Design Director

Art Director Location: Pune (Full-Time) Experience: 7–8+ Years Compensation: ₹12–15 LPA Reports To: Head of Marketing & Brand Team: Designers, Junior Designers, Motion Graphic Artists, Stop-Motion Artists; collaborates with Copywriters & Freelancers About Together Hospitality Together Hospitality is home to five distinct brands, each with its own personality, audience, and creative world.

Across every touchpoint, we believe design is more than decoration—it is a strategic tool that builds desire, creates memory, drives awareness, and shapes how people experience our brands. We're looking for an Art Director who will own and elevate the visual identity of all five brands while leading a multidisciplinary design team to produce exceptional creative work.

About the Role

The Art Director is the design conscience of Together Hospitality. You will own the visual language across all five brands and be responsible for ensuring that every creative output meets a consistently high standard. This role exists to bring creative leadership directly into the design function—making key decisions around visual hierarchy, illustration, design direction, and execution without relying on external creative intervention.

This is a senior, hands-on leadership role. You will lead designers, junior designers, motion and stop-motion artists while collaborating closely with copywriters, strategists, and the Creative Director. You think first about what an audience needs to understand, feel, or do—and then determine the most effective way to communicate it visually.

We are looking for someone with exceptional creative range, strong design fundamentals, and a constant appetite for experimentation across graphic design, motion, illustration, photography, retouching, stop-motion, and emerging creative technologies.

What You'll Do

Own the Design Language Across Five Brands Define and maintain the visual identity of each brand Establish and evolve typography systems, colour behaviour, image treatment, motion language, illustration styles, and layout systems Ensure each brand remains distinct, recognizable, and true to its identity Make key creative decisions around visual hierarchy, emphasis, and storytelling Continuously evolve brand aesthetics while preserving brand equity Set and Maintain the Creative Standard Serve as the final quality filter before work is published Translate communication objectives into clear visual directions Define what audiences should notice first and how creative should make them feel Provide actionable, developmental feedback to designers Reduce dependency on founder and leadership-level creative reviews Lead and Grow the Design Team Manage designers, junior designers, motion artists, and stop-motion artists Allocate projects, review work, unblock challenges, and provide mentorship Brief and direct copywriters to ensure words and visuals work together Build stronger creative judgment and execution capability across the team Maintain quality standards across a high-volume, multi-brand environment Direct Craft Across Multiple Mediums Art-direct graphic design, motion design, illustration, and stop-motion work Oversee photography editing and retouching standards Develop inventive, on-brand motion and stop-motion executions Introduce new formats, techniques, references, and creative approaches Ensure design remains ahead of trends rather than reacting to them Build Systems and Scale Consistency Create design systems, templates, and brand guidelines Establish workflows that enable consistency across internal teams and freelancers Onboard new designers and creative partners efficiently Integrate AI tools where they improve quality, creativity, or execution Working with the Creative Director This role partners closely with the Creative Director.

The Creative Director owns storytelling, narrative, content concepts, brand films, shoots, reels, and video production. The Art Director owns brand identity, visual systems, design craft, and creative consistency. Where storytelling and design intersect, both roles collaborate as equals—one shaping the narrative, the other shaping the visual world.

What This Role Does Not Own Storytelling, video production, shoots, and editing Content strategy and content calendar management Campaign strategy and brand narrative development Photography and videography execution on shoots Key Result Areas (KRAs)

1. Creative Quality & Standards (25%) Noticeable improvement in creative quality across all brands Reduced need for leadership-level creative intervention Strong visual point of view across all major deliverables
2. Brand Integrity Across Five Brands (20%) Distinct and consistent visual identities for all brands No visual overlap or brand dilution Consistent brand expression across all touchpoints
3. Team Capability & Leadership (20%) Stronger creative output across the entire design team Improved briefing quality and reduced rework Greater team autonomy and ownership
4. Creative Range & Experimentation (20%) Successful adoption of new formats, techniques, and creative approaches Elevated motion, illustration, editing, and stop-motion output Work that feels contemporary, differentiated, and culturally relevant
5. Reliability & Delegation (15%) Consistent delivery against timelines Scalable systems that maintain quality Full ownership of the design function with minimal oversight What We're Looking For Education & Foundation Degree from a leading design institution such as NID, MIT-ID, Srishti, NIFT, Symbiosis, or equivalent Strong grounding in typography, composition, colour theory, hierarchy, and visual communication Ability to teach and develop these fundamentals in others Experience 7–8+ years of experience in design and creative leadership Experience owning the visual identity of one or more brands Proven success leading designers and multidisciplinary creative teams Experience in hospitality, F&B, lifestyle, culture, or consumer brands is preferred Craft & Creative Range Strong graphic design foundation with fluency in motion, illustration, and image editing Experience directing retouching and photography post-production Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite Familiarity with motion workflows and After Effects Portfolio demonstrating breadth, experimentation, and adaptability Leadership & Brand Thinking Strong briefing and communication skills Deep understanding of brand-building through design Ability to coach, mentor, and elevate creative talent Clear, actionable, and constructive feedback style What Sets Great Candidates Apart A portfolio demonstrating range across multiple brands and mediums Evidence of elevating both teams and brands over time Strong ability to articulate design decisions through communication objectives Proven examples of evolving a brand's visual identity Experimental work that serves a clear strategic purpose Who You Are You Set the Standard Creative quality improves simply because you're in the room. You Have Range You adapt your approach to the needs of the brand rather than imposing a signature style. You Experiment Constantly You are curious about new formats, emerging tools, AI workflows, and creative possibilities. You Lead Through Others You enjoy building great teams as much as creating great work. You Teach the Thinking You develop people, not just projects. You Are Brand Obsessed You instinctively protect and strengthen brand identity. You Have Exceptional Taste You notice every detail—and refuse to let mediocre work ship. You Thrive in Complexity Managing multiple brands and priorities energizes rather than overwhelms you.

Compensation

& Benefits Compensation: ₹12–15 LPA (based on experience and fit) Full-time role based in Pune Opportunity to shape the visual identity of five growing brands Lead a multidisciplinary creative team Significant ownership, creative freedom, and impact If you're passionate about building brands through design, leading creative talent, and pushing visual craft forward, we'd love to hear from you.