Creative Lead

DFDS; North Shields; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Life assurance cover

Contributory company pension scheme

Holiday Purchase Scheme

Free ferry travel for up to 4 guests

Full employee assistance programme

Retail discounts

Cashback on health care

Access to myStrength

Mental health support webinars

Job summary

DFDS is seeking a Creative Lead to shape distinctive, performance-driven creative across campaigns, content and customer experiences. You will translate brand strategy and data into compelling work that strengthens brand consistency and drives measurable business results.

You will lead the in-house design studio and external partners, inspire the team with clear direction and high standards, and collaborate with marketing to align creative delivery with priorities, timelines and resources.

Qualifications

• 4–7+ years in creative leadership, art direction or senior digital design.
• Experience in-house or agency-side.
• Experience across B2B and B2C environments, retail exposure preferred.
• Ability to translate strategy into compelling creative work.
• Strong collaboration with cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Leading the development of creative concepts and campaigns, translating audience insights, business objectives and performance data into impactful creative solutions.
• Championing the DFDS brand by maintaining and evolving visual identity, design principles and brand guidelines across all customer touchpoints and channels.
• Inspire and developing the in-house design team and external creative partners through clear direction, constructive feedback and high creative standards.
• Collaborating with the Studio Lead, marketing teams and external agencies to align creative delivery with business priorities, customer needs, timelines and resources.
• Monitoring and optimizing creative performance using campaign data, audience feedback and insights to continuously improve brand impact and commercial results.

Skills

Creative leadership

Art direction

Brand guidelines

Campaign concepting

Stakeholder collaboration

Job description

Do you want to be a valued part of the critical infrastructure that serves communities across Europe and beyond? Are you looking for a position in which you can set direction and help shape our company? If so, then you could be the newest addition to our team as a Creative Lead

Be part of the movement - and play your part.

About the role

As Creative Lead at DFDS, you will shape and deliver distinctive, performance-driven creative across campaigns, content and customer experiences. Working closely with the in-house design studio, external agencies and key stakeholders, you will translate brand strategy, customer insights and performance data into compelling creative solutions that strengthen brand consistency, engage audiences and drive measurable business results.

You will be responsible for

• Leading the development of creative concepts and campaigns, translating audience insights, business objectives and performance data into impactful creative solutions.




• Championing the DFDS brand by maintaining and evolving visual identity, design principles and brand guidelines across all customer touchpoints and channels.




• Inspire and developing the in-house design team and external creative partners through clear direction, constructive feedback and high creative standards.




• Collaborating with the Studio Lead, marketing teams and external agencies to align creative delivery with business priorities, customer needs, timelines and resources.




• Monitoring and optimizing creative performance using campaign data, audience feedback and insights to continuously improve brand impact and commercial results.

About you

You are a creatively driven and strategically minded professional who combines strong conceptual thinking with a hands-on approach to creative execution. With 4–7+ years of experience in a creative leadership, art direction or senior digital design role, either in-house or agency-side, you know how to translate strategic objectives into compelling creative work that strengthens brand distinctiveness and drives results. You challenge conventions and spot opportunities to elevate the brand across the full funnel, from organic social content to major strategic campaigns. You bring experience from both B2B and B2C environments, ideally with exposure to retail, and understand how to balance creative ambition with commercial objectives.

You thrive in fast-paced environments, are comfortable managing multiple projects and bring a structured, detail-oriented approach without losing sight of the bigger picture. A natural collaborator and leader, you enjoy working cross-functionally, inspiring creative teams and building strong relationships with stakeholders across global markets. You are confident leading both directly and indirectly, providing clear creative direction and constructive feedback, and fostering a culture of creativity, collaboration and continuous improvement. With high creative standards and a strong eye for detail, you are passionate about delivering distinctive, consistent and effective brand experiences.

We think the strongest teams are built on diversity and inclusivity. Contrasting opinions, varied skills and strong characters bring out the best in us all. And we cannot wait for you to join.

Working at DFDS

Join the movement and grow with us.

Now about what we can give you. You’ll be able to access some fantastic benefits such as:

• Life assurance cover




• Contributory company pension scheme




• Holiday Purchase Scheme




• Free ferry travel for up to 4 guests between Dover and Calais / Newcastle and Amsterdam with no limit on trips




• Full employee assistance programme including:




• Proactive financial, emotional, mental, and physical health care support including face to face counselling, fast 24/7 access to a GP, a second medical opinion and legal support for colleagues and their family.




• Huge range of retail discounts from high street and online retailers




• Cashback on health care including dental, optical, physiotherapy, prescriptions, specialist consultations and much more.




• Access to myStrength, our Wellbeing platform, which has plenty of content to support and improve your mental wellness needs.




• Access to mental health first aid and opportunity to join support webinars with a focus on all areas of positive wellbeing.

While you’re with us, we want you to develop. At DFDS, we believe that development happens first and foremost through activities in the workplace. We will also offer training courses that can support you in your role, if needed.

We look forward to hearing from you.

This recruitment process is managed by the DFDS Talent Acquisition team. We kindly ask external recruitment agencies to refrain from contacting us regarding this opportunity.