Head of Design

STARS; Leeds; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

STARS, a renowned digital agency in Leeds, seeks a senior design leader for a 12-month maternity cover. The Head of Design will guide the design team across web, digital marketing, and creative activation, in a hybrid setup with three days in the office.

You’ll shape creative direction, elevate client work, and collaborate with strategy, development, and client services to deliver standout experiences.

Qualifications

• Experience leading design teams in a digital or integrated agency.
• Strong track record delivering digital design, UX/UI, brand and campaigns.
• Confident presenting to senior clients and stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Lead and inspire a multidisciplinary design team across UX/UI, digital, brand, campaigns, motion and performance creative.
• Set the creative vision and standards across the business and shape strategy.
• Provide senior creative direction across web, performance and activation teams.
• Partner with Strategy, Development, Performance and Client Services to deliver standout digital experiences.
• Play a key role in pitches, new business and senior client relationships; drive process improvements.

Skills

Creative leadership

UX/UI design

Brand & campaigns

Pitching to clients

People development

Job description

We're working with this Award-Winning Digital Agency who are experts in creating websites, digital marketing and data-driven activations that help brands get noticed, engage their audiences and deliver real results.

This is a senior creative leadership role, to cover a 12-month maternity cover. You'll work on a hybrid basis with 3 days in the offices.

The Head of Design leads the Design Team as a department, and shapes the quality, direction and future of design across the agency's web, digital marketing and creative teams.

What you'll do

You'll lead and inspire a talented multidisciplinary team across UX/UI, digital, brand, campaign, motion and performance creative, while providing senior creative direction across their biggest projects, pitches and client relationships.

Set the creative vision and standards across the business and shape creative strategy, turning client challenges into compelling ideas.

Provide senior creative direction across web, performance and activation teams.

Partner with Strategy, Development, Performance and Client Services to deliver standout digital experiences.

Play a key role in pitches, new business and senior client relationships and drive better processes, capability and innovation across the design function.

What we're looking for

You'll be an experienced creative or design leader, ideally from a digital or integrated agency, with a strong track record across digital design, UX/UI, brand and campaigns.

You'll combine creative judgement with commercial awareness, be confident presenting to senior clients and, importantly, know how to get the best out of a team.

This role is about setting the standard, developing people and creating great work - not being the person who has to do it all yourself.

This role would be to start towards the end of this year / January 2027. They are based in central Leeds and work hybrid 3 days in the offices.

Fabulous, friendly team, culture along with some great benefits, this really is a great opportunity.

If you have the digital and leadership experience, we'd love to hear from you.