Senior Art Director

HLK•St. Louis, MO

18h•Onsite

About The Position

At HLK, Senior Art Directors are the drivers of breakthrough creative. You’ll concept and lead the visual expression of big ideas across channels, ensuring the work is not only beautiful, but smart, strategic, and effective. You’ll partner closely with Copywriters and strategists to craft integrated campaigns that surprise and move audiences, while mentoring junior creatives along the way. Your leadership will help shape both the work and the creative culture of HLK. This role is for someone who thrives on solving complex challenges with bold ideas, brings vision and clarity to creative teams, values collaboration but can confidently lead the room, cares deeply about craft and consistency while pushing boundaries, and knows how to elevate individual tactics while owning the big picture. HLK believes in the power of people to drive brands, shaping a brand's identity and inspiring its next move. They create brands in constant motion and on a mission to connect, surprise, and change behavior. Their mission is to provide an environment where passionate problem solvers can thrive, encouraging curiosity, thoughtfulness, and bravery every day.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in graphic design, visual communication or a related field from an accredited college/university or equivalent work experience
5-10 years of experience in an advertising agency or related creative environment
Based in Chicago or St. Louis (the position is open to St. Louis, MO or Chicago, IL residents only)
Strong portfolio that demonstrates conceptual thinking, craft, and integrated campaign experience.
Proven ability to lead projects from concept to production.
Exceptional presentation skills with the ability to build client trust.
An excitement for jumping head-first into experimentation and the ability to communicate novel thinking
Strong organizational skills with high attention to detail and craftsmanship
A collaborative mindset and ability to work across different teams
Mastery of Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign) and familiarity with Figma or similar design tools
Strong experience in design principles, composition, typography, motion, and UX/UI

Responsibilities

Lead concepting and development of original, integrated creative ideas across multiple clients.
Consistently deliver work that is strategically sharp, on-brand, and executed with excellence including print, video, digital, social, motion/animation, websites, presentations and more.
Present work with confidence and clarity to clients and internal teams, telling a compelling story.
Partner with Copywriters, Producers, Strategists, and Account leads to ensure the work ladders up to business objectives.
Maintain a strong point of view on the work and push for brave, unexpected solutions.
Steward brand guidelines while knowing when and how to evolve them.
Balance hands-on execution with leadership and oversight.
Embrace feedback and use it to refine and elevate your work
Take personal accountability for delivering high-quality work on time
Contribute to agency culture by championing creative excellence and “what’s possible” thinking.