hape the visual identity of Virginia's premier lifestyle magazine. Virginia Living is seeking a seasoned, imaginative Art Director to lead design across our award-winning print publication and digital platforms — bringing to life our coverage of food, culture, people, destinations, homes, gardens, and more.
This is a hands-on creative leadership role for someone who thrives on variety: from conceptual photography and illustration direction to typography, layout, and marketing materials. You'll have true creative ownership while working alongside a close-knit, passionate team dedicated to showcasing the best of Virginia.
What You'll Do
Creative Direction
- Set and advance the visual direction for each issue, ensuring cohesive, high-quality storytelling across all editorial content
- Contribute story ideas and evaluate them for editorial relevance, freshness, and alignment with the Virginia Living brand
- Identify and assign the right photographers, illustrators, and stylists for each story; negotiate fees and manage contracts through to execution
- Art direct photo shoots with an exacting eye for quality, mood, and brand consistency
- Scout locations, source archival material, and build strong relationships with editorial subjects and the broader Virginia community
Design & Production
- Design compelling layouts and shepherd them through the full production cycle in close collaboration with the editorial team.
- Maintain expert knowledge of offset printing; execute preflight tasks and press checks
- Oversee placement of advertisements in marketing vehicles and ensure brand consistency across all touchpoints
- Maintain organized workflow on the company server
Leadership & Operations
- Meet regularly with the Publisher and Editorial team to review budgets, story ideas, and art direction
- Manage the art budget with fiscal discipline and adherence to schedules and deadlines; generate and process purchase orders accurately and on time
- Proactively identify opportunities to improve creative workflows, streamline production processes, and elevate team output
- Collaborate closely with the Associate Art Director, providing guidance and creative support
- Onboard new artists by coordinating W-9 and direct deposit forms; maintain and update the comp list each issue
- Resolve any budget discrepancies in coordination with the Accountant
Reports to: Editor-in-Chief
Location: Richmond, VA — full-time, onsite/hybrid
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 am–5:30 pm, with additional hours as needed
Compensation: Competitive
Vacation: 2 weeks paid vacation + 8 paid holidays annually
What You Bring
- At least 5 years of high-level design experience at a magazine, ad agency, or communications organization — luxury lifestyle or regional media experience strongly preferred '
- Exceptional design and art direction skills, with the confidence to articulate creative rationale and bring others along on the vision
- Proven experience directing photographers, illustrators, and stylists, with a strong network of creative talent
- Deep command of typography, photography, and illustration with a refined, editorial aesthetic
- Expert proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite — particularly InDesign, Photoshop, and Illustrator — in a Mac environment; working knowledge of MS Office
- Experience managing art budgets with transparency and accountability
- A proactive, process-oriented mindset: you anticipate production challenges before they arise, continuously refine how the team works, and think strategically about what's next
- Demonstrated ability to translate print design for digital platforms and web
- Knowledge of offset printing, including preflight and press checks
- Branding and marketing experience, with a natural instinct for brand stewardship
- Strong familiarity with Virginia — its culture, communities, landscape, and character
- Outstanding communication and collaboration skills; a collegial, team-first working style
- Meticulous attention to detail, balanced with the big-picture creative vision to lead
- Bachelor's or Master's degree in Graphic Design or a related field