Art Director

Job description

About the role

John Lewis, the UK’s leading department store and biggest general omnichannel business is searching for an exceptionally talented individual with a strong background in Art Direction across fashion, home and beauty. The successful candidate will join our busy in-house creative department and play a key role in creating engaging content for our customers across both digital and in-store platforms.

The Art Director role is equally comfortable capturing imagery for print as well as digital channels. You are responsible for idea generation across still and video, and deliver your own integrated and standalone assets as well as supporting our Senior Art Directors on larger scale campaigns.

This role requires a naturally curious individual who enjoys a varied and fast paced working environment. Delivering industry-leading creative shoots across fashion, beauty, tech, home and kidswear. You will have exceptional taste levels and an understanding of how to actualise them. You will continuously adapt your creative output depending on the brief, whilst taking on direction from the Art Direction Lead. This role requires you to be accountable for each stage of a project from concept, to presentation decks, on set leadership, edits, retouch notes, crop guidelines and final deliverables.

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Salary - £35,000 - £55,400 (dependent on experience)  

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Contract type - This position is a Permanent contract.

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Working pattern/flexible working - The Partnership has adopted a hybrid working approach, meaning you'll be able to work a mixture between the office and home based upon your personal needs whilst balancing the needs of the business. The team aims for around 2-3 days a week in the office and on a more ad-hoc basis to attend key meetings and the expectation to be on shoots whenever they are scheduled. 

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Location -  This role is based at our London Head Office campus in Pimlico. Please note, any cost incurred as a result of travel to the office is the responsibility of the successful candidate. There is no travel allowance for this role. There is also a responsibility to visit our shoots when necessary. You will be able to claim travel expenses for these journeys. 

Key responsibilities

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Concepting through to delivery of still and video assets

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Supporting Senior Art Direction Managers with research, editing, and retouch

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Creating clear Art Direction decks that show vision and assets required. These need to be robust enough to brief in an external team and enable sign off internally

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Broad knowledge of trends within fashion, beauty, kidswear, home and tech

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Keeping up to date with competitors and identifying trends in the industry

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Research of new talent for photography, videography, models, set designers, and stylists

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Responding to marketing briefs with art direction that aligns with our brand vision while constantly evolving to be industry leading

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Ability to meticulously plan a shoot and be able to quickly adapt and problem solve when unexpected challenges arise

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Being accountable on set for the final output of assets with an eye for detail across all elements including but not limited to: lighting, hair and makeup, set design, styling, composition

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Ensuring all assets required for the business are captured on set without going into overtime

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Working with the wider (internal and external) team pre shoot to ensure everyone is aligned to the direction and the assets required

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Strong communication between yourself and the producer on the project to ensure project is running to schedule and within budget

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Presenting your concepts to senior management within the business for approval

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Responsible for the full retouch process in post from editing to mark-ups and grade to sign off

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Supporting with E-commerce testing when required

Essential skills/experience you’ll need

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In-depth experience as an Art Director or as a creative with Art Direction responsibilities

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Adobe Creative Suite - Photoshop, InDesign, Acrobat, Bridge

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Google Slides, Sheets, Docs or equivalent

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Understanding of image ratios and best use of assets across various channels 

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Extremely knowledgeable in retouch processes, grade and colour work

Desirable skills/experience you may have 

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Ability to sketch or illustrate for scamping

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Graphic design experience or typographic knowledge

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On model or still life styling

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Set design and product styling

For internal use only:

 

The Partnership

We’re the largest employee owned business in the UK and home of our cherished brands, John Lewis and Waitrose. We’re not just employees, we’re Partners, driven by our purpose to build a happier world. As we look to our future, there’s never been a more exciting time to join us.  

We’re ruthlessly focused on being brilliant at retail. We continue to innovate, adapt and diversify. Never Knowingly Undersold on price, quality and service in John Lewis and passionately serving food-lovers in Waitrose.   

As Partners we all share the responsibility of ownership and in its rewards. We use our voices to contribute to our success, working together through the good and challenging times, holding true to our behaviours and treating everyone with kindness and respect. 

We all own making the Partnership somewhere we belong. Embracing our differences and creating an environment where we’re free to be ourselves and can THRIVE. Growing ourselves individually, and as a collective. 

As Partners, we make all the difference. And, we all own it.  

Important points to note:   

It’s important to note that some of our roles are subject to pre-employment vetting (which may include DBS checks for successful candidates). If required, you’ll be informed and provided with information about vetting during the recruitment process and we encourage you to complete any vetting documents quickly to avoid delays. Any DBS checks required will be carried out by a third-party registered body and financial probity checks may also be required for some of our roles.   

We also recommend that you apply as soon as possible as vacancies can close early if we see a high number of applicants.   

We want all of our Partners to have a good work-life balance and we support flexible working. This might mean flexible or compressed hours, job sharing or shorter hour contracts, where possible. Please discuss this further with the hiring manager during your interview.  

 

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