Senior Art Director in Toronto

Who we are: Burson, part of WPP, is the global communications leader built to create value for clients through reputation. With highly specialized teams, industry-leading technologies and breakthrough creative, we help brands and businesses redefine reputation as a competitive advantage so they can lead today and into the future.

More about the role: Burson is the global leader in communications purpose-built to create value for our clients through reputation. We reinvent how reputation creates competitive advantage for our clients, so they can lead today and into the future. Bringing a collective expertise into the AI era with AI-driven intelligence and cut-through creativity to counsel clients and deliver transformative ideas that shape culture, spark change and deliver impact.

Burson Creative: This is an existing opportunity to join a creative team that’s curious, collaborative, and constantly pushing each other to do work that earns attention. The Creative team works across the full Burson Canada client roster to ideate, develop, and produce earned-first campaigns, building original ideas that cut through culture, not just the noise. Our work connects people and brands by digging deeper, imagining more, and creating campaigns and content designed to live anywhere and travel everywhere.

What we are looking for: We are seeking a highly creative Senior Art Director to play a pivotal role in bringing conceptual thinking to our clients. You are a storyteller who has experience developing and launching earned-first creative ideas across a plethora of touchpoints. You have an appetite for finding creative solutions to otherwise daunting projects and are eager to roll up your sleeves and guide multi-disciplinary teams (alongside a senior copywriter).

You’d be supporting our Executive Creative Director in taking ownership of key creative projects and contributing significantly to the overall creative output for the agency. Ontario based candidates preferred. Legally Authorized to Work in Canada.

You are:

• An earned-first storyteller.
• Smart, direct, and a clear communicator.
• A thinker and a doer, always willing to roll up your sleeves and help the team.
• Obsessed with attention to detail.
• An optimist who remains calm and focused.
• A fresh thinker who embraces new challenges.
• Adaptable and effective in a fast-paced environment.
• A cultural sponge and creative trend enthusiast.

Responsibilities:

• Lead the development of art direction and creative concepts for earned-first campaigns, integrated social/digital campaigns, activations, and content.
• Craft impactful visual concepts for a wide range of platforms and channels (digital, print, video, social, experiential, etc.), ensuring all content is grounded in insights and adheres to brand guidelines and regulatory requirements.
• Collaborate closely with Copywriters, Strategists, and Account teams to develop holistic campaign approaches and creative solutions.
• Actively identify and pursue creative opportunities “beyond the brief” to deliver unexpected and impactful ideas for existing and prospective clients.
• Develop and deliver compelling creative presentations to clients, effectively articulating creative rationale and vision.
• Take direction from the Executive Creative Director, constantly striving to elevate the quality of the work.
• Work directly with clients to offer creative counsel, navigating and resolving execution roadblocks with solutions-oriented thinking.

Skills:

• Exceptional conceptual and writing skills, with a proven ability to tell compelling stories for pharmaceutical audiences.
• Strong problem-solving abilities and strategic thinking.
• Confident and engaging presentation skills.
• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite, Office 365, A.I. Tools, creative design tools, and Mac environments.

Background:

• 7+ years of progressive experience in a fast-paced, integrated agency environment, with a strong portfolio showcasing earned-first thinking.
• Proven experience as a lead art director on integrated campaigns.
• Bachelor’s degree in Advertising, Marketing, Communications, English, Journalism, or a related field preferred.

In Ontario, the base salary for this position at the time of this posting is indicated below. This range reflects our broader group’s compensation framework across diverse agencies and disciplines. For this specific role at Burson, our offer will be determined within this range based on our internal benchmark, reflecting the specific market conditions for our discipline. Individual compensation varies based on job-related factors, including business needs, experience, level of responsibility and qualifications.

In addition to the salary range provided, we offer a comprehensive benefits package designed to support our employees’ well‑being and professional growth. While specific details may vary by agency, typical benefits include: private medical care, professional development opportunities, training programmes and flexible working arrangements (where applicable). Some agencies may offer additional benefits.

You belong at Burson: Our vision is for Burson to be the leading ‘academy company’ for creative communications professionals and emerging leaders. We provide a dynamic environment where ambitious colleagues come to elevate their skills, expand their networks, and ultimately, produce the best solutions for today’s leading brands. Our commitment to your growth is reflected in our robust benefits and people programs, which include professional development opportunities, mentorship programs with industry leaders, a vibrant and inclusive company culture fostering collaboration and innovation and packages designed to reward and retain top talent.

We believe the best work happens when we’re together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection. That’s why we’ve adopted a hybrid approach, with teams in the office around four days a week. If you require accommodations or flexibility, please discuss this with the hiring team during the interview process.