Design Director (2.5 days p/w)

Consult; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 70,000; Part time

Job summary

OLIVER, The Brandtech Group, London, seeks a part‑time Design Director (2.5 days/week) to lead brand guardianship and strategic creative partnerships for Client. You will shape the studio’s creative output, maintain brand consistency across channels, and drive excellence in typography, craft, and executive storytelling.

You will mentor the in‑house team, collaborate with senior stakeholders, and guide campaigns from concept to delivery while upholding brand standards in a regulated environment.

Qualifications

• A strong portfolio of brand and campaign work, with depth in B2B or professional services.
• Expertise in building and evolving brand systems within regulated contexts.
• Experience leading and developing creative teams with coaching ability.
• Proven track record presenting work to executives and partners.
• Deep craft knowledge across print and digital, with hands-on contribution when needed.

Responsibilities

• Lead all visual communications for Client, ensuring brand guardianship across print, digital, social, and events.
• Set the creative vision and translate briefs into sophisticated design solutions.
• Build, mentor, and develop the in-house creative team with clear direction and feedback.
• Partner with senior Client stakeholders, presenting strategy and executions at executive level.
• Oversee production of high-quality communications for professional audiences.
• Evolve Client's brand system to stay contemporary and compliant within a regulated sector.
• Manage multiple projects, balancing hands-on work with leadership and problem-solving.
• Collaborate with OLIVER leadership to grow the studio's offering and client relations.
• Oversee budgets, supplier relationships, and spend reporting to ensure financial alignment.
• Drive responsible AI tool integration across studio workflows with governance.

Skills

brand strategy

creative direction

design leadership

visual communications

team mentoring

brand guardianship

executive presentation

Tools

Photoshop

Illustrator

InDesign

Figma

Job description

OLIVER | The Brandtech Group Posted 1 day ago

Established in 2004, OLIVER is the world’s first and only specialist in designing, building, and running bespoke in-house agencies and marketing ecosystems for brands. We partner with over 300 clients in 40+ countries and counting. Our unique model drives creativity and efficiency, allowing us to deliver tailored solutions that resonate deeply with audiences.

As a part of The Brandtech Group , we're at the forefront of leveraging cutting-edge AI technology to revolutionise how we create and deliver work. Our AI solutions enhance efficiency, spark creativity, and drive insightful decision-making, empowering our teams to produce innovative and impactful results.

Role: Design Director (part time - 2.5 days a week)

Location: London/Hybrid with occasional travel to Birmingham

About the role:

As Design Director, you'll serve as both brand guardian and strategic creative partner for Client — leading the studio's creative output while building close relationships with senior stakeholders across marketing, communications, and the partnership. This is a director-level role with genuine scope: you'll set the creative vision, maintain brand consistency across all channels, and develop the talent around you. You'll work closely with OLIVER's creative leadership, bringing your expertise to everything from campaign concepting and typographic craft to team coaching and executive presentations.

What you will be doing:

• Lead all visual communications for Client, acting as brand guardian across print, digital, social, and events — ensuring consistency, quality, and strategic alignment at every touchpoint
• Set the creative vision and direction for the studio, translating complex briefs from senior stakeholders into compelling, sophisticated design solutions
• Build, mentor, and develop the in-house creative team — providing clear creative direction, constructive feedback, and ongoing coaching that elevates individual craft and collective output
• Serve as the primary creative partner to senior Client stakeholders, including marketing leadership and firm partners, presenting creative strategy and executions with confidence and clarity at executive level
• Oversee the production of high-quality communications tailored for professional services audiences — from thought leadership campaigns and pitches to events and digital content
• Champion and evolve Client's brand system, keeping it contemporary, distinctive, and appropriate for a regulated sector environment
• Manage multiple concurrent projects across the portfolio, balancing hands-on creative contribution with leadership responsibilities and proactive problem-solving
• Collaborate with OLIVER's wider creative and account leadership to identify opportunities to grow the studio's offering and deepen the Client relationship
• Oversee studio-level production budgets — including cost estimation, supplier relationships, and spend reporting — ensuring financial performance aligns with Client and OLIVER expectations
• Drive responsible integration of AI tools across studio workflows, setting quality standards and governance that preserve craft excellence while improving efficiency

What you need to be great in this role:

• A strong portfolio of sophisticated brand and campaign work, with particular depth in B2B, corporate, or professional services environments
• Expert-level understanding of brand systems — how to build, maintain, and evolve them within complex, regulated contexts
• A track record of leading and developing creative teams, with a coaching approach that brings out the best in people at all levels
• Experience presenting creative work to executive and partner-level audiences, with the presence and communication skills to hold a room and advocate for ideas with conviction
• Deep craft knowledge across print and digital — typography, layout, art direction, and visual storytelling — with the ability to contribute hands‑on when the work demands it
• Proficiency with Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign) and familiarity with Figma and contemporary design tooling
• Experience managing studio-level or project-level production budgets, including supplier relationships and cost oversight
• Experience integrating AI tools strategically across studio projects and operations, with the ability to set quality standards and governance at studio level
• Clear understanding of where AI enhances creative output — and where human craft and judgement remain essential
• Drives thoughtful AI adoption within the team, maintaining rigorous human oversight and mentoring others in responsible, effective use
• Agentic approach to complex creative and business challenges: systematic, adaptive, and focused on outcomes

Our values shape everything we do:

Be Imaginative to push the boundaries of what’s possible

Be always learningand listening to understand

Be actively pro-inclusive and anti-racist across our community, clients and creations

Our recruitment process does not employ artificial intelligence. Candidate evaluation and selection are conducted without AI-supported screening or decision-making.

OLIVER, a part of the Brandtech Group, is an equal opportunity employer committed to creating an inclusive working environment where all employees are encouraged to reach their full potential, and individual differences are valued and respected. All applicants shall be considered for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, neurodivergence, disability status, or any other characteristic protected by local laws.

OLIVER has set ambitious environmental goals around sustainability, with science-based emissions reduction targets. Collectively, we work towards our mission, embedding sustainability into every department and through every stage of the project lifecycle.

Required Skills

brand strategy creative direction design leadership visual communications team mentoring