Design Director (AI & Tech)

DEPT

Associate Design Director London  This position sits in our Marketing & Technology service based in London. We combine data, technology, creative and paid media to crack brands’ business problems & drive revenue through a variety of digital marketing solutions like social, influencer, TTL ad campaigns, augmented reality, AI and innovation. Our clients include eBay, easyJet, Just Eat Takeaway and Pepsico. JOB PURPOSE We are looking for an Associate Design Director for an exciting AI Platform client of ours. The work we produce for them is varied and can range drastically from simple BAU creative responses, to in-person creative sprints and even full productions across multiple global markets. As an Associate Design Director and lead on the client, you’ll be responsible for reviewing and signing off work, upholding brand and business standards, and ensuring creative excellence across all campaigns and projects. You will support the Design Director and work with a wider team of creatives, producers etc , providing clear, decisive feedback, guidance and inspiration to support members of the team across these disciplines. As well as building, delegating and empowering the team to confidently take on work, you will be a hands-on creative with a willingness to ‘get your hands dirty’ to help the team. This role combines design management and creative leadership, balancing people development, asset production, resource management and creative innovation. You’ll act as a trusted partner to wider team leads, bringing both vision and practical executional expertise to every project. WHAT YOU’LL DO: * Work with the Design Director to develop processes, structures and raise the quality of design * Lead, develop, motivate and inspire DEPT’s design teams and encourage collaboration * Deliver and inspire innovative and high quality work across all deliverables from the team * Develop strong creative ideas rooted in narrative, pacing, composition, and visual structure * Initiate and facilitate creative team collaboration and sharing, and team cohesion through social and team building initiatives * Guide execution across motion and static deliverables to keep work aligned with the original creative intent * Lead, develop, motivate and inspire the design team as well as encouraging collaboration * Be the face and voice of design at Dept®, to raise the profile of the team * Suggest best ways of working,  and hustle for the best opportunities  * Work with the ECD to build processes, structures and raise the quality of design * Nurture and build a team of happy and fulfilled designers * Build a productive and working relationship with other disciplines across the agency to deliver projects * Maintain brand consistency throughout all our marketing projects * Explore and work within a variety of different formats and platforms to create global campaigns * Generate the creative ideas and campaign look and feel * Deliver and inspire innovative and high quality work across all deliverables from the team * Collaborate with other designers and creative planners * Be aware of and respond to current design trends and culture * Use your experience and ideas to contribute to the development of our creative process  * Present work internally and externally * Stay up-to-date with industry development and tools  WHAT YOU BRING: * Strong experience leading on a client with a consultative approach * Work with management to operationally set the client team up for sucess * Experience leading and guiding designers / creatives in a client team or department * Strong visual judgement and confidence contributing to concepts and creative direction * Art direction experience showing how you’ve helped crafted the visual story of your work * Solid motion design skills with a good sense of timing, composition, framing, and storytelling * Experience creating styleframes, visual systems, and narrative driven motion * Curiosity around AI tools and interest in learning how they can support creative work * A strong portfolio or showreel showing concept, craft, and high quality motion and design work, with examples of tech or AI-led campaigns  WE OFFER: * A flexible, hybrid working policy (2 days from the office, depending on location). * An excellent salary based on experience and equal pay policies * Pension, free private healthcare, mental health support, and company sick pay scheme. * 26 days paid holiday (plus UK Bank Holidays). * Refreshments are provided in the office all week, as well as drinks at 4 pm on a Thursday. * Help getting you to work with a season ticket loan and cycle to work scheme. * Enhanced family friendly policies to support new parents. * Social and Cultural Events, plenty of opportunities to connect with colleagues through organised activities and celebrations. * Inspirational Talks, bringing the outside in with regular guest speakers and events. * Learning and Development, supporting your growth with continuous opportunities to learn and advance. * Buddy Programme: You will be paired with a ‘Buddy’ to help you through your first weeks’ at DEPT®. * A reputation for doing good. DEPT® has been a Certified B Corp® since 2021 and named ‘Agency of the Year’ at both The Lovies and The Webby Awards. * Awesome clients. Whether big or small, local or global — at DEPT® you’ll get  WHY DEPT®? We are a Growth Invention company built to help the world’s most ambitious brands grow faster. Operating at the intersection of technology and marketing, we create what is next by pioneering ideas, acting fast, and moving further because standing still just is not in our DNA. We are drawn to people who stay curious, move with intent, and never stop inventing. Our culture runs on three values: better together, relentlessly curious, and get sh*t done. It is how we work, how we grow, and how we make things that matter. At DEPT®, you will find the freedom to explore, the space to collaborate, and the trust to make a real impact for our clients, for each other, and for the world we are helping to build. DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION  At DEPT®, we take pride in creating an inclusive workplace where everyone has an equal opportunity to thrive. We actively seek to recruit, develop, nurture, and retain talented individuals from diverse backgrounds, with varying skills and perspectives. Not sure you meet all qualifications? Apply, and let us decide! Research shows that women and members of underrepresented groups tend not to apply for jobs when they think they may not meet every requirement, when in fact they do. We believe in giving everyone a fair chance to shine. We also encourage you to reach out to us and discuss any reasonable adjustments we can make to support you throughout the recruitment process and your time with us. Want to know more about our dedication to diversity, equity, and inclusion? Check out our efforts here.

