Creative Director

Freeman; City of Westminster; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Sparks is seeking a Creative Director, Experiential to elevate our brand experiences across live events and immersive activations. You will lead concept development from spark to final build, guiding multidisciplinary teams and partnering with strategy, client services and production to deliver standout work.

You will thrive in pitches, client meetings, and on the exhibition floor, balancing bold ideas with craft, budgets and timelines while fostering collaboration across global brand clients.

Qualifications

• Significant experience in experiential, live events, exhibit, retail or environmental design (8+ years).
• Experience in a senior creative leadership role.

Responsibilities

• Own the creative vision and quality bar for experiential work across a portfolio of clients and projects.
• Set direction for bold, buildable concepts grounded in a clear brand idea.
• Present and sell creative to senior client stakeholders with clarity and confidence.
• Lead and mentor designers, writers, art directors, and experience designers.

Skills

Leadership

Creative direction

Pitching & storytelling

Stakeholder management

Job description

As Creative Director, Experiential, you set the creative standard for how Sparks brings brands to life in the physical world. You will lead concept development from first spark to final build, guide multidisciplinary teams across design, content, technology and production, and partner with strategy, client services and production to win and deliver standout work., You are equally at home in a pitch room, a design review and on the exhibition floor. You make bold ideas buildable, and you raise the bar for everyone around you. Supporting our EMEA Creative team, this role is eligible to work a hybrid schedule, generally requiring work in-office one day a week (typically Wednesdays) at our London location., Creative Leadership

• Own the creative vision and quality bar for experiential work across a portfolio of clients and projects.
• Set direction for concepts that are bold, buildable and rooted in a clear brand idea.
• Present and sell creative to senior client stakeholders with confidence and clarity.
• Champion craft, from the big idea to the final detail of materials, lighting, content and interaction.

New Business

• Lead creative for pitches and proposals, shaping the idea, the story and the pitch moment alongside strategy and client services.
• Represent Sparks creatively in client meetings, workshops and brand immersions.

Delivery

• Work hand in hand with production, fabrication and technology partners so that what is designed is what gets built, on time and on budget.
• Review work at every stage, from concept through design development to on-site installation, and solve problems fast when plans meet reality.
• Balance creative ambition with budget, schedule and technical constraints.

Team and Culture

• Lead, coach and inspire designers, writers, art directors and experience designers, and manage freelancers and creative partners.
• Build a culture of collaboration, craft and healthy creative challenge.
• Contribute to Sparks' creative reputation through awards, thought leadership and internal sharing of ideas.
  Significant experience in experiential, live events, exhibit, retail or environmental design, typically eight or more years, including time in a senior creative leadership role.
• A portfolio of ambitious, built work that shows ideas translating into physical, spatial or hybrid experiences.
• Exceptional concept and storytelling skills, and the ability to articulate an idea clearly in the room.
• A strong grasp of spatial design and of how technology, content and interaction come together in a single experience.
• Proven experience leading and developing creative teams.
• A track record of contributing to winning pitches.
• Commercial awareness, including a working understanding of budgets, scope and margin.
• A collaborative, calm approach under pressure, and the energy to thrive in fast-moving, deadline-driven environments.
• Confidence working with global brand clients and senior stakeholders.
  Sparks is a leading global brand experience agency, specializing in the design and execution of award-winning experiences that forge deep connections between brands and audiences. Recognized by Adweek as Experiential Agency of the Year, we bring a unique blend of strategic insight and execution excellence to every brand activation, corporate event, trade show exhibit, and immersive experience. Our commitment to creativity, innovation, and flawless execution drives us to craft impactful experiential marketing solutions that deepen relationships, inspire action, and build trust-all around the world.
• At The Freeman Company, our commitment to diversity and inclusion is helping us to create not only a great place to work, but also an environment where our employees, our customers and our communities around the world can reach their goals and connect with each other. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, veteran status and other characteristics protected by federal, state or local laws.
  The Freeman Company provides benefits that aim to empower our people and their families to thrive mentally, physically, and financially. These are a handful of the types of programs and benefits our full-time people may be eligible for. There may be some variances in specific benefits across regions.
• Medical, Dental, Vision Insurance
• Life, Accident and Disability
• Retirement with Company Match
• Paid Time Off