Art Director, Features (6 month fixed term contract)

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About Us
For over 160 years, The Telegraph’s stories, dispatches, interviews, and investigations have set the agenda, sparked debate, and provided generations of readers with a trusted source of news, information, and opinion.
Our vision, with quality journalism at the heart, is to pioneer new ways to serve 10 million registered users and 1 million subscribers, by 2023, a vision we all stand behind. We wouldn’t be one of the world’s most successful media organisations without the talent, determination, and creative spirit of our people. As our readers’ needs evolve, it’s more important than ever that we recruit original thinkers and innovative individuals who can keep us at the forefront of our industry. That means not only journalists but also marketers, analysts, designers, engineers, and much more.
We want to foster the diversity of thought through our people, create inclusive working environments that allow everyone to be their authentic selves at work while creating a sense of belonging to ensure we have the highest performing teams.
About The Role
This is a unique opportunity to join one of the UK’s most reputable art departments, and to work among a talented group of Lifestyle designers at the Telegraph.
Collaborating with features editors and the picture desk, you’ll endeavour to find effective ways to tell our stories to deadline on a daily basis. You’ll consistently offer highly creative solutions, and these might be conceptual, typographic, or by getting the most out of effective and compelling pictures.

Requirements:
Key Responsibilities

• Design editorial pages and layouts in a creative and innovative manner to a high quality in the house style designing pages from scratch or using libraries and templates.
• Advocate innovative design solutions to editorial challenges as and when appropriate.
• Meet all editorial deadlines.
• Liaise with editors, art directors and picture editors to fully understand, interpret and respond to the briefs provided by the editorial team.
• Ensure the consistent high standard of The Telegraph’s style and tone of voice is maintained across all design solutions
• Commission illustrations, graphics and photography when needed.
• Be able to work a flexible five-day rota across a seven-day operation
• A strong visual voice on the floor, debating the output with editors and section editors.

Key Skills

• Proven experience in a similar role.
• Must be an enthusiastic and dedicated designer, with a desire to exceed expectations.
• Track record of producing creative editorial pages consistently to a high standard.
• Have a keen awareness of current affairs, fashion, style and travel and a passion for storytelling
• Strong grasp of all Adobe software, InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop.
• Manage personal workflow and be able to meet tight deadlines.
• Good communication skills in order to liaise with different areas of the business.

Additional skills useful for the role

• Experience in commissioning illustrators and illustration
• A knowledge of art and design history
• Be curious and aware of the wider printed and digital media landscape

Benefits:
The nature of our industry means life at the Telegraph Media Group is fast-paced, demanding, and interesting. We also want it to be rewarding for everyone who works here. From dynamic working opportunities, medical cover, and equal parental pay (six months fully paid for mothers and fathers), to life assurance, and season ticket loans, you can choose from a range of flexible benefits, designed to support your lifestyle and help you achieve a healthy work-life balance.

Training and development:
With support from your manager and colleagues, you’ll also have access to a variety of training and development opportunities through The Academy. Covering a range of personal and professional skills, our courses enable you to develop an enjoyable and rewarding career.

Our commitment to inclusion:
We want you to feel you belong here and welcome candidates from all backgrounds.
We have a number of internal networks that are totally inclusive and open for anyone to join. These include internal inclusion networks covering employees from ethnic minority backgrounds, working families, LGBTQ+, disabilities and long-term conditions, gender, wellbeing, and women in tech.
Your wellbeing is paramount, so we have trained over 100 Mental Health First Aiders in the last two years to help support our employees. We’ve also signed the Tech Talent Charter, and are committed to driving greater inclusion and diversity in tech.