Contently is looking for experienced freelance Art Directors to oversee high-quality designed commissions (illustrations, infographics, interactive infographics, document & presentation designs, etc.) for clients. The right candidate is a creative-consultative hybrid with artistic expertise, project management skills, a proactive mindset, and a high degree of comfort working professionally with clients. Successful candidates will have a portfolio of creative work as well as experience working in in-house or agency environments, enforcing visual brand guidelines for enterprise clients, and managing freelance teams of designers and artists.
The primary role of the freelance Art Director is to manage relationships between freelancers in Contently’s Talent Network and clients, including translating client feedback into clear and actionable direction for creatives. Freelance Art Directors will also use Contently’s pricing guidelines to price projects, facilitate project kickoff calls, and create and manage production schedules. The ideal candidate is also comfortable lending strategic insights about how to leverage creative media to advance clients’ content marketing objectives.
Contently’s Talent Network offers our clients a variety of custom design formats, ranging from infographics and interactive quizzes to e-book design and social snippets. Comfort managing a wide variety of design projects with minimal oversight is a must.
Responsibilities
Client service and project management
- Lead design-focused calls with clients, Contently stakeholders, and designers
- Establish and manage project timelines, and ensure both designers and clients meet deadlines
- Partner with Contently’s Talent Team to source creative freelancers from the Contently Talent Network
- Manage freelancers staffed to the client’s team
- Price projects using a combination of Contently-recommended guidelines and your own experience and judgment
- Assess project scope and address potential overages as they arise
- In certain cases, manage rights expectations for artistic commissions (commissioning clients own all rights in perpetuity) and facilitate custom legal agreements between talent and client where necessary
- Use the Contently platform for all aspects of project management and reviews
- Advocate for both clients and creative contributors while enforcing Contently norms and standards
- Partner with Contently Managing Editor and other Contently stakeholders to initiate projects and shepherd them through to completion
Art direction
- Enforce Contently’s premium quality standards across media and projects
- Ensure that projects meet brand guidelines before client review
- Deliver objective, clear, and detailed feedback to designers and creatives
- Concept both collaboratively with clients and independently on ways clients can use designed media to further content marketing objectives
- Ensure that project briefs are clear, comprehensive, and actionable for creatives
Qualifications
- 5-7+ years of relevant professional, post-grad design experience in a deadline-driven environment serving corporate clients
- BFA or BA in related field, graduate degree in design or media preferred
- Fluency in Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign
- A strong and sophisticated visual aesthetic
- Ability to translate marketing strategy into creative projects or visual campaigns
- An eye for detail and a thorough understanding of graphic communication
- Fluency in typography and design language across media, including web and print design
- Ability to persuasively articulate ideas
- Strong organizational skills and a deadline-oriented mindset
- Experience interfacing directly with clients remotely and in a professional manner
- Able to produce a robust portfolio of past work and references
If you’re interested, here’s how to apply:
- Register with Contently by creating a free Contently portfolio (Only freelancers with Contently portfolios will be considered).
- While filling the form, please make sure to let us know which of the topics mentioned you have most experience with.
Fill out this quick application form telling us about your experience and the Creative Marketplace team will be in touch if they think you’re a good match.