Senior Creative in City of London

About us

The Independent is an online news publisher that was established in 1986 as a national newspaper independent of party political affiliations or proprietorial influence. In 2016, The Independent became a fully digital publisher, moving away from print in pursuit of sustainability, and to safeguard its values and journalism for the future.

The Independent has always thrived through innovation and change. It was the first British newspaper to add a Saturday magazine; the first to give photography the same prestige as a news copy; the first to challenge the Westminster lobby system of closed briefings; the first broadsheet to move to the more compact ‘tabloid’ format; the first to launch a concise quality compact paper; and the first – and only – major newspaper to pull off a successful transformation to fully digital publishing.

Through The Independent, Independent TV, eCommerce, indy100, subscriptions and other ‘reader revenues’, The Independent plans to continue the work of many decades, bringing much-needed independent journalism to over 100 million unique global visitors a month, making its voice ever louder and more insistent the world over. We have an international editorial team with our main offices in London and New York.

In 2024 The Independent’s portfolio of brands increased through a new licensing partnership with BuzzFeed Inc. to operate the BuzzFeed brands in the UK - BuzzFeed UK, Tasty, Seasoned and HuffPost UK. The additional brands echo the existing business ethos and allow for increased audiences and a further strategic diversification of revenue streams.

The team

We are looking for a passionate Senior Creative to join our UK Branded Content team. Based in London and reporting to our Creative Director, you will create compelling branded campaigns full of boundary pushing ideas and impactful digital & social content strategies for AAA clients, seeing these through from pitch to delivery. You are knowledgeable about digital publishing and social strategy, and have experience creating content in the sponsored content or advertising space. You have a natural understanding and passion for the digital, pop culture and lifestyle landscape, and an intimate knowledge of all things internet. You'll be collaborative with an excellent ability to collaborate, and inspire others in the business.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

We champion diversity in our teams and in our reporting. As a growing and global brand, we must have a workforce that’s more representative of our readers, viewers, clients and partners, and a workplace that creates a sense of belonging for everyone. We are committed to hiring and developing a diverse workforce regardless of background, and we support our people to thrive in their careers here. The Independent is an equal opportunities employer; if you require any reasonable adjustments to complete your application, please do not hesitate to advise us accordingly.

About the Role

BuzzFeed Inc. is looking for a talented conceptual Senior Creative to join our Branded Content team. This role is about big ideas and end-to-end ownership. You will use cultural insight, creative strategy and sharp conceptual thinking to develop campaigns that cut through for some of the world’s biggest brands. From building out pitch decks to shaping the execution, you will be responsible for ensuring every campaign feels relevant, impactful and true to our audiences. We are looking for someone who can think socially, understand how ideas live across different platforms, and push creative boundaries while working across multiple projects at once.

What you’ll be doing

• Lead branded campaigns from brief to delivery, balancing creative ambition with client objectives
• Build compelling pitch decks and write persuasive copy for proposals and treatments
• Develop strong social-first ideas rooted in youth culture, digital trends and audience behaviour
• Confidently present ideas to clients, building narratives that win trust and excitement
• Lead post-sale projects from video treatments, scripting and talent briefings through to overseeing edits to ensure the creative vision is delivered
• Partner with production teams, videographers, editors, designers and animators to bring concepts to life
• Shape content across formats, from short-form video and creator-led ideas to integrated campaigns
• Manage multiple projects at once, meeting deadlines without compromising creative quality
• Ensure work is polished, detail-driven and aligned with both client expectations and audience insight
• Stay plugged into culture, platform shifts and new creative possibilities, applying this knowledge to your work

What we’re looking for

• Experience as a creative in a branded content, social-first or advertising environment
• Strong conceptual thinker with the ability to generate and shape original campaign ideas
• Excellent copywriting skills across decks, treatments and campaign storytelling
• Confident communicator who can lead client conversations and articulate creative vision
• Proven track record of delivering high-quality campaigns that connect with audiences and perform commercially
• Experience working in quick-turnaround environments, managing multiple live projects
• Solid understanding of how content works across social platforms, with a particular focus on video
• Knowledge of production processes including budgets, timings and deliverables
• Passion for youth culture, internet trends and creator-led storytelling
• Ability to create strong and visually engaging pitch presentations in Google Slides

Our values – you will deliver across all our values

• Inclusive: We champion diversity in our teams and in our reporting. Working as a team, we put transparency and effective communication at the heart of everything we do.
• Innovative: From the very beginning, The Independent has been breaking the mould. We take risks and are always looking to try new ideas in pursuit of excellence.
• Independent: Nobody tells us what to think; we make up our own minds and aren’t afraid to do things differently. Like our readers, we value honesty and integrity above outside influences.

We ask that you include a cover letter/portfolio as part of your CV/application.