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- Tasks: Lead creative design initiatives and develop innovative digital systems.
- Company: Join a dynamic agency that values creativity and collaboration.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive benefits, flexible work hours, and professional development opportunities.
- Why this job: Make an impact by leading a talented team and shaping the future of design.
- Qualifications: 8+ years in design leadership with a strong understanding of performance marketing.
- Other info: Embrace a culture of growth, diversity, and innovation.
The predicted salary is between 36000 - 60000 ÂŁ per year.
As an Associate Design Director, you bring a strong creative opinion, informed by strategy and past results to lead performance marketing initiatives. Balancing visual language, narrative structure and design process, you develop client and interagency relationships by clearly communicating and justifying concepts. Visual and systematic design woven together with a performance lens is your bread and butter—but you’ve also got strong working knowledge of campaign development, brand development, UX and UI principles, and scalable design system development—all essential in your role. You’re looking to hone your management skills directing the collaborative efforts of a large creative team. The environment you build for your team fosters professional growth and inspires others to exceed expectations. Most importantly, you embody and embrace our values—to be honest, inspired, driven, passionate and real—in everything you do.
You Will:
- Lead the design of a digital design system, both building from established patterns and iterating on new design components to evolve the system
- Be a hands‑on creative lead with the desire and capability to bring the best out of a design team
- Build and maintain creative culture within the design team
- Understand skillsets and personalities of team members to find areas for opportunity or improvement
- Drive the strategies that address customer needs and business goals across digital channels
- Contribute creative solutions and innovations that strengthen both the agency brand and market leadership position
- Develop & deliver innovative proposals to capture both account growth and new business opportunities
- Promote continuous improvement and accountability by driving Creative discipline and operational excellence and lending industry vertical expertise
- Perform strategic account planning with senior management in vertical marketing groups
- Conceive and create experience design solutions that fulfill strategic business objectives
- Be just as comfortable in the work as leading it. Figma is an extension of your creativity
- Effectively communicate creative ideas and strategies to all project stakeholders
- Lead and partner with multidisciplinary teams, including all creative disciplines, technology, planning, account and program managers, partners, clients and more
- Provide regular team leadership and constructive feedback on all accounts
- Develop, monitor, and modify the business unit creative department staffing strategies and plans, including team composition, performance, skills, training, and mentoring
- Develop, implement, and monitor quality standards across all creative artifacts and deliverables
- Continuously improve Creative methods, problem‑solving models, and best practices
- Proactively manage the success of production scope, schedules, and budgets
- Engage and inform practice leads from media, technology, marketing science, usability, and quality assurance to maximize results and ensure satisfaction
- Support and lead Human Resource initiatives with a focus on performance management
- Understand, embrace, and communicate corporate mission and values
You Have:
- 4+ years visual communication education or equivalent experience
- 8+ years design, marketing, or communications interactive work and design leadership experience
- 4+ years’ Design Systems experience
- Experience in a lead design role within a project‑based strategic, creative, or technical agency environment
- Substantial experience managing and bringing to life performance social creative
- A solid understanding of storytelling with the use of video – editing, pacing, motion design excellence
- Passion for design and eagerness to collaborate with other creative people
- Solid understanding and appreciation for the distinction between creative expression and commercial reality
What We Offer:
- Global maternity and parental leave
- Competitive benefits packages
- Vacation, compassionate leave, wellness days, and flex days
- Access to online services for families and new parents
- Early Dismissal Friday’s (off at 3:00 PM local time every Friday)
- Diversity and Inclusion Board with 13 affinity groups
- Internal learning and development programs
- Enterprise‑wide employee discounts
Our new hires & employees are the future of our organization, and we want to set you up for long‑term success. In an effort to do so, we expect our team to work from an office a minimum of 3 days a week. Critical Mass is an equal opportunity employer.
Associate Design Director in Scotland employer: Critical Mass
Contact Detail:
Critical Mass Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Associate Design Director in Scotland
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the design world and let them know you're on the hunt for an Associate Design Director role. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your portfolio! Make sure it’s up-to-date and highlights your best work, especially projects that showcase your skills in performance marketing and design systems. When you get the chance to chat with potential employers, be ready to discuss how your past experiences align with their needs.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for interviews by researching the company culture and values. Since we value honesty, inspiration, and passion, think of examples from your experience that demonstrate these traits. This will help you connect with the interviewers and show you’re a great fit for the team.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, it shows you’re genuinely interested in joining our team and contributing to our creative culture.
We think you need these skills to ace Associate Design Director in Scotland
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Creative Side: As an Associate Design Director, we want to see your unique creative flair! Make sure your application showcases your design skills and thought process. Use visuals or links to your portfolio to give us a taste of your style.
Tailor Your Application: Don’t just send a generic application our way. Take the time to tailor your CV and cover letter to reflect how your experience aligns with the role. Highlight your past results and how they relate to performance marketing initiatives.
Communicate Clearly: We value clear communication, so make sure your application is well-structured and easy to read. Use concise language to convey your ideas and justify your concepts, just like you would in a design presentation.
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply through our website for a smoother process. It helps us keep track of applications and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it’s super easy to do!
How to prepare for a job interview at Critical Mass
✨Know Your Design Systems
Make sure you’re well-versed in design systems, as this role heavily relies on them. Brush up on your knowledge of established patterns and be ready to discuss how you've iterated on design components in the past.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
Prepare examples that highlight your experience in leading creative teams. Think about how you've fostered a collaborative environment and helped team members grow, as this will resonate with their focus on building a strong creative culture.
✨Communicate Clearly and Confidently
Practice articulating your creative ideas and strategies. You’ll need to effectively communicate with various stakeholders, so being clear and confident in your delivery is key. Use specific examples from your past work to illustrate your points.
✨Embrace Their Values
Familiarise yourself with the company’s values—honesty, inspiration, drive, passion, and authenticity. Be prepared to discuss how you embody these values in your work and how they align with your personal approach to design and leadership.