Head of Creative

Ministry of Justice; City of Westminster; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A UK government department is looking for a visionary Head of Creative to lead their multidisciplinary creative teams. You will ensure that creative work aligns with government priorities while maintaining high standards of creativity and innovation. Responsibilities include leading teams, developing a compelling creative vision, and ensuring compliance with accessibility standards. The role offers hybrid working arrangements, fostering collaboration and excellence across all creative disciplines.

Benefits

25 days of annual leave increasing to 30 after five years

Flexible pension schemes

Extensive training and development opportunities

Qualifications

• Significant senior-level experience in creative leadership across multiple disciplines.
• Strong strategic thinking with a track record of aligning creative outputs with organisational goals.
• Demonstrated ability to lead complex creative projects and multidisciplinary teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead and inspire multidisciplinary creative teams, fostering collaboration and excellence.
• Develop and articulate a compelling creative vision that aligns with government communication goals.
• Champion high creative standards across all outputs, ensuring accessibility and compliance.

Skills

Creative leadership

Strategic thinking

Content optimisation

Communication skills

Project management

Tools

Figma

Miro

Asana

Jira

Job description

We are looking for a visionary, collaborative, and strategically minded Head of Creative to lead our multidisciplinary creative teams - spanning Design, Artwork, Video, Website, and Animation - in producing exceptional, audience-first content for government. As a senior leader within the organisation, you will set and uphold high creative standards while cultivating innovation and exploring emerging technologies to evolve our creative output. You will play a central role in ensuring all creative work is aligned with the priorities of the Government Communication Service (GCS) and wider UK Government strategy. Working in close partnership with the Head of Operations, you will ensure the creative function is effectively resourced and delivering against KPIs, financial targets, and broader organisational objectives.

Responsibilities

• Lead, inspire and manage multidisciplinary creative teams, fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, and excellence across all disciplines.
• Develop and articulate a compelling creative vision and strategy that elevates our work and aligns with wider government communication goals.
• Champion high creative standards across all outputs - from branding and digital content to motion graphics, campaigns, and user-focused web design.
• Ensure creative work is accessible, inclusive, and fully compliant with GDS, WCAG, and GOV.UK standards.
• Embed digital-first, data-informed thinking in all creative processes, ensuring outputs are modern, effective, and platform-appropriate.
• Promote exploration and integration of innovative tools and techniques, including generative AI, automation, and emerging formats.
• Collaborate closely with the Head of Operations to align creative delivery with resourcing, workflow efficiency, budget tracking, and business performance metrics.
• Oversee and nurture career progression and skills development for creative leads and practitioners across all creative disciplines.
• Ensure all creative teams and individuals consistently deliver chargeable work and meet required chargeable hours, supporting the agency's financial sustainability.
• Ensure creative outputs support the achievement of key business KPIs and financial targets, demonstrating measurable value and impact.
• Actively contribute to wider agency strategy, planning, and continuous improvement as a member of the senior leadership team.
• Represent creative work at the highest levels - engaging confidently with clients, stakeholders and internal leadership.

Location and Working Arrangements

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) offers Hybrid Working arrangements where business need allows. This is an informal, non-contractual form of flexible working that blends working from your base location, different MoJ sites and / or from home (please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas). All employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office, subject to local estate capacity.

Some roles will not be suitable for Hybrid Working. Similarly, Hybrid Working will not suit everyone's circumstances. Arrangements will be discussed and agreed with the successful candidate(s) and subject to regular review. For nationally advertised roles: All successful candidates will be appointed to the nearest viable office nearest to their home postcode and on its respective pay scale. This will be at either a HQ building (subject to desk allocation, a Justice Collaboration Centre (JCC) or a Justice Satellite Office (JSO) - See Map. All employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office, subject to local estate capacity). For current MoJ employees, your base location will need to be changed to the nearest viable office (to your home postcode), either at a HQ building, JCC or JSO within the National Office Network and moved its location's respective pay scale (any legacy arrangements/locations will need to be amended). Some of MoJ's terms and conditions of service are changing as part of Civil Service reform. The changes will apply to staff joining MoJ who are new to the Civil Service. Staff joining MoJ from other civil service employers will transfer onto the new MoJ terms if they are already on 'modernised' terms in their current post or onto 'unmodernised' MoJ terms if they are on 'unmodernised' terms at their current post. Details will be available if an offer is made. MoJ candidates who are on a specialist grade, will be able to retain their grade on lateral transfer. All candidates who are currently in receipt of Mark Time / Pay Protection should ensure they are familiar with the new policy on permanent and temporary promotion which can be found on the employee intranet.

