The Role
As a Senior Art Director, you'll lead creative vision and development for integrated campaigns, guiding teams and delivering high-quality projects across various media.
Summary Generated by Built In
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.
If you’re 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
Knows how to elevate individual tactics while owning the big picture
This is the place for you.
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 workTake personal accountability for delivering high-quality work on time
- Contribute to agency culture by championing creative excellence and “what’s possible” thinking.
Qualifications
- 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
- 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
- Based in Chicago or St. Louis (the position is open to St. Louis, MO or Chicago, IL residents only)
Top Skills
Adobe Creative Suite
Figma
Illustrator
Indesign
Photoshop
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The Company
What We Do
Hardworking people are at the heart of what we do. Those that put in an honest day’s work and have high expectations of themselves and the brands they choose. And every day we engage with them, turning conversations into interactions: digital, personal, and financial.
