Art Director

As the Art Director, you will serve as the hands-on creative driver and visual lead for AI-assisted image and campaign production across our end-to-end studio pipeline. Reporting to the Sr. Manager - GenAI & VFX, you will sit at the intersection of classical art direction, photography, and emerging technology-acting as the essential "creative translator" between strategic briefs, technical AI artists, and post-production teams.

We are looking for a hands-on, agency-seasoned Art Director with a strong photography and design background who can intake a strategic brief, turn it into a compelling creative concept, style the product within AI systems, compose the scene, and execute photorealistic imagery. You don't need to be an AI engineer or deep technical expert, but you must have practical experience with AI generation, a passion for photorealism, and an understanding of how to guide technical talent to achieve high-craft, brand-right commercial imagery.

PLEASE NOTE: This role is 5 days onsite in Playa Vista, CA.

• Brief-to-Image Ownership: Intake strategic briefs and translate them into complete creative visual plans-styling products, composing scenes, and driving photorealistic image creation from concept through final output.
• Hands-On Craft: Actively style, compose, and generate visual concepts within AI tools, pairing a sharp designer's eye with live-action photographic logic (lighting, lensing, depth of field, framing, and color).
• Photorealistic Campaign Vision: Direct and execute high-fidelity, photorealistic visual campaigns that bypass generic "AI aesthetics" in favor of believable, human-centered storytelling grounded in real-world aesthetics.
• Product & Brand Accuracy: Ensure product packaging, styling, and visual elements accurately reflect brand guidelines across digital, e-commerce, social, and in-store touchpoints.

• Bridge Strategy & Technical Execution: Serve as the primary "translator" between non-technical stakeholders, agency partners, and technical AI/VFX artists-converting high-level creative direction into actionable prompts and visual guidance.
• Post-Production Oversight: Leverage a strong understanding of post-production workflows to make smart calls on where AI generation excels versus what should move to traditional retouching, CG, or compositing.
• Mentorship & Quality Control: Guide and direct AI artists and retouching teams, setting clear visual benchmarks, conducting design reviews, and providing constructive feedback to maintain cohesive visual quality across high volume.

• Background: 5+ years of experience as an Art Director, Senior Designer, or Creative Lead with a background in advertising agencies or commercial post-production/photo studios.
• Foundation in Photography & Design: Deep foundational knowledge of photography mechanics (lighting logic, camera angles, lensing, framing, depth of field) and design layout principles.
• Hands-On AI Experience: Practical, working experience using Generative AI image tools or similar, within a creative workflow, with a portfolio demonstrating photorealistic outputs.
• Post-Production Literacy: Familiarity with agency and post-production facility workflows (knowing how retouching, compositing, VFX, and finishing pipelines operate).
• Creative Translation: Proven ability to intake a strategic brief, concept visual executions independently, and translate creative vision into clear direction for technical teammates.
• Software: Advanced proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator) and Figma.

• Figma Weave Experience: Direct experience or familiarity with Weave / Figma Weave workflows is a major bonus.
• Node Workflow Familiarity: General working understanding of node-based AI interfaces (e.g., ComfyUI) to better communicate with technical pipeline artists.
• Commercial Retail/E-Commerce: Background directing lifestyle, product, or retail campaigns for enterprise brands.

• Role Focus: Hands-On Art Direction, Campaign Concepting, Photo Styling, and Visual Translation
• Reports To: Sr. Manager - GenAI & VFX
• Location: 5 days per week Onsite - Playa Vista, CA

The target hiring compensation range for this role is ____$65_____ to ____$72_______. Compensation is based on several factors including, but not limited to education, relevant work experience, relevant certifications, and location.

About Aquent Talent:

Aquent Talent connects the best talent in marketing, creative, and design with the world's biggest brands.

Our eligible talent get access to amazing benefits like subsidized health, vision, and dental plans, paid sick leave, and retirement plans with a match. More information on our awesome benefits!

Aquent is an equal-opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, and other legally protected characteristics. We're about creating an inclusive environment-one where different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives are valued, and everyone can contribute, grow their careers, and thrive.