Art Director, Contract

Senior Art Director

Direct Agents is looking for a Senior Art Director to lead the visual and creative direction across a portfolio of client accounts and internal brand initiatives. This role sits at the intersection of strategy and craft—you’ll concept, direct, and execute work that moves the needle for ambitious brands, while helping build and scale our in-house creative practice. If you think in campaigns, lead with ideas, and know how to translate business objectives into compelling creative, we want to hear from you. This is a full-time, in-office role based in our NYC headquarters.

This contract, NYC based role, pays $40-50/hour depending on experience. Hours are Monday- Thursday 10:00am - 6:30pm.

Key Responsibilities

Creative Strategy and Direction

• Lead creative conception and campaign strategy for new business pitches and existing client accounts
• Work in a fast-paced environment while maintaining project goals, timelines and objectives on track
• Execute high-level design work across digital, print, motion, and spatial mediums.
• Experience leading content campaigns at scale— with a clear visual system holding it together.
• Develop and present cohesive creative visions by translating briefs—from mood boards and wireframes to final executions
• Stay ahead of design trends, platform-native formats, and cultural moments to bring fresh thinking to every project
• Own the pitch process for creative—including concept development, deck design, and live presentation

Production and Quality

• Manage the full creative production process across multiple clients simultaneously—from brief through final delivery—keeping timelines, deliverables, and revision cycles on track
• Lead QA review to ensure all assets meet technical specs, platform requirements, and brand standards before client-facing delivery
• Maintain project tracking in ClickUp (or equivalent), proactively flagging risks before they impact delivery
• Bridge the gap between paid media performance and creative—understanding metrics, budgets, and platform best practices to inform design decisions and adapt assets for performance

Reporting & Insights

• Review monthly client creative performance against KPIs; synthesize findings into clear, actionable client-ready decks
• Develop monthly design trend reports to highlight key opportunities for Direct Agents’ clients and inform forward-looking creative strategy
• Work closely with paid media, account, strategy, and development teams to ensure creative is seamlessly executed and aligned with campaign goals
• Represent the creative team on client pitches and presentations as a senior voice for the work

What We're Looking For

• 6+ years of experience in art direction, creative direction, or integrated campaign design—agency experience strongly preferred
• A strong portfolio demonstrating concept-driven creative across digital, social, paid media, and brand campaigns
• Deep fluency in Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, After Effects); Figma experience a plus
• Proven ability to present and sell creative ideas to internal stakeholders and clients
• Strong understanding of paid media ecosystems and how creative decisions affect performance
• Experience managing or mentoring junior designers and directing freelancers
• Exceptional attention to detail with the ability to manage multiple workstreams simultaneously
• Active user of AI tools (Claude, ChatGPT, Midjourney, etc.) with hands-on experience applying them to creative workflows—from concepting and ideation to production efficiency
• Familiarity with project management tools (ClickUp, Asana, etc.) and Google Workspace

Direct Agents is not a traditional agency. We are an elite team of builders and operators—growth strategists, media architects, and creative thinkers—who partner with ambitious brands to drive measurable revenue growth. Backed by Kanopy AI, our proprietary intelligence platform, and exclusive partnerships with tech and media platforms, we deliver the kind of unfair advantage that helps clients dominate, not just compete.

We operate at the intersection of technology, media, and strategy—where AI meets human expertise to produce outcomes that neither can achieve alone. Our client roster includes brands like Tennis Channel, Marvel, NYSE, Morgan Stanley, Prologis, and DistroKid.

Direct Agents isn’t for everyone—and that’s by design. We’re building something different.

• Proprietary AI That Actually Works: Kanopy AI is our custom-built intelligence platform—real-time campaign optimization, media mix modeling, natural language analytics, and algorithm enrichment that gives our clients (and our sellers) a genuine edge. This isn’t a buzzword; it’s operational.
• Exclusive Platform Access: Direct partnerships across Google AI Search, Meta, TikTok, Amazon, Freewheel, Teads, Stackadapt and best in class tech and media partners. 
• An Elite, Not Bloated, Team: 100+ operators who move fast, think deeply, and ship work that matters. No layers of bureaucracy. Direct access to senior leadership and the executives building the strategy.
• AI Integration Across Everything: Claude, ChatGPT, and proprietary AI tools are embedded in our workflows—from data analysis and creative versioning to strategic planning and client intelligence.
• 7x Crain’s Best Places to Work: A people-first culture with a 12-month average time to promotion, a 4-day workweek, and genuine investment in career development.
• Certified Minority-Owned Business: 48% BIPOC representation across the agency, 60% female representation—a team that reflects the diverse markets we serve.

• Regular performance reviews with quarterly growth path check-ins
• Comprehensive health, dental, vision, and mental health benefits (One Medical, Talkspace, KindBody, Health Advocate)
• 15–24 days PTO/year depending on seniority, plus birthday off, 7 sick/safe days, and up to 12 weeks paid parental leave
• New MacBook Pro and access to cutting-edge AI tools across the agency
• Sun-drenched penthouse Acceleration Hub on 5th Avenue in Flatiron—with commuter benefits and Citibike membership
• Dog-friendly office, regular team events (Field Day, Ski Club, Golf League, holiday celebrations), and a culture built around ownership and ambition

Location: This role is based in our NYC headquarters. You must reside or be willing to relocate within commuting distance.

Please be aware of fraudulent recruiters and scams. If you move forward in our recruitment process, you will only be contacted by the Direct Agents HR team. If you have questions about the validity of this job posting, please email [email protected]