Qualifications

• Significant senior-level experience in creative leadership, ideally across multiple disciplines (e.g. design, video, digital, motion, and brand).
• Strong strategic thinking, with a track record of aligning creative outputs with organisational priorities and measurable outcomes.
• Demonstrated ability to lead complex creative projects and multidisciplinary teams in high-accountability or public-sector environments.
• Deep understanding of creative innovation, audience engagement, storytelling, and content optimisation for modern platforms.
• Experience managing senior creatives and fostering a high‑performance culture that encourages originality, diversity, and continuous learning.
• Knowledge of accessibility and inclusive design principles and their application in government communications.
• Familiarity with creative technologies including AI tools, content automation, and agile digital workflows.
• Proven experience of meeting or exceeding business KPIs and working within budgetary and operational constraints.
• Outstanding communication and stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to represent the creative function confidently at senior levels.
• Experience in or understanding of government, public sector, or regulated industries.
• Knowledge of GCS, GDS, GOV.UK and associated accessibility and branding standards.
• Proven ability to drive integration across creative teams and collaborate effectively with operational, client service, and delivery leads.
• Familiarity with digital and agile project management tools such as Figma, Miro, Asana, or Jira.
• Awareness of current and emerging trends in digital communication, social media, video and motion design.

Diversity & Inclusion

As a Disability Confident employer, the MoJ is committed to providing everyone with the opportunity to demonstrate their skills, talent and abilities, by making adjustments throughout all elements of the recruitment process and in the workplace. The MoJ is able to offer an interview to disabled candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns. You will be able to request reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process within the application form. If you need additional help completing the application form, please contact the TBS Recruitment Enquiries Team. For more information on applying for a role as a candidate with a disability or long‑term condition, please watch our animated videos.

Diversity & Inclusion – The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy.

Redeployment Interview Scheme

Corporate civil Service departments are expected to explore redeployment opportunities before making an individual redundant. The MoJ is committed, as part of the Redeployment Interview Scheme, to providing opportunities to those who are 'at risk of redundancy'. MoJ is able to offer an interview to eligible candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns. Candidates will not be eligible for the Redeployment Interview Scheme if they are applying on promotion.

Benefits

• Annual Leave: Annual leave is 25 days on appointment and will increase to 30 days after five years' service. There is also a scheme to allow qualifying staff to buy or sell up to three days leave each year. Additional paid time off for public holidays and 1 privilege day. Leave for part‑time and job share posts will be calculated on a pro‑ratio basis.
• Pension: The Civil Service offers a choice of pension schemes, giving you the flexibility to choose the pension that suits you best.
• Training: The Ministry of Justice is committed to staff development and offers an extensive range of training and development opportunities.
• Networks: The opportunity to join employee‑run networks that have been established to provide advice and support and to enable the views of employees from minority groups to be expressed direct to senior management. There are currently networks for employees of minority ethnic origin, employees with disabilities, employees with caring responsibilities, women employees, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees.
• Eligibility: Staff on fixed term appointments must have been recruited through fair and open competition. Vacancies advertised "cross-government" are only open to all Civil Service employees and employees of accredited non‑departmental public bodies (NDPBs) who were appointed on merit following a fair and open competition; or were appointed to a permanent post through an exception in the Civil Service Commissioners' rules.
• Support:
  • A range of ‘Family Friendly’ policies such as opportunities to work reduced hours or job share.
  • Access to flexible benefits such as voluntary benefits, retail vouchers and discounts on a range of goods and services.
  • For moves to or from another employer or moves across the Civil Service this can have implications on your eligibility to carry on claiming childcare vouchers. You may however be eligible for alternative government childcare support schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. More information can be found on www.www.GOV.UK or Childcare Choices. You can determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.
  • Paid paternity, adoption and maternity leave.
  • Free annual sight tests for employees who use computer screens.
• Working for the Civil Service: The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.