Creative Director

Apollo EMEA; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 110,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health and wellbeing support

Training and development opportunities

Death-in-service life insurance

Gym discounts

Eye care discounts

Job summary

Based in Central London, this Creative Director role combines leadership with practical delivery across the full design and build process. You will lead multidisciplinary teams and work closely with clients to shape and realise a workplace vision, from pitch through to completion.

The role offers a base salary of £110,000–£120,000 with a £20,000–£30,000 bonus, permanent employment, and standard hours in Central London.

Qualifications

• Experience in interior architecture, spatial design and design strategy.
• Experience with fast-track or design-and-build procurement.
• Commercial-sector experience preferred.
• Portfolio showing creative range and technical competence.

Responsibilities

• Provide creative direction and hands-on design input across project phases.
• Define design strategy and articulate the design story for clients.
• Contribute to project-winning strategies, feasibility analyses and business development.
• Manage risk, quality and compliance, and build the team’s capabilities.
• Coordinate input with pre-construction, commercial, project management and construction teams.

Skills

Interior architecture

Spatial design

Design strategy

Leadership

Sustainability knowledge

Communication skills

Cost, scheduling & delivery

Job description

Lead workplace design from pitch to completion as a Creative Director in Central London. Combine creative direction with buildable delivery. £110,000–£120,000 per annum plus £20,000–£30,000 bonus. Permanent.

Central London · Permanent

At a glance

Location Central London

Discipline Design

Employment Permanent

Package £110,000–£120,000 basic£20,000–£30,000 bonus

Shape the design vision, help win the project and stay involved as that vision becomes a finished workplace. This Creative Director role brings creative leadership and practical delivery together, giving you influence across the full design and build process rather than stopping at the concept stage.

Based in Central London, this permanent position focuses on commercial workplace environments. You’ll guide multidisciplinary teams and work closely with clients to create inclusive, visually compelling spaces that reflect their brand and functional needs. The opportunity is to protect strong design ideas while making them work within the realities of budget, programme, compliance and construction.

What you'll do

You’ll provide creative direction and hands‑on design input across project phases, from the initial pitch through contract documentation, construction and practical completion. Working with clients, you’ll define and articulate the design strategy, tell its story convincingly and keep expectations clear as the project develops.

Alongside leadership colleagues, you’ll contribute to project‑winning strategies, creative feasibility analysis and business development. You’ll also help manage risk, maintain quality and compliance, and build the team’s capabilities.

Your remit will include:

• Leading project reviews that bring design integrity, creative coordination, inclusivity and sustainability together with cost and programme requirements.
• Guiding internal and external design contributors, collaborating with pre‑construction, commercial, project management and construction teams to keep creative decisions connected to delivery.
• Coordinating architectural, structural, mechanical and construction input with the technical design team, translating concepts into detailed, buildable solutions without losing design intent.
• Overseeing creative documentation and, where required, managing its programming, scheduling and resourcing from pitch through to construction.
• Reviewing and, when needed, creating drawings, specifications and other documentation, checking accuracy, clarity and compliance against reference materials and site information.
• Resolving complex design challenges involving structure, finishes, systems and constructability, balancing aesthetic ambition with practical execution.

You’ll set creative standards and apply the business’s processes, sustainability practices and quality requirements throughout your work. Clear ownership and communication will matter: you’ll resolve issues with the wider project team and maintain continuity through completion. You’ll also encourage learning around design trends, emerging technologies, compliance and sustainability, and represent the business at internal and external events.

What you'll get

The salary is £110,000–£120,000 per annum, plus a £20,000–£30,000 bonus. Working hours are 09:00–18:00, Monday to Friday, with the role based in Central London.

The package includes paid training and development opportunities, alongside support for health, wellbeing and life outside work:

• 23 days’ holiday, including three days allocated to the Christmas office closure. Entitlement increases by one day each year, up to 28 days.
• Enhanced parental and maternity leave, plus two volunteering days a year.
• Death‑in‑service life insurance worth four times your annual salary.
• A 24/7 employee assistance programme with BUPA.
• Nationwide gym discounts with PureGym and Gymbox, free fitness classes and a cycle‑to‑work scheme.
• A free eye test and discounted eyecare with Specsavers.

There are also weekly drinks, quarterly socials and staff meals, as well as daily fresh fruit, biscuits and barista‑style coffee, with monthly birthday cakes.

What you'll need

You’ll bring deep experience in interior architecture, spatial design and design strategy, with experience of fast‑track or design and build procurement. Commercial‑sector experience is preferred rather than essential.

Your portfolio should show both creative range and technical competence. That includes hand sketching, concept development, detailing, coordination, compliance, programming and design processes. Strong drafting and documentation skills are essential, supported by knowledge of building codes, material technologies and construction detailing.

You’ll also need:

• Excellent knowledge and experience of sustainability certifications such as LEED, WELL and BREEAM.
• Strong leadership, organisational and interpersonal skills, with the verbal and visual communication ability to explain design decisions and bring different disciplines together.
• A practical understanding of cost, scheduling, construction and delivery, combined with creative judgement and confident problem‑solving.
• The ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines, working independently and as part of a cross‑functional team.

This is a hands‑on leadership role. You’ll need close attention to detail, a proactive approach and a clear sense of ownership for quality and execution.

About the company

The business operates in commercial workplace design and construction, bringing creative design together with practical delivery. Its approach connects the development of a client’s vision with the technical and construction work needed to realise it.

Design, pre‑construction, commercial and project delivery teams work together to balance brand and functional needs with budget, programme and compliance. That close connection between disciplines gives the creative work a clear delivery context, with design integrity remaining important through to completion.

Your details are shared with a prospective employer only with your approval.