ROLE: ART DIRECTOR
TEAM: THE KITCHEN NORTH AMERICA
LOCATION: CHICAGO (HYBRID)
ABOUT THE KITCHEN NORTH AMERICA
The Kitchen is where creativity, culture, and speed collide. We bring together creatives, producers, data analysts, and social experts to deliver ideas that live across everything from social to TV. Built to move at the speed of culture, we respond to trends and real-world moments as they happen—creating work that transcends platforms, earns attention, and gets people talking.
Recognized on the global stage, our team has been celebrated by Cannes Lions, The One Show, and named Campaign’s Global In-House Agency of the Year. We’re ambitious, fast, and unapologetically driven to make work that defines the moment.
At The Kitchen, you won’t just be making ads—you’ll be shaping conversations. You’ll work alongside a team that’s hungry to create award-winning work and redefine what an in-house agency can be.
Now, we’re looking for an Art Director who’s ready to push boundaries and help shape what comes next. If you’re ready to lead, experiment, and create ideas that break through culture, we want to hear from you.
OVERVIEW
You're not just an Art Director, you’re a cultural observer, a visual storyteller, and a creative problem solver. You’re energized by the pace of modern creativity and thrive in environments where ideas need to happen now. You care deeply about craft, but you’re just as passionate about relevance and impact.
You’re ambitious, not just to make great work, but to make work that gets recognized, shared, and remembered.
CORE RESPONSIBILITIES
- Concept and execute breakthrough creative ideas across social, digital, film, and integrated campaigns.
- Partner with a writer to bring ideas to life, and work closely with strategists, and producers and your creative director.
- Translate cultural trends and real-time moments into compelling, brand-relevant creative.
- Lead the visual direction of projects from concept through execution, ensuring high craft and consistency.
- Present ideas clearly and persuasively to internal teams and stakeholders.
- Collaborate across disciplines to create work that earns attention, drives engagement, and delivers results.
- Stay ahead of emerging platforms, tools, and creative trends.
EXPERIENCE & SKILLS
- 3+ years of experience in an Art Director or conceptually creative role.
- A strong portfolio showcasing concept-driven, culturally relevant work across multiple channels.
- Proven ability to generate original ideas both within and beyond the brief.
- Deep understanding of social-first thinking and how ideas travel across platforms.
- Exceptional design sensibility, typography, and visual storytelling skills.
- Ability to work at speed without compromising craft.
- A collaborative mindset with strong communication skills.
- Curiosity about culture, trends, and what people care about right now.
- Experience working in fast-paced agency or in-house creative environments.
The anticipated annual base salary range for this position is $73,000–$90,000. Individual compensation within this range is determined based on job-related factors such as experience, skills, level of responsibility, internal equity, and business needs. This range represents the expected base salary for this role and does not include other elements of The Kitchen’s total rewards program.
The Kitchen, Kraft Heinz, and Salt are committed to Equal Employment Opportunity and to attracting and retaining the most qualified employees regardless of race, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender, age or disability
What We Do
Salt XC is an agency driven by the philosophy of Experiential Commerce™. Our unique framework for designing better consumer experiences that earn attention and drive action. We take an integrated approach that connects your consumer’s online and offline experiences through data, media and the memorable moments that drive brand transactions.
