Senior Art Director

Wunderman Thompson; Manchester; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading creative agency is seeking a Senior Creative Team member to lead impactful health communication campaigns. This role requires a strong portfolio in health, pharma, or wellness, where you will translate complex insights into visually compelling narratives. You will mentor junior team members, oversee project execution, and collaborate with account and strategy teams. A focus on creativity and compliance is essential. Join us to make a difference in the healthcare landscape while thriving in a hybrid work environment.

Benefits

Flexible work environment

Mentorship opportunities

Creative growth initiatives

Qualifications

• Proven experience in health, pharma, or wellness brands with a strong portfolio.
• Ability to translate complex scientific information into engaging narratives.
• Exceptional writing and editing skills with an eye for detail.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development of creative campaigns that resonate with audiences.
• Oversee production and ensure compliance with regulations.
• Mentor junior team members to enhance their creative skills.

Skills

Art direction

Copywriting

Healthcare communication

Visual storytelling

Detail-oriented

Job description

Who We Are

At VML, Human First is our guiding creative philosophy: we create value for people first, knowing this drives authentic and sustainable brand impact. We are a growth partner that is part creative agency, part consultancy, and part technology powerhouse.

We connect Brand Experience, Customer Experience, and Commerce to craft unified, emotionally resonant consumer journeys.

Our 26,000 people across 50-plus markets are the heart of our company. Their perspectives, local expertise, and cultural insights drive creativity and innovation, making talent our most critical competitive advantage.

About The Agency

VML is a leading creative company that combines brand experience, customer experience, and commerce, to create connected brands that drive growth. VML is celebrated for its innovative and award-winning work with blue chip client partners including AstraZeneca, Colgate-Palmolive, Dell, Ford, Intel, Microsoft, Nestlé, The Coca-Cola Company, and Wendy's. The agency is recognised by the Forrester Wave™ Reports, which name WPP a "Leader" in Commerce Services, Global Digital Experience Services, Global Marketing Services and, most recently, Marketing Measurement & Optimisation. In addition, VML's specialist health network, VML Health, is one of the world's largest and most awarded health agencies.

VML is a leading global healthcare agency that partners with clients to build connected experiences across the healthcare ecosystem. A deep understanding of individual needs and behaviour, and how they are connected, allows us to create seamless experiences. And when these experiences are personalised, unique and relevant at every touchpoint, their power isall the moreprofound. We power connections beyond science into human behaviour. We believe that science can change the world and that changing the world starts with a single person behaving differently. Overcoming beliefs and barriers to make life better for patients and healthcare communities is second nature to us.

The Role

As a Senior Creative Team, you are the engine behind our most impactful health communication campaigns. You willhelpdefinethe creative vision, translating complex scientific insights into both visually arresting campaigns and compelling, compliant narratives that resonate deeply with diverse audiences. Your collective skills, strategic thinking, and passion for human healtharecritical in developing revolutionary work that makes a real difference.

Responsibilities

• Lead conceptual development and strategic direction of groundbreaking creative campaigns, translating complex health information and strategic insights into impactful, visually stunning ideas and clear, engaging narratives.
• Develop compelling visual and written communication ideas across all channels, ensuring aesthetic excellence, brand consistency, medical accuracy, and regulatory compliance from concept to execution.
• Oversee the creation and production of high-quality, impactful creative solutions for our clients from concept to final delivery, delegating to and overseeing junior team members and external vendors where necessary.
• Act as primary mentors and guides for junior creative team members, fostering their growth, elevating their craft, and inspiring them to push creative boundaries.
• Proactively partner with multidisciplinary teams (account, strategy, medical affairs, regulatory) to ensure purposeful, effective, and compliant creative output.
• Play a significant role in new business pitches, jointly developing visually persuasive concepts, strategic rationale, and presentations that secure new clients.
• Stay abreast of emerging design trends, visual technologies, storytelling techniques, and best practices in health advertising to continually innovate and elevate our creative offering.

Skills and Experience

• Experiencedart director / copywriting duowithin an agency setting, with a strong, demonstrable focus on health, pharma, or wellness brands.
• Aportfolioshowcasinga broad range of innovative, strategically sound, and visually arresting/compelling creative ideas across various channels (print, outdoor, film, digital, integrated campaigns, UI/UX, websites, blogs, and social media).
• Proven ability to generate original ideas and concepts, collaborating effectively, and adapting to diverse client needs and target audiences (HCPs, patients, consumers).
• Exceptional eye for detail, typography, layout, and overall aesthetic.
• Exceptional writing and editing skills with meticulous attention to detail, accuracy, and brand voice.
• Deep understanding of the healthcare landscape, regulatory frameworks, and ethical guidelines governing health communications.
• Proven ability to translate complex scientific or medical information into clear, compelling, and compliant creative copy.
• A genuine and demonstrable passion for human health/healthcare, reflected in your collective portfolio and approach to problem-solving.
• Strong presentation skills, capable of confidently articulating your creative vision and strategic rationale to clients, effectively selling in impactful and original ideas.
• Proven experience mentoring and providing constructive feedback to junior creative team members.
• Solid understanding of production processes across various media, from digital to print and film, as well as core advertising, communications, and marketing principles within the healthcare space.

The Ideal Creative Team

• Complementone anotherseamlessly,demonstratinga powerful partnership that elevates your combined output and inspires those around you.
• Adept at managing multiple complex projects simultaneously, consistently meeting deadlines, and thriving under pressure as a unified force.
• Passionate about elevating the creative output and standards of your team, and you inspire excellence in others.
• Constantly strive for innovation, pushing the boundaries ofwhat’spossible in healthcare advertising with a high bar for your own work and that of your creative partnership.

#LI-EMEA

We believe the best work happens when we're together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection. That's why we’ve adopted a hybrid approach, with teams in the office an average of four days a week. If you require accommodations or flexibility, please discuss this with the hiring team during the interview process.

WPP (VML) is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without discrimination or regard to characteristics. We are committed to fostering a culture of respect in which everyone feels they belong and has the same opportunities to progress in their careers.