Art Director

Location: Chicago (River North)

Reports to: Chief Brand Officer

This position is only open to Chicago area candidates. Our team works under a hybrid remote/in-person model. While we are primarily WFH for the time being, we plan to resume some in-person meetings when it is safe to do so. 

About Figo

Figo was born in a Chicago-based Google tech hub. Passionate about changing how consumers view and interact with insurance, as well as holistically improving the life of pets, Figo developed the Figo Pet Cloud with today’s pet parent in mind: socially connected, on-the-go, and mobile-dependent. Combined with simple to understand insurance plans, Figo delivers peace of mind to customers across America. The Figo team is creative, dynamic and fast-paced, and we seek an energetic, self-motivated individual to join us.

Job Summary

The Art Director will oversee and elevate Figo's visual brand identity through creative, strategic, and high-quality design in digital, web, and print to serve our brand’s mission, business objectives, and customer journey. Collaborate closely with the Chief Brand Officer and the creative and marketing teams in both remote and in-office settings. You’ll use your team management and advanced design skills to maintain and evolve existing collateral, develop new visuals, and create original artwork in a quickly-growing environment that celebrates design and customer experience.

The ideal art director will bring a mix of artistic, marketing, and business expertise to the position. We are looking for an experienced manager, who can inspire and be inspired by others to take our creative efforts to the next level. The ideal candidate will have a natural eye for design and a passion for delivering dynamic creative pieces.

Duties/Responsibilities:

• Design and develop vision for various creative assets – including but not limited to advertising, social media content, business docs, presentations, email campaigns, signage, packaging, and swag.
• Assemble creative briefs based on ideas established in brainstorming sessions with direction, schedules, and expected deliverables for the design team.
• Create and define a visual language as an extension of the brand (illustrations, icons, colors, typography, etc.).
• Curate, maintain, and contribute to the brand ecosystem and asset library.
• Oversee the design team by mentoring, assigning, training, and project management.
• Establish art and design standards for production, productivity, quality, and brand alignment.
• Take a leadership approach to all projects that provides team motivation and inspiration.
• Ensure team adheres to current processes, identifying opportunities for continuous improvement, and proposing and creating processes and tools to support design operations.
• Collaborate with marketing and sales divisions to develop roadmaps, aligning team priorities with business objectives to deliver high-quality work on time and on budget.
• Conceptualize campaign vision, harnessing original graphics, copy, and other marketing materials.
• Obtain approvals by presenting layouts, graphics, photography, and final designs, encouraging members to provide feedback, and responding to internal commentary and requests.
• Present or oversee presentation of final concepts and coordinate distribution and dissemination.
• Continually iterate on concepts to make the brand relevant and relatable to our audience(s).
• Be an advocate for consistent and cohesive design throughout the company, and externally through various partners.

Benefits and Perks 

• Competitive Compensation
• Remote-friendly
• PTO Policy
• Health/Dental/Vision Insurance
• Company-Paid Life Insurance
• Short and Long-Term Disability
• 401K
• Commuter and Telecommuting Benefits
• Fun, pet-friendly office in River North

Competencies

• Attentive: You focus on details and commit yourself to delivering quality work
• Independent: You are organized and reliable when delivering on deadlines
• Kind: You have a pleasant, friendly disposition, particularly when collaborating with others
• Competent: You know your way around design tools and time-saving plugins/extensions
• Adaptive: You learn quickly and break down problems to determine solutions, even under pressure
• Flexible: You respond dynamically to emerging or changing requirements to achieve the best end product
• Versatile: You love working on a small team, where everyone wears many hats
• Responsible: Protect organization’s value by keeping information confidential
• Advocate: You have a soft spot in your heart for pets

Required Skills/Abilities:

• Demonstrable design thinking and execution skills with a strong portfolio.
• Strong creative vision with an understanding of business objectives.
• Proficient use of industry standard creative tools.
• Exceptional capability with layout design, web design, illustrations, typography, color, print production, photography, and more.
• Highly skilled with leading a team of creative talent.
• Fluent in brand, marketing and design principles and best practices.
• Incorporate feedback and take/give direction well.
• Team player with strong management, communication, and presentation skills.
• Proven ability to independently conceptualize and think critically about design.

Education and Experience 

• Bachelor’s degree in fine art, graphic design, or similar discipline
• 5+ years as a professional graphic designer with 2+ years of experience in a management role

Preferred Qualifications

•  Master’s degree
•  Prior experience as an art director
• Web development experience
• Knowledge of photography and video production

Our Technology Environment

• Cloud-based business applications and file storage (Salesforce Marketing Cloud, Dropbox, etc.)
• Microsoft Suite/Office365 (Excel, Word, etc.)
• Communication & Project Management Tools (Microsoft Teams, Notion, etc.)