At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead creative direction across brand, design, and digital for a fast-growing fintech.
- Company: Join Allica Bank, the UK's fastest-growing fintech, dedicated to supporting SMEs.
- Benefits: Enjoy flexible working, private health cover, and a supportive onboarding process.
- Other info: Diverse team culture with opportunities for personal and professional growth.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in a dynamic environment while championing creativity and innovation.
- Qualifications: Proven creative leadership and hands-on experience in brand and digital production.
The predicted salary is between 49500 - 60500 £ per year.
About Allica Bank
Allica is the UK's fastest growing company - and the fastest-growing financial technology (Fintech) firm ever. Our purpose is to help established SMEs, one of the last major underserved opportunities in Fintech. Established SMEs are the backbone of local communities - representing over a third of our economy - yet have been largely neglected both by traditional high street banks and modern fintech providers.
Role Description
Own creative direction for Allica Bank across brand, design, motion, video, copy and web, leading a multi-disciplinary studio team that serves both brand & marketing work and the high-volume production needs of Growth & Digital Acquisition. Balance hands-on craft leadership with production efficiency at scale, and drive AI adoption across the studio to meet growth's velocity requirements without compromising brand or compliance standards.
Principal Accountabilities
- Creative direction & craft: Set and maintain creative direction across all brand & growth touchpoints including digital, video, motion, print/OOH, email, sales collateral and internal comms. Provide hands-on creative direction and craft feedback across brand, copy, design, motion and video. Direct and prioritise in-house studio output; own the AI tooling roadmap for extending capacity and make the resourcing case if/when AI-assisted tools no longer cover demand.
- Team & production management: Lead, develop and manage a team of 7 across copy, design, motion/video and web. Own production process end-to-end: briefing, resourcing, review cycles, delivery timelines, quality control. Manage external agency/freelance relationships where in-house capacity is stretched.
- Production capacity & growth support: Own the studio's operating model for serving two distinct demand types: considered brand/campaign work, and high-volume, fast-turnaround performance/growth creative (landing pages, ad variants, paid social, CRO test assets). Build a production process (templating, design systems, copy/creative frameworks, AI-assisted variant generation) that can meet Growth & Digital Acquisition's volume and speed requirements without pulling the whole studio into reactive, always-on production. Partner directly with Growth/Digital Acquisition leadership to support in-housing of all Allica's creative assets, agree SLAs, prioritisation rules, and what can be templated/self-served vs. what needs bespoke creative input. Decide what volume of production can be safely delegated to AI-assisted workflows versus what requires human craft and compliance review. Track studio capacity against demand from both brand and growth, and use that data to make resourcing/tooling cases.
- AI adoption: Own the studio's broader AI adoption roadmap across design, copy, motion and web production, balancing speed against brand quality and IP/copyright risk. Periodically reassess whether AI tooling is sufficient to cover demand or whether the team has outgrown that setup, and make a resourcing case if so.
- Brand: Champion brand consistency and evolution as Allica scales.
Personal Attributes & Experience
- Proven creative leadership role (Creative Lead/Director level) in a high-growth in-house or prestigious agency environment, managing a multi-discipline team of similar size.
- Genuine hands-on craft experience across brand, copy, design and motion/video, not delegated oversight.
- Practical, current experience embedding AI tools into creative production workflows (design, copy, motion, and ideally web/no-code tooling).
- Experience running a creative studio that serves both brand and performance/growth marketing demand, understands the difference in process, pace and quality bar between the two.
- Experience building templated/systemised creative production (design systems, modular copy frameworks, creative testing pipelines) to support high-volume output.
- Comfortable partnering with Growth, Digital Acquisition and Product stakeholders, not just Brand and Marketing.
- Strong commercial acumen and able to work with senior commercial, product and growth leads and advocate for the importance of quality creative execution.
- Financial promotions or regulated marketing experience: a plus, not a requirement. Comfortable learning and operating within a regulated approval process even without prior direct experience.
Working at Allica Bank
At Allica Bank we want to ensure our employees have the right tools and environment in which to succeed in their role and in support of our customers. Our employees are at the heart of everything we do, so our benefits are designed with you in mind:
- Full onboarding support and continued development opportunities
- Options for flexible working
- Regular social activities
- Pension contributions
- Discretionary bonus scheme
- Private health cover
- Life assurance
- Family friendly policies including enhanced Maternity & Paternity leave
Don't tick every box?
