Art Director

Art Director Join to apply for the Art Director role at J.McLaughlin This range is provided by J.McLaughlin. Your actual pay will be based on your skills and experience — talk with your recruiter to learn more. Base Pay Range $140,000.00/yr - $200,000.00/yr Why J.McLaughlin? J.McLaughlin was founded in 1977 by brothers Kevin and Jay McLaughlin with a mission to create an American Sportswear brand that offered two key components: classic clothing with current relevance and a retail environment that has a neighborhood feel. The J.McLaughlin brand has always been more about style than fashion: straightforward, unpretentious, and devoid of the superfluous. Our clothing is rooted in the tradition of sport, work, and play. With over 150 retail locations, each store is entirely unique, attentively designed to reflect the town's color, character, and architecture. This attention to detail extends to exemplary customer service and local philanthropic engagement. Our “Culture of Kindness” creates an environment with respect, politeness, consideration, and empathy that creates a family‑like atmosphere and focuses on giving back to the community. The company has an entrepreneurial spirit which fosters great experience and career opportunities, complemented with our great incentive benefits programs. Overview J.McLaughlin is a specialty American Sportswear and Accessories brand headquartered in New York. J.McLaughlin has the reputation for being “local and loyal”, building meaningful relationships within each community and providing customers with highly personalized service. We are a growing company with a focus on our culture of kindness, cultivating an exceptional atmosphere in which to work and shop. The Art Director is a multi‑disciplinary creative who brings together visual storytelling and brand voice reporting to the Head of Creative Marketing & Communications. This role conceptually drives and executes creative ideas across marketing, brand campaigns, and seasonal initiatives—crafting both the words and the visuals that define J.McLaughlin’s signature style. This person will conceive, design, and write across channels—from seasonal campaigns and brand storytelling to product naming, email, digital, and retail experiences. They will partner closely with marketing, e‑commerce, and merchandising to ensure cohesive, elevated creative that reflects the brand’s wit, warmth, and timeless style. This role is primarily based in our corporate office in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Essential Functions Creative Concepting & Campaign Development Develop integrated creative concepts that span across seasonal product lines, brand campaigns, marketing initiatives, and special projects. Translate strategy and insights into compelling creative ideas that align with brand identity and business goals. Partner with the Head of Creative Marketing & Communications on storytelling direction, art direction, and brand tone. Copywriting Write clear, engaging, and on‑brand copy across all channels—campaign headlines, taglines, video scripts, emails, digital ads, paid social, and in‑store collateral. Lead product naming and storytelling for new collections and collaborations. Maintain a consistent and elevated brand voice that blends sophistication with a playful, conversational tone. Design & Art Direction Concept and design key marketing assets, ensuring brand consistency across print, digital, and retail touchpoints. Create visual layouts and art direction references for campaign presentations and brand materials. Collaborate with photo, video, and social teams on look and feel, typography, color, and imagery. Manage and mentor a team of graphic designer(s) as well as vendor/freelance support to execute on campaigns, fostering a collaborative and productive creative environment. Provide clear art direction and constructive feedback that inspires high‑quality work and professional growth. Set project priorities, delegate tasks, and oversee timelines to ensure efficient execution. Oversee and manage campaign budgets. Cross‑Functional Collaboration Partner closely with marketing, merchandising, and e‑commerce teams to bring seasonal campaigns and storytelling to life. Write all email copy. Work with external creative partners and freelancers. Ensure creative consistency across all consumer‑facing channels. Additional Job Responsibilities Other related duties as assigned. Qualifications 15+ years of leadership experience in creative marketing, art direction and copywriting within fashion, lifestyle and/or retail brands. 15+ years of experience in tactical execution and delivery of high‑quality marketing and brand assets. Ability to travel to shoot locations on a monthly basis (on average). Exceptional writing and editing skills with a strong grasp of tone, rhythm, and brand voice. Strong conceptual thinker with excellent visual and verbal storytelling skills. Ability to and comfort with moving fluidly between high‑level creative concepting and detailed execution. Clearly articulated understanding of the J.McLaughlin customer and brand. Strong portfolio demonstrating high‑level concepting and detailed design execution across digital and print. Significant experience managing and mentoring creative teams and vendors (graphic design, copywriting). Expert level Adobe Creative Suite skills required (Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator). Figma, and other relevant tools as significant plus. Knowledge of motion design or video editing is a plus. Demonstrated ability to use AI tools in a creative capacity (e.g., Midjourney, ChatGPT, Adobe Firefly). Collaborative team player with strong organizational and communication skills. Excellent organizational, time management, and presentation skills. A proactive, positive attitude with a collaborative, solutions‑oriented mindset. What Success Looks Like Cohesive, elevated creative that connects brand storytelling across channels. Campaigns and marketing materials that reflect the distinct J.McLaughlin tone—clever, classic, and confident. A seamless bridge between design and copy that enhances brand impact and engagement. Physical Requirements Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer. Must be able to lift up to 15 pounds at times. Must be able to access and navigate each department at the organization’s facilities. J.McLaughlin is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability or any other legally protected status. Seniority Level Director Employment type Full‑time Job Function Design, Art/Creative, and Information Technology; Retail #J-18808-Ljbffr