Creative Director, Austin Monthly/Austin Home

First Databank (Fdb) - San Antonio, TX

Full-time

Remote - San Antonio, TX

Publishing Industries

About the position

The Creative Director is responsible for the visual identity and all art needs of Austin Monthly and Austin Home. This role requires a balance of creativity and organization, as the Creative Director will oversee photography, page design, and in-house art needs for both brands. The ideal candidate will have a strong understanding of the cultural landscape of Austin, allowing them to elevate both publications in the eyes of readers. Collaboration is key, as the Creative Director will need to pitch original ideas and respond positively to constructive feedback. In this position, the Creative Director will manage freelance photography and graphic needs for both magazines. This includes maintaining a network of creative freelancers and vendors, scheduling photoshoots, and managing payments for services rendered. The role also involves designing editorial pages for both magazines and any special sections published, which requires pre-production collaboration with editors to determine themes and page counts. Additionally, the Creative Director will coordinate print production needs between magazine editors and the Hearst Central Hub, which includes uploading editorial pages to Cue, sending PDFs to pre-press, and making necessary revisions. The Creative Director will also own the design and creation of in-house marketing and advertising needs, such as event collateral and marketing materials. They will create design schemes for special advertising projects, such as Top Lawyers and Faces of ATX, and develop digital-only graphics as needed, including social share cards or newsletter banners. This role demands proficiency in design software such as Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator) and a strong technical knowledge of the print production process, including paper specifications and file types. The ability to multitask and manage multiple projects simultaneously is essential, as is experience in converting print designs for digital layouts and specifications. The Creative Director must be a self-starter who consistently brings innovative design to every issue, month after month. This position is based in Austin, TX, with occasional trips to San Antonio, TX. While it can be fully remote, the candidate must be based in or around Austin to attend meetings and photoshoots.

Responsibilities

• Oversee freelance photography and graphic needs for both magazines.
• Maintain a network of creative freelancers and vendors.
• Schedule photoshoots and manage payment for services.
• Design editorial pages for both magazines and any special sections published.
• Collaborate with editors to determine themes and page count for editorial pages.
• Coordinate print production needs between magazine editors and Hearst Central Hub.
• Upload editorial pages to Cue and send PDFs to pre-press.
• Make necessary revisions to editorial pages as required.
• Own the design and creation of in-house marketing and advertising needs.
• Create design schemes for special advertising projects, such as Top Lawyers and Faces of ATX.
• Create digital-only graphics as needed and requested by editorial.

Requirements

• Proficient in design software such as Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator).
• Technical knowledge of the print production process, including paper specs and file types.
• Strong print and digital design skills with the ability to deliver innovative magazine layouts issue after issue.
• Ability to multitask and manage multiple projects at once.
• Experience converting print designs for digital layouts and specifications.
• Strong time-management and creativity skills.