Associate Art Director-Freelance

 Job Summary

SJR Associate Art Directors are conceptually driven individuals who uphold the visual aesthetics of our creative efforts to ensure SJR is seen as a leading agency in digital creative content solutions around the world.  

Our Associate Art Directors are multidisciplinary creatives, equal parts strategic thinkers, designers, collaborators and thought partners. They support the bulk of the agency’s idea generation, putting their energy into any and all briefs that come their way, contributing significantly to the design, development, production and timely delivery of all client deliverables. They help shape and drive the creative vision of our clients, pushing boundaries and keeping them in the forefront of compelling design.  

An organized self-starter who brings a tenacious spirit to our collaborative team, the Associate Art Director has a strong willingness to experiment, learn new skills and grow creatively. Whether it’s color, typography, layout, or composition, they know how to wield the tools of art direction to ensure consistency across all collateral and generate new and innovative ideas working alongside other business units and the broader Creative team, to support integrated, multi-channel initiatives.  
With the industry’s focus on AI creation, our Associate Art Director is expected to be enthusiastic about the use of AI as a tool to create stand-out work. As AI works it’s way into our ways of working as well as our outputs, it is crucial that the Associate Art Director understands the bigger technical themes and thinks modularly about implementation.

As part of our talented creative force, the Associate Art Director is responsible for upholding the highest standards for creative excellence and overall experience and value of working with SJR.  

Responsibilities 

Creative Strategy + Art Direction (90%) 

• Work closely with the broader Creative team to create and execute best-in-class visual content from concept to completion (design, multimedia, photography, animation, etc.):
  • Actively participates in creative ideation and brainstorming sessions
  • Concepts breakthrough ideas and brings high-level conceptual, big thinking to the table
  • Pulls visual references, creates mood boards, and compiles creative suggestions 
  • Reviews translation of concepts into storyboards (consider media/visual elements)
  • Provides visual direction and shares design best practices throughout work cycle
  • Designs a wide range of assets for different formats and channels 
  • Ensures client’s brand and style guidelines are being followed
  • Attends and provides visual direction at photo and video shoots
  • Ensures all output delivers against client brief and creative strategy 
  • Executes creative that is innovative, compelling, and inherently sharable
• Plays a key role in the creative process, keeping the Traffic Manager and key team members up to date on all development via Trello or other web-based applications 
• Demonstrates strategic thinking and a growing knowledge of the client’s brand and overall industry, staying abreast of emerging trends and topic areas, with an aim to be ahead of the curve on innovative visual storytelling 
• Applies brand style, typography, media, color, and other elements appropriately to create innovative solutions that meet user and client need
• Successfully communicates ideas and the strategic rationale behind them
• Works proactively with various teams to review content performance and maximize the potential of the creative strategy and the content created through it
• Actively checks and reviews creative to maintain quality control and ensure all executions meet SJR’s standards
• Demonstrates problem-solving skills when dealing with client feedback; provides input and escalates as necessary
• Manages time and workflow efficiently – takes responsibility for deadlines and delivery, flags potential issues early, works with the wider team to identify solutions 
• Keeps up with current trends in the digital space and utilizes trends in projects

Growth + Business Development (10%) 

• Supports the pursuit of organic and net new business opportunities with research and analysis and new creative offerings as required 
• Participates in pitch development and presentations as required
• Monitors news and trends relevant to key clients/accounts they are working on to identify risks that may impact current projects and opportunities to develop and pitch relevant new ideas

Qualifications 

• Minimum three years of experience in creative content concepting, development and design (advertising or marketing background a plus)
• Strong portfolio showcasing high-end presentation design skills and clear design aesthetic
• Excellent in providing clear and concise creative directions to visual designers/animators.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills
• Excellent time management skills to manage high volume and produce high-quality work on tight deadlines
• Detail-oriented, organized, and comfortable managing multiple projects and client feedback
• Experience collaborating with other creative team members and departments 
• Proven ability to uphold brand and style guidelines
• Strong command of design principles, typography, color theory and conceptual thinking
• Expert knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator) and Figma
• Experience using collaborative team communication and project management applications like Monday.com and MS Teams to ensure efficiency
• Use of specialized AI image generation, editing or augmentation apps a plus
• Basic animation skills preferred.

SJR is dedicated to employment equity and welcomes diversity in the workplace. We also welcome and encourage applications from people with disabilities. Accommodations are available upon request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the recruitment process.