Creative Lead

next level - marketing, creative, PR & digital recruitment; Royal Leamington Spa; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Creative direction

Job summary

Independent creative agency in the UK seeks a senior Creative Lead/Design Director ready to balance strategic thinking with hands-on design. You will own creative quality, mentor a studio, and help shape the agency’s future direction.

The role emphasizes leading output across branding, print and digital, with a focus on high-quality work and collaborative leadership. Hybrid work is offered with regular in-office days.

Qualifications

• This role demands extensive experience in branding or creative agencies.
• Strong portfolio across branding, print and digital design.
• Advanced Adobe Creative Suite skills and motion design capability.
• Experience mentoring or leading designers within an agency.
• Commercial awareness and ability to drive business results.

Responsibilities

• Lead the creative output across branding, print, digital and campaigns.
• Develop compelling concepts that exceed client expectations.
• Remain hands-on, delivering high-quality design across channels.
• Mentor, coach and develop designers and artworkers.
• Review and quality-check key creative projects before delivery.
• Present creative ideas confidently to clients and stakeholders.
• Collaborate with client services and production teams to deliver exceptional work.
• Improve studio processes and adopt AI tools where appropriate.
• Support recruitment and onboarding of future creative talent.
• Foster an innovative, collaborative and high-performing culture.

Skills

Creative leadership

Branding expertise

Mentoring

Presentation skills

Typography

Layout design

Tools

Adobe Creative Suite

After Effects

AI workflows

Job description

About the Company

Are you a senior creative looking for the opportunity to influence the direction of an ambitious independent agency, while remaining hands-on with the work you love?

We\'re recruiting on behalf of a well-established, growing creative agency that delivers branding, design, digital and integrated creative projects for an exciting portfolio of clients. This is a fantastic opportunity for an experienced Creative Lead, Design Director or Senior Designer ready to take ownership of creative quality, mentor a talented studio team and help shape the future of the agency.

Description

This is far more than a traditional Senior Designer position. You\'ll be the creative driving force behind the studio, balancing strategic thinking with hands-on design, ensuring every piece of work leaving the agency is of the highest standard.

Working closely with the Managing Director and senior leadership team, you\'ll inspire the creative department, challenge briefs, develop outstanding concepts and help build a culture of creativity, collaboration and continual improvement.

Responsibilities

• Lead the creative output across branding, print, digital and integrated campaigns.


• Develop compelling creative concepts that exceed client expectations.


• Remain hands-on, producing high-quality design work across multiple channels.


• Mentor, coach and develop designers and artworkers, helping them reach their full potential.


• Review and quality-check key creative projects before client delivery.


• Present creative ideas and rationale confidently to clients and stakeholders.


• Work collaboratively with client services and production teams to deliver exceptional work.


• Improve studio processes, workflows and ways of working, including the adoption of AI tools where appropriate.


• Support the recruitment, onboarding and development of future creative talent.


• Foster an innovative, collaborative and high-performing creative culture.

Experience

You\'ll be an experienced creative with a genuine passion for design excellence and developing people. You\'ll enjoy balancing leadership responsibilities with hands-on creative work and be excited by the opportunity to influence both the agency\'s output and its future direction.

You\’ll ideally have:

• A wealth of experience gained within a creative or branding agency, working up to a senior level


• An exceptional portfolio showcasing branding, print and digital design.


• Strong conceptual thinking and a keen eye for typography, layout and craft.


• Experience mentoring or leading designers within an agency environment.


• Confidence presenting creative work to clients and articulating design decisions.


• Commercial awareness and an understanding of how creativity delivers business results.


• Advanced Adobe Creative Suite skills.


• Experience with motion design and AI-enabled creative workflows would be advantageous.

Remuneration

• Salary of £50,000–£60,000 depending on experience.


• Hybrid working with 2–3 days per week in the office.


• Opportunity to shape the creative direction of an ambitious independent agency.


• A collaborative environment where your ideas and leadership will have genuine impact.


• The chance to mentor talented creatives and influence the agency\'s continued growth.