Art Director, Nail Brand

Kiss Products is seeking an Art Director to lead visual art direction across the Kiss and Impress nail brands. This hybrid role in Port Washington, NY focuses on developing on-trend lifestyle and still-life photography concepts for press-on nails, and translating brand and campaign direction into polished final assets for digital and print.

• Lead visual art direction for the Kiss and Impress nail brands, aligning photography and visual assets with brand identity and the Nail Division’s business goals.
• Plan and direct on-trend lifestyle and still-life photoshoot concepts for press-on nails, informed by Brand marketing campaign direction and nail tip designs.
• Translate campaign and product goals into clear visual direction using the brand guidebooks.
• Create mood boards and shot lists for photoshoots and visual asset production.
• Direct visual assets for digital and print, including model images, package creative shots, and hand shots.
• Art direct photoshoots on set with the photographer, covering models, nail designs, styling, props, composition, and lighting.
• Participate in shoot kickoff discussions to align the Brand team (marketing and product) and the in-house multimedia team on concept, schedule, and deliverables.
• Communicate internally on shoot status, direction, and changes to keep stakeholders aligned.
• Select final images with a focus on nail design accuracy, product visibility, package color accuracy, and brand consistency.
• Write clear retouching notes and provide direction when retouching is outsourced, reviewing revisions until final approval.
• Perform final quality control for color accuracy, nail and product detail, skin tone, and overall image quality.
• Organize and name final assets so the Design, web, e-commerce, and marketing teams can use them quickly.
• Collaborate with the in-house multimedia team’s photographers, Brand marketing and product managers, and Design teams for package and web.
• Work with graphic and web designers on Brand Design Teams 1 and 2, providing feedback so photography is applied effectively across packaging, PDPs, banners, and campaigns.
• Research beauty, nail, fashion, and social trends, and apply them to photography direction to keep brand visuals fresh.
• Contribute to the evolution of brand photography standards and reference libraries.

• Report directly to the Creative Director, presenting concepts, shoot plans, and results for review and approval.
• Serve as an individual contributor with no direct people-management responsibility.
• Provide art direction and creative guidance to designers on Brand Design Teams 1 and 2 while coordinating across the multimedia team, Brand team, and external vendors.

• 7–10 years of professional experience in art direction, with a focus on photography and visual direction for beauty, cosmetics, nail, fashion, or consumer product brands.
• Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design, Visual Communication, Photography, Fine Arts, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
• Experience leading photoshoots on set, including concept development, mood boards, shot lists, model and styling direction, and image selection.
• Portfolio demonstrating lifestyle and still‑life photography direction, including model images, product and package shots, and close‑up or hand imagery.
• Experience providing retouching direction, including writing retouching notes and managing outsourced retouchers through final approval.
• Proficiency with Adobe Creative Cloud (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Lightroom) and Figma or similar tools for mood boards, layouts, and image review.
• Strong understanding of composition, lighting, color, typography, and visual storytelling across digital and print.
• Excellent communication and…