Art Director, De Los (Temporary)

The Los Angeles Times is seeking an ambitious, imaginative and collaborative art director to join De Los as a temporary art director.   De Los, through reporting, social media and stunning visual display, brings to life the vibrancy of the U.S. Latino experience with a focus on culture and identity. This treasured space for Latino storytelling builds on the success of the Latinx Files newsletter, digital Día de Muertos altar and packages on the Chicano Moratorium,Fernandomania @ 40 and LA Vanguardia. The initiative is multi-platformed in approach, with rich visual storytelling, provocative commentary and live events.We are looking for innovators and collaborators to be instrumental in shaping our product vision and engaging authentically with the Latino community in Los Angeles and beyond.The ideal candidate has experience working in digital media and creating content for social media audiences, with a portfolio that shows off high-level skills in design, typography and visual storytelling.This visual journalist will have a deep understanding of the Latino community, not just in Southern California but across the country, and have a proven track record of working across platforms to create compelling digital journalism. Fluency in Spanish is a plus.This person will be comfortable working under the deadlines of a busy newsroom, building story layouts for our digital stories and creating photo illustrations and assets for social feeds. They will be a key player in launching and evolving the De Los Instagram and TikTok accounts, creating content to start new conversations and inviting outside creators to collaborate on our social accounts.Other duties include working with journalists across the newsroom on collaborative efforts to reach Latinos and helping the vertical meet its audience goals after launch.   We want to make the visual voice of the Los Angeles Times truly special – a creative reflection of Los Angeles – and are looking for an energetic collaborator to join our team. If you are passionate about design, content creation and Latino culture, we want to hear from you.   Responsibilities: Work closely with the design team and De Los editors to further the project’s visual direction online and occasionally in print Present ideas to senior leadership, receive feedback and iterate Design, art-direct and coordinate the digital builds of stories using the CMS Have an understanding of digital video and social media platforms including Instagram, Twitter and TikTok Collaborate with reporters, editors and other visual journalists to tell stories with impact Commission and art-direct freelance illustrators Create photo illustrations for daily digital stories and social media Organize and take the lead on digital design projects such as Instagram accounts or newsletters, as well as coach designers to do the same Seek out new illustrator portfolios to add to our inclusive database of illustrators, with an emphasis on L.A. artists Learn and follow style guidelines Work with design managers to ensure brand coherence Create and maintain organizational documents Requirements: A minimum of one year of experience at a comparable digital-first journalistic publication or website A deep understanding of the Latino community Excellent time-management skills Experience assigning and art-directing illustrations Ability to work effectively in a team environment Exceptional verbal and written communication skills Strong editorial news judgment, impeccable journalistic instincts and an unimpeachable commitment to ethics Demonstrated ability to design for daily digital stories and social media A portfolio of work that demonstrates excellence in photo editing, typography and art direction High energy and enthusiasm for journalism and visual storytelling A keen eye for current design trends and the ability to create designs in a variety of styles Ability to work on a tight deadline, especially in breaking news situations Strong working knowledge of design software such as InDesign, Photoshop and Illustrator A history of designing and developing alternate story forms Positive self-starter capable of performing under pressure and making good decisions   This full-time temporary position is expected to start in January or February and last six months. It will be based in El Segundo, Calif. Occasional night and weekend work is possible.    Qualified applicants should upload a resume, cover letter and portfolio to Deputy Design Director Martina Ibáñez-Baldor at the apply link. Your cover letter should outline, in brief terms, the strategy you’d apply to build on the work of De Los and engage our digital audiences. Please also include desired skills, qualities and characteristics that tell us more about you as a leader.

Salary : $28 - $37