Art Director

ABOUT US:

Brinker Marketing + Design is a Cincinnati, Ohio–based fractional marketing and creative agency partnering with small to mid-sized businesses across the United States. We serve as an outsourced marketing department for our clients—integrating strategy, branding, design, web, and ongoing marketing execution into one cohesive partnership.

Our mission is simple: remove the guesswork from marketing.

Build Relationships
Respond with Integrity
Innovate & Improve
Deliver Value
Grow Through Learning
Execute with Accountability

ROLE:

The Art Director serves as the day-to-day leader of the Creative Department. This role is responsible for managing creative resources, maintaining quality standards, mentoring team members, and ensuring all client deliverables are strategically aligned, creatively strong, and delivered on time.

The Art Director partners closely with the Owner & Chief Creative Officer, Project Manager, Marketing Manager, and other team members to transform business strategy into effective creative execution across all client accounts.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Creative Leadership:

• Lead creative production across the agency
• Establish creative direction for projects and campaigns
• Review and approve work before client presentation
• Maintain creative standards and brand consistency
• Ensure creative work aligns with client objectives

Team Management:

• Direct and mentor designers, content creators, and freelance resources
• Conduct regular creative team meetings and reviews
• Manage workload allocation and resource planning
• Provide coaching, feedback, and performance development
• Identify training opportunities and skill gaps

Project Collaboration:

• Partner with Project Management to prioritize work and manage capacity
• Participate in project kickoffs and strategy sessions
• Help estimate timelines and creative effort
• Ensure deadlines and budgets are met

Design Execution:

• Personally handle high-level branding and design projects across both print and digital
• Support production during peak workload periods
• Create concepts, presentations, and client-ready creative deliverables

Process Improvement:

• Improve creative workflows and SOPs
• Reduce revision cycles
• Increase first-draft quality
• Improve efficiency and profitability of the creative department
• Supports the use of AI tools within the company

Success Metrics:

• First Draft Approval Rate
• Average Revision Rate
• On-Time Delivery Percentage
• Creative Team Billable Utilization
• Contribution to agency goal of 85% of clients achieving primary KPI

REQUIREMENTS:

• 7+ years of professional graphic design experience
• 2+ years leading designers, freelancers, or creative teams
• Strong portfolio demonstrating branding, print, packaging, digital, web, and campaign work
• Advanced Adobe Creative Suite skills
• Exceptional understanding of typography, layout, color, branding, and visual hierarchy
• Experience managing multiple deadlines in an agency environment
• Strong communication and leadership skills
• Ability to provide constructive feedback and creative coaching

Preferred Experience:

• Agency experience
• Motion graphics experience
• Photography or video production experience
• Prior experience mentoring or informally leading other designers

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $75,000.00 - $90,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Education:

• Bachelor's (Preferred)

Location:

• Cincinnati, OH 45241 (Required)

Ability to Commute:

• Cincinnati, OH 45241 (Required)

Work Location: In person