Creative Director

A Creative Director at DesignStudio is a primary leadership role. Crucial to teams, client relationships, design outcomes, external reputation, new business, financial success and the culture of the studio.

You are a natural leader 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.

**Key Qualities**:

- Relentlessly optimistic
- Dedicated and passionate
- Constructive
- Organised and flexible
- Great with people
- Proactive
- Collaborative team player
- Friendly and welcoming
- Experimental
- Relentlessly learning
- Design enthusiast
- Highly organised
- Plugged into culture
- Extremely professional
- Full of energy
- Visionary & inspiring

**Responsibilities**:
**Champion and embody the studio's values**:
Develop, grow and deliver the studio offer, working with the leadership team to set incredible design standards.

**Lead multiple clients relationships**:
Set the vision, ambition and expectations of a project, empowering the team to create their very best work.

**Provide constant ideas**:
inspiration and solutions for any projects as needed.

**Identify and deal with issues that arise early**:
addressing them immediately, thinking on your feet and making good decisions.

**Ensure integration of strategy and design**:
to realise a project's potential and achieve client ambitions.

**Build and maintain strong relationships**:
with senior clients as a key contact, trusted partner and adviser.

**Nurture a strong internal studio culture**:
Helping make DS a rewarding place to experiment, play and get stuff done.

**Actively evolve collaborative processes**:
and ways of working with teams and managers across the studio.

**Inspire the team**:
encouraging everyone to bring their A-game and coaching them to improve.

**Advocate for DesignStudio**:
through thought leadership and public speaking. Raising and supporting our profile globally.

**Stay connected to culture**:
understand and share design and consumer trends. Keeping DS culturally connected.

**Manage Design Directors**:
coach, guide, mentor and regularly feedback to lead the team towards career progression.

**Contribute to business and project success**:
accountable for the financial success of projects. Participating in key management and financial meetings.

**Search for new opportunities to win work**:
drive new revenue and nurture and grow existing relationships.

**Create strong and inspiring pitch responses**:
lead pitch teams by playing a pivotal role in client meetings and pitch presentations. Expressing our offer and process in a compelling way.

**Key skills and requirements**:
**Proven experience**:
Experience directing multi-disciplinary teams to deliver transformative brand projects for large international clients. Most likely you'll have at least 12+ years of industry experience.

**World class portfolio**:
Full of category-defining brand and digital projects. Inspirational work demonstrating versatility, experimentation, system thinking and energy. 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 C-suite clients, enabling creative leaps and break through political impasses.

**Transformation expertise**:
Able to guide clients through complex stakeholder engagement and/or cultural change with ease. Bringing them along the journey.

**Master storyteller**:
Excellent presenter, writer and communicator able to construct a strong and persuasive argument with logic and imagination.

**Commercial confidence**:
Able to design and build a vision for a client, growing and nurturing a long term relationship.

**Efficiency**:
Ability to juggle several tasks with ease, prioritise work-streams and delegate effectively.

**Flexibility**:
Confident working across any industry, with any person, anywhere in the world.

**Master toolkit**:
Master of your discipline, with hunger to go beyond, discovering new tools and developing your own.

**How you'll split your time**:
**As Creative Director**:
60% project responsibilities | 40% culture, team & studio growth

**Creative Director**: