Creative Principal and Art Director

Creative Principal and Art Director

This role is for someone who doesn’t wait for creative briefs to be handed down but proactively spots cultural shifts, emerging behaviors, and talent‑driven opportunities, then translates them into clear strategic points of view that our creative team can act on, and our internal and external clients can believe in. You will lead visual thinking across all disciplines and market sectors, ensuring that our brand platform, creative tools, and efforts are culturally relevant and grounded in current and emerging market trends within the AEC industry.

• Set a clear vision and priorities for team strategy, capabilities, and culture, serving as a catalyst for elevated and expanded marketing impact across the business group and beyond.
• Lead, mentor, and grow a high‑performing, inclusive team that thrives on diverse skills, perspectives, and continuous learning. This includes cultivating a culture of creativity centered on experimentation, innovation, and shared growth.
• Translate emerging trends and insights into strategic ideas that strengthen brand relevance, engagement, and long‑term value.
• Deliver marketing, brand, and communications strategies that are scalable, cohesive, and consistently implemented across local, regional, and global contexts.
• Build and nurture strong cross‑functional partnerships to advance marketing strategies, enable multidisciplinary collaboration, and drive organizational value and sustainability.
• Oversee the development of compelling, on‑brand creative output that clearly communicates the firm’s core attributes and differentiators.
• Guide the strategic narrative from insight through execution to maintain clarity, cohesion, and effective creative translation.
• Establish and maintain standard marketing processes, workflows, and tools that improve efficiency, ensure quality, and expand the reach and integrity of visual communication.
• Manage the end‑to‑end creative production lifecycle, including project intake, workflow systems, asset management, and print operations.
• Develop strategic visualizations and data‑driven storytelling tools that support internal alignment and adoption of brand and marketing strategies.

In addition to the Portfolio of relevant design work, please include a cover letter detailing your interest in the position and company.

• Bachelor’s degree in Design, or equivalent, or a combination of education and relevant experience
• A minimum of 10 years of design experience
• Excellent sense of design principles, including color, layout, and ability to create visually solid messaging
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to present and clearly articulate concepts and design decisions to creative teams and internal/external clients
• Proficient in Adobe Creative Cloud & Microsoft Office.
• Ability to design within established standards and visual identity
• Ability to multitask, prioritize, and excel in a fast‑paced work environment
• Desire to learn and grow, be self‑motivated, and have a positive attitude
• Portfolio of relevant design work is required for consideration

At HDR, we are committed to the principles of employment equity. We consider all qualified applicants, regardless of criminal histories, arrest and conviction records.