VibeCodeCareers 
Hybrid role in Chicago for a senior-level position at Criticalmass, a digital agency. The role involves leading creative projects for a historic American brand, focusing on marketing initiatives and experience design.
Skills / Requirements
- Adobe Creative Cloud
- Art Direction
- Brand Development
- Client Relationship Management
- Creative Brief Development
- Creative Excellence
- Creative Execution
- Creative Process
- Design System
- Digital Design
- Experience Design
- Figma
- Illustrator
- Motion Design
- Photoshop
- Project Management
- Rapid Prototyping
- Strategic Brainstorming
- Team Leadership
- Vibe Coding
Why Apply
This role suits someone skilled in vibe coding, as experience with rapid prototyping and AI tools like Figma is beneficial. The position involves translating business strategies into design solutions, leveraging AI for efficiency.
What You'll Be Doing
You will lead concept development and creative direction, manage project scopes, and mentor a multidisciplinary creative team. Your day involves collaborating with strategy, tech, and production teams to deliver high-quality client outcomes.
Working in Chicago, United States
- Chicago offers a vibrant tech job market with numerous opportunities in digital and creative industries.
- The city boasts a rich cultural scene, including museums, theaters, and music venues, ideal for creative professionals.
- Public transit in Chicago is extensive, making commuting manageable even from the suburbs.
- Chicago's cost of living is more affordable compared to other major tech hubs like San Francisco or New York.
Pay and Career Growth
The salary range is $120,000 to $140,000, reflecting the senior-level responsibilities. The company offers competitive benefits, including global parental leave and flexible workdays. Career growth is supported through internal learning programs.
Benefits and Perks
- Affinity groups
- Competitive benefits
- Early dismissal Fridays
- Employee Discounts
- Flex days
- Learning programs
- Maternity Leave
- Parental Leave
- Sick days
- Vacation days
Is This Role Right for You?
Good fit if you...
- Experienced in leading digital design teams and managing creative projects.
- Comfortable with client presentations and justifying creative concepts.
- Proficient in Figma and Adobe Creative Cloud for design and prototyping.
May not be for you if...
- Lacks experience in digital agencies or leading creative teams.
- Unfamiliar with AI tools or vibe coding practices.
- Prefers fully remote work without office presence.
Original Job Description
As a Senior Art Director, you are excited to join a large creative team to develop experiences that support one of the oldest brands in America. Leading major marketing initiatives is what keeps bringing you back to the office—including championing concepts to plan cutting-edge online strategies. We will welcome your strong working knowledge of developing client relationships within experience design, brand development, and creative process. Gaining key management experience is important to you. Good news—you’ll lead the collaborative efforts of a talented group of creatives. And you always foster an environment for professional growth to inspire your team to exceed expectation. Most importantly, you’re a sound creative thinker who efficiently manages time to juggle client needs for world-class brands.
You Will:
Lead concept development and creative direction across projects and accounts.
Develop innovative ideas and proposals that drive growth and new business.
Partner cross‑functionally with strategy, technology, and production teams to deliver strong client outcomes.
Manage project scope, timelines, budgets, and resources to ensure on‑time, high‑quality delivery.
Build, lead, and mentor a multidisciplinary creative team, providing ongoing feedback and development.
Translate business and marketing strategies into effective experience and design solutions.
Champion creative excellence, quality standards, and continuous improvement across all deliverables.
Communicate creative ideas and strategies clearly to clients, stakeholders, and senior leadership.
You Have:
4+ years’ experience working in a digital agency.
Experience leading a team of designers, production specialists, and writers to creative excellence.
Strong portfolio of digital design and art direction work.
Experience meeting clients and presenting your work.
Ability to think creatively and justify concepts to clients and team members.
Experience with strategic brainstorming, creative brief development, and creative execution.
Experience using Figma for design and prototyping.
Significant understanding of working within, and adding to, and existing Design System.
Working knowledge of the latest versions of Adobe Creative Cloud platforms including: Photoshop, Lightroom and Illustrator.
Comfortable using Microsoft Suite, including PowerPoint.
Nice-to-Haves:
Motion design, rapid prototyping, and vibe coding experience are all a plus.
Collaboration with an inter-agency team is an asset.
What We Offer:
Global maternity and parental leave
Competitive benefits packages
Vacation, compassionate leave, personal/sick days, and flex days
Access to online services for families and new parents
Early Dismissal Friday’s (off at 3:00 PM local time every Friday)
12 affinity groups
Internal learning and development programs
Enterprise-wide employee discounts
Our new hires & employees are the future of our organization, and we want to set you up for long-term success. In an effort to do so, we expect our team to work from an office a minimum of 3 days a week.
This position requires candidates to obtain a Level 2 Security Clearance in accordance with U.S. government regulations. As such, only U.S. citizens or permanent residents (Green Card holders) are eligible to apply.
We continually review ranges to address skills, experience and markets. Base salaries are determined during our interview process, by assessing a number of factors that include, but aren’t limited to, a candidate’s experience and skills relative to the scope and responsibilities of the position. For current CM employees, tenure will also be a consideration.
Salary Range
$120,000—$140,000 USD
Critical Mass is an equal opportunity employer.
Critical Mass uses artificial intelligence in our recruitment process to enhance job postings, filter keywords during the review of prospective candidates, and, in some cases, transcribe interviews with our recruiters. Human review remains central to the process, and all hiring decisions are ultimately made by our team.
The Critical Mass Talent Acquisition team will only communicate from email addresses that use the URLs criticalmass.com, omc.com and us.greenhouse-mail.io. We will not use apps such as Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, or Google Hangouts for communicating with you. We will never ask you to send us money, technology, or anything else to work for our company. If you believe you are the victim of a scam, please review your local government consumer protections guidance and reach out to them directly.
If U.S. based: https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/job-scams#avoid
If Canada based: https://www.canada.ca/en/services/finance/consumer-affairs.html
If U.K. based: https://www.gov.uk/consumer-protection-rights
If Costa Rica based: https://www.consumo.go.cr/educacion_consumidor/consejos_practicos.aspx
