Lead Graphic Designer & Brand Manager (Temporary Role) - Dubai Campus

Heriot-Watt University; Dubai; On-site; AED 120,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

A prestigious educational institution in Dubai is seeking a Lead Graphic Designer and Brand Manager to oversee brand output and manage creative deliverables. The ideal candidate will have over 5 years of experience in graphic design, a strong leadership background, and proficiency in Adobe Creative tools. This role will involve collaborating across teams to support marketing campaigns and enhance the university's brand presence. A commitment to equality of opportunity is essential.

Benefits

Professional development opportunities

Collaborative working environment

Job satisfaction in the education sector

Qualifications

• 5+ years experience in graphic design with a strong client delivery background.
• Knowledge of video production/editing.
• Exceptional communication skills.
• Experience managing teams and delivering multiple projects.

Responsibilities

• Lead creative development for collateral used in academic schools.
• Manage internal client briefs and maintain production efficiency.
• Lead external supplier agreements for media and print services.
• Engage with stakeholders to understand project briefs and deliver creatively.

Skills

Leadership experience

Graphic design expertise

Effective communication

Project management

Digital-first approach

Education

5+ years in graphic design or creative role

Proficiency in Adobe Creative Cloud

Tools

Adobe Photoshop

Adobe Illustrator

Adobe InDesign

Adobe Acrobat

Job description

Lead Graphic Designer and Brand Manager

Temporary Contract (August 2025 - March 2026)

Heriot Watt University Dubai Campus

We are currently recruiting for a Lead Graphic Designer and Brand Manager with the Marketing Recruitment Admissions and Communications (MRAC) team. Reporting to the Head of Marketing in Dubai you will be a guardian of Heriot-Watts impactful University Brand externally and within the University.

You will be responsible for managing the brand output and development of creative deliverables that support key student recruitment and reputation as well as marketing campaigns events online presence social media brand campaigns and stakeholder engagement activities in areas such as Communications Alumni & Development Research and Enterprise and Office of The Principal.

Your role is to manage creative requirements for the Dubai campus in addition to supporting and aligning with creative requirements globally. Two Graphic Designers will be reporting to this role so applicants must have leadership experience.

Summary of Key Duties and Responsibilities:

• Creative Lead: Using your creative judgement and communication skills to lead on creative development with regard to collateral development for the academic schools help graphic designers maximise their own creative output and deliver first-class creative work; reviewing briefs and setting the creative direction for projects where necessary taking into account direction from Head of Marketing
• Traffic & Workflow Management: Maintain high levels of production and traffic management to ensure internal client briefs are processed to agreed timescales and budgets prioritising and reallocating tasks as necessary.
• Supplier Management: Lead external supplier agreements and contracts for specialist media and print services utilising suppliers and freelancers when necessary
• Digital-First: Adopting a digital-first approach to projects and constantly improving the creative output to ensure innovative digital solutions are adopted in client briefs
• Senior Stakeholder Engagement: Key stakeholder engagement at all levels of the University to take briefs and working with team members on delivering response to briefs professionally.
• Brand Stewardship & Management: To act as the key decision-maker on brand related matters for Dubai escalating to Head of Marketing when necessary
• Global Coordination: Providing creative support for projects delivered by Malaysia and UK teams ensuring briefs can be delivered that meet local market needs.
• Reporting: Providing regular monthly reporting on process efficiency in project delivery and also cost management
• Customer Service Evaluation: Continually evaluating client satisfaction and ensuring highest levels of customer service.
• Brand tone of voice guidelines and quality monitoring: Brand lead on the development of tone of voice and brand guidelines to ensure these are clear consistent and up to date.

Education Qualifications & Experience:

Essential

• At least 5 years experience in a graphic design or creative role with a strong background in client delivery
• Knowledge of video production/editing
• Proven experience managing and delivering multiple projects successfully for internal or external clients
• A strong entrepreneurial mind-set
• Significant experience managing a team of graphic or digital designers
• Experience managing internal and external print delivery and services.
• Must have exceptional communication skills and be able to bridge the gap between the operational and creative demands of the team
• Experience of developing or delivering brand guidelines and championing this through all areas.
• Passion for brand building with strong commercial awareness
• Proficiency in a variety of rapid prototyping and design tools Adobe Creative Cloud (Photoshop Illustrator InDesign Acrobat) within a Mac environment.
• Ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a team

Desirable

• Creative agency or design studio background
• Experience of working in Higher Education
• Technical knowledge of print production.
• An appreciation of other cultures the global reach of the university and its international agenda.

Heriot-Watt University Values

With a history dating back to 1821 Heriot-Watt University has established a reputation for world-class teaching and professionally relevant leading-edge research which has made it one of the top UK universities for business and industry.

We are a vibrant forward-looking university well known for the quality of our degrees with employers actively seeking out our graduates.

Heriot-Watt University is committed to securing equality of opportunity in employment and to the creation of an environment in which individuals are selected trained promoted appraised and otherwise treated on the sole basis of their relevant merits and abilities.

To apply please submit your CV and a cover letter setting out how you meet the criteria for this role.