DEPT

This position sits in our Marketing & Technology service based in London. We combine data, technology, creative and paid media to crack brands’ business problems & drive revenue through a variety of digital marketing solutions like social, influencer, TTL ad campaigns, augmented reality, AI and innovation. Our clients include eBay, easyJet, Just Eat Takeaway and Pepsico. JOB PURPOSE We are looking for a Lead Senior Motion Art Director for an exciting AI Platform client of ours. The work we produce for them is varied and can range drastically from simple BAU creative responses, to in-person creative sprints and even full productions across multiple global markets. As a Lead Senior Motion Art Director on the client, you will be responsible for ensuring creative excellence across all campaigns and projects. You will work with a wider team of creatives, producers etc , providing clear, decisive feedback, guidance and inspiration to support members of the team across these disciplines. As well as building, delegating and empowering the team to confidently take on work, you will be a hands-on creative with a willingness to ‘get your hands dirty’ to help the team You will shape art direction through ideas, motion, and design systems across both moving and static outputs. You bring strong art direction thinking and high-level craft together to develop concepts from early thinking to final execution. Communication & presentation skills are critical due to frequent touchpoints with internal and external senior stakeholders in, both of which are located across the UK and US. You’ll be expected to work fast and nimble, getting work organised and ready to present to client. You will also attend and contribute to in-person creative sprints & workshops with the wider creative teams as well as the clients internal creative teams too.  WHAT YOU’LL DO: * Shape the art direction across motion and static outputs from concept to delivery * Work with the Design Director to develop processes, structures and raise the quality of design * Work with management / resource to operationally set the client team up for success * Lead, develop, motivate and inspire DEPT’s design teams and encourage collaboration * Deliver and inspire innovative and high quality work across all deliverables from the team * Develop strong creative ideas rooted in narrative, pacing, composition, and visual structure * Create and direct high quality motion and design work across campaigns and formats * Be aware of and respond to current advertising and media trends and pop culture * Use experience and ideas to contribute to the development of our creative process  * Present work internally and externally to an excellent standard * Stay up-to-date with industry developments * Initiate and facilitate creative team collaboration and sharing, and team cohesion through social and team building initiatives * Guide execution across motion and static deliverables to keep work aligned with the original creative intent WHAT YOU BRING: * Strong experience leading on a client with a consultative approach * Experience leading and guiding designers / creatives in a client team or department * Strong visual judgement and confidence contributing to concepts and creative direction * Art direction experience showing how you’ve helped crafted the visual story of your work * Solid motion design skills with a good sense of timing, composition, framing, and storytelling * Experience creating styleframes, visual systems, and narrative driven motion * Curiosity around AI tools and interest in learning how they can support creative work * A strong portfolio or showreel showing concept, craft, and high quality motion and design work, with examples of tech or AI-led campaigns  WE OFFER: * A flexible, hybrid working policy (2 days from the office, depending on location). * An excellent salary based on experience and equal pay policies * Pension, free private healthcare, mental health support, and company sick pay scheme. * 26 days paid holiday (plus UK Bank Holidays). * Refreshments are provided in the office all week, as well as drinks at 4 pm on a Thursday. * Help getting you to work with a season ticket loan and cycle to work scheme. * Enhanced family friendly policies to support new parents. * Social and Cultural Events, plenty of opportunities to connect with colleagues through organised activities and celebrations. * Inspirational Talks, bringing the outside in with regular guest speakers and events. * Learning and Development, supporting your growth with continuous opportunities to learn and advance. * Buddy Programme: You will be paired with a ‘Buddy’ to help you through your first weeks’ at DEPT®. * A reputation for doing good. DEPT® has been a Certified B Corp® since 2021 and named ‘Agency of the Year’ at both The Lovies and The Webby Awards. * Awesome clients. Whether big or small, local or global — at DEPT® you’ll get  WHY DEPT®? We are a Growth Invention company built to help the world’s most ambitious brands grow faster. Operating at the intersection of technology and marketing, we create what is next by pioneering ideas, acting fast, and moving further because standing still just is not in our DNA. We are drawn to people who stay curious, move with intent, and never stop inventing. Our culture runs on three values: better together, relentlessly curious, and get sh*t done. It is how we work, how we grow, and how we make things that matter. At DEPT®, you will find the freedom to explore, the space to collaborate, and the trust to make a real impact for our clients, for each other, and for the world we are helping to build. DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION  At DEPT®, we take pride in creating an inclusive workplace where everyone has an equal opportunity to thrive. We actively seek to recruit, develop, nurture, and retain talented individuals from diverse backgrounds, with varying skills and perspectives. Not sure you meet all qualifications? Apply, and let us decide! Research shows that women and members of underrepresented groups tend not to apply for jobs when they think they may not meet every requirement, when in fact they do. We believe in giving everyone a fair chance to shine. We also encourage you to reach out to us and discuss any reasonable adjustments we can make to support you throughout the recruitment process and your time with us. Want to know more about our dedication to diversity, equity, and inclusion? Check out our efforts here.

