Senior Art Director - Fashion & Beauty (limited contract) (all genders) / Zalando Fashion Studios

Role We're looking for a Senior Art Director to create standout visual worlds for leading fashion and beauty brands. You'll lead bold ideas from initial pitch to final cut, delivering fresh, culturally resonant campaigns across stills, film, and digital formats. Responsibilities - Lead the concept and execution of major integrated campaigns across digital, film, print, and social media. - Set the creative benchmark through bold ideas, moodboards, storyboards, and creative treatments that merge strategic client goals with progressive aesthetics. - Lead large-scale shoots on set, directing photographers, filmmakers, stylists, and talent. - Lead ideation and steer the production of Gen AI campaigns across stills and video. - Present creative concepts and strategic rationale confidently to clients and internal stakeholders, building trust and guiding creative direction. - Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, aligning copywriters, strategists, producers, AI artists, and account leads around a shared vision. - Stay ahead of contemporary culture and emerging visual trends across fashion and beauty, setting the bar and inspiring the team. Qualifications - 6+ years of Art Direction experience with global brands specifically within fashion and beauty, ideally in a creative agency or studio. - A portfolio demonstrating elevated taste, high-level conceptual leadership, and executed work across still, motion, and digital touchpoints. - A proven track record leading photo and video productions on set, with a deep understanding of on-set dynamics and post-production workflows. - A compelling communicator and presenter who can articulate creative choices clearly, inspire team members, and influence clients. - Curiosity about emerging creative technologies; hands-on experience or experimentation with Gen AI tools is a strong plus. - Organized, calm under deadline pressure, and proactive in steering complex projects through creative and production 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)