Freelance Art Director

    ~$72,625 - $134,875Market Estimate
    Los Angeles, California, United States
    Contract
    Mid (3-6 yrs)
    Marketing
    Leadership
    Posted on October 5, 2026

    WHAT YOU’LL DO

    • Concept and create strong, compelling ideas that resonate with target audiences
    • Design for clients and agency new business efforts, working within brand guidelines while pushing for design excellence
    • Develop creative concepts that align with strategic client objectives, ensuring all visual output maintains the highest agency standards from ideation to final delivery
    • Present and defend art direction to internal leadership and external clients, effectively decoding feedback into actionable creative tasks for the broader team
    • Navigate complex project constraints, including tight deadlines and evolving budgets by finding innovative solutions that preserve the integrity of the original vision
    • Manage multiple concurrent projects of varying complexity with precision and adaptability under pressure
    • Act as a primary mentor for junior and mid-level creatives, providing constructive feedback and fostering a culture of high-performance and continuous visual improvement
    • Implement advanced AI tools to supercharge the creative lifecycle, from generating comprehensive visual identities to rapid video asset creation
    • Infuse generative AI into client pitches and prototypes to create hyper-realistic product shots and fully realized campaign mockups that win new business
    • Proactively research emerging AI trends and tools, leading the team in ethical discussions and establishing best practices for AI usage within the creative department
    • Ideate and build effective stories that match the quality of each social platform
    • Excellent communicator who can confidently articulate ideas to others, from storyboard to final work
    • Design visually engaging presentations, create mockups & do light retouching as needed that help sell creative ideas to top clients in the industry
    • Work collaboratively with a large team of creatives from ideation to execution to help to ensure ideas are created and brought to life

    REQUIREMENTS FOR THIS ROLE

    • 6+ years of experience in art direction within a fast-paced agency environment
    • Portfolio demonstrating sophisticated creative thinking, nuanced typography, and expert-level composition across digital and traditional media
    • Experience presenting and working directly with clients
    • Comfortable working in a fast paced environment, and managing multiple projects at once
    • Proficiency across Adobe Design suite; fluency in both After Effects and Premiere
    • Deep familiarity with ethical AI frameworks and the legalities of AI-generated content in a commercial setting
    • Excellent attention to detail

    Company:  We Are Social

    Operates as a global socially-led creative agency, delivering social media expertise and campaigns to the world's leading brands.
    1001-5000 employees
    Marketing & Advertising
    HQ: United Kingdom