What are the responsibilities and job description for the Art Director position at Cronin Co?
ART DIRECTOR
About Us
About Us
Cronin is a growing, fully integrated advertising and marketing agency based in Connecticut. We leverage the power of creativity to differentiate brands and drive sales. We’re known for combining visionary thinking with award-winning creative execution to deliver work that drives measurable impact. We’re an independent agency with global, national, and regional clients and part of a global network of 60 independent agencies. Our team is talented, committed, ambitious, and real – we’re invested in the work and each other. A key point of difference is our leadership model – our leaders empower and enable your growth. Learn more at www.cronin-co.com.
About You
You’re an art director that loves coming up with big ideas. Concept is king in your world. You’re comfortable working on a team with a writer and have experience working with production to make cool stuff. You care about the craft – type, color, composition – and you know the details matter. You work well with others, take feedback in stride and understand that every assignment is an opportunity to be creative.
You're not precious about your work — you're passionate about the outcome. And you understand that great art direction isn't just beautiful, it's effective.
Position Overview
Cronin is looking for a Art Director who brings both craft and curiosity to everything they create. You'll work across a wide range of clients and categories — concepting, designing, and producing work that is visually compelling, strategically grounded, and built to perform. This is a hands-on creative role with real ownership and visibility, working closely with our creative leadership, copywriters, and account teams to deliver exceptional work from brief to final file.
Job Responsibilities
Design & Concepting
- Working with a writer, concept and execute original design solutions across brand, digital, print, social, and campaign work
- Translate creative briefs into compelling visual ideas that solve real business problems
- Develop design systems, visual identities, and brand guidelines that are consistent and scalable
- Bring a strong point of view to every project while remaining open to collaboration and feedback
- Contribute ideas in brainstorms and creative reviews — your voice matters here
Production & Execution
- Take projects from concept through final production — including print, digital, social, and out-of-home
- Prepare and deliver final files to spec for a variety of vendors, platforms, and formats
- Ensure all work meets quality standards before it leaves the agency
- Manage multiple projects simultaneously with a keen eye for detail and a respect for deadlines
Collaboration & Leadership
- Work closely with copywriters, creative directors, and account teams throughout the creative process
- Ability to provide art direction and guidance to junior designers and production artists, if needed
- Contribute to a collaborative, respectful creative environment where ideas can thrive
- Communicate design decisions clearly and confidently to internal teams and clients when needed
Qualifications & Skills
Required:
- 5 years of design experience, preferably within an advertising, marketing, or creative agency environment
- A strong portfolio demonstrating a range of work across brand, campaign, digital, and print
- Expert proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite — Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign
- Strong understanding of typography, layout, color theory, and visual storytelling
- Experience designing for multiple channels and formats — digital, social, print, OOH, and more
- Ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines simultaneously without sacrificing quality
- Strong communication and collaboration skills
- Experience providing direction or mentorship to junior team members
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with motion graphics or video editing (After Effects, Premiere)
- Familiarity with UX/UI design principles and tools such as Figma
- Experience presenting creative work to clients or senior leadership
- Understanding of print production processes and vendor specifications
- Familiarity with social media platform specs and best practices
What Sets You Apart
- You concept as naturally as you execute
- You ask questions before you open Illustrator
- You care about the strategy behind the work, not just the aesthetic
- You make everyone around you better
- You're as proud of the thinking as you are of the design
Reporting Relationship
Reports to Executive Creative Director
We're an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.
This is an exempt role.
No Recruiters.
We're an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.
This is an exempt role.
No Recruiters.