Programmes Assistant

D&AD; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 26,000; Full time

Job summary

A creative excellence organization in London seeks a Programmes Assistant to support the D&AD Awards and New Blood Awards. This position involves managing entrant queries, processing award entries, and ensuring quality control. Candidates should possess excellent customer service and organizational skills, with a strong attention to detail. The role offers a fixed-term contract and hybrid working arrangements. Join a team passionate about celebrating creativity across advertising and design.

Qualifications

• Confidently manage entrant queries via email, phone, and video calls.
• Proactively resolve queries and maintain positive relationships with entrants.
• Accurately catalogue and process award entries, ensuring quality checks.

Responsibilities

• Support the end-to-end delivery of the D&AD Awards and New Blood Awards.
• Conduct quality checks on digital assets to meet judging standards.
• Prepare and quality check entries for judging rounds.

Skills

Excellent customer service skills

Excellent organisational skills

Attention to detail

Good interpersonal skills

Ability to work under pressure

Flexible working hours

Tools

G Suite

MS Office

Adobe CC

Job description

Job Description

Job Title: Programmes Assistant

Reports to: Production Manager

Job Type: Full time, fixed-term contract (2 March - 22 May 2026)

Deadline: 16/01/26

Interviews: W/C 19 01 2026

Location: Hybrid working (2-4 fixed days in the London E2 office a week)*

Salary: £25,250 pro rata

Hours: Monday - Friday (9:30am-5:30pm)* Flexibility is required when working to deadlines and covering team hours. Please note you must be available to work on Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 May as part of our Judging & Festival (16-20 May).

*Please note that the number of days in the office may increase during busy periods and according to the needs of the business.

About D&AD

Founded in 1962, D&AD is an organisation that is all about the pursuit of creative excellence within advertising and design - inspiring it, celebrating it and enabling it. A fundamental way of us achieving this is through our world class learning programmes which upskill the current and future workforce.

Whilst our remit focuses on the advertising and design industry there is a broader goal: to demonstrate the positive impact that creativity can have across education, the economy and within society.

Purpose of the Job

The D&AD Awards and New Blood Awards spotlight the world’s most outstanding creative work, across commercial design, advertising, production, and craft, judged by over 260 global creative leaders. While the main D&AD Awards celebrate professional excellence, the New Blood Awards champion emerging talent, attracting thousands of entries from students and young creatives worldwide.

As a Programmes Assistant, you’ll play an essential role in the end-to-end delivery of both programmes. This includes supporting the processing and quality control of submitted work to ensure it meets judging standards, as well as providing excellent customer service to entrants throughout the entry process. Additionally, you'll play an active role in collecting precise and high‑quality credits for the winning entries. Your meticulous attention to detail will ensure that these credits meet the rigorous standards required for publication.

This position offers a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in the world's best creative work and be a key player in the success of the D&AD Awards and D&AD New Blood Awards.

We’re looking for ambitious Programmes Assistants to join our Awards and New Blood team on a temporary basis. While all Programmes Assistants will be trained across the full scope of responsibilities, the team will be divided based on strengths and project needs. Flexibility and collaboration across these focus areas are required, especially during peak periods.

Key Responsibilities

Customer Service

• Confidently manage outgoing and incoming entrant queries via email, phone, and video calls (Zoom or similar platforms).
• Provide high‑quality, tailored support to entrants throughout the awards process.
• Proactively investigate and resolve queries, escalating complex issues when necessary.
• Build and maintain positive relationships with entrants, ensuring a smooth and supportive experience.
• Clearly explain rules, requirements, and deadlines to entrants in an accessible and professional way.
• Maintain D&AD’s tone of voice and ensure responses are delivered within policy and agreed timeframes.
• Accurately log and track all interactions to ensure accountability and timely follow‑up.
• Share entrant feedback and insights with internal teams to help improve processes and service delivery.

Entry Processing & Quality Control

• Accurately catalogue, store, and process all award entries using D&AD systems, ensuring correct warehousing and organisation.
• Conduct quality checks on digital assets (including moving images, stills, audio, websites, and apps) to ensure they meet technical requirements and entry criteria.
• Edit or amend entries as needed to bring them in line with requirements.
• Receive, check, and process physical entry packages delivered to the office, ensuring they are stored in the correct location and properly tagged.
• Identify and resolve entry issues, liaising directly with entrants and internal teams to find solutions.
• Cross‑check entries to ensure they are accurately processed and fully compliant before moving into the judging stage.
• Provide support to other Programmes Assistants across the D&AD Awards and New Blood Awards during peak periods.

Judging Support

• Prepare and quality check entries for online and in‑person judging rounds.
• Liaise with judges to support smooth completion of judging processes and resolve issues.
• Ensure all communication with the judges is consistent and in line with D&AD’s tone of voice.
• Assist with logistics such as work transportation, setup, and jury session support.
• Proofread written materials and maintain consistent communication aligned with D&AD’s tone.
• Support change over jury sessions and judging rounds.
• Support and assist jury hosts during judging sessions when required.

Winners Showcase & Other Duties

• Review and ensure accuracy of winners’ information and assets on the website.
• Conduct quality checks on showcase reels and provide administrative support.
• Administrative support for the D&AD Winners Showcase and Festival.
• Provide feedback to improve awards processes and assist with additional tasks as needed.

Key Experience and Skills

• Excellent customer service skills
• Excellent organisational skills
• Fantastic attention to detail
• Good interpersonal skills and confidence to communicate with stakeholders at all levels
• Ability to work to own initiative and as part of a team
• Ability to work under pressure and to tight deadlines
• Flexible approach to working hours during busy periods (e.g deadlines and judging week).
• Proficient in G Suite and MS Office; Adobe CC knowledge is a plus.
• Familiarity with advertising/design industries is desirable but not essential.
• A second language is a plus but not required.

Personal Qualities

• Reliable, trustworthy, and a team player.
• Eager to learn and adaptable to diverse tasks.
• Strong communication skills and a good sense of humour.
• Passionate about design, advertising, and creative industries.

D&AD is committed to diversity, equality, equity, inclusion and respect for all. Providing a work environment in which all employees are treated with fairness, respect and dignity and which is free of discrimination, victimisation, bullying and harassment. At D&AD we are interested in every individual bringing their ‘Whole Self’ to work and this includes you! Please email [e-mail] to let us know if you need any reasonable adjustments to be made for any part of the recruitment process.

In order to comply with the Prevention of Illegal Working, Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act, you will need to provide appropriate documentation that proves that you are eligible to work in the UK.

Due to the number of applications we receive, we regret that you will not be contacted unless you are shortlisted for an interview. If you have not heard from us within three weeks of the closing date of your application you should assume that you have not been successful on this occasion.

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