Social Art Director

Work Location: Faringdon, London, UK (Hybrid)

Start Date: As soon as possible

Whalar is the leading, most awarded, independent Creator and Social agency. We transform brands into cultural drivers by unlocking the full creative power of Creators. We go beyond the conventional social and influencer strategy. We have the technology and methodology to tap into the beating pulse of communities, listen to nuances that move culture, and connect brands in ways that make them unforgettable.

In London, we proudly collaborate with clients such as Diageo, eBay, Nike, Oatly, Skyscanner, Twinings, Uber, Vodafone, and many more.

About the role:

We are looking for an exceptional Social Media Art Director and established tastemaker to define the visual standard of Whalar Social. This is not a role for someone who simply makes content look good. This is for someone who shapes taste, influences aesthetic direction, and understands how visual storytelling moves through culture. You are deeply embedded in the worlds of fashion, creators, entertainment, internet culture, design, photography, and social behaviour. You instinctively know what feels elevated, what feels tired, what will travel, and what people will want to imitate next.

You are as comfortable defining a brand world and visual identity as you are refining the final frame of an asset, directing talent on set, building a moodboard, editing a reel, or killing an idea that simply isn’t good enough. You will work closely with the Social Media Director to establish how Whalar shows up as a creatively exceptional social partner for some of the world’s most iconic brands - building work that feels culturally sharp, platform-native, and impossible to ignore. Alongside Whalar Studios, you will cast and lead teams of photographers, stylists, creators, editors, and creative partners to bring ambitious social-first ideas to life.

This role is for someone with taste. Real taste. The kind that raises the standard in every room they walk into.

Here’s what you’ll do day-to-day:

• Define and elevate the visual identity, creative ambition, and aesthetic standards of the brands we manage across social platforms.
• Develop bold, platform-native creative ideas designed for attention, participation, conversation, and shareability.
• Translate briefs into compelling visual systems, narratives, treatments, moodboards, and social-first creative worlds.
• Lead the creative direction of shoots, social content, creator collaborations, and in-house productions from concept through execution.
• Ensure everything produced feels culturally sharp, visually distinct, and native to the platform it lives on.
• Work fluidly between high-level creative direction and hands-on execution – whether that’s refining edits, capturing iPhone content, shaping pacing and hooks, or adjusting creative in real time.
• Build and manage strong creative relationships with photographers, stylists, creators, editors, and talent across nano to celebrity.
• Partner closely with Social, Community, Strategy, Insights, and Studios teams to ensure creative work is informed by culture, conversation, and audience behaviour.
• Push brands beyond safe creative and toward work people actually want to watch, share, save, and imitate.
• Play an active role in new business pitches, creative presentations, and shaping the future of Whalar’s integrated social offering.

Here’s what we’re looking for:

• 9+ years of experience across art direction, creative direction, social, luxury, fashion, entertainment, or digital culture.
• A world-class portfolio showcasing visually exceptional social-first work across image, video, creators, campaigns, and emerging formats.
• Deep fluency across Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Reddit, Substack, and the evolving visual language of the internet.
• You have exceptional creative instincts and an obsessive attention to detail.
• You understand the difference between content that looks expensive and content that actually feels culturally relevant.
• Strong experience leading shoots, developing visual systems, directing talent, and shaping social-first storytelling.
• Comfortable operating at both conceptual and executional level – from pitching big ideas to refining the final export.
• Strong understanding of pacing, hooks, editing rhythm, platform behaviour, and what makes audiences stop scrolling.
• Excellent communicator with the ability to sell the vision, protect the idea, and inspire both clients and collaborators.
• Commercially aware and comfortable contributing to pitches, scoping conversations, and creative planning.
• Technical proficiency across Figma, Adobe Creative Suite, and video editing tools.
• Genuine passion for creators, culture, aesthetics, and the future of social entertainment.

Based in Farringdon, London, we embrace a flexible hybrid model. We ask our team to work from the office two to three days a week, with Tuesday and Thursday serving as our "anchor days". These days are dedicated to collaborating in person and celebrating Whalar’s vibrant culture together.

The perks:

• Whalar provides flexible benefits and collaborative work environments/experiences, so employees can work productively in a setting that best and uniquely suits their needs.
• Private medical insurance
• Health cash plan
• 25 days of PTO + Sick days + Winter break
• Monthly phone/internet reimbursement
• New joiner's Home office allowance
• Enhanced maternity (up to 22 weeks) / paternity (up 16 weeks) leave
• Reduced fee gym membership (next to office location)
• Life Assurance
• Workplace Nursery Scheme
• Social programs