Freelance Art Director

We Are Social•New York, NY

About The Position

We are seeking a highly creative and experienced Freelance Art Director to join our dynamic agency. In this role, you will be responsible for conceptualizing and executing compelling visual ideas for a diverse range of clients and new business efforts. You will work closely with strategic objectives, ensuring the highest standards of design excellence from ideation through final delivery. This position requires strong presentation skills, the ability to navigate complex project constraints, and a proactive approach to integrating emerging AI tools into the creative process. You will also mentor junior creatives and collaborate effectively with a large team to bring innovative concepts to life.

Requirements

6+ years of experience in art direction within a fast-paced agency environment.
Portfolio demonstrating sophisticated creative thinking, nuanced typography, and expert-level composition across digital and traditional media.
Experience presenting and working directly with clients.
Comfortable working in a fast paced environment, and managing multiple projects at once.
Proficiency across Adobe Design suite; fluency in both After Effects and Premiere.
Deep familiarity with ethical AI frameworks and the legalities of AI-generated content in a commercial setting.
Excellent attention to detail.
Excellent communicator who can confidently articulate ideas to others, from storyboard to final work.

Responsibilities

Concept and create strong, compelling ideas that resonate with target audiences.
Design for clients and agency new business efforts, working within brand guidelines while pushing for design excellence.
Develop creative concepts that align with strategic client objectives, ensuring all visual output maintains the highest agency standards from ideation to final delivery.
Present and defend art direction to internal leadership and external clients, effectively decoding feedback into actionable creative tasks for the broader team.
Navigate complex project constraints, including tight deadlines and evolving budgets by finding innovative solutions that preserve the integrity of the original vision.
Manage multiple concurrent projects of varying complexity with precision and adaptability under pressure.
Act as a primary mentor for junior and mid-level creatives, providing constructive feedback and fostering a culture of high-performance and continuous visual improvement.
Implement advanced AI tools to supercharge the creative lifecycle, from generating comprehensive visual identities to rapid video asset creation.
Infuse generative AI into client pitches and prototypes to create hyper-realistic product shots and fully realized campaign mockups that win new business.
Proactively research emerging AI trends and tools, leading the team in ethical discussions and establishing best practices for AI usage within the creative department.
Ideate and build effective stories that match the quality of each social platform.
Design visually engaging presentations, create mockups & do light retouching as needed that help sell creative ideas to top clients in the industry.
Work collaboratively with a large team of creatives from ideation to execution to help to ensure ideas are created and brought to life.