Art Director

About the Role

We are partnered with a rapidly expanding holding company based in Abu Dhabi that is enhancing its creative capabilities throughout a broad range of brands, enterprises, and prominent projects. This position offers a remarkable opportunity for a driven Art Director to contribute to a growing creative team and influence the visual identity of the group’s brands regionally.

Role Overview

As an Art Director, you will craft bold and engaging visual content across various brands, campaigns, and platforms. You will shepherd ideas from initial concept to final execution, imparting a distinct visual perspective while ensuring all work aligns with creative ambition, strategic goals, and quality standards.

This role requires hands-on involvement and a passion for ideas, design, and visual storytelling, as well as collaborative work with creative, marketing, content, and production teams.

Key Responsibilities

• Create and lead visual concepts for integrated campaigns, digital, social media, branding, content, events, and experiential projects.
• Transform creative and strategic briefs into unique visual ideas and effective creative executions.
• Manage art direction throughout the project lifecycle, from concept through final delivery.
• Develop and uphold strong visual identities for multiple brands and business segments.
• Produce campaign key visuals, layouts, storyboards, moodboards, presentations, and creative guidelines.
• Direct photography, film, video, CGI, motion graphics, and other content production activities when necessary.
• Collaborate closely with copywriters, designers, strategists, marketers, content teams, and external production partners.
• Confidently present creative concepts to senior stakeholders and internal teams.
• Ensure high standards of visual and conceptual quality across creative work.
• Mentor and guide junior designers and creatives, offering clear creative direction and constructive feedback.
• Handle multiple projects and briefs simultaneously, maintaining attention to detail, quality, and deadlines.
• Stay updated on emerging design, cultural, technological, and creative trends to infuse fresh approaches into work.
• Investigate and apply AI and emerging creative technologies to improve ideation, visual development, and production.
• Support pitches, new business initiatives, and broader creative projects within the group.

Candidate Profile

• Minimum of six years’ experience in advertising, creative, integrated agencies, or in-house creative studios.
• A robust portfolio showcasing excellent art direction, conceptual creativity, and visual design skills.
• Experience delivering work across multiple channels beyond traditional design exclusively.
• Comprehensive knowledge of branding, typography, composition, layout, photography, and visual storytelling.
• Proven ability to take creative ideas from briefing stage to final execution.
• Strong communication and presentation skills, with confidence in articulating and selling creative concepts.
• Experience collaborating with photographers, videographers, production teams, and third-party creative vendors.
• Proficient in Adobe Creative Suite, especially Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign.
• Experience with motion graphics, digital, social media, or experiential creative is highly valued.
• Understanding of AI-powered creative tools and their potential integration into creative workflows.
• Meticulous attention to detail and a passion for producing exceptional creative work.
• Ability to thrive in a dynamic, fast-moving environment with multiple stakeholders and competing demands.
• Experience working in the UAE or Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) markets is a plus.

Ideal Attributes

The ideal candidate is creatively driven, visually passionate, and keen to influence a diverse portfolio of brands. They think conceptually but remain hands-on, demonstrating an understanding of what defines outstanding creative work and willing to challenge briefs where appropriate. The portfolio should reflect originality, personality, and a strong creative point of view rather than mere polished execution.

This opportunity offers involvement in varied, high-visibility projects with significant influence over the creative direction of the group’s brands.

Location and Industry

Position is based in Abu Dhabi, UAE, within the creative, advertising, branding, and marketing industry sectors.