Art Director

Howatson+Company is an advertising agency that's committed to expressing creativity in all its forms to positively influence people and culture.

Put simply, we care fiercely. For the people who work here. For the brands we work on. And for the community we live in. That's why we overinvest in training, generosity and pausing to recognise excellence and effort in our people.

It's also why we're 100% carbon neutral.

At Howatson+Company, we believe in exceeding expectations and achieving greatness. As a Mid-level Art Director you will have the opportunity to make an impact on our clients' brands and contribute to our agency's success. We foster a collaborative and inclusive work environment where innovation and creativity are valued.

Join our team and be part of an agency that embraces the art of orchestration, seamlessly bringing together various creative elements to create extraordinary campaigns.

Located in our Melbourne office.

A Day in the Life

• Produce ideas and concepts that meet a brief, or even better, take a brief and push it to a more inspirational level. We call this "exceeding expectations".
• Contribute to the development and execution of innovative and strategic creative concepts across all mediums, including print, digital, social media, and more.
• Drive creative vision for campaigns, ensuring alignment with client objectives and brand strategies.
• Stay ahead of industry trends and emerging technologies, integrating them into the creative process to maintain our competitive edge.
• Care Fiercely: Care is to trust, to be human, to accept the responsibility that we put in each other, and our clients put in us. Fiercely brings the action. Your ambition is to leave everything better than you found it.
• Quality isn't negotiable, it's a given. We're looking for someone whose commitment to excellence shines through in every polished piece of work. Your meticulous attention to detail will set the standard for what's possible, reflecting the high expectations you consistently achieve and the value you place on every project.
• In the advertising world, collaboration isn't just a buzzword, it's essential. As a creative duo, your strong interpersonal skills and open-minded approach will create a dynamic environment where creativity thrives. Your ability to foster a culture of respect and shared vision will be key to a positive and productive team atmosphere.

How will we know you are the one?

• You have that indefinable magic that separates good from extraordinary. You know what's fresh, bold and captivating.
• You win work, crack briefs and sell in ideas. You see your work out in the world, with some entered into an international award shows.
• You're able to juggle multiple projects simultaneously, ensuring timely delivery of exceptional, high-quality work that exceeds client expectations.
• You demonstrate caring fiercely, for each other, our work, and our clients.
• You're able to translate strategy into concepts, and ideas into campaigns.
• Feedback is your friend, you don't just listen, you absorb, adapt and come back stronger.
• You're solutions oriented, with the resilience to thrive under pressure.
• Self motivated, organized and collaborative. You're always three steps ahead.
• You ensure production delivers on the original vision, treating budget constraints as a spark for innovation.
• Your portfolio should be a showcase of career-defining work that exceeds expectations. You've worked on large-scale, high profile campaigns, across a variety of client sectors and we're eager to see how you've set new industry standards with your craft.

Other things that will make you excel in this role

• You're either already dabbling with AI tools or curious about how you can use them to streamline workflows and sharpen your creative edge.
• A passion for emerging technologies, and a keen eye on how they can be applied to projects.

Who are Howatson + Company?

Howatson + Company are a fully integrated creative agency that believe in the power of influence.

We believe that the magic comes from the '+'.

The intersection of diverse people, culture and capabilities, that create solutions that drive business outcomes for our clients and leave the world a better place.

How do we do it?

We care fiercely about the people we work with, the brands we work on and the world we live in.

We have five key values:

Be a customer

Act without judgement or preconceptions to find the truth

Diversity creates breakthrough

Magic lives at the intersection of people, culture and capability

We can only afford to be distinctive

No 'house style', we express creativity in all its forms

Never walk alone

It's everyone's job to think, to craft, to support

Values cost something

Talk is cheap, we act with valour regardless the cost

Some of our most recent accolades

• Cannes Global Independent Agency of the Year - Good 2023, #1 Independent Agency Australia 2024
• Mumbrella Emerging Agency of the Year, Independent Agency of the Year, Creative Agency of the Year
• Andy's Global Independent Agency of the Year 2023
• Spikes Grand Prix, 4x Gold, 2x Silvers, Independent Agency of the Year 2023
• Adnews Independent Agency of the Year 2023
• LBB APAC Creative Agency of the Year 2022
• D&AD Global Independent Agency of the Year 2022
• LIA Grand Prix 2022, Independent Agency of The Year AU/NZ
• Mumbrella Emerging Agency of the Year 2022
• B&T Grand Prix Agency of the Year, Advertising Agency of the Year,
• Independent Agency of the Year, NSW Agency of the Year 2022
• Campaign AU/NZ Independent AOTY, AU/NZ Marketing AOTY, AU/NZ B2B AOTY 2022

Howatson+Company is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. We are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, colour, national origin, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. We invite anyone to apply. Please send your details and CV to

If you require any reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process or the role, please let the recruitment consultant know.

To be eligible to apply, you must have Australian working rights.