Don't worry if you don't have all the skills or requirements listed on the job description. If you think you'll be a good fit, we'd still love to hear from you!
Flexible working
We know the '9-to-5' isn't right for everyone. That's why Allica Bank is fully committed to flexible and hybrid working. Please let us know what is best for you and, if we can, we will do our best to accommodate.
Diversity
We're a diverse bunch here at Allica, with all kinds of experiences, backgrounds and lifestyles. Our openness and differences make us stronger, and we want everybody to feel comfortable bringing as much of themselves to work with them as they like.
Head of Creative in London employer: Allica Bank Limited
Allica Bank is an excellent employer that fosters a collaborative and innovative work culture, where employees are empowered to take ownership of their roles in enhancing IAM controls across cutting-edge platforms like Microsoft Entra ID and Google Cloud. With a strong focus on employee growth, Allica Bank offers numerous opportunities for professional development and training, ensuring that team members can thrive in their careers while contributing to meaningful projects that enhance security and efficiency within the banking sector.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Creative in London
✨Show Off Your Creative Juice
As a freelancer in marketing communications, your portfolio is your golden ticket! Make sure you’ve got a killer online presence showcasing projects you've worked on, including any campaigns or content pieces. Don't just toss it together; highlight the impact you've made with metrics whenever possible!
✨Join the Marketing Circuit
Get yourself into the local or online marketing communities, like the AMA (American Marketing Association) or industry-specific groups on LinkedIn. Attending events, workshops, or webinars can help you connect with potential clients or collaborators who might need your skills.
✨Leverage Social Media Authentically
Use platforms like Instagram and Twitter to share your insights on marketing trends or showcase your past work. Creating engaging posts or even threads with tips can boost your visibility and position you as a go-to expert in your niche.
✨Tap into Your Network
Don’t shy away from reaching out to old colleagues, friends, or acquaintances in the marketing space. A simple message asking if they know anyone in need of freelance support can open unexpected doors. Remember, personal connections can lead to opportunities that job boards can’t!
We think you need these skills to ace Head of Creative in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Craft a Portfolio that Pops:As a freelance marketer, your portfolio is your best friend! Make sure to showcase your best marketing campaigns, social media content, and any communications strategies you've developed. Don't just list your experience; highlight the results you achieved for your clients to demonstrate your talent.
Show Off Your Creativity:Marketing and communications thrive on creativity, so don’t hesitate to let your unique style shine! Whether it’s your CV layout, your cover letter’s voice, or even your email subject line, a bit of flair goes a long way in making you stand out to Allica Bank Limited.
Define Your Services and Rates:Freelancing means you're running your own show! In your application, be clear about the services you can offer Allica Bank Limited and include your rates if appropriate. This helps potential clients understand what they can expect from you and makes it easier for them to consider working together.
Don’t Forget About Availability:Clients want to know when they can start working with you, so be upfront about your availability in your application. Whether you can take on a project immediately or have a schedule lined up, being clear about timelines will make you a more attractive candidate for Head of Creative at Allica Bank Limited.
How to prepare for a job interview at Allica Bank Limited
✨Showcase Your Portfolio
When interviewing for a freelance gig in marketing communications, having a strong portfolio is crucial. Make sure you have examples of your best work, whether that's social media campaigns, press releases, or content pieces, ready to share with the team at Allica Bank Limited.
✨Familiarise Yourself with Marketing Tools
Since this role involves communication, be prepared to discuss the specific tools that you use for managing campaigns and analytics, like HubSpot or Hootsuite. Being able to demonstrate your technical comfort with these platforms can really set us apart from other candidates.
✨Pitch Your Unique Value
Freelance roles are all about standing out, so don’t just talk about what you can do—pitch why you’re the perfect fit for Allica Bank Limited. Focus on your unique style, previous client success stories, and how you can tailor your approach to their needs.
✨Prepare to Discuss Your Availability
Since this is a freelance position, expect to chat about your availability and workload management. Have a clear plan on how you can fit this role into your schedule while ensuring quality output, as this will establish reliability and professionalism with the hiring team at Allica Bank Limited.
