Associate Creative Director, Art

M+C Saatchi Group•New York, NY

About The Position

We are looking for an experienced Associate Creative Director (Art Focus) to help lead and shape the creative output of our agency. This role is for a seasoned art director ready to take on more leadership responsibility, while still staying close to the work. You’ll play a key role in developing bold concepts, refining visual storytelling, and mentoring design and art teams across a wide range of campaigns. As an ACD (Art), you’ll partner with copy leads, strategy, and account teams to deliver integrated ideas that are strategically sharp, visually stunning, and culturally resonant. You’ll balance hands-on concepting and design with team leadership, ensuring projects not only meet but exceed creative and client expectations.

Requirements

6–9 years of experience in art direction/design within an advertising agency or creative environment.
Strong portfolio showcasing integrated campaigns and design excellence across multiple channels.
Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite and familiarity with design/prototyping tools (e.g., Figma, Sketch).
Deep understanding of typography, layout, color, photography direction, and emerging design trends.
Experience working across digital, social, and traditional media.
Strong presentation and communication skills, with the ability to clearly articulate creative ideas.
Experience mentoring and providing creative direction to junior talent.
A great communicator and excellent presenter.
A great listener, able to take in information, ask the right questions and quickly suss out what’s next.
Organized and detail-oriented.
A self-starting multi-tasker that can handle the pressure of several assignments at once.
Resourceful and inquisitive, able to independently chart a path to tackle an assignment.
Positive outlook and good people skills; a great team builder who team members and clients want to work with.
All candidates must have the ability to work in the US; we are unable to sponsor any work visas for this role.

Nice To Haves

Travel may be necessary

Responsibilities

Partner with Creative Directors to lead the art direction and vision across multiple accounts.
Drive the development of campaign concepts, mood boards, storyboards, style frames, and visual systems.
Inspire and oversee junior and mid-level art directors/designers, elevating their craft and pushing for excellence.
Generate fresh, innovative ideas for integrated campaigns (digital, social, broadcast, experiential, print, OOH).
Contribute hands-on art direction and design, ensuring craft and attention to detail in all deliverables.
Direct photography, illustration, video shoots, and other production elements to ensure strong visual storytelling.
Partner closely with copy-focused ACDs, strategists, and producers to develop unified campaign ideas.
Work with account management to align creative solutions with client objectives and brand strategy.
Collaborate with external production partners to execute campaigns at the highest level.
Confidently present creative concepts and design rationale to clients.
Build trust with clients by providing thoughtful, strategic, and visually compelling solutions.
Mentor junior team members, providing constructive feedback and guidance.
Contribute to a positive, collaborative, and design-driven creative culture.