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For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead creative projects, generate innovative concepts, and inspire a talented team.
- Company: Join a dynamic agency at the heart of sport, gaming, and entertainment.
- Benefits: Enjoy flexible working, private medical insurance, and personal development coaching.
- Why this job: Make an impact with award-winning campaigns that resonate with youth culture.
- Qualifications: 5+ years in creative roles, strong design skills, and a passion for culture.
- Other info: Be part of a supportive culture that values growth and creativity.
The predicted salary is between 36000 - 60000 ÂŁ per year.
THE DETAILS:
- Department: Creative
- Reports to: Creative Director
- Responsible for: No direct reports, but expectation to guide/mentor team members
- Hours: Full time, permanent
- Location: Manchester, Northern Quarter. We operate a Hybrid working policy of minimum 3 days in Manchester HQ per week.
THE ROLE:
As a Senior Creative at Ear to the Ground, you play a pivotal role pioneering our creative output. You set the standard for worldâclass craft, lead the development of culturally resonant ideas, and ensure our work connects deeply with fans â driving results for our clients, helping to grow their business and set new standards of creative excellence for our work and the industry. You will sit at the centre of the creative process: generating concepts, shaping visual language, and directing execution across live, experiential, digital and social. You'll lead by example, inspiring the internal creative team with your knowledge of the wider creative landscape, while mentoring and guiding the next generation of talent.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Creative Leadership
- Establish the creative direction, style and tone of campaigns, ensuring visual ideas land powerfully across all touchpoints.
- Work with Creative Directors on creative and strategic goals across clients and projects.
- Drive worldâclass execution across formats including experiential, live, digital, social and print.
- Lead by example to inspire and create original ideas.
- Able to run ideation and production of campaigns autonomously.
- A desire to create awardâwinning work, and understanding of what it takes.
- Concepting & Visual Development
- Generate clear, compelling concepts in response to briefs.
- Collaborate closely with the wider creative team to develop fully integrated campaign ideas.
- Ensure the concept and visual strategy are implemented correctly from idea to final execution.
- 3D and Motion experience is a plus but not essential.
- Craft Excellence
- Maintain a high standard of graphic design, layout and visual storytelling.
- Demonstrate proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator) and relevant design tools.
- Direct designers, visualisers, photographers, illustrators, and production partners to deliver work of the highest craft quality.
- Client & Stakeholder Engagement
- Present