Head of design

Guardian News and Media Limited; Sydney; Hybrid; AUD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

EAP for wellbeing

Paid volunteer leave

Diversity & inclusion groups

Guardian digital subscription

Job summary

Guardian Australia is seeking a head of design to lead the visual and editorial design team in a fast-paced newsroom. You will be hands-on, shaping Guardian Australia's visual identity and storytelling across web, app and emergent platforms in collaboration with editors, journalists and developers.

The role requires eight+ years in digital editorial design, strong storytelling, and the ability to guide multiple complex projects while upholding editorial standards.

Qualifications

• Exceptional editorial design and visual journalism skills with strong storytelling.
• Eight+ years in digital editorial design and visual storytelling.
• Experience leading multiple complex editorial projects simultaneously.
• Knowledge of web and native platform capabilities and constraints.
• Familiarity with web standards, accessibility guidelines and digital production workflows.
• Experience with interactive formats, data visualization and multimedia storytelling.
• Ability to guide and mentor designers and visual journalists.
• Strong collaboration across editorial, product, engineering and creative teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead a multidisciplinary visual and editorial design team to craft innovative storytelling across design, photography, graphics, animation and interactives.
• Collaborate with editors, journalists, photographers, developers and Guardian network to elevate digital journalism across web, app and emerging platforms.
• Provide editorial and visual direction from inception to implementation on projects and initiatives.
• Ensure design work meets high standards for storytelling, accessibility, usability and editorial quality across platforms.
• Balance fast-paced newsroom deadlines with longer‑term investigative projects and enterprise storytelling.
• Partner with engineering, product and audience teams to create technically efficient, scalable experiences.
• Mentor team members and foster a dynamic, collaborative newsroom environment.
• Advise on visual strategy and contribute to broader editorial visual direction with senior leadership.

Skills

Editorial design

Visual journalism

Team leadership

Mentorship

Workshop facilitation

Cross-functional collaboration

Figma

Photoshop

Illustrator

Premiere

After Effects

HTML/CSS

JavaScript

Accessibility standards

Deadline-driven

Tools

Figma

Photoshop

Illustrator

Premiere

After Effects

Job description

Guardian Australia is part of Guardian News & Media (GNM), publisher of theguardian.com.

We are seeking a head of design to creatively lead Guardian Australia's visual and editorial design team, as a hands‑on editorial designer and visual storytelling lead in an engaged, fast‑paced newsroom environment.

This role will collaborate with editors, journalists, photographers, developers and visual creatives across Australia and the wider Guardian network to elevate the digital experience of our journalism across web, app and emerging platforms. The role will help shape and evolve Guardian Australia's visual identity and storytelling ambitions in the context of the Guardian's global digital products and editorial strategy.

This role is being offered on a full‑time, permanent basis, with early starts or late finishes.

In this role you will…

• Working to tight deadlines in collaboration with editors, reporters and developers to create compelling visual storytelling and design concepts that express Guardian journalism and values, with the reader at the centre.
• Creatively lead a multidisciplinary visual and editorial design team producing innovative and engaging storytelling across design, photography, illustration, graphics, animation and interactive formats.
• Be a source of editorial and visual expertise for projects and initiatives from inception to implementation.
• Ensure visual and design work consistently meets high standards in storytelling, accessibility, usability, functionality and editorial quality across all platforms and devices.
• Use imagination, energy and flair to innovate and evolve visual storytelling formats.
• Influence design direction and contribute to broader editorial visual strategy alongside the Creative Director and senior editorial leadership.
• Assist in building a dynamic, collaborative and creative newsroom environment that supports ambitious journalism while motivating and mentoring team members.
• Balance reactive daily newsroom demands with longer‑term enterprise and investigative projects, ensuring priorities are clear and achievable.
• Work closely with engineering, product and audience teams to create visually compelling experiences that are technically efficient, scalable and audience‑focused.
• Support Guardian Australia journalism through art direction, illustration, motion graphics, data visualisation, interactives and multimedia storytelling.
• Practical application and evolution of visual and design guidelines for news and feature stories, understanding their place within the wider editorial agenda.
• Develop an understanding of Guardian Australia audiences and how they engage with our journalism, applying these insights to the development of visual work.
• Collaborate with editors across news, features, sport, culture, investigations and other desks to ensure visual storytelling supports editorial intent from the outset.
• Advocate for visual journalism and greater visual literacy across the newsroom, helping colleagues understand design processes, storytelling opportunities and emerging technologies.
• Collaborate with colleagues across editorial, engineering, UX, product and audience teams to support broader strategic objectives and ensure effective delivery.
• Coordinate with Guardian colleagues internationally on shared editorial and visual projects.
• Maintain strong relationships with photographers, illustrators, animators, designers and other external creative collaborators.
• Participate in workshops, planning sessions and editorial discussions to shape storytelling strategy and visual innovation.
• Spread awareness of opportunities and challenges in digital visual storytelling and editorial design.

