Art Director

Role: Art Director

Salary: £60-70K

Location: Hybrid – Min one day in office weekly

Reporting to: Creative Director

Who we are:

Substance Global is a digital marketing agency specialising in a range of services across different media and industries. We are proud of our work and our people in equal measure and our passion for what we do and the culture we have developed is what drives us in everything we do. We are striving to be a more diverse company, making positive action to grow our network and we are an agency where our independent spirit drives our people, passion and purpose.

Founded in 2003, we have grown to over 80 people in London, Los Angeles, Singapore and Buenos Aires. Our work is insights-driven and innovation-led and our strategies are made up of a blend of creativity and collaboration, tailor-made for each of our client’s brands.

What we offer:

We are a growing friendly and diverse team who work and have fun together. Our working arrangements are flexible: we are happy for our team to work on a hybrid basis and we encourage them to find a suitable work-life balance. Our UK office is based in the London Docklands area, overlooking the Thames, with good transport links and with great onsite facilities. We have a number of people centric initiatives and benefits in place and are always working to improve ways of supporting our people.

Please note: given the nature of some of the projects the Art Director will be involved with, there is a requirement to travel and work from the office on a regular basis, hence candidates will need to be based within a reasonable commuting distance from Wapping E1W

We are looking for:

We’re looking for \”rising star\” looking to solidify their career who is already in role as an Art Director to lead a team of designers alongside the Creative Director to create eye-catching, exciting campaigns for a variety of entertainment clients.

You will work collaboratively with the team and inspire them to strive for absolute excellence in all creative outputs, solving problems and communicating ideas through design and animation.

A keen conceptual thinker and contributor in ideas sessions, you enjoy developing ideas into fully fledged concepts for clients and are comfortable pitching to and talking with clients, to help verbalise design solutions and visualise concepts.

You are fully immersed in the creative industry and enjoy seeking out new design and motion trends.

What you will be doing:

As an Art Director, you will be responsible for designing and overseeing the visual aesthetic of marketing campaigns, from the initial pitch through to final delivery. This role requires a strong creative vision, technical expertise, and the ability to guide a team of designers to produce high-quality, engaging visuals that align with the strategic goals of each campaign.

Key Responsibilities

• Creative Direction & Concept Development
• Lead the ideation and conceptualisation of creative campaigns, ensuring innovative and compelling visual storytelling.
• Develop look and feel guidelines for campaigns, setting the artistic tone and direction.
• Oversee and during busy periods get involved in the creation of bespoke graphic design, branding identities, digital ads, key visuals, and motion graphics sequences.
• Create storyboards, art boards, and visual treatments that effectively communicate campaign narratives.
• Work closely with designers and motion artists to bring ideas to life.
• Design & Production Oversight
• Provide hands-on art direction across all visual assets, ensuring consistency in design and branding across multiple platforms.
• Oversee the production of digital assets ensuring that assets adhere to industry standards, client guidelines, and technical specifications.
• Ensure the highest quality output, checking for design accuracy, typography, color consistency, and overall visual integrity.
• Confidently review and approve delivery file specifications, folder structures, and file formats before submission.
• Collaboration & Workflow Optimisation
• Work closely with designers, animators, video editors, and content creators to refine and push creative boundaries.
• Regularly evaluate and improve studio workflows, implementing new tools or processes to enhance efficiency and output quality.
• Partner with the project management team to provide realistic timeframes, ensure feasibility of creative executions, and meet tight deadlines without compromising quality.
• Liaise with stakeholders and clients, presenting creative ideas with confidence and ensuring feedback is incorporated effectively.

Skills & Experience Required

• Proven experience as an Art Director within a creative, digital, or film marketing agency.
• Expertise in Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects, InDesign, etc.).
• Strong skills in graphic design, typography, branding, illustration, and motion graphics.
• Experience in storyboarding and visual storytelling.
• Understanding of film marketing and entertainment industry trends.
• Ability to multitask across various projects while maintaining creative excellence.
• Strong leadership skills, with experience mentoring and guiding design teams.

This role is perfect for a creative leader who is passionate about visual storytelling, film marketing, and digital experiences, with the ability to push creative ideas to new heights.

EDI statement and our people pledge

Don’t meet every single requirement? Research shows that women and people of colour are less likely that other to apply if they don’t match 100% of the job requirements. Don’t let the confidence gap stand in your way, we’d love to hear from you! We understand that experience comes in many difference forms and are dedicated to adding new perspectives to the team.

Substance Global is committed to providing and fair, inclusive, and diverse work-environment. We believe that different perspectives lead to better ideas, and better ideas allow us to better understand the needs and interests of our diverse, global community with who we work. We welcome people of different backgrounds, experiences, abilities, and perspectives and are an equal opportunities employer.

Ready to join Team Substance? Then email your CV as well as your portfolio/reel to jobs@substanceglobal.com