Video and Motion Editor

M&C Saatchi Group; United Arab Emirates; On-site; AED 207,000 - 344,000; Full time

Job summary

M&C Saatchi Group in Dubai, UAE seeks a Video & Motion Designer for freelance engagement. You will craft motion graphics for social, digital and broadcast, from story concept through edit, delivering on-brand content under tight timelines.

The role requires mastery of After Effects, Premiere, and related tools, a strong showreel, and the ability to work within the agency's traffic system. You will collaborate with Design Manager and broader team to tell compelling stories across sport and

Qualifications

• Professional motion designer with hands-on After Effects work.
• Portfolio showing narrative-led motion graphics and storytelling.
• Advanced proficiency in After Effects, Premiere Pro, Photoshop and Illustrator.
• Solid understanding of timing, typography, composition and colour.
• Experience creating motion graphics and edited video for social, digital and broadcast.

Responsibilities

• Lead with story: shape briefs into clear arcs (hook, build, payoff).
• Craft pacing and emotional beats via edit timing, motion, music and sound.
• Develop motion concepts, storyboards and animatics from briefs.
• Translate designs into engaging motion systems and assets.
• Design and animate graphics in After Effects for social, digital and broadcast.
• Edit and assemble video content: highlights, promos and campaign films.
• Create templates, lower thirds, titles and social-first formats.
• Adapt content across aspect ratios and platform specs.
• Deliver final files within timelines and technical specs.

Skills

Storytelling

Narrative editing

Timing & pacing

Collaboration

Showreel

Tools

Adobe After Effects

Premiere Pro

Photoshop

Illustrator

Cinema4D

Job description

Video & Motion Designer Job Title: Video & Motion Designer Department: Creative Reports To: Design Manager Location: Dubai, UAE Work Arrangement: Freelance

SUMMARY The Video & Motion Designer is responsible for creating animated and video content across social, digital and broadcast platforms for the agency’s sport and entertainment clients. Reporting to the Design Manager, the Video & Motion Designer works within the studio’s traffic and workflow system — receiving briefs, prioritisation, and quality feedback through the Design Manager — to bring creative concepts to life through motion graphics, animation and edited video. The role works closely with the Design Manager and wider creative team to deliver high‑quality, on‑brand motion content across every touchpoint, to the standards and deadlines the studio requires. Above all, this is a storytelling role. We are looking for a motion designer who thinks in narrative — someone who can take a brief, find the story in it, and build structure, pacing and emotion into every frame, whether it is a six‑second social cut or a full campaign film. Trend‑led edits and transitions alone are not enough; every piece should have a beginning, a build and a payoff.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead with story: find the narrative angle in every brief and shape it into a clear arc — hook, build and payoff — before a single keyframe is set.
• Craft pacing, rhythm and emotional beats through edit timing, motion, music and sound, so content is felt, not just watched.
• Develop motion concepts, storyboards and animatics based on briefs assigned by the Design Manager.
• Translate static designs and brand identities into engaging motion systems and animated assets.
• Research and stay current with motion design, animation and video trends, particularly across sport and entertainment.
• Prepare and present motion concepts, articulating creative rationale where needed.

• Design and animate motion graphics in Adobe After Effects for social media, digital advertising, websites, events, LED screens and broadcast.
• Edit and assemble video content, including highlights, promos, reels and campaign films, incorporating footage, graphics, typography, music and sound design.
• Create animated templates, lower thirds, title sequences, logo animations and social‑first formats (Reels, TikTok, Stories, Shorts).
• Adapt and resize content across multiple aspect ratios, durations and platform specifications.
• Render, export and package final files for delivery, in line with the Design Manager’s technical specifications.
• Deliver work within the timelines and priorities set through the studio’s traffic system, including fast‑turnaround and live‑event content.

• Maintain and adhere to established brand and motion guidelines across all client work.
• Submit work for quality review to the Design Manager before it leaves the studio, and implement feedback and revisions in a timely manner.
• Ensure technical quality across all outputs, including frame rates, resolution, colour, audio levels and safe zones.

• Collaborate with the Design Manager and wider creative team, including designers, copywriters and production partners, to ensure cohesive visual communication.
• Flag capacity or timeline concerns to the Design Manager as early as possible.
• Manage and organise project files, footage, templates and motion assets, maintaining clear version control and archiving.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Professional motion designer: proven, hands‑on motion graphics experience in Adobe After Effects is essential. This is the core of the role, not a secondary skill.
• Proven storytelling ability: a portfolio that shows narrative‑led work with clear structure, pacing and payoff — not only trend‑based, template or transition‑driven content.
• Advanced proficiency in Adobe After Effects, with strong working knowledge of Premiere Pro, Photoshop and Illustrator.
• Solid understanding of animation principles, timing, typography, composition and colour theory.
• Experience creating motion graphics and edited video for social, digital and broadcast media.
• Familiarity with Cinema4D, Element3D or other 3D tools is an advantage.
• Working knowledge of audio editing, colour correction and video export formats and codecs.
• Experience in sport, entertainment or live‑event content is an advantage.
• Ability to work within established deadlines, including fast‑turnaround projects.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills.
• Showreel (mandatory) demonstrating original After Effects motion graphics and storytelling, alongside video editing work.
• Ability to receive and implement critique constructively.
• Strong organisational skills.

PLEASE NOTE This is a dedicated motion design role. Applicants must be experienced motion designers with original After Effects animation work in their showreel. Non‑motion designers should not apply. Applications from video editors, videographers, social media content creators or graphic designers without a professional motion graphics background will not be considered.