Junior Designer in London

Location: London (Hybrid)

Salary: DOE

Reporting to: Lead Designer / Head of Production

About Dark Horses

Dark Horses is an agency for people who are passionate about sport. We help brands connect with fans through creativity that lives within culture, not alongside it. As a specialist sports marketing agency, we work with some of the world's leading brands, rights holders and organisations to create ideas, campaigns and content that fans genuinely care about. Our work spans brand strategy, branding, sponsorship, social media, content creation, experiential activations and integrated campaigns. We combine strategic thinking with creative excellence to help brands earn their place in sport. At Dark Horses, we believe the best sports marketing contributes to fandom rather than interrupting it.

The Role

This role is ideal for a Junior Designer with 2 - 4 years of agency experience who is looking to step up from a junior position into a more influential and creatively demanding role. You'll work across a broad range of sports and lifestyle clients, creating social-first content, campaign assets, brand communications and creative concepts that connect with audiences across multiple platforms. You'll be expected to bring strong design fundamentals, a passion for sport and culture, and a desire to develop both your creative thinking and executional skills.

Working closely with the Lead Designer, Creatives, Strategists, Editors and Account Teams, you'll help deliver high-quality work that reflects the ambition and standards of Dark Horses. This is a fantastic opportunity for someone looking to accelerate their development within one of the most exciting specialist agencies in sport. As we continue to grow, we're looking for a talented Designer who is ready to take the next step in their career and develop into a fully established Midweight Designer.

Key Responsibilities

• Creative Development
• Create high-quality visual design across social, digital, experiential and integrated campaign projects.
• Develop creative responses to briefs, helping bring ideas to life through strong visual execution.
• Contribute to concept development sessions and creative reviews.
• Produce presentation-ready creative mock-ups, visuals and campaign materials.
• Support the development of brand identities, campaign toolkits and creative systems.
• Ensure all work is delivered to a consistently high standard of craft and attention to detail.
• Social-First Design
• Design content that lives effortlessly on all the major social platforms.
• Create platform-native content that reflects audience behaviours and platform best practice.
• Support reactive and real-time creative opportunities around key sporting moments.
• Stay connected to developments in social content, design trends and fan culture.
• Collaboration
• Work collaboratively with wider creative, strategy and client teams.
• Present work internally and confidently explain creative decisions.
• Respond positively to feedback and use it to strengthen creative output.
• Contribute positively to team culture and creative standards.
• Growth & Development
• Continuously develop design, conceptual and presentation skills.
• Take increasing ownership of projects and workstreams.
• Build towards operating confidently at a Midweight Designer level.
• Seek opportunities to learn from senior team members and contribute to the creative growth of the agency.

Who You Are

• Essential Experience
• 2 - 4 years' experience within a creative, branding, social or advertising agency environment.
• A portfolio demonstrating strong visual design skills and creative thinking.
• Excellent understanding of typography, layout, visual hierarchy and brand application.
• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite, including Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign.
• Experience creating content and creative assets for digital and social channels.
• Strong organisational skills and ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Confidence to present work and creative thinking.
• Personal Attributes
• Passionate about creativity, sport and culture.
• Curious, proactive and eager to learn.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced agency environment.
• Collaborative and positive in your approach to teamwork.
• Strong communicator with the confidence to share ideas and opinions.
• Ambitious and motivated to progress into a Midweight Designer role.
• Desirable Skills
• Motion design experience / understanding using After Effects/ Premiere Pro.
• Understanding of content creation workflows.
• Experience working with sports, entertainment or lifestyle brands.
• Knowledge of emerging creative technologies and AI-assisted workflows.

What You'll Get From Us

At Dark Horses, we're committed to helping talented people build meaningful careers. In return for your passion, commitment and creativity, you'll receive:

• Competitive salary depending on experience.
• Hybrid working model (2/3 days in the London office).
• 25 days holiday entitlement.
• Comprehensive benefits package available upon request.
• Clear progression pathway towards Midweight Designer and beyond.
• Ongoing learning and development opportunities.
• Mentorship from experienced creative leaders.
• Exposure to high-profile sports brands, rights holders and campaigns.
• A collaborative, ambitious and supportive working environment.
• The opportunity to create work that sits at the heart of sport and culture.

Recruitment Process

• Stage 1 - Introductory Conversation & Portfolio Interview - An introduction conversation with our Lead Designer and Head of Production to discuss your background, ambitions and interest in the role including a portfolio review, where we'll discuss your work, creative thinking and approach to design.
• Stage 2 - Final Interview - A final conversation with senior members of the agency to explore team fit, growth potential and career aspirations.
• Stage 3 - Offer - Successful candidate will receive a formal offer and onboarding plan.

Diversity & Inclusion

Dark Horses is committed to building an inclusive workplace where everyone feels welcome, respected and able to do their best work. We actively encourage applications from people of all backgrounds, experiences and perspectives because we believe diversity makes us stronger, more creative and better equipped to understand the audiences we serve.

Ready to Step Up?

If you're a talented designer with a passion for sport, culture and social-first creativity, we'd love to hear from you. Join us and help create work that fans actually care about. Please email your CV and portfolio to . LinkedIn Easy Apply may not be checked.