Senior Art Director (10-Month Fixed-Term Contract) in London

Requirements

• Shown experience as a Senior Art Director, with a strong portfolio demonstrating conceptual thinking, visual storytelling and art direction across integrated brand campaigns, identity systems and experiential activations.
• Demonstrated ability to connect creative ideas to strategic objectives and business goals.
• Strong communicator, confident in presenting ideas and influencing partners at all levels.
• Keen interest in visual culture and emerging trends, with the ability to recognize innovation and premium build.
• Experience leading and contributing to shoots and production processes, ensuring visual consistency and alignment with brand standards.
• Experience collaborating with external agencies to maintain the FT’s tone of voice and brand standards.
• Strong working knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop), Figma and collaborative design workflows.
• Ability to lead multiple projects simultaneously.
• A recognised design qualification, such as BA/BFA or equivalent experience.
• (Desirable) Experience working with premium, editorial, or global brands.
• (Desirable) Familiarity with motion design, animation, or video production (After Effects or similar).
• (Desirable) Basic knowledge of HTML/CSS.

What the job involves

The Senior Art Director role sits within FT Creative, the FT’s in-house creative team, and reports to the Head of Design, Consumer Services. The team provides brand creative leadership and design excellence across the FT Group portfolio, acting as brand guardians for the FT and its sub-brands across all touchpoints.

FT Creative is part of the Communications and Marketing Group (CMG), which drives the FT’s brand reputation and works across the organisation to ensure the FT is positioned as an industry leader in quality digital subscriptions.

As a Senior Art Director, you will work across a wide range of briefs spanning products, services, brand campaigns and experiential activations. You will bring creative vision and narrative to every project, translating ideas into compelling visual expressions that connect creativity and strategy.

You will play a key role in ensuring all art direction reflects and advances the FT’s brand premiumisation strategy, elevating visual standards and reinforcing the FT’s position as a trusted, premium brand. You will collaborate closely with the Head of Design, Creative Director and collaborators to understand business goals and brand positioning, shaping creative solutions that deliver against strategic objectives.

Confident in presenting ideas and championing new approaches, you will help drive creative excellence across the FT. You will also support and mentor junior team members to maintain a culture of collaboration, creativity and high-quality work. Success in this role requires an innovative mentality, strong brand understanding and exceptional attention to detail.

Lead conceptual thinking, art direction and design execution across integrated brand campaigns including experiential, OOH, video, social, print and display. Maintain and evolve the FT’s premium brand standards across all creative touchpoints, safeguarding visual integrity and consistency. Art direct external agency output to uphold brand alignment and creative quality. Build relationships with external creative talent and partners, handling production processes and timelines when required. Champion new creative approaches and workflows that enhance both efficiency and creative standards. Stay informed on emerging design trends, tools and technologies, bringing fresh inspiration and innovation to the FT’s creative output. Mentor and guide designers, offering creative inspiration and constructive feedback to elevate the team’s collective output.