Associate Creative Director (In-House Creative Agency)

Overview: This role offers an opportunity to be an integral part of BT Group's new in-house agency initiative as we bring the development of BT Group's brand creative work into the organisation. As we transition creative delivery in-house, we're building new processes, workflows and collaborative ways of working that will shape how campaigns and content are created and delivered going forward. As Associate Creative Director, you'll be the creative lead for one of our key brands, responsible for the creative vision, quality, and output across all brand touchpoints. You'll lead a team of designers, copywriters, and digital designers to create exceptional work that drives brand love and business results.

Responsibilities:

• Own and drive the Marketing creative for your assigned brand, ensuring all creative output is distinctive, effective, and on-brand.
• Set creative standards and quality benchmarks that push our Marketing creative forward.
• Drive engaging marketing creative across all channels and customer touchpoints.
• Present creative work confidently to senior stakeholders, selling ideas and gaining buy-in.
• Lead the development of integrated campaigns from initial concept through to final execution.
• Generate big creative ideas that work across multiple channels and can scale across the brand.
• Oversee execution across all formats - from TV and digital video to social, print, outdoor, retail, and experiential.
• Lead and inspire your creative team of designers, copywriters, and digital designers.
• Match the right creative talent to the right briefs based on skills and development needs.
• Create an environment where creativity thrives and people do their best work.
• Manage team workload, ensuring balanced allocation and sustainable pace.
• Mentor and develop your creative team members, growing their skills and careers.
• Champion your team members' work internally and help build their reputations.
• Support recruitment and onboarding of new creative talent when needed.
• Foster a culture of creative excellence, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Build strong cross-functional relationships to align creative vision, manage expectations, and ensure insightful, well-executed work from brief to delivery.
• Champion brand integrity by overseeing creative quality, evolving brand guidelines, and ensuring every output strengthens and differentiates the brand.
• Drive innovative, culturally relevant creative ideas by staying ahead of trends while ensuring all work respects and elevates the brand's heritage.

Qualifications & Experience:

• Strong background in creative roles within agencies, studios, or in-house creative teams.
• Experience leading or guiding creative teams and shaping high-quality creative output.
• A strong portfolio showcasing campaign ideas and execution across multiple channels.
• Ability to create work that drives measurable impact and supports business goals.
• Confident presenting creative work to senior stakeholders and clients.
• Experience working with major consumer brands, ideally in fast-paced or complex categories.
• Skilled in developing integrated campaigns from concept through to delivery.
• Demonstrated ability to mentor, support, and develop creative talent.

Desirable:

• Experience within an in-house agency or brand-side creative environment.
• Familiarity with telecommunications, technology, or complex B2C categories.
• Creative work recognised by industry awards (e.g., D&AD, Cannes Lions, The Drum).
• Experience delivering both brand and performance creative.
• Strong understanding of digital-first campaigns and social content.
• Knowledge of agile creative processes and rapid production environments.
• Multi-channel campaign experience including TV, digital, social, and experiential.

Education & Professional Development:

• Active engagement with the creative industry through events, awards, or communities.
• Genuine interest in emerging creative trends, technologies, and cultural movements.

BT Group & Benefits:

• Annual on-target bonus 15% (based on both personal and company performance).
• Private healthcare for you and your family.
• £5500 car or cash allowance.
• BT Pension scheme; minimum 5% employee contribution, BT contribution 10%.
• 25 days annual leave + 8 bank holidays with the option to buy up to one week's work of your contracted hours. This will also increase with service.
• 2 weeks carer’s leave.
• From January 2025, Family Leave policy with 18 weeks at full pay, eight weeks at half pay and 26 weeks at the statutory rate for all parents.
• Enhanced women's health support.
• Life Assurance (4 x life cover pay).
• Exclusive colleague discounts on BT broadband packages and EE plans.
• My Discounts and other retailer savings.
• Discounted EE TV including TNT Sport and NOW Entertainment.
• Healthcare options and voluntary benefits such as Dental Insurance and Gym memberships.
• Volunteering days.
• Electric vehicle salary sacrifice arrangement, known as 'My EV'.
• 24/7 private virtual GP appointments for UK colleagues.