Freelance Art Director

Job title: Art Director Location: Los Angeles or New York Preferred Position Type: Contract, 30-40 hours/week Crown Affair is seeking a talented and visionary Art Director to join our creative team. The ideal candidate will lead the visual direction for the brand across all platforms, ensuring a cohesive and captivating brand aesthetic that resonates with our core audience while bringing creative innovation and excellence to the brand’s 360 presence. This role will report to the Creative Director and is able to demonstrate a deep understanding of digital and print design, on-set experience and ability to visualize and transform Crown Affair’s visual literacy. The ideal candidate deeply values inter-departmental and cross functional collaboration to ensure seamless integration of marketing and digital strategies as well as aesthetic excellence. Responsibilities: Develop and maintain Crown Affair's visual identity across all brand touchpoints (digital, social, print, packaging, and retail) Lead design direction for retail visual merchandising, product packaging, marketing materials, and digital content Collaborate with the marketing team to conceptualize and execute compelling campaigns Support with photoshoots and video productions, overseeing all visual aspects Ensure brand consistency across all visual communications Stay current with design trends and innovations in the beauty and lifestyle sectors Provide leadership, mentorship and guidance to direct reports, foster a collaborative and innovative design culture Qualifications: 8 years of experience in art direction, graphic design, or a related field, with a portfolio that supports a range of experience of digital & print design concepts and execution A bachelor's degree in graphic design, visual communication, digital art, or a related field High proficiency in Adobe Suite programs Strong creative thinking capabilities and problem-solving skills A high attention to detail with the ability to keep digital assets organized A record of being an effective and empowering creative leader Knowledge of industry trends and deep understanding of landscape Prior people management experience, with an ability to mentor and inspire a small team An ability to develop effective relationships and be a contributing team member and leader within the Creative team An ability to multi-task and work in a fast-paced environment, and quickly pivot when priorities shift Effective communication skills and feedback skills, with an an ability to give, and receive feedback, and incorporate constructive creative feedback in a collaborative manner An ability to work autonomously and provide self-direction Previous experience in luxury retail, fashion or beauty brand preferred Ability to commute to LA or NYC office 1 day per week About Crown Affair— Crown Affair is a first of its kind haircare brand that empowers people to redefine their relationship with their hair through accessible luxury products, guidance, and community. We believe that loving your hair starts with understanding how to care for it. Each product we make is developed to work together with any (or all) of our other products, so that together they form more than a routine: it’s a ritual. We’ve partnered with dedicated craftsmen and chemists around the world to create thoughtfully sourced products you’ll love using each and every day.