Art Director

CLYDE  is a fast-paced, impact agency committed to delivering innovative, strategic, and visually compelling solutions for our diverse portfolio of clients. Named America’s best boutique agency 2021 & 2022 by PRovoke, we work with clients who want to make a difference by moving the world forward – helping them do it through earned, owned, and paid media programs, creative solutions, and smarter, informed strategies. We are passionate about pushing the boundaries of design while staying grounded in strategy, brand integrity, and results. We are seeking a talented and dynamic Art Director to join our growing team.

Position Overview:

As an Art Director at CLYDE, you will play a key role in conceptualizing and executing a wide variety of creative projects across digital, social, web, video, print, and beyond. You will work closely with both internal teams and clients to bring innovative ideas to life, ensuring that each project adheres to brand guidelines while strategically pushing creative boundaries. This is a hands-on role that requires expertise in design, a sharp eye for detail, and a passion for producing exceptional creative work in a fast-paced environment. This position is based in the Washington, DC area and requires candidates to be in the office two days a week to foster collaboration and teamwork.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the design and creative direction for a wide range of projects across digital, social, web, video, print, and more.
• Design logos, build brand identities, and create cohesive brand systems that are aligned with client visions and marketing strategies.
• Work with established brand and style guidelines, while creatively pushing the boundaries to deliver fresh, innovative ideas that align with client objectives.
• Design user-friendly, visually appealing website designs and digital assets with a strong understanding of usability and UX/UI best practices.
• Collaborate with account managers, copywriters, strategists, and other creatives to deliver high-quality work that meets client expectations and deadlines.
• Develop and maintain visual systems, design standards, and templates to ensure consistency across multiple projects.
• Oversee and guide junior designers, providing mentorship and feedback to support their professional growth.
• Manage client revisions and feedback with a keen ability to know when to push back and when to accommodate changes, always striving for the best creative solution.
• Stay current with design trends, new technologies, and emerging tools to continuously evolve creative approaches and inspire innovative ideas.
• Efficiently juggle multiple projects, timelines, and deliverables, ensuring smooth processes and high-quality outputs in a fast-paced environment.
• Take ownership of design projects from concept through final production, ensuring meticulous attention to detail and consistency across all deliverables.
• Support internal agency marketing efforts, including designing materials for visibility, social media campaigns, and brand awareness.
• Assist in the creation of internal and external presentations, proposals, and pitch decks, ensuring all materials are visually compelling and strategically aligned.
• Actively contribute to CLYDE’s new business development efforts by designing marketing collateral and other materials to support pitch decks and client proposals.
• Help expand existing client relationships by proposing creative solutions and assisting with the development of new initiatives.

Required Skills and Qualifications:

• 6+ years of professional experience in graphic design, with at least 2 years in an agency or similar fast-paced environment.
• Extensive experience across all creative disciplines, including digital, social, web, video, print, and more.
• Proven expertise in design principles, including typography, color theory, composition, and creating logos and brand identities.
• Strong understanding of usability and UX/UI design principles for web and digital applications.
• Experience designing user interfaces, wireframes, and prototypes, with proficiency in Figma (in addition to Adobe Creative Suite).
• Strong background in working with brand guidelines and creating design systems that align with client visions and objectives.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to manage client feedback and revisions effectively.
• A creative, strategic mindset that thrives on innovation and delivering bold, high-impact design solutions.
• Exceptional organizational and time-management skills, with the ability to handle multiple projects and deadlines simultaneously.
• A passion for learning, growing, and continuously pushing creative boundaries.
• Lead creative presentations and design reviews with clients, confidently presenting ideas, concepts, and solutions.
• Engage directly with clients to understand their needs and ensure the final design aligns with their vision and goals.
• Contribute to high-level creative strategy, providing input on brand direction, marketing campaigns, and overall design initiatives.

Desired Traits:

• You are a team player who enjoys collaboration and is comfortable working in a fast-paced, client-driven environment.
• You’re always looking for new challenges and excited about experimenting with new creative ideas and approaches.
• You thrive in a process-oriented environment and can manage multiple moving parts to bring ideas to life efficiently.
• You’re not afraid to think outside the box and take creative risks—strategically and intelligently.

The salary range for this position is $78,880 to $111,900.

About CLYDE
Founded on the principle that CLYDE is the best agency to work with and the best agency to work for, we strive to impact our staff and clients in positive ways that leave a mark. Here to get things done, CLYDE builds programs and systems that achieve business goals today making it possible for our clients to make a difference tomorrow.

Bottom line, CLYDE impacts outcomes.