Art Director

SixSpeed is looking for an Art Director with 3-6 years of art direction experience to join our team who will generate ideas, generate concepts, and guide teams to develop the visual world behind all brand communications and actions. We are looking for emotionally perceptive storytellers who thoughtfully translate bold ideas into brand narratives that connect with people, while also driving them to act. We’ll expect you to actively collaborate, inspire, and guide partners and teams in the creation and development of ambitious ideas and work that make adventurous brands impossible to imitate.

This is an in-person role based at our Minneapolis office, and candidates must be local to the Twin Cities area, in office at least three days per week.

THE TASK AT HAND

• Develop and maintain the visual look of a project or campaign ensuring the work is consistent, distinct, differentiated, and that communication is clear
• Collaborate with copywriters to generate a high volume of original ideas and concepts
• Lead the collaborative visual development of projects and campaigns by guiding teams, producers, and partners with a clear direction from start to finish
• Concept and execute across all channels and mediums with a sharp eye for craft, consistency, and detail
• Maintain awareness of trends in culture and industry producing new thinking and looks for clients and the agency
• Develop shot lists, treatments, and vision for capture and present the vision and plan with producers and account partners to client
• Lead the art direction of photo and video shoots, ensuring every detail delivers on the creative vision (travel is required)
• Guide post-production, from image selection and retouching to editing and final asset approval
• Understand each client's business, brand, audience, and competitive landscape to create work that solves real problems
• Find, recommend, and select vendor partners (e.g. photographers, retouchers, video production houses, editors, sound mixers, and illustrators, etc.)
• Build positive working relationships with all team members, vendors, and clients
• Provide clear, timely, and helpful feedback with vendors to improve creative output and processes keeping work on budget and schedule
• Confidently present creative ideas and visual direction to internal teams and clients, turning feedback into stronger work

WHO YOU ARE

• A visual creative with 3-6 years in a brand advertising or marketing environment
• Owner of a strong portfolio demonstrating an ability to craft and build creative campaigns driven by audience insights
• Proficient in Adobe Creative Suite (Primarily: Illustrator, Photoshop and InDesign)(Secondarily: Lightroom, Bridge and Premiere)
• A critical thinker, detail-oriented, passionate, motivated, ambitious and resourceful professional
• Organized, open-minded, and capable of delivering tangible results in a fast-paced and creative environment
• Positive, empathetic, collaborative and trustworthy
• Have eyes and ears for spotting creative opportunity—both large and small
• Knowledgeable of photography and video production along with a strong sense of typography, color theory, composition, print, broadcast and digital communications
• Ability and willingness to stay on top of current trends, industry knowledge, and develop new skills
• You’re confident when providing direction to partners and teams
• You’ve delivered work for multiple project teams in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment
• You can take and incorporate feedback constructively
• Willing and eager to prioritize diversity and inclusion, especially when working with external and internal partners

WHO WE ARE

To be what others can’t, you have to do what they won't. We are SixSpeed, a full-service advertising agency that is employee-owned, audience-first, and built to deliver big ideas at speed. We're here to make the world's most adventurous brands impossible to imitate.

This role offers a salary range of $70,000 to $90,000* per year.

*Don’t let this range drive your decision to apply. Actual compensation packages are based on the level of skill and experience each candidate brings to their role. Similarly, there may be a more senior or junior position available that would be a better fit with your expertise. The final offer will be determined based on the candidate's experience, skills, and qualifications as they relate to the requirements of the position.