Senior Art Director
About The Position
Senior Art Directors within the Crain Design Hub drive the visual execution and presentation of storytelling across Crain’s portfolio, with a strong emphasis on digital-first design and multi-platform experiences. This role translates complex business journalism into compelling, audience-driven visual presentations while setting a high bar for creative quality and innovation. This is a high-impact, high-visibility role directly tied to revenue-generating work and editorial storytelling across the organization. Working in a centralized, fast-paced newsroom environment, this position primarily partners with Ad Solutions teams to concept and execute custom content and client-driven storytelling experiences, while also collaborating with editorial and audience teams on high-impact journalism and daily digital publishing. In addition to leading projects, this role will mentor team members, contribute to evolving creative workflows, and help shape cross-platform storytelling approaches across brands.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in graphic design, visual journalism, or a related field.
- 7+ years of experience in news, editorial, or content-driven design environments, with a focus on digital-first storytelling.
- Strong portfolio demonstrating multi-platform design, audience-focused work and high-impact storytelling.
- Digital design expertise, with the ability to confidently shape how content is experienced across platforms.
- Proven ability to translate complex ideas into clear, engaging visual experiences.
- Strong project management skills, with the ability to own multiple project timelines and drive work from concept to completion in a fast-paced environment.
- Advanced understanding of typography, layout, color and visual hierarchy.
- Experience designing for digital platforms, including responsive design and best practices for engagement and usability.
- Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign); experience with motion, video or interactive tools (e.g., Ceros and Canva) is a plus.
- Familiarity with CMS platforms such as Arc XP or WordPress.
- Strong communication and presentation skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively across editorial, audience and client teams.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced newsroom environment.
- Working knowledge of SEO and digital publishing best practices.
- Experience mentoring or guiding other designers in a collaborative environment.
Nice To Haves
- experience with motion, video or interactive tools (e.g., Ceros and Canva) is a plus.
Responsibilities
- Lead the design and delivery of high-quality visual storytelling across digital and print platforms, with a primary focus on digital-first execution.
- Concept and develop story presentations from pitch through publication, shaping how content is experienced across platforms.
- Partner with Ad Solutions to create custom content and client-driven storytelling, while collaborating with editorial and audience teams on cross-platform initiatives.
- Generate innovative design concepts and visual approaches that elevate storytelling and audience engagement.
- Translate complex information into clear, compelling visuals, including data-driven and interactive formats.
- Own project timelines and lead projects from concept through final delivery, ensuring stakeholder alignment and high-quality execution.
- Manage multiple projects and priorities within a high-volume production environment while maintaining efficient workflows.
- Mentor and support Art Directors and designers by providing feedback, guidance and creative direction.
- Contribute to team development by sharing best practices, helping onboard new tools and supporting adoption of AI-informed workflows.
- Present design concepts and articulate creative decisions to cross-functional stakeholders, including editorial and client teams.
- Apply strong news judgment and copy editing skills when shaping visual presentations
- Stay current with evolving digital design trends, tools and storytelling formats.
Benefits
- retirement plan savings contributions
- bonus opportunities based on individual and company performance.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Mid Level
Number of Employees
501-1,000 employees
