Job Information
Publicis Groupe Senior Art Director in Chicago, Illinois
Company description
Arc is the lead shopper and retail agency within Publicis Groupe. In an era of unprecedented disruption, where the customers you seek actively resist brands like never before, everything we do is in service of making your brand irresistible. We call it Irresistible Commerce. And it starts by employing insights and data to uncover what’s standing in the way of growth. Then we deploy irresistible creative solutions to build connected shopping experiences that are personal, valuable and delightful for your customers. The results simultaneously drive brand sales and love. Helping us become WARC’s #1 Specialty Retail Agency with groundbreaking work recognized by Adweek, ANA Reggie Awards and Effies.
Overview
A craft‑obsessed senior designer with exceptional taste who elevates Kimberly-Clark's visual standard by creating smart, scalable brand systems that flex across commerce environments—without compromising brand integrity, clarity, or beauty. This role is for a designer who obsesses over typography, hierarchy, and composition; thinks in systems, not just executions; and uses AI as a creative accelerator—not a shortcut.
Responsibilities
Lead design across multiple projects, owning work from concept through final production with an uncompromising eye for craft, consistency, and detail
Design and evolve brand systems, not just assets—creating modular, repeatable frameworks that scale across retail environments, formats, and platforms
Make confident, well‑reasoned design decisions that balance brand stewardship with thoughtful innovation—knowing when to push and when to protect
Translate strategy and insight into clear visual hierarchies that perform in real‑world commerce contexts (dense, fast, and constraint‑heavy)
Partner closely with Copy, Strategy, and Production to ensure design choices ladder back to the idea, not just the layout
Set the visual bar for teams by modeling exceptional typography, layout, composition, spacing, and file hygiene
Use AI‑assisted tools responsibly to explore directions, build systems, and accelerate iteration—while maintaining authorship, intent, and quality
Contribute to evolving best practices around AI‑enabled design workflows, helping the team work smarter without sacrificing craft
Qualifications
Senior‑level agency experience, ideally within CPG, retail, or commerce‑driven work
A portfolio that demonstrates strong taste, disciplined restraint, and system‑based thinking—not just one‑off executions
Deep fluency in Adobe Creative Suite, with a designer’s understanding of how tools impact craft (not just speed)
Curiosity and working knowledge of emerging AI‑assisted design tools (e.g., generative exploration, iteration, layout support), with an emphasis on responsible, brand‑safe usage
Strong point of view on design—able to articulate why something works, not just that it does
High standards for quality, organization, and polish, even under tight timelines
What Success Looks Like
Work consistently raises the visual standard across brands and retail environments
Design systems reduce rework, increase consistency, and accelerate downstream production
AI tools are used to enhance exploration and efficiency without eroding brand integrity or craft
Creative partners trust your taste, judgment, and attention to detail
Additional information
The Power of One starts with our people! To do powerful things, we offer powerful resources. Our best-in-class wellness and benefits offerings include:
Paid Family Care for parents and caregivers for 12 weeks or more
Monetary assistance and support for Adoption, Surrogacy and Fertility
Monetary assistance and support for pet adoption
Employee Assistance Programs and Health/Wellness/Comfort reimbursements to help you invest in your future and work/life balance
Tuition Assistance
Paid time off that includes Flexible Time off Vacation, Annual Sick Days, Volunteer Days, Holiday and Identity days, and more
Matching Gifts programs
Flexible working arrangements
‘Work Your World’ Program encouraging employees to work from anywhere Publicis Groupe has an office for up to 6 weeks a year (based upon eligibility)
Business Resource Groups that support multiple affinities and alliances
The benefits offerings listed are available to eligible U.S. Based employees, are reviewed on an annual basis, and are governed by the terms of the applicable plan documents.
We also offer medical and voluntary benefits to our freelancers and temporary employees. Voluntary benefit options include supplemental medical insurance, transportation, and parking benefits, legal benefits, pet insurance, and auto and home insurance.
You must be actively employed for 90 consecutive calendar days in order to be eligible for Publicis medical and voluntary benefits. You will also be eligible to participate in the Publicis 401(k) Plan after you complete 1,000 work hours in a consecutive 12-month period.
Arc is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our employment decisions are made without regard to actual or perceived race, color, ethnicity, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, disability, medical condition as defined by applicable state law, genetic information, marital status, military service and veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local laws and ordinances.
If you require accommodation or assistance with the application or onboarding process specifically, please contact USMSTACompliance@publicis.com.
All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.
Compensation Range: $81,225 - $116,655 annually.This is the pay range the Company believes it will pay for this position at the time of this posting. Consistent with applicable law, compensation will be determined based on the skills, qualifications, and experience of the applicant along with the requirements of the position, and the Company reserves the right to modify this pay range at any time. Temporary roles may be eligible to participate in our freelancer/temporary employee medical plan through a third-party benefits administration system once certain criteria have been met. Temporary roles may also qualify for participation in our 401(k) plan after eligibility criteria have been met. For regular roles, the Company will offer medical coverage, dental, vision, disability, 401k, and paid time off. The Company anticipates the application deadline for this job posting will be 5/1/26.