Art DirectorLead Designer

Overview

Were continuing to grow our Global Brand Marketing team and are looking for an Art Director to join Brand Creativesomeone who can also lead hands-on design work across specialized disciplines. This role is critical in shaping how our brand identity comes to life across diverse channels and formatsleading conceptual development setting creative strategy art directing projects from brief to launch and diving deep into execution when it matters most.

About the role

As an Art Director on the Brand Creative team youll lead the strategic vision and creative direction of brand worksetting the conceptual foundation guiding the visual narrative and ensuring every touchpoint reflects our brand with clarity and intention. Youll art direct projects across digital motion video and experiential applications partnering with a close-knit team of strategists researchers designers writers and creative leaders to translate brand strategy into cohesive compelling experiences for both internal audiences and external clients.

But this role isnt just about directingits about doing. Youll be deeply hands-on moving fluidly between strategic leadership and craft execution. Your specialized expertise will bring senior-level craft and strategic thinking to the team while allowing you to lead and elevate work across your area(s) of strength.

Were looking for deep expertise in two or more of the following disciplines:

• UX/UI designcreating intuitive brand-forward digital experiences

• Motion graphics and videobuilding dynamic visual systems and content

• Environmental and experiential designtranslating brand into physical spaces through environmental graphics branded events pop-ups activations and conference presence

Youll collaborate within a focused Brand Creative team leading projects and partnering cross-functionally to deliver work that ranges from large multi-month integrated campaigns to faster-moving iterative projects. Work spans internal brand initiatives as well as external client-facing creative.

On a typical day you may be concepting and art directing a campaign editing or animating video content designing interactive experiences with UX partners developing environmental graphics for a pop-up or event reviewing and elevating work from other designers or building presentations to rally stakeholders around an idea.

Less typical days may include contributing to the evolution of brand systems and guidelines defining motion or environmental design principles developing reusable toolkits and templates or partnering with web product or events teams to support larger integrated initiatives.

About you

• Youre a strategic creative leader who thinks holistically about how brand shows up across ecosystemsnot just individual deliverables.

• You have strong conceptual instincts and know how to lead the development of ideas from insight to execution.

• Youre an experienced art director who can set a vision guide others and maintain creative quality across complex projects.

• Youre also deeply hands-on comfortable switching between leading others and rolling up your sleeves to design animate build and produce yourself.

• You bring specialist expertise in one or more areasUX/UI motion/video or environmental/experiential designand understand how to extend brand systems thoughtfully across those applications.

• You actively integrate AI-driven creative tools into your processleveraging them strategically to accelerate ideation enhance craft explore possibilities and scale production without sacrificing quality or creative vision.

• You enjoy collaborating closely in a lean focused team environmentworking with writers strategists researchers UX partners developers producers and creative leaders to create cohesive well-considered experiences.

• Youre comfortable leading projects end-to-end from strategy and concept through production and launch without managing direct reports.

• Youre confident presenting and pitching work using clear storytelling to explain creative decisions and connect them back to brand and audience needs.

• Youre a natural mentor who provides thoughtful feedback and elevates the work of designers at varying levels through collaboration and guidance.

• You listen well communicate clearly and approach creative challenges with curiosity and a solutions-oriented mindset.

• You thrive in dynamic environments where project scale and pace varymoving between large campaigns and nimble fast-turnaround work.

• You believe great work is intentional inclusive and crafted end-to-endfrom first interaction to final moment whether digital or physical.

Who were looking for:

• 710 years of professional experience in art direction and design ideally within brand agency studio or internal brand teams

• Proven track record art directing and leading projects from strategy and concept through production and launch

• Experience collaborating closely with creative directors strategists writers production teams and cross-functional stakeholders in a lean team environment

• Deep expertise in two or more of the following:

UX/UI design for digital-first brand experiences

Motion graphics video editing and dynamic content creation

Environmental experiential event design and/or branded activations

• Strong portfolio showcasing art direction creative strategy brand systems and hands-on execution across your areas of expertiseincluding examples of both internal brand initiatives and client-facing work

• Fluency with industry-standard tools which may include Adobe Creative Suite Figma and other relevant platforms depending on discipline

Additional information:

This is a hybrid position based in Malvern PA with remote work on Mondays and Fridays and in-office collaboration Tuesday through Thursday.

Special Factors

Sponsorship

About Vanguard

At Vanguard we dont just have a missionwere on a mission.

To work for the long-term financial wellbeing of our clients. To lead through product and services that transform our clients lives. To learn and develop our skills as individuals and as a team. From Malvern to Melbourne our mission drives us forward and inspires us to be our best.

How We Work

Vanguard has implemented a hybrid working model for the majority of our crew members designed to capture the benefits of enhanced flexibility while enabling in-person learning collaboration and connection. We believe our mission-driven and highly collaborative culture is a critical enabler to support long-term client outcomes and enrich the employee experience.