered. Similarly, candidates who lack current and deep experience working with printers and other production vendors will not be considered.
Technical skills to learn and use enterprise systems and departmental tools.
Meticulous attention to detail.
Strong interpersonal skills to work with diversity individuals at all levels both within and out of the University.
Ability to learn and interpret university and department policies and procedures.

Nice To Haves

Recent experience as an art director in a large organization is preferred.

Responsibilities

Translates marketing objectives into clear creative strategies and deliverables.
Leads the artistic development of marketing and promotional campaigns and pieces, including print and digital advertising, collateral materials, university publications, illustrations, and other assets.
Contributes to creative thinking and develops visual concepts that connect campaigns across platforms, reflect evolving audience trends, and strengthen brand storytelling.
Provides feedback and makes contributions to UX/UI design as needed.
Develops and participates in pitch presentations as assigned.
Reviews work, and provide feedback to the designers to assure alignment of the work is consistent with the brand guidelines.
Assumes lead on brand positions for schools and colleges.
Provides creative direction for photography and video work where necessary.
Provides templates and guidelines for design team to follow.
Reviews work, troubleshoots and provides feedback to design team.
Serves as the creative lead when the Associate Creative Director is out of the office.
Supports the Associate Creative Director in the day-to-day management of the studio, ensuring projects are appropriately triaged, assigned, and quality-controlled.
Helps to ensure creative workflows are clear and seamless, from creative brief to final deliverable.
Works directly with Chapman’s printers and external vendors, helping coordinate specifications, timelines, estimates, and production details to ensure high-quality final outputs.
Collaborates across the department and university as needed to successfully execute projects.
Supports licensing/merchandising initiatives.
At the direction of the Associate Creative Director, provides direction and mentorship to the creative team (in house and out of house).
Provides guidance that increases the skill set, training, and development of the creative team.