Senior Designer

Shape History; Greater London; On-site; GBP 37,000 - 48,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work arrangements

Professional development opportunities

Competitive salary and benefits

Job summary

Shape History, London-based agency, is seeking a Senior Designer for maternity cover to steer visual quality across branding, campaigns, digital content, editorial, social, and storytelling projects.

You will lead design development, mentor designers, and collaborate with creatives, strategists, copywriters, and clients to deliver visually compelling, accessible work that aligns with strategic objectives.

Qualifications

• 5–8 years of professional design experience, including leadership and client-facing responsibilities.
• Strong portfolio across branding, campaigns, and digital design.
• Excellent typography, layout, and visual systems understanding.
• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite and related design tools.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design development of brand systems, integrated campaigns, and digital content.
• Maintain high visual craft and consistency across all outputs.
• Shape visual identities, systems, and storytelling approaches.
• Collaborate with copywriters, strategists, and clients to develop ideas and delivery.
• Mentor junior and midweight designers and lead design reviews.
• Oversee design assets across branding, campaigns, social, editorial, and presentation materials.
• Ensure accessibility, usability, and inclusive design practices.
• Support recruitment and contribute to race equity and environmental strategies.

Skills

Design leadership

Branding

Campaign design

Typography

Adobe Creative Suite

Leadership

Client-facing

Tools

Adobe Creative Suite

Job description

Hey you! Come and change the world with us.

Shape History was founded with one goal in mind: to build an agency that lives and breathes social and environmental impact.

The world has changed a lot since we started out 2015, but our commitment to change hasn’t. We’re a team of analysts, strategists, creatives, and movement-builders, tirelessly dedicated to solving some of the world’s most pressing social challenges. We still believe that the best work happens through partnership, and that lasting impact demands smart, bold, narrative-shifting creativity.

We’re looking for an experienced and thoughtful Senior Designer to join us as matnerity cover and shape the visual quality and design direction of our work across branding, campaigns, digital content, editorial, social, and storytelling projects. This is a role for a highly collaborative designer who combines exceptional craft with strategic thinking and a strong understanding of how design can support social impact.

You’ll lead design development across multiple projects, mentor and support designers, and work closely with creatives, strategists, copywriters, and clients to ensure all output is visually compelling, accessible, and strategically effective.

What you’ll be doing:

• Design Leadership
  • Lead the design development of brand systems, integrated campaigns and communications projects across print and digital platforms.
  • Set and maintain a high standard of visual craft and consistency across all agency output.
  • Shape and evolve visual identities, creative systems, and storytelling approaches.
  • Ensure all work is audience-focused, culturally relevant, and aligned with strategic objectives.
• Creative Collaboration
  • Collaborate closely with copywriters, strategists, art directors, and account teams to develop strong integrated ideas.
  • Contribute to creative brand and concept development from initial ideation through to delivery.
  • Present design rationale and creative recommendations clearly to clients and stakeholders.
• Team Management & Mentorship
  • Support, mentor, and develop junior and midweight designers.
  • Lead design reviews and provide constructive creative feedback.
  • Help build an inclusive, collaborative, and creatively ambitious design culture.
  • Manage freelance designers and external creative partners where needed.
• Design Systems & Delivery
  • Oversee the execution and delivery of high-quality design assets across:
    • Branding and identity systems
    • Campaign toolkits
    • Social and digital content
    • Editorial and publication design
    • Presentation and pitch materials
    • Motion and experiential assets where relevant
  • Ensure projects are delivered on time and to a high creative standard.
  • Champion accessibility, usability, and inclusive design best practices.
• Leadership & Growth
  • Help identify recruitment needs within the team and contribute to hiring processes.
  • Support the implementation of our race equity and environmental strategies.
  • Encourage the team to stay up to date with design trends and explore new tools and approaches including AI.

About you:

You’re a highly skilled designer and creative problem-solver with strong visual instincts and a portfolio demonstrating thoughtful, impactful work across multiple formats. You care about the role design can play in shaping culture, communicating complex ideas, and contributing to social progress.

The Fundamentals (Skills & Experience:

• 5–8 years of professional design experience, with at least 1–2 years in a role involving some leadership and client-facing responsibility in an agency, studio, or comms environment
• Strong portfolio demonstrating branding, campaign, and digital design work.
• Excellent understanding of typography, layout, visual systems, and storytelling.
• High proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite and relevant design tools.
• Strong leadership, communication, and collaboration skills.
• Experience managing multiple projects and balancing creativity with delivery.
• Experience developing accessible and inclusive design systems.e projects at once, staying calm and focused under pressure or when plans shift with the ability to pivot where needed.

Extra bit of awesome:

• Experience working on social impact, advocacy, cultural, or purpose-led campaigns.
• Motion, digital product, or content design experience.
• Understanding of audience engagement and digital communications trends.

What we offer:

• The opportunity to create work with meaningful social impact.
• A collaborative, values-driven, and creatively ambitious culture.
• Flexible and hybrid working arrangements.
• Opportunities for professional development and creative growth.
• Competitive salary and benefits package.

Any and all of these things would be the icing on the cake.

Equity, Diversity & Inclusion:

We are committed to having an inclusive culture in which everyone feels safe and supported to achieve their potential. There is a long way to go in implementing equity in the sector and we have a robust strategy in place for delivering this at Shape History. We actively encourage applications from underrepresented and minority groups, including those with lived experience of social issues we are working to address.

The Details:

Location: Hybrid / London (2 days per week in the office)
Type: Full-time
Salary: £37,000 – £48,000
Reports to: Creative Director