Senior Conceptual Creative

XYZ is an independent brand experience agency founded in 2012 by Will Mould and Paul Stanway. We define, design, and deliver brand experiences based on insights, creativity, innovation, and effectiveness - from individual experiences through to large-scale live events. At the core of our offering is Delivering Truth of Experience.

We base our work on commercial creativity, designed to change the behaviour of whichever audience we are engaging - consumers, businesses, media, or employees. Designing with the outcome in mind and delivering the best possible execution of the experience, we out-think the problem and our competitors. As an agency we commit to delivering to the highest possible standards no matter the scale or complexity of the project.

Our mission is to produce the most innovative and effective brand experiences that our clients have ever seen.

• We have many disciplines, but we are one team at XYZ.

• No "ninjas", no "rockstars" - everyone has an important role to play and it's only through shared endeavour that we all win.

• We want you to be honest - ask questions, especially awkward ones.

• We believe in affirmative judgement & encouragement.

• We challenge - the briefs, each other, and conventional wisdom.

• We are resilient - we see things through, finishing as strongly as we start.

• We strive to create an environment that enables everyone to do their best work, supported and with confidence.

• As an agency, teams and individuals we strive to be better every day.

The Role:

Working as part of the creative team, the Senior Conceptual Creative will be integral to the agency’s response to pitch opportunities and delivering strategically informed experiential concepts. They will focus on research, creative problem-solving, conceptual design and communication of ideas both within the agency and to clients, leading creative project teams made up of strategists, conceptual creatives and designers (both in-house and freelance).

The Senior Conceptual Creative will work closely with the Creative Director, Design Lead and Executive Creative Director on a daily basis, taking responsibility for high quality creative outputs on pitches, live projects and speculative projects/initiatives. The role will report into the Creative Director.

The role will cover creative work across a range of different types of experience – live events, film and content, digital & interactive experiences, product & packaging design, spatial/environment design and experience design.

Responsibilities (General)

• Be available and approachable to support the team and answer client questions.

• Be open, honest and contribute positively to the company culture.

• Keep up to date with social, digital, and cultural trends.

• Maintain up-to-date industry knowledge through reading publications and journals, attending / participating in appropriate industry events.

• Continually work to improve client relationships and satisfaction.

• Insights research through desktop and primary research methods, also engaging external resource/services where required.

• Active leadership of and collaboration with all members of the creative team, and with project delivery teams, in the management of concept/idea development.

• Analysis of pitch briefs to identify core requirements and deliverables.

• Using excellent written and visual communication skills to create presentations that convey our thinking, research and proposed action.

• Edit and synthesize research into useable data/patterns/insights as the basis of creative response.

• Leading, collaborating and contribution to creative ideation workshops, utilising the methodologies we currently use and adding to those through research and testing of creative processes.

• Leading the presentation writing process to communicate the insights and strategy behind the creative concept, managing junior members of the team and freelance resources to accomplish this to a consistently high level

• Proactive research on consumers, behaviours and other related topics that can help the agency’s responses and creative problem-solving processes

• Attending briefing meetings, tissue/WiP meetings, and presenting in live pitches.

• Contributing to the development of processes and capabilities of the creative function, to enable best practice throughout the agency and the project process.

Essential Skills / Experience

• Informed and confident in office sharing programmes (word, excel, teams)

• Mac user

• Communicates effectively and constructively with the team and clients where appropriate

• Experience of working in a fast-paced environment

• Experience of working with clients of varied sizes in different sectors

• Able to complete tasks at expected quality with strong attention to detail

• Able to work on multiple projects simultaneously and priorities workload

• Flexible approach to problem solving

• Bring fresh ideas to the team and challenge the status quo

• Client loyalty that facilitates organic new business growth

• Have a good network of freelance staff

Personal Attributes, Behaviours and Values

• Open to new experiences and willing to change their mind based on new information.

• Being proactively culturally connected, seeking out and sharing examples of culture-led creativity and inspiration with the wider team.

• Curious and able to see the underlying patterns and narratives in what’s all around us, in culture and interested in finding things everyone else overlooks.

• Team player – we’re not looking for “ninjas” or “rockstars” – the best work is done by teams working together, asking for help and offering help.

• Intrinsically motivated to be creative and work innovatively.

• Organised and motivated to be a high performing creative leader.

• Sees the value in managing and nurturing new creative talent, and in turn sees the value in learning and improving themselves as part of their own professional development.

Benefits & Culture

• A competitive salary with a discretionary bonus tied to business results

• Private healthcare

• Cycle to work scheme

• A flexible working environment with a combination of working from home and the office, along with flexible working hours

• 22 days annual leave with extra days off between Christmas and New Year

• Extended maternity and paternity policies

• A full cultural offering – including but not limited to; wellness week, quarterly company outings/away days, monthly agency lunch and drinks

Job Advert Details

• Reports to James Hoyle (Creative Director)

• Salary £50,000 - £55,000

• Employment type – Permanent

• Immediate Start

• Contact briony.wills@thisisxyz.com