Senior Designer

Hiring for two Senior Designers at Tate

Come and work with us in our Design team! This is a chance to make a varied and challenging senior role your own as part of a busy in-house design studio in a world-renowned art gallery.

The Tate Design Studio manages the design, print and many elements of digital production for all four Tate galleries and subsidiary companies. You’ll be part of a small, friendly team working on a wide variety of exciting creative projects.

Reporting to the Head of Design, and managing up to two team members, you’ll create and oversee print and digital creative solutions for a wide range of activities including major exhibition marketing campaigns, digital content, exhibition graphics, brand communications, and execute the work across a wide range of formats including digital advertising, press adverts, onsite graphics, leaflets, invitations, and large-format outdoor.

Your degree in Graphic Design, or equivalent experience, will be supported by extensive print and digital design experience. This will have given you an advanced knowledge of Adobe’s Creative Suite and Programmes, Adobe Premier, After Effects, Cinema 4D, Animate CC, and production processes.

You’ll also be capable of working creatively and conceptually within the Tate brand guidelines confidently to internal and external clients and key stakeholders and managing projects at the same time.

Tate aims to attract and retain talented people from all backgrounds. We particularly encourage applications from Black, Asian, ethnic minority, and/or disabled applicants as these groups are currently underrepresented in the cultural sector.

Background

Tate’s vision is to serve as artistically adventurous and culturally inclusive art museums for the UK and the world. We deliver this through activities in our four galleries across the UK (Tate Liverpool, Tate St Ives, Tate Britain and Tate Modern), our digital platforms and collaborations with our national and international partners. At the heart of Tate is our collection of art, which includes British art from the 16th century to the present day, and international modern art from 1900 to the present day.

You can find further information about Tate on our website: www.tate.org.uk

About the role

To take a leading role in creating and delivering outstanding, inspiring, and innovative design that positions the Tate brand to drive reach, reputation, and revenue.

About your team

The Tate Design Studio works across all of Tate. The Studio works to create intelligent, original, beautifully executed design that upholds Tate’s reputation as a leader in the visuals arts and helps us to attract, communicate with, and delight audiences.

The Design Studio is part of the Audiences Division which brings together Tate’s public facing teams to drive audience reach, reputation, and revenue. The Studio manages design, print production and many elements of digital production for all four Tate galleries and subsidiary companies, across a wide range of departments including Marketing, Membership, Curatorial, Visitor Communications, Development, and Tate Eats.

Design work includes every touch-point with audiences – including advertising creative, digital design, exhibition graphics, Tate Etc. magazine and corporate publications, on-site signage, visitor resources, restaurant and café identities, corporate communications, and some commercial merchandise.

What you will do (Main Duties and Responsibilities)

Design and Production

• Take briefs directly from a wide range of Tate clients as well as from the Head of Design and Studio Manager, to come up with high level creative solutions to their design requirements. Manage client relationships for projects throughout the creative and production process, interpreting client’s briefs, creating, pitching, and presenting design solutions, overseeing the approvals process, and taking responsibility from concept to delivery.

• Design and oversee creative solutions for a wide range of print activities including major exhibition marketing campaigns, brand communications and execute the work across a wide range of formats including press adverts, onsite graphics, leaflets, invitations, and large outdoor formats. And as part of this produce and supervise production of print-ready artwork to the highest standards.

• Design and produce creative solutions for digital media including animated trailers to promote events and exhibitions from concept through to final cut, liaise with music licensing and stock footage companies to source and approve footage, online advertising for digital takeovers, specialist media and web banners, digital out of home content screens, and some onsite screen content including visitor information screens, shop screens, and ticketing screens.

• Design and oversee creative solutions for major exhibitions including entrance graphics and graphics inside the galleries. And as part of this produce and supervise production of print-ready artwork to the highest standards.

• Liaise with external suppliers (printers and contractors) in supply of artwork and approval of proofs alongside the Head of Design and the Studio Manager.

• Art direct the creative output of other designers, and photographers (Tate or freelance) on specific projects when required.

• Build relationships and work closely with all departments across Tate to ensure design is on brief, compliant with guidelines and to a high standard.

• Support the integration of partner and sponsor accreditation in Tate’s communications, collaborating with the Tate Development department as appropriate.

Team and relationship management

• Line manage up two team members. This includes performance reviews, mentoring, managing workloads (in consultation with the Studio Manager and Head of Design), directing their creative output and individual career development.

• Build strong relationships across all departments across Tate.

What you will bring to the team

• Significant experience of working within a busy design studio to deliver consistently outstanding design work, gained within an in-house design studio or agency.

• Strong conceptual skills with a proven creative approach and track record of designing highly creative work across print and digital platforms.

• An excellent eye for detail and strong typographic skills along with good understanding of print production and repro processes.

• Excellent knowledge of design software, including Adobe Creative Suite (CC) in particular InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop; MS Office knowledge also required.

• Proven track record to deliver motion design projects as well as static graphics with knowledge of Adobe Premier, After Effects, Cinema 4D, Animate CC.

• Significant experience of working with visual identities using established brand guidelines.

• Demonstrable understanding of industry standard specifications, for example codec, bit rate and file formats.

• Demonstrable experience of design for both digital and animation including film editing.

• Knowledge of Rich Media advertising and various formats.

• Excellent knowledge and awareness of technology trends in digital media.

• Ability to interpret design briefs in a conceptual and creative way, within brand guidelines.

• Excellent interpersonal skills, with the capacity to lead, yet flexible enough to work well within a team, and work collaboratively across Tate and beyond.

• Entrepreneurial, proactive, and self-motivated, with a demonstrable desire to succeed and achieve results in a fast-paced environment.

• Excellent organisation, planning and administrative skills, with ability to prioritise and coordinate multiple activities to meet deadlines and to budget.

• A strong belief in promoting the principles of diversity and inclusion to deliver broad and diverse audiences and create a positive and inclusive working environment.

• Interest in and commitment to the work of Tate.

• A degree in graphic design or equivalent experience.