Art Director

The Art Director is responsible for leading the visual development of Erlanger's marketing campaigns and communications. This role manages the day-to-day operations of the design team and ensures that all visual assets align with brand guidelines, meet strategic objectives, and are executed with excellence. In addition to leading the team, the Art Director is an active designer producing high-level design work for targeted projects and enterprise initiatives.
Working closely with the Senior Creative Director, the Art Director guides design concepting, layout, and production while mentoring team members and providing critical design reviews. This role bridges strategy and execution, playing a hands-on role in designing materials while also leading and inspiring a team of creatives.

Key Job Responsibilities:

Visual Direction and Concept Development
-Translate campaign strategies and creative briefs into compelling design concepts and executions.
-Lead design ideation sessions with the internal creative team and develop multiple visual approaches to meet campaign needs.
-Maintain a deep understanding of brand identity and design best practices to ensure consistency and quality across all assets.

Design Team Leadership and Mentorship
-Supervise and mentor the Graphic Designer and Junior Graphic Designer, providing art direction, coaching, and timely feedback.
-Manage design assignments, prioritize workloads, and ensure that team output meets internal deadlines and expectations.
-Champion a collaborative, high-performance creative culture within the design team.

Production and Execution Oversight
-Serve as the final checkpoint for visual quality and accuracy before materials are routed for approval or published.
-Support the development of assets across formats: digital ads, print collateral, event signage, social graphics, presentations, and more.
-Work hands-on to produce design deliverables as needed, especially for high-priority or high-visibility projects.

Cross-Functional Collaboration
-Collaborate with the Marketing Strategists, Content Manager, and Digital/Web team to ensure visuals align with messaging goals and platform standards.
-Support Foundation and public health campaigns, internal communications efforts, and cross-departmental initiatives requiring design support.
-Attend project briefings and campaign planning sessions to ensure early alignment between strategy and visual execution.

System-Wide Design Support
-Provide visual direction and design support to other departments assigned by the Creative Director including PR, community relations, physician practices, and Foundation initiatives.
-Help adapt core brand assets for specialty applications across various Erlanger entities and initiatives.
-Ensure the design function is responsive, professional, and aligned with the organizations mission.
External Partner Collaboration and Vendor Stewardship
-Collaborate with outside creative vendors, freelance designers, photographers, or production houses as needed to execute or expand internal capacity.
-Ensure external resources deliver materials that meet Erlanger's creative standards and brand expectations.
-Participate in art reviews and production coordination with outside agencies or specialists under the guidance of the Senior Creative Director.

Education:
Required: Bachelor's degree in graphic design, Visual Communication, or related field

Preferred:

Experience:
Required:
5-7 years of progressive design experience, including 2+ years in a supervisory or lead designer role
Strong portfolio demonstrating conceptual development, layout design, typography, and brand system execution
Expertise in Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign)
Experience working in healthcare, nonprofit, or cause-based marketing preferred
Knowledge of production processes across digital, print, and environmental formats

Position Requirement(s): License/Certification/Registration
Required:
N/A

Preferred:
N/A

Department Position Summary:

Erlanger's in-house marketing team functions with the strategic rigor and operational dynamics of a full-service marketing firm embedded within a major health system. The Art Director plays a vital executional and supervisory role within the creative function reporting to the Senior Creative Director and helping guide the day-to-day visual development of campaigns, materials, and content across all parts of the organization.

While the Senior Creative Director is responsible for the overall brand vision, creative strategy, and cross-functional leadership, the Art Director ensures that vision is translated into compelling visual concepts and high-quality deliverables. The Art Director manages design output, leads concept development, and serves as the key quality control authority within the visual execution pipeline supervising the Graphic Designer and Junior Graphic Designer.

This role is central to bringing Erlanger's brand to life across platforms, supporting everything from service line marketing to Foundation campaigns, public health initiatives, and system-wide storytelling efforts.