Head of Design · Head Office

EMJ; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Onsite London office

Competitive salary

Job summary

EMJ in London is seeking an experienced Head of Design to lead the creation of clear, engaging digital medical content while ensuring scientific accuracy, creative excellence, and brand consistency across outputs. Reporting directly to the Creative Director, you will oversee day-to-day design operations, manage the Design Manager, and craft efficient workflows enabling high-quality content delivery.

This is a leadership role with hands-on design at 40% and management at 60%, guiding

Qualifications

• 10+ years of hands-on design experience across digital, content production, and print.
• Strong background in design operations with proven success improving processes, workflows, tools, and team efficiency.
• Experience leading creative teams in fast-paced studio environments, with excellent organisation and time management skills.
• A track record of delivering large, complex projects from concept through to completion.
• Confidence working with senior stakeholders, influencing decisions, and presenting at leadership level.
• Proven ability to lead, develop, and coordinate multidisciplinary design talent.
• Commercial awareness, with experience driving time and cost efficiencies across creative output.
• A solid understanding of SEO principles and how design supports digital performance.

Responsibilities

• Raising the quality and consistency of EMJ’s creative output across all digital medical content.
• Leading, coaching, and developing a high-performing design team.
• Improving workflows, removing bottlenecks, and ensuring projects are delivered on time.
• Building strong collaboration across Marketing, Editorial, Client Services, and Sales.
• Bringing visibility and confidence to the creative function through clear communication and reliable delivery.
• Strengthening resource planning and capacity management for scalable, sustainable output.
• Driving innovation and continuously raising standards across all EMJ products.

Skills

Design leadership

Design operations

Team management

Project delivery

Stakeholder communication

Multidisciplinary collaboration

Commercial awareness

SEO principles

Job description

Join Our Values-Driven Team

EMJ is a values-driven company, first and foremost. We’re looking for an ambitious and inspiring leader who takes ownership of their professional growth while helping others reach their full potential. If you are driven, collaborative, and passionate about building high-performing teams that deliver meaningful work, we’d love to hear from you.

The Opportunity

We’re looking for an experienced and hands‑on Head of Design to lead the creation of clear, engaging digital medical content while ensuring scientific accuracy, creative excellence, and brand consistency across all outputs.

Reporting directly to the Creative Director, you will oversee the day‑to‑day operations of the design team, managing and supporting the Design Manager while creating efficient workflows that enable high‑quality content delivery. This is a leadership role with a strong creative focus, balancing approximately 40% hands‑on design and 60% team management, strategy, and process improvement.

You will play a central role in driving collaboration across Marketing, Editorial, Client Services, and Sales, ensuring projects move smoothly through the publishing process and are delivered to the highest standard. Just as importantly, you will inspire, coach, and develop the design team, helping the department become the best version of itself.

If you’re a strategic thinker, a strong people manager, and a talented designer who thrives in a fast‑paced office environment, we’d love to hear from you.

What You’ll Own:

• Raising the quality and consistency of EMJ’s creative output across all digital medical content.


• Leading, coaching, and developing a high‑performing design team.


• Improving workflows, removing bottlenecks, and ensuring projects are delivered on time.


• Building strong collaboration across Marketing, Editorial, Client Services, and Sales.


• Bringing visibility and confidence to the creative function through clear communication and reliable delivery.


• Strengthening resource planning and capacity management for scalable, sustainable output.


• Driving innovation and continuously raising standards across all EMJ products.

Who You Are:

• 10+ years of hands‑on design experience across digital, content production, and print.


• A strong background in design operations, with proven success improving processes, workflows, tools, and team efficiency.


• Experience leading creative teams in fast‑paced studio environments, with excellent organisation and time management skills.


• A track record of delivering large, complex projects from concept through to completion.


• Confidence working with senior stakeholders, influencing decisions, and presenting at leadership level.


• Proven ability to lead, develop, and coordinate multidisciplinary design talent.


• Commercial awareness, with experience driving time and cost efficiencies across creative output.


• A solid understanding of SEO principles and how design supports digital performance.

Key Information

• Salary: £65,000 - 70,000


• Reports to: Creative Director


• Hours: 8.30am – 5pm, Mon‑Fri


• Location: This role is based onsite in our London/Moorgate office

About EMJ

EMJ's purpose is to elevate the quality of healthcare globally, by supporting all healthcare professionals with free and easy access to medical journals and lifelong learning opportunities. We do this to create Gold Medal Winners, enabling healthcare professionals to become the best versions of themselves. Similarly we equip our employees with all the skills, tools and knowledge they need to be in the top 10% of what they do and create Gold Medal Winners in the company.

At EMJ, we believe in…

• Entire buy in: Everyone hasloyalty to our vision, values, culture, and the long‑term goals of EMJ. We are committed to doing so in a positiveandpassionateway.


• Manage your own stuff: We all need to beproactiveand responsible for our own actions. This will lead to aninspiringplace to work that we are allproudof.


• Going the extra mile: Always give your best performance, this will create a team that isdifferentto anything else, full ofhard working, gold medal winners.