You’ll bring….

Knowledge and experience

• Exceptional talent and skill in editorial design and visual journalism.
• At least eight years' experience in digital editorial design, visual storytelling and interactive formats.
• Experience creating engaging and accessible storytelling experiences across web, app and digital platforms from concept to execution.
• Demonstrated experience managing and giving creative direction on multiple complex editorial projects simultaneously.
• Knowledge of capabilities and constraints of web and native platforms.
• Experience with Figma, Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere and After Effects.
• Knowledge of HTML, SCSS/CSS and digital production workflows.
• Understanding of JavaScript and interactive storytelling approaches.
• Awareness of web standards and accessibility guidelines.
• Experience working in a fast‑paced newsroom environment to strict deadlines.
• Ability to maintain a consistent visual style and editorial approach across multiple products and platforms.
• Demonstrable interest in Australian news, features and multimedia journalism.
• Broad understanding of Guardian audiences and how audience behaviour informs storytelling and product development.
• Up to date with developments in visual journalism, storytelling technologies and digital trends.
• Up to speed on the latest trends and technologies
• A passion for independent journalism and an understanding of our editorial code and values.

Skills and behaviours

• Able to manage multiple projects and competing deadlines effectively.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Ability to build collaborative working relationships across editorial, product, engineering and creative teams.
• Ability to guide and mentor designers and visual journalists through iterative creative processes.
• Ability to lead workshops, planning sessions and collaborative editorial discussions.
• Ability to work with and lead a multidisciplinary team.
• Creative, innovative and solutions-oriented.
• Strong editorial judgement and attention to detail.
• Highly organised, with excellent time management skills.
• Resilient under pressure and adaptable in a fast‑moving newsroom environment.
• Proactive and self‑motivated.
• Confident in advocating for visual and creative priorities.
• Commitment to the Guardian's values - honesty, integrity, courage and fairness.

About working at Guardian Australia…

• Hybrid working
• Employee assistance program (EAP) to support employee wellbeing
• Paid volunteer leave
• Dedicated diversity and inclusion employee groups, action plans (including our Reconciliation Action Plan) and cultural competency training
• Guardian digital subscription

For more information please view the full job description here.

This role is being offered on a full‑time, permanent basis, with early starts or late finishes.

This role is based in Sydney with regular collaboration across the Melbourne office and international Guardian teams.

If you have application questions or if you require an adjustment to be made during the recruitment process, please email [e-mail].

GNM Australia Limited (Guardian Australia) is proud to be a fair and ethical employer. Australian editorial minimum rates of pay by band and grade are outlined in the Journalists (GNM Australia Pty Ltd) Enterprise Agreement 2024 for roles that fall under its coverage.

We believe that our role in the Australian media is to give a voice to the most marginalised people in society and value and respect all differences in all people - including people of colour, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people from different social classes, people with diverse gender and sexual identities, and people with disabilities (seen and unseen). We believe that these communities must be centred in the work we do, bringing a new perspective and a diversity of thought. We also encourage flexible working and aim to create a work environment where all employees feel respected.

This role may be exposed to traumatic and distressing material. Guardian Australia is committed to the safety and wellbeing of our employees, and provides targeted wellbeing plans to support news professionals covering tough stories or dealing with the cumulative impacts of difficult topics.