Description

Senior Art Directors within the Crain Design Hub drive the visual execution and presentation of storytelling across Crain’s portfolio, with a strong emphasis on digital-first design and multi-platform experiences. This role translates complex business journalism into compelling, audience-driven visual presentations while setting a high bar for creative quality and innovation. This is a high-impact, high-visibility role directly tied to revenue-generating work and editorial storytelling across the organization.

Working in a centralized, fast-paced newsroom environment, this position primarily partners with Ad Solutions teams to concept and execute custom content and client-driven storytelling experiences, while also collaborating with editorial and audience teams on high-impact journalism and daily digital publishing. In addition to leading projects, this role will mentor team members, contribute to evolving creative workflows, and help shape cross-platform storytelling approaches across brands.

Responsibilities

● Lead the design and delivery of high-quality visual storytelling across digital and print platforms, with a primary focus on digital-first execution.

● Concept and develop story presentations from pitch through publication, shaping how content is experienced across platforms.

● Partner with Ad Solutions to create custom content and client-driven storytelling, while collaborating with editorial and audience teams on cross-platform initiatives.

● Generate innovative design concepts and visual approaches that elevate storytelling and audience engagement.

● Translate complex information into clear, compelling visuals, including data-driven and interactive formats.

● Own project timelines and lead projects from concept through final delivery, ensuring stakeholder alignment and high-quality execution.

● Manage multiple projects and priorities within a high-volume production environment while maintaining efficient workflows.

● Mentor and support Art Directors and designers by providing feedback, guidance and creative direction.

● Contribute to team development by sharing best practices, helping onboard new tools and supporting adoption of AI-informed workflows.

● Present design concepts and articulate creative decisions to cross-functional stakeholders, including editorial and client teams.

● Apply strong news judgment and copy editing skills when shaping visual presentations

● Stay current with evolving digital design trends, tools and storytelling formats.

Qualifications

● Bachelor’s degree in graphic design, visual journalism, or a related field.

● 7+ years of experience in news, editorial, or content-driven design environments, with a focus on digital-first storytelling.

● Strong portfolio demonstrating multi-platform design, audience-focused work and high-impact storytelling.

● Digital design expertise, with the ability to confidently shape how content is experienced across platforms.

● Proven ability to translate complex ideas into clear, engaging visual experiences.

● Strong project management skills, with the ability to own multiple project timelines and drive work from concept to completion in a fast-paced environment.

● Advanced understanding of typography, layout, color and visual hierarchy.

● Experience designing for digital platforms, including responsive design and best practices for engagement and usability.

● Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign); experience with motion, video or interactive tools (e.g., Ceros and Canva) is a plus.

● Familiarity with CMS platforms such as Arc XP or WordPress.

● Strong communication and presentation skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively across editorial, audience and client teams.

● Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced newsroom environment.

● Working knowledge of SEO and digital publishing best practices.

● Experience mentoring or guiding other designers in a collaborative environment.

Location: Remote from an approved state listed below, or based in one of these Crain offices if within commuting distance: Chicago, Detroit, Houston or New York City. In office 3 days per week. Must be able to work CT or ET hours.

This position is exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act and is not eligible for overtime pay.

Pay Transparency Disclosure:

The estimated salary range for this position is $95,000 to $110,000.

The final salary offering will take into account a wide range of factors, including experience, accomplishments and location. The salary range provided should not be considered as a salary limit or cap. In addition to base salary, Crain also offers competitive benefits including retirement plan savings contributions and bonus opportunities based on individual and company performance.

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Brand Overview:

Modern Healthcare is the industry’s leading source of healthcare business and policy news, research and information. We report on important healthcare events and trends, as they happen, through our weekly print magazine, websites, e-newsletters, mobile products and events. Our readers use that information to make informed business decisions and lead their organizations to success. It’s for this reason that Modern Healthcare magazine is ranked No. 1 in readership among healthcare executives.

www.modernhealthcare.com

@modrnhealthcr

About Crain Communications:

Crain Communications is a leading business news and information company with a portfolio of 24 media brands that provide indispensable coverage and data for professionals globally and across sectors, including advertising, automotive, finance, healthcare, staffing, and workforce solutions. Many of Crain’s brands are the most influential media properties in the industries and communities they serve, including Ad Age, Automotive News, Pensions & Investments, Modern Healthcare, Staffing Industry Analysts, as well as Crain’s regional business brands. For more than a century, our dedication to deep sector expertise and journalistic integrity has enabled us to provide trusted insights across all our platforms, empowering today’s business leaders to make industry-shaping decisions. To learn more about Crain Communications, visitcrain.com.

Environmental Demands

Where you work matters. The job posting will provide specific information on where and when your amazing work would be performed. Employee work location is determined by the needs of the specific team and may include on-site, hybrid or remote. Employee work location is subject to change.

An “in-office” role would require the employee to come into the office most days with occasional flexibility to work remotely if tasks can be performed elsewhere and if the manager approves.
A “remote” role would allow an employee to work from a home office that is in one of the states Crain does business in. We can only employ a remote / "work from home" employee if they reside in one of these states: AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, IL, MD, MA, MI, MN, NV, NY, NC, OH, OR, TN, TX, VA, WA, WI, and Washington, DC.
A “hybrid” role would be a mix of in-office and remote work. There may be a specified schedule for coming into the office or it could be at the discretion of the employee with the manager’s approval, subject to change.
Employees who live within a reasonable commute distance from a Crain office are expected to work on-site 3 days per week.

Many positions will also include work donein “the field.” Depending on the role, this may include conducting in-person interviews, attending work-related events, meeting with sources or clients. Specifics will be noted in the job posting but are subject to change as a role evolves.  Employees may be exposed to adverse environmental conditions, specifically during field work. Other typical job functions are performed under conditions such as those found in general office work. 

Travel to cover news stories/events, meetings with clients, and to our geographically separated offices may be required.  It is the nature of many positions to experience non-standard working hours and be on-call when needed for responding to email, meeting with clients, attending work-related events, story development or breaking news. Most employees perform work Monday through Friday, although early-morning, evening or weekend shifts may be required.  Work schedule and travel requirements are subject to change as a role and needs evolve over time.

Physical Demands
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of many Crain jobs and are subject to change.

Physical activities will include frequent in-person or virtual interactions. For most positions, it is essential to be able to remain at a desk/computer workstation for prolonged periods, perform computer-related tasks, and create/maintain documents within filing systems.  Must have close visual acuity to perform an activity, such as preparing and analyzing reports and information, transcribing, viewing a computer terminal, or extensive reading.  The typical physical requirements are light work—exerting up to 25lbs of force occasionally and/or up to 10lbs of force frequently and may include climbing, pushing, standing, hearing, walking, reaching, grasping, kneeling, stooping, and repetitive motion.  Some positions will have additional physical requirements, including exerting up to 50lbs of force to move and/or carry equipment, supplies, files, or other materials as the role requires.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions and meet the environmental and physical demands of the role.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)

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