Design Bridge and Partners

ABOUT US At Design Bridge and Partners we design brands with the power to move. Pulling people towards them with an irresistible force that compels and connects. With 900 creative minds across 17 studios worldwide, diverse in expertise, experience, backgrounds and beliefs, we are united in our ambition to achieve real impact for our clients’ brands benefiting their business, people and the planet. With expertise across brand strategy, brand design, brand engagement and brand effectiveness our clients across the world include NASA Artemis, Unilever, Coca-Cola, Diageo, Mastercard, Intel, HSBC, Tencent, Twitch, Heineken, Reckitt and the BBC. ABOUT THE ROLE We’re looking for an exceptional Design Director to join our London studio on an initial fixed term contract. This is an exciting opportunity to lead a range of high-profile client projects, working across all brand touch-points, from brand identity and packaging design to visual language and campaign work. You’ll take projects from concept through to implementation, blending strategic thinking with outstanding creative craft to deliver work that is as meaningful as it is beautiful. You’ll work closely with Creative and Client Directors, leading and inspiring a talented design team to push creative boundaries while maintaining commercial and strategic rigour. ABOUT YOU  You’re an experienced creative leader with a proven track record of delivering exceptional design. You think conceptually, craft obsessively, and understand how every brand experience, from pack to digital, tells a story. You’re hands-on when needed, but equally confident directing and inspiring others to do their best work. You bring clarity to complexity, confidence to presentations, and curiosity to every creative challenge. Above all, you’re a collaborative, positive force and someone who motivates those around you and cares deeply about creating work that connects with people in the real world. WHY US? We’re passionate about our people and their careers. We’ll help you develop your skills and provide you with outstanding benefits. So you’ll have a chance to make your mark on our future, as we make a mark on yours. We’re proud to be the world’s most awarded brand design agency, with 28 Cannes Lions to our name and Creative Review Annual’s Most Creative Design Agency of the Year 2024. You’ll get to take new projects to award-winning potential, as part of a connected team of brilliant, tenacious people right by your side and across the world.   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 around four days a week. If you require accommodations or flexibility, please discuss this with the hiring team during the interview process. Design Bridge and Partners, a WPP company, is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without discrimination or regard to particular 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. Due to the volume of applications, we unfortunately can only respond to successful candidates. We will not accept unsolicited CVs or approaches via recruitment agencies.   #LI-DNI #LI-DNP