Art Director, Virginia Living Magazine

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Job Description: Shape the visual identity of Virginia's premier lifestyle magazine. Virginia Living is seeking a seasoned, imaginative Art Director to lead design across our award-winning print publication and digital platforms — bringing to life our coverage of food, culture, people, destinations, homes, gardens, and more.

This is a hands-on creative leadership role for someone who thrives on variety: from conceptual photography and illustration direction to typography, layout, and marketing materials. You'll have true creative ownership while working alongside a close-knit, passionate team dedicated to showcasing the best of Virginia.

What You'll Do

Creative Direction

  • Set and advance the visual direction for each issue, ensuring cohesive, high-quality storytelling across all editorial content

  • Contribute story ideas and evaluate them for editorial relevance, freshness, and alignment with the Virginia Living brand

  • Identify and assign the right photographers, illustrators, and stylists for each story; negotiate fees and manage contracts through to execution

  • Art direct photo shoots with an exacting eye for quality, mood, and brand consistency

  • Scout locations, source archival material, and build strong relationships with editorial subjects and the broader Virginia community

Design & Production

  • Design compelling layouts and shepherd them through the full production cycle in close collaboration with the editorial team.

  • Maintain expert knowledge of offset printing; execute preflight tasks and press checks

  • Oversee placement of advertisements in marketing vehicles and ensure brand consistency across all touchpoints

  • Maintain organized workflow on the company server

Leadership & Operations

  • Meet regularly with the Publisher and Editorial team to review budgets, story ideas, and art direction

  • Manage the art budget with fiscal discipline and adherence to schedules and deadlines; generate and process purchase orders accurately and on time

  • Proactively identify opportunities to improve creative workflows, streamline production processes, and elevate team output

  • Collaborate closely with the Associate Art Director, providing guidance and creative support

  • Onboard new artists by coordinating W-9 and direct deposit forms; maintain and update the comp list each issue

  • Resolve any budget discrepancies in coordination with the Accountant

Reports to: Editor-in-Chief
Location: Richmond, VA — full-time, onsite/hybrid
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 am–5:30 pm, with additional hours as needed
Compensation: Competitive
Vacation: 2 weeks paid vacation + 8 paid holidays annually

Job Requirements: What You Bring

  • At least 5 years of high-level design experience at a magazine, ad agency, or communications organization — luxury lifestyle or regional media experience strongly preferred '

  • Exceptional design and art direction skills, with the confidence to articulate creative rationale and bring others along on the vision

  • Proven experience directing photographers, illustrators, and stylists, with a strong network of creative talent

  • Deep command of typography, photography, and illustration with a refined, editorial aesthetic

  • Expert proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite — particularly InDesign, Photoshop, and Illustrator — in a Mac environment; working knowledge of MS Office

  • Experience managing art budgets with transparency and accountability

  • A proactive, process-oriented mindset: you anticipate production challenges before they arise, continuously refine how the team works, and think strategically about what's next

  • Demonstrated ability to translate print design for digital platforms and web

  • Knowledge of offset printing, including preflight and press checks

  • Branding and marketing experience, with a natural instinct for brand stewardship

  • Strong familiarity with Virginia — its culture, communities, landscape, and character

  • Outstanding communication and collaboration skills; a collegial, team-first working style

  • Meticulous attention to detail, balanced with the big-picture creative vision to lead

  • Bachelor's or Master's degree in Graphic Design or a related field

Type of Job: Design

City: Richmond

State/Country: Virginia

Duration: Full-time

Benefits: Yes

Company: Virginia Living magazine, a Cape Fear Company

About Our Company: Virginia Living magazine celebrates all things Virginia—from its people and places, to its deep history and traditions. The highest quality, most widely read magazine in the state, Virginia Living’s combination of smart, engaging stories and stunning photography makes it a must-read for anyone interested in the Commonwealth. The glossy, upscale lifestyle magazine is now the top media reference in Virginia, with a readership of over 600,000. Virginia Living publishes six bimonthly issues per year, plus the bonus Best of Virginia issue in May. We add bonus departments and super sections to every issue.

Contact Name: Madeline Mayhood

Contact Email: careers@capefear.com

How to Apply: Please submit a cover letter and résumé — including links to your portfolio or website — to Madeline Mayhood at Careers@CapeFear.com. Include "ART DIRECTOR POSITION" in the subject line, and note where you saw this posting. To learn more, visit VirginiaLiving.com or pick up a copy at Barnes & Noble. No phone calls, please. Principals only — recruiters and unsolicited service providers, please do not contact us.