Creative Director

A Creative Director at DesignStudio is a primary leadership role in the studio. You are crucial to teams, client relationships, financial success, design outcomes, external reputation, new business and the culture of the studio. You are a natural leader in the studio, with a strong vision for design and what it can do for the world. You have relentless optimism and can find solutions to almost any problem. You are responsible for the quality of work across the whole studio and continually drive the studio to do more exciting, creative, new and cutting edge work. We expect you to be an inspirational storyteller, brilliant designer and strategic thinker. You will lead mixed creative teams of designers, strategists, animators and writers—helping them create the best work of their lives. With clients, you will develop long lasting and positive creative relationships.

Responsibilities

• Champion and embody the studio’s values: Better together. Six stars. No comfort zone. Develop, grow and deliver on the studio offer working with the founding partners and leadership team to set incredible design standards.
• Lead multiple clients relationships giving support and creative direction to Directors and the teams, empowering them to produce the very best work.
• Provide constant ideas, inspiration and solutions to solve any project problems as they arise and spotting issues early on with immediate address. Thinking on your feet and making good decisions.
• Ensure seamless integration of strategy and design to realise a project’s potential impact and client ambitions while hitting deadlines, timings and being punctual.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with senior clients (Founders and C-suite) and being a key point of contact, trusted partner and adviser. Develop a deep understanding of their business, brand and strategic plans.
• Building and nurturing a strong and supportive internal studio culture. Ensuring individuals are conscious of each other, their surroundings and acting professionally. Contributing to making DS an enjoyable and rewarding place to work, experiment, play and get stuff done.
• Stay connected to the world. Spotting, understanding and sharing design and consumer trends. Keeping DS culturally connected and maintaining a world class design standard.
• Managing the ongoing development of the motion team including hiring, training and reviewing.
• Direct line management of Design Directors; guiding, mentoring and providing constructive feedback on a regular basis to lead the team towards career progression.
• Engaging in the business success. Being accountable for the financial success and extending financial opportunities with clients. Participating in key management and financial meetings.
• Independently win new business and extend client relationships.
• Lead your team in creating inspiring and compelling pitch responses and lead pitch teams, playing a pivotal role in client meetings and presentations.
• Be an advocate and champion for DesignStudio in the world through thought leadership, external communication and public speaking, raising the global profile of the company.

Key skills and responsibilities

Proven experience

You’ve consistently delivered incredible, effective creative work. Experience in directing multi-disciplinary teams to deliver transformative brand projects for large international clients. Proven creative and managerial skills and mastery of your discipline. Most likely you’ll have at least 12+ years of industry experience.

World class portfolio

Outstanding portfolio of work, that demonstrates conceptual, crafted and unique work. Work should inspire and show versatility, experimentation, system thinking and energy. Has significant category-defining brand and digital projects that have been recognised as excellent within the industry and internationally. Awards are a bonus.

Experienced leader

You’re a natural collaborator and a proven leader. You are at ease with multidisciplinary teams and can bring energy and enthusiasm to all stages of the creative process.

Outstanding facilitator

Confident running interviews, workshops and interactions with senior clients (C-suite), enabling creative leaps and break through political impasses.

Transformation expertise

Able to guide clients through complex stakeholder engagement and/or cultural change.

Master storyteller

Excellent presenter, writer and communicator who is able to construct a strong and persuasive argument with logic and imagination

Commercial savvy

Able to design and build a vision for a project with a view to growing long term client relationships.

Flexibility

Able to flex and be confident working within any kind of industry, with any type of person, anywhere in the world (from startups to corporations to schools and beyond). Able to jump on the tools when necessary to support the team.

Large toolkit

Proficient with the tools of the trade and confident to go beyond, discovering new ones and developing your own (making films, prototypes, animating, coding etc.)At DesignStudio, we know first-hand, excellent work comes from bringing great people together, from diverse backgrounds, stories and communities. We aim to make Meaningful Difference to brands, our industry and ultimately the wider world. And as an inclusive employer we welcome applications from anyone who might feel underrepresented in our industry. If you need reasonable adjustments at any point in the application or interview process, please let us know. In your application, please feel free to note which pronouns you use.