Design Director

The purpose of this role is to work closely with the Creative Directors and Strategy leads to help push the design boundaries of the agency output for existing clients and new business opportunities. Present innovative and differentiating ideas and designs to clients. They will be responsible for the design ownership, creative strategic development and overall concept development of the Client’s brand.

Dentsu Creative is a global creative agency network built to unlock exponential growth for clients through Transformative Creativity — a unifying force that drives innovation across people, businesses, and society. Launched in June 2022, it operates in over 145 countries and is fully integrated with dentsu’s Media and CXM capabilities to deliver seamless, end‑to‑end solutions worldwide. Guided by the philosophy of “Building Brands for What’s Next,” Dentsu Creative empowers brands to navigate current challenges and prepare for future opportunities, crafting resilient, forward‑thinking strategies that thrive in an ever‑evolving world.

Purpose of the Role: Leads and delivers design excellence within the agency squad, ensuring creative ideas are realised through high‑quality, hands‑on execution that is on‑brand, scalable and approval‑ready. AI tools are a core part of how this role works: embedded into daily design workflows, used to accelerate and elevate the quality of the work and continually explored for what they can make possible. Design output for this squad must serve two audiences with distinct visual expectations. Business professional communications demand clarity, confidence and credibility: design that signals trustworthiness and competence. Consumer‑facing work demands energy, accessibility and appeal: design that makes Adobe feel exciting and approachable. The Design Director must be comfortable navigating both registers and ensuring the craft is right for each.

Primary focus on Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Express and related productivity and accessibility‑led products within the Adobe portfolio.

What You’ll Do:

• Owns design leadership and craft excellence across all squad outputs.
• Application and stewardship of Adobe brand systems, guidelines and templates.
• Development of master files and modular design approaches to enable scale.
• Consistency, accessibility and production readiness across all design deliverables.
• Accountability for the quality of design work leaving the squad.
• Active development of designers within the squad, with genuine investment in their growth and progression.
• Embedding AI‑native design practice across the squad: ensuring AI tools are part of everyday workflow, not an occasional addition, and actively exploring how to push what the technology can produce.

Key Moments:

• Working hands‑on with designers to create, refine and elevate the design output.
• Translating creative ideas into high‑quality, scalable design executions.
• Leading agency‑side design reviews and driving quality control within the squad.
• Ensuring master assets and templates are fit for multi‑market use.
• Final design readiness prior to client review and sign‑off, escalating issues where required.

What You’ll Bring:

• A strong command of design across B2B and B2C contexts: understanding how visual language, tone and hierarchy shift when speaking to someone evaluating a business solution versus someone inspired to create something new.
• The ability to produce design that feels appropriately professional and credible for business audiences, whilst being genuinely vibrant and engaging in consumer contexts.
• Meticulous craft standards: this work appears publicly and must hold up against competitive benchmarks in both sectors.
• Art direction capability: the ability to define and maintain the visual tone of a body of work, including image selection, compositional approach and the visual language that carries an idea from concept to execution.
• An AI‑native approach to design: AI tools are embedded into how this person works every day.
• International fluency: experience designing for audiences across different cultures and markets, with an understanding of how visual language and messaging must adapt beyond a UK or single‑market context.
• A modular, scalable design approach that works across formats, markets and channels without losing quality or coherence.

What We Offer:

This is a permanent role. The team is based from our London office on a hybrid working basis. At dentsu, we’ve built a benefits package that supports every chapter of your life. From company‑funded Private Medical Insurance, a 24/7 Virtual GP and a generous sick‑pay policy, to wellbeing days, volunteering time, flexible bank‑holiday swaps and great everyday perks like retail discounts, gym access and tech schemes - we make it easier to live well, not just work well.

Our employee‑led resource groups have helped shape policies that genuinely matter: enhanced maternity, paternity and carers leave, extended sick leave, menopause and baby‑loss support, plus 10 fertility treatment days. Combined with life assurance, income protection, financial education tools and flexible savings options, you’ll find a workplace that invests in you - your health, your family, your future.

Inclusion and Diversity:

At Dentsu, we embrace diversity and inclusion, valuing the unique perspectives and contributions of every individual. We believe that diversity fuels creativity and innovation, benefiting our employees, partners, and communities. We welcome applications from all individuals, regardless of race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, marital status, or any other protected characteristic. Beyond recruitment, we strive to create an environment where everyone feels respected, supported, and empowered to bring their authentic selves to work. We recognize the importance of work‑life balance and are open to discussing flexible working arrangements for all roles.

If you need reasonable adjustments due to a disability or medical condition during our recruitment process, please contact us at accommodations@dentsu.com, quoting the reference number of the role that you are applying for. Your needs will be handled with respect and confidentiality to ensure an inclusive and accessible experience.

Location: London

Brand: Dentsu Creative

Time Type: Full time

Contract Type: Permanent