AI Art Director - Fashion, Beauty & Sport (limited contract) (all genders) / Zalando Fashion Studios

Role We're looking for an AI Art Director to pioneer the future of visual storytelling across fashion, beauty, and sport. You'll merge high-level aesthetic taste with advanced Generative AI capabilities, taking bold ideas from initial prompt to final campaign delivery. Responsibilities - Develop and direct AI-first and hybrid campaign concepts across stills and motion. - Generate high-fidelity visual concepts, moodboards, and final assets hands-on using cutting-edge Gen AI tools. - Direct external AI artists to achieve elevated fashion and lifestyle aesthetics. - Act as the creative team's AI expert, driving team enablement and upskilling, while actively shaping internal AI workflows and tooling. - Lead ideation and steer the production of Gen AI campaigns, ensuring high taste levels and brand alignment throughout. - Present creative concepts, AI workflows, and visual rationale confidently to clients and internal stakeholders. - Collaborate closely with copywriters, strategists, producers, and creative directors from brief to final asset delivery. - Stay ahead of the rapid evolution of Gen AI models, creative tools, and contemporary culture across fashion, beauty, and sport. Qualifications - 4+ years of Art Direction or Styling experience, with proven experience applying Generative AI within fashion, beauty, or sport. - Strong hands-on expertise in leading AI image and video tools, prompt engineering, and generative production workflows. - Experience directing AI artists or technical partners, understanding model limitations, upscaling, and post-production integration. - A portfolio demonstrating elevated taste, strong conceptual thinking, and clear examples of professional or experimental Gen AI work. - A solid foundation in traditional art direction principles, including composition, lighting, color theory, and visual storytelling. - An enthusiastic mentor who can articulate AI processes simply and inspire colleagues to adopt new creative workflows. - Organized, adaptable in fast-evolving environments, and proactive in solving creative challenges. - Fluent in English. What We Offer Zalando provides a range of benefits, here's an overview of what you can expect. Ask your Talent Acquisition Partner to learn more about what we offer. - 27 days of holiday a year to start for full-time employees (+1 day for every calendar year up to 30 days) - 40% off fashion and beauty products sold and shipped by Zalando, 30% off Lounge by Zalando, discounts from external partners - Family support, including counselling and dedicated services for parents and carers - Company pension scheme - Employee shares programme - Health and wellbeing options, including Wellhub - Mental health support and coaching - Development through our training platform and biannual peer-to-peer review - 2 paid volunteering days a year - Relocation assistance (subject to prior agreement)