Art Director/ Digital Designer

The Philadelphia Inquirer is a public benefit corporation owned by the nonprofit Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Together, we’re at the center of a critical mission to create a lasting future for ambitious, engaging, and useful local journalism. We’re doing this, in part, by deepening our connection with the communities we serve. Our integrated digital and print platforms are the Philadelphia region’s largest media network. We’re passionate about building a sustainable model for indispensable local journalism, and we take pride in finding diverse, dynamic, and talented individuals to help push our team forward.

Job Summary

We’re looking for an Art Director to produce compelling digital content for The Philadelphia Inquirer. We are launching two new verticals, so knowledge of food and sports is a plus. You will work with section editors, photo editors, digital editors and interactive developers to prioritize how to display the stories with a visual plan that best represents each story.

This job requires a mixture of wide-ranging skills. You must possess strong design skills, with an expertise in color and typography. You must be experienced in UX and UI design and have the storytelling skills of a journalist. You must have experience in hiring freelance illustrators and also be able to create your own artwork. You will report directly to the Design Director, but work closely with every desk in the newsroom, so having exceptional collaborative and communication skills is mandatory.

What you’ll do

• Design and art direct stories, specifically in food and sports

• Pitch and art direct illustration from concept to final product and create in-house illustrations

• Coordinate food photoshoots; styling skills a plus

• Create visual stories independently and work with reporters and editors on projects

What we’re looking for

• Strong visual capabilities, including a love for illustration, photography, typography and design

• Three + years experience in art direction, ideally at an editorially driven publication

• Expertise with Adobe’s Illustrator, Photoshop and InDesign programs. Experience with animation is a plus

• Experience with front-end development including HTML, CSS and Javascript

• Self-motivation, ability to meet deadlines, and adapt to change in a news environment.

• Knowledge of Philly’s sports teams and/or restaurant scene is a big plus! 

Please submit up to five samples of your own work and the decisions you made in determining how the project displayed on multiple platforms. Please include your website.