Senior Art Director

About the Team The Customer Experience (Marketing) team works to showcase our brand through the lens of expertise and love.
They work to provide a personalized experience for our consumers backed by best-in-class, data-driven marketing capabilities.
The Customer Experience team focuses across 4 departments including, Marketing, Creative, Communications, and our Loyalty & CRM team.
Everyone brings their own point of view to create a unique experience for the pets and pet parents.
About the Location Hybrid Position: This position may be considered Hybrid based on PetSmart’s FlexSmart policy and business needs.
A Hybrid work arrangement is considered to be a blend of onsite and remote work activity.
Associates with a Hybrid work arrangement have a work space at Phoenix Home Office and can be required to come onsite between 1-5 days a week as determined by leadership and based on business needs.
About the Job Senior Art Director, Photography & Concepts We are a small, fast-paced internal Creative Team who aims to be highly strategic and innovative while delivering best in class work.
We strive to gain the trust and respect of our business partners through our ability to deliver exceptional results, with a focus on creativity, agility and collaboration.
Our goal is to evolve into a revered in-house resource for our clients, providing them with cutting-edge solutions that drive exceptional results and leave a lasting impact on their business and our pet parents.
You have an exceptional eye and outstanding organizational skills.
You are detail-oriented with an eye for the best photography approach.
You have a full understanding of the relationship between copy, image, and graphic design and have a pulse on creative trends.
You have proven experience working with fellow designers, photo art directors, copywriters, and project managers to concept and execute creatively and strategically sound campaigns.
You have in-depth experience, knowledge & skills in photo production, photographers, locations, talent, styling, and stay up to date on trends.
You're a highly collaborative team player who is always coming up with a creative solution to the problems at hand.
Although you won’t be managing, leadership qualities are a must in a senior role.
You’re open to feedback and able to take direction and adapt with a positive attitude.
You welcome constructive criticism with a growth mindset, always seeking to improve yourself and the work.
You are reliable, responsible, and flexible in the situations thrown your way.
You’re an effective communicator and not afraid to speak up or provide new ideas.
You are organized and always on time.
You juggle and multi-task with the best of them.
You work efficiently in a fast-paced environment with tight deadlines.
You understand and question briefs, and you always seek to understand the ongoing creative direction coming from leadership.
You’re familiar with project management software, and you thrive to follow a solid process.
You love pets! You’d do anything for pets and pet parents.
You want Petsmart to thrive and you’ll do what it takes with great enthusiasm for the business.
Who do you report to? Creative Director: Photography, Video, & Brand Concepts Responsibilities Elevate and evolve the photography and video aesthetic while supporting overall brand direction Be a strong support for the Creative Director which includes: supporting and overseeing art direction, image selection, develop and maintain internal creative processes, be the go-to person for all things photography and video related Act as a creative leader in the organization, show professionalism and enthusiasm to problem solve Organize photography decks, video storyboards, shotlists, pre-production details, image/video selections, and retouching notes Lead and art direct on set, collaborating with external talent, producers, stylists, hair & make-up, etc.
Take direction and push creative thinking in photography/video and deliver best-in-class work for our seasonal campaigns (Holiday, Halloween, Valentine’s Day, etc.
) as well as our overarching PetSmart brand.
Act as a key cross-functional partner and build trust on all creative and marketing initiatives Participate in strategy meetings and partner with merchandising, marketing, and creative teams to translate business strategy into creative concepts and compelling content Be a trustworthy and reliable leader in the creative space Build strong relationships and effectively communicate with other team members, CDs, VP, project managers as well as clients.
Be quick on your feet and eager to produce amazing work that is modern and consistently on-brand.
Own multiple projects from start to finish while always meeting deadlines.
Proactively bring new and thoughtful ideas to the forefront to elevate and expand our brand message.
Understand communication to your peers, your manager and Creative Ops is a mandate for success.
Required Skills and Experience A minimum of 6 years experience as an Art Director/Senior Art Director for a retail environment BA in design, photography, visual arts, or related field.
Not required, but preferred.
Your experience, energy, passion, collaboration, and portfolio are what we’re most focused on.
An elevated oriented eye for photography, lighting, retouching, and artistic vision.
Strong communication skills and time management skills; ability to juggle priorities and multiple projects across various time constraints and still meet deadlines.
Strategic thinker willing to push the envelope and bring fresh, innovative ideas to life while displaying a strong understanding of the PetSmart brand and customer Highly organized with extreme attention to detail Proactive problem-solving skills; ability to anticipate obstacles and also quickly generate solutions and change course as needed Have a strong understanding of budgets and shoot productions Exhibit professionalism, flexibility, and composure under stressful situations Ability to take direction/feedback and act upon it with urgency and positivity.
Location: Phoenix, AZ About the Culture At PetSmart, we work hard to create a culture where every associate feels like they truly belong and we celebrate the unique stories, backgrounds, and experiences our associates share.
These experiences not only bring new perspectives in shaping our Belonging culture but they’re core to PetSmart’s success.
Not sure if you meet 100% of the position requirements and whether you should apply? We’d still like to hear from you and encourage you to apply with us! You just may be the ideal candidate for this role, and if not this one, perhaps another position.
Our home office offers outstanding amenities in a fun and rewarding workplace including: Pet friendly environment, bring your pets to work! On-site Dog Park “Top Dog” gym with equipment, fitness classes, massage therapists and personal trainers “Sit & Stay” Café serving fresh breakfast and lunch options On-site coffee bar “Lil’ Paws” learning center and onsite daycare facility (associate paid) Volunteer events with PetSmart Charities Learn more about #LifeAtPetSmart here: https://www.
lifeatpetsmart.
com/life-at-petsmart/ Check out Associate stories and share in some celebrations at PetSmart: https://www.
blog.
lifeatpetsmart.
com/ Explore PetSmart Benefits here: https://benefits.
petsmart.
com/ If you don't already live in the Phoenix area here's a guide to the area: Welcome to Phoenix Guide PetSmart provides an equal opportunity for all associates and job applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status or other legally protected characteristics.