Creative Lead in Manchester

At Individual Restaurants, we create more than great food; we deliver memorable experiences. With a portfolio including Piccolino, Restaurant Bar & Grill, Forbici and Riva, our restaurants are built on energy, quality and exceptional service.

Working at the centre of the marketing function, the Creative Lead will translate brand, trading and commercial objectives into compelling creative ideas that drive awareness, engagement, footfall, bookings and guest loyalty. You will lead the development of bigger‑picture campaign concepts, visual identities, content systems and design execution across print, digital, social, CRM, menus, in‑restaurant collateral, photography, video and presentation materials.

The successful candidate will be both creatively ambitious and operationally disciplined: able to originate strong campaign ideas, challenge briefs, set creative standards, use AI tools intelligently within the design process, and manage the flow of creative work from brief through to delivery. They will be expected to bring fresh thinking to how the business creates, tests, scales and improves creative output across multiple brands in a fast‑paced hospitality environment.

What You’ll Do

• Lead the creative direction across Individual Restaurants’ brands, ensuring each brand has a clear, distinctive and commercially relevant creative expression.
• Develop bigger‑picture creative platforms and campaign ideas that go beyond asset delivery, helping brands show up with stronger storytelling, richer guest experiences and greater cultural relevance.
• Translate brand strategy, trading priorities and customer insight into creative concepts that can work across paid, owned, earned and in‑venue channels.
• Own the creative development of seasonal campaigns, menu launches, new openings, refurbishments, events, partnerships and key commercial moments.
• Challenge and elevate briefs, ensuring the creative response is strategically sound, guest‑focused, brand‑right and commercially useful.
• Maintain, evolve and protect brand guidelines, tone, visual identity systems and creative standards across the full portfolio.

What We’re Looking For

• Proven experience in a Creative Lead, Senior Designer or Brand Creative role.
• Strong portfolio across branding, campaigns, digital, print and social.
• Excellent design skills using Adobe Creative Suite.
• Experience generating campaign ideas, not just executing briefs.
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple projects.
• Understanding of AI tools such as ChatGPT, Midjourney, Firefly or Runway.
• Commercial awareness and a passion for building brands that perform.

Bonus If You Have

• Hospitality, retail, leisure or lifestyle brand experience.
• Motion, video editing or social‑first content experience.
• Experience managing shoots, agencies and freelancers.

Why Join Us?

• 50% off food and drink across our restaurants (for you and up to 8 guests).
• Life Assurance.
• Support through The Drinks Trust.
• Healthcare Cash Plan.
• Financial wellbeing tools via Wagestream.
• Enhanced family leave and healthcare support.
• Opportunities to grow within a leading hospitality group.

This is an exciting opportunity to shape creative output across a growing hospitality group, build stronger brands, lead innovation and make a real commercial impact.