Title: Creative Director – One position 

Company: The Caravan 

Location: New Delhi, India

Job Category: Print magazine and web

Job Type: Full time

Education: A bachelors degree or diploma in any allied art subjects

Experience: 5 years of experience working in print publications. Must include photo-editing experience and knowledge of publication design. Newsroom experience is valued.  

Deadline: 5 July 2021

Company Description: The Caravan occupies a unique position among Indian magazines. Its stories present a combination of in-depth reportage and vivid writing, with a strong commitment to the art of storytelling, whether the subject is politics, culture or art. 

The Caravan is published by the Delhi Press Group, one of India’s leading publishers. Started in 1939, Delhi Press today publishes 33 magazines in ten languages. 

Role description:
The Creative Director is responsible for leading the photo and design departments on work for The Caravan’s print magazine and website. The role includes, but is not limited to, photo research and licensing, conceptualising artwork, commissioning photographers and illustrators, and overseeing the visual language of The Caravan’s editorial content. 

Responsibilities: 

·       Work with story editors and the photo department on photo research, editing and licensing of images to accompany The Caravan’s web-exclusive stories as well as stories in the monthly print edition.

·       Identify if a story needs photo or illustration treatment and work with the photo and design departments to develop suitable visuals for the piece. 

·       Assign or commission and then supervise photographers and illustrators to deliver original photography or artwork for long-form stories as may be required.

·       Conceptualise monthly cover designs and conduct photo-research, and commission or assign photographers or illustrators as required to deliver cover artwork. 

·       Research, pitch and edit photo essays for the magazine and website. Work with designers to develop innovative layouts for longform photo narratives. Work with editors and photographers to draft original texts to accompany these essays. Maintain an evolving bank of stories and solicit pitches for this section.  

·       Prepare photos, captions, and credits for images to be published in the magazine, on the website and on social media.

·       Oversee budgets for purchasing images from photographers, agencies and archives, and process invoices in a timely manner. 

·       Maintain The Caravan’s image archive for sourced, commissioned and in-house images. 

·       Stay up-to-date with image copyright laws and industry practices of image use and commissioning photography commissions, and uphold these standards in The Caravan’s work.

·       Oversee and provide research support for design-related tasks for The Caravan’s website and social-media platforms. 

·       Oversee all design and image-related processes in the production of the monthly print edition, including the layout design, image proofs, colour correction and printing quality checks, and the timely upload of stories online. 

·       Work with the social-media team to curate The Caravan’s Instagram feed, and build design templates for social-media rollouts of all visual material on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Conceptualise ways to increase social-media engagement, particularly through The Caravan’s visual content.  

·       Work with the design team to create design templates for new additions to The Caravan’s online presence and coverage, e.g. subscription campaigns, newsletters, video animation and multimedia features. 

·       Maintain a cohesive and contemporary overall visual identity for The Caravan across all platforms.

·       Most importantly, develop an interest in or have knowledge of the topics covered in The Caravan, particularly in the areas of politics, culture and society.

 

Key Skills required: 

1.     Knowledge of photography, awareness of industry practices related to photo rights including copyright and intellectual property. 

2.     Proficiency in Adobe Photoshop and any Adobe archiving software such as Lightroom or Bridge.

3.     Knowledge of design principles, particularly with respect to print layout design and social media content. Familiarity with Adobe InDesign and Adobe Illustrator is valued, but not necessary.

4.     Experience in art direction and conceptualising visual materials to complement written work. 

5.     Ability to work on multiple projects simultaneously, with attention to detail and the capacity to work on the fast timelines of a newsroom. 

6.     Willingness to work with people across different departments of the organization, including editors, designers, photographers and the multimedia and social-media teams. 

7.     Additional expertise and experience with User Experience Design and User Interface Design will be valued.

 

The Delhi office is a small shop, with the environment of a start-up, and requires team players with a willingness to be flexible. This is a full-time position. Night, holiday and weekend work may be required.

 

Candidates from marginalised social groups are encouraged to apply.

 

To Apply: Please send across your resumé, a brief cover letter and a portfolio showing photo-editorial as well as publication design experience. Also send examples magazine spreads that inspire you. Emails should be sent to Vinod K Jose, Executive Editor, at [email protected] with the subject line: Creative Director - 2021.