Art Director, Nail Brand

Kiss Products, Inc.•Port Washington, NY

2d•$69,000 - $137,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Art Director leads the visual art direction for the Kiss and Impress nail brands within the Nail Division. The most critical part of this role is to set, plan, and direct on-trend lifestyle and still-life photography concepts for press-on nails, including models, packaging, and hand shots, based on the Brand team's marketing campaign direction and nail tip designs. After retouching direction, the Art Director delivers the final assets to the Design team. To do this, the role collaborates with the in-house multimedia team, the Brand team, and Brand Design Teams 1 and 2, providing competitive, aesthetic visual assets grounded in the brand guidebooks across digital and print.

Requirements

7–10 years of professional experience in art direction, with a focus on photography and visual direction for beauty, cosmetics, nail, fashion, or consumer product brands.
Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design, Visual Communication, Photography, Fine Arts, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
Experience leading photoshoots on set, including concept development, moodboards, shot lists, model and styling direction, and image selection.
Portfolio demonstrating lifestyle and still-life photography direction, such as model images, product and package shots, and close-up or hand imagery.
Experience providing retouching direction, including writing retouching notes and managing outsourced retouchers through final approval.
Proficiency with Adobe Creative Cloud (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Lightroom) and Figma or similar tools for moodboards, layouts, and image review.
Strong understanding of composition, lighting, color, typography, and visual storytelling across digital and print.
Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to align cross-functional teams across creative, marketing, product, and multimedia.
High attention to detail in color accuracy, product visibility, image quality, and final asset readiness.
English proficiency is required for day-to-day communication, project coordination, feedback review, and cross-functional collaboration.

Nice To Haves

Experience in the fashion and beauty industry.
Press-on nail photography art direction experience, including model, package creative, and hand shots.
Experience creating visual assets for e-commerce, DTC, Amazon, retailer, social, and print channels.
Experience working with in-house multimedia teams and external photographers, retouchers, and creative vendors.
Experience building or applying brand guidebooks and photography style guides.
Ability to translate market and social trends into practical, brand-aligned creative concepts.
Korean proficiency is preferred for communication with internal stakeholders.

Responsibilities

Lead the visual art direction for the Kiss and Impress nail brands, ensuring photography and visual assets reflect brand identity and Nail Division business goals.
Set and plan on-trend lifestyle and still-life photography concepts for press-on nails, taking into account the Brand team's marketing campaign direction and nail tip designs.
Translate campaign and product goals into clear visual direction based on the brand guidebooks.
Create moodboards and shot lists for photoshoots and visual asset production.
Direct visual assets for digital and print, including model images, package creative shots, and hand shots.
Art direct photoshoots on set in partnership with the photographer, covering models, nail designs, styling, props, composition, and lighting.
Participate in shoot kickoff discussions and align the Brand team (marketing and product) and the in-house multimedia team on concept, schedule, and deliverables.
Communicate internally on shoot status, direction, and changes to keep stakeholders aligned.
Select final images with a focus on nail design accuracy, product visibility, package color accuracy, and brand consistency.
Write clear retouching notes and provide direction when retouching is outsourced, reviewing revisions until final approval.
Perform final quality control on all photographic assets for color accuracy, nail and product detail, skin tone, and overall image quality.
Organize and name final assets so the Design team, as well as web, e-commerce, and marketing teams, can use them right away.
Collaborate with the in-house multimedia team's photographers, the Brand team's marketing and product managers, and the Design team's package and web designers to create brand visual assets.
Work regularly with graphic and web designers on Brand Design Teams 1 and 2, providing art direction and feedback so photography is applied effectively across packaging, PDPs, banners, and campaigns.
Report directly to the Creative Director, presenting concepts, shoot plans, and results for review and approval.
Maintain visual consistency across Kiss and Impress imagery according to the brand guidebooks.
Research beauty, nail, fashion, and social trends, and apply them to photography direction to keep brand visuals fresh and competitive.
Contribute to the evolution of brand photography standards and reference libraries.

Benefits

Premium Medical Insurance Coverage
401(k) Savings Plan
Paid Time Off (PTO) based on seniority
Paid Holidays
Annual Bonus Plan
Onsite Employee Fitness Center with Indoor Racquetball Court and Yoga Room
Summer Fridays
Complimentary Gourmet Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Relocation Support for New Hires
Work Anniversary Recognitions
Congratulatory & Condolence Gifts
Employee Referral Bonus Program
License/Certification Reimbursements
Corporate Employee Discounts
Visa Sponsorships (100% paid by the company) i.e., New H-1B, H-1B Transfer, O-1, and Green Card
Commuter Support (Shuttle Bus Program and EZPass Support)
Vehicle Perks