Art Director Job at Informatics, Inc. in Cedar Rapids

At Informatics, we live our purpose and deliver results as a premier agency through our core values. Every single team member is responsible for living and modeling our core values of People First, Wow Our Clients, Improve and Innovate, Grow the Business, and Give Back that we have clearly defined. We use our values as a guidepost for all business decisions, balance the importance of all five values and understand that these are the foundation of our success. As a business that is built on relationships, we believe our values are our differentiator.
Role Summary & Objective

The Art Director at Informatics is a senior creative leader who translates brand strategy into visual work that is precise, purposeful, and built to drive outcomes. This role spans every client surface — identity, campaigns, digital, and beyond — with every decision made in service of the brand and the results it must deliver. Working closely with brand strategists, marketing experts, and our clients, the Art Director ensures all work meets the highest standard.
This role demands both creative excellence and collaborative leadership. The Art Director produces senior-level work while elevating those around, setting the bar for output that is outcome-driven, brand-aligned, and industry-leading.
Top 5 Role Outcomes

Brand Identity & Visual Systems

— Develop and own logo systems, visual identity, and brand guidelines that define how a client's brand looks and feels across every surface. Identity work at this level goes beyond aesthetics — it expresses positioning, builds recognition, and compounds brand value over time.
Industry-Leading Creative Production

— Concept, direct, and produce design work across campaigns, digital interfaces, and brand engagements that meets the highest creative standard. Every deliverable — regardless of format or surface — is grounded in strategy, built with craft, and designed to perform.
Creative Team Elevation

— Guide, direct, and elevate creative output across the team — working alongside designers, media producers, and brand specialists to ensure every deliverable meets the standard. Set the creative bar and help everyone around you clear it.
Client Creative Leadership

— Lead creative discovery sessions, present concepts with confidence and authority, and build strong working relationships with clients. Understand client needs deeply enough to translate them into creative solutions — and communicate those solutions in a way that earns trust and moves work forward.
Strategy-Informed Creative

— Collaborate with Brand Strategists and Brand Specialists to ensure every visual decision is grounded in brand positioning and audience insight. Creative and strategy are one process here — this role owns the visual expression of that partnership.
Key Responsibilities

Concept and design brand identity systems — logos, visual language, typography, color systems, and brand guidelines
Lead creative direction across brand, campaign, and digital projects from concept through final delivery
Produce design work across identity, campaign, and digital touchpoints
Guide and elevate the work of designers, producers, and brand specialists through clear direction and specific feedback
Collaborate with the Brand Strategist and Brand Specialist before every project — ensure visual direction is grounded in brand positioning and strategic intent
Design digital experiences with UX principles, conversion logic, and brand expression working together
Lead creative discovery sessions with clients — ask the right questions, listen deeply, translate needs into creative direction
Present creative concepts to clients with confidence — a clear strategic rationale behind every visual decision
Review all creative output before it ships — identify what isn't working, show how to fix it
Step into project scoping and estimation when the Brand and Creative Director is unavailable
Stay current on design, visual culture, brand identity, and emerging creative tools
Use AI tools to accelerate concepting, exploration, and production workflows — apply judgment to determine where AI assists and where human craft is required
Art direct photo, video, and motion work for brand consistency
Partner with developers to ensure design fidelity in build
Manage and direct external creative partners when applicable
Company-Wide Core Skills and Capabilities

People First Culture Fit
AI Fluency and Active Adoption
Strategic and Outcome Thinking
Client and Business Literacy
Project Ownership and Work Quality
Desire to Improve and Takes Action
Role Specific Required Skills and Capabilities

Expert-level brand identity and logo design — portfolio of original logo systems and visual identity work required
Strong creative concepting ability — generates ideas, not just executions
Deep understanding of how visual design expresses brand strategy
Proficiency across design tools — e.g. Adobe Creative Suite, and relevant production software
Working knowledge of UX principles, digital design, and responsive web environments
Mastery of typography, layout systems, and visual hierarchy
Proficiency in print production and digital accessibility (WCAG)
Ability to give clear, specific, actionable creative direction across disciplines
Confident client-facing communicator — able to present creative rationale to senior stakeholders
Curiosity about AI creative tools and clear judgment about where they add value
Strong organizational skills — able to manage multiple concurrent projects
Education and Experience

Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design, Visual Communications, Fine Arts, or related field — or equivalent experience
5–8 years of experience in brand design, art direction, or creative direction
Agency experience required
Portfolio demonstrating original brand identity work, campaign creative, and digital design across multiple industries
Experience directing or mentoring other creatives required
Client-facing presentation experience required
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
The job description is not a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Additional responsibilities may change or be assigned from time to time due to changes in business needs.
Informatics is an equal opportunity employer. We will not discriminate against any applicant or employee on the basis of age, race, color, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, medical condition, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, marital status or civil partnership/union status, physical or mental disability, pregnancy, childbirth, genetic information, military and veteran status, or any other basis prohibited by applicable federal, state or local law.

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