Art Director

SUMMARY 

The Art Director, Creative leads and manages a team of Graphic Designers and Copywriters to develop visually compelling and strategically sound marketing campaigns, promotions, and brand experiences that inspire and engage guests across Magnolia.com and brick-and-mortar locations. This role is responsible for leading brand and retail marketing efforts, ensuring consistency in visual storytelling, copy direction, and messaging across all creative assets. In this position, you will transform conceptual ideas into actionable art direction, shaping the tone, look, and feel of campaigns that support each line of business within the Magnolia brand. You will oversee the development of copy and messaging to align with the brand’s voice and strategic objectives while maintaining a seamless connection between design and storytelling. This position is based at Magnolia Headquarters in Waco, Texas, reporting to the Creative Director, with supervisory responsibilities. 

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES 

• Mentor a team, fostering a culture of collaboration, creativity, and professional growth 
• Collaborate with Creative Leaders on the stylistic direction of seasonal retail photography; gather visual reference, create shot lists, and provide detailed styling notes regarding product, lighting, and mood 
• Translate ideas into actionable art direction to create intentional and visually inspiring retail marketing campaigns support buying strategies, and represent the brand’s design aesthetic, with minimal supervision 
• Provide guidance on copy and messaging to maintain consistency, clarity, and alignment with brand voice across all marketing materials 
• Lead a team in developing and executing intentional and impactful copy and design for brand experiences, events, and omni-channel retail marketing campaigns that amplify brand awareness and inspire guest engagement 
• Oversee the art direction and execution of both copy and design across paid and owned marketing channels, including Magnolia.com, digital landing pages, look books, emails, organic social, paid media, print ads, environmental graphics, in-store signage, grounds signage, and collateral 
• Determine retail photography usage across seasonal marketing campaigns, promotions, e-commerce landing pages and digital lookbooks, with support from the Creative Director 
• Interpret marketing briefs, kickoff graphic designers and writers, explore multiple design and copy directions, provide feedback, and ensure objectives are met, all with minimal supervision 
• Setup and maintain creative documents used for reviews, pitches, and presentations. 
• Update and execute best practices for templates and style guides for digital and print retail marketing assets. 
• Design, write and edit copy, as needed 
• Assist with final QC for all retail marketing assets, both print and digital, ensuring files match delivery specifications, design standards, and include no spelling errors 
• Utilize project management software and digital tools to streamline operations, track projects, and facilitate seamless communication and collaboration among team members 
• Work alongside the Creative Operations team to ensure projects are delivered on time and on brief 
• Perform other duties as assigned 

*Metrics evaluated on Performance Review 

COMPETENCIES 

• Teamwork: Foster a team environment supporting diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. Effectively evaluate team members' strengths and ensure members are operating in their strengths. Identify, communicate to, and train employees whose performance needs to improve. 
• Critical Thinking: Evaluate and address problems quickly, efficiently, and effectively. Have an analytical and unbiased approach. Understand financial metrics, budgeting, and resource allocation to make decisions. 
• Expertise: Maintain a thorough understanding of your area and each role in it to ensure all work is completed accurately and on time. Stay current on trends and advances in your field. Foster employees' abilities to become experts by connecting them with the resources and training needed. 
• Communication: Actively engage in listening to teammates and guests and be open to feedback from guests, peers, and management. Establish communication channels between employees, management and guests. Utilize written and verbal communication skills to convey information effectively. 
• Guest Focus: Establish and uphold a culture of exceptional guest engagement and service, setting a standard through exemplary leadership. 
• Strategy and Goal Setting: Approach change with positivity and curiosity, leading through ambiguity. Break down team goals into daily or weekly goals, establish metrics, and communicate what actions employees must take to contribute to achieving these goals. 
• Hard skills: Proficient in Adobe Creative Suite of programs, management of graphic designers and copywriters is preferred. experience in Figma, Google Drive, and Microsoft is preferred. 

ELIGIBILITY QUALIFICATIONS 

• Bachelor's degree from a 4-year college or university preferred 
• Experience in graphic design or copywriting is required 
• Portfolio required 
• 1-3 years of management experience and/or 5+ years of related work experience or a combination preferred    

PHYSICAL DEMANDS 

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit; use hands and arms to reach, handle, feel; utilize fine motor dexterity of fingers; talk or hear and taste or smell. The employee is frequently required to stand and walk. The employee is frequently required to climb or balance and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 10 pounds, and occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

WORK ENVIRONMENT 

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to outside weather conditions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.   

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS  

Magnolia is an Equal Opportunity Employer that does not discriminate on the basis of actual or perceived race, color, creed, religion, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, sex or gender (including pregnancy, childbirth and pregnancy-related conditions), gender identity or expression (including transgender status), sexual orientation, marital status, military service and veteran status, physical or mental disability, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local laws and ordinances. 

This job description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by an employee in this classification. It is not to be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications of employees assigned to this job. Management has the right to add to, revise, or delete information in this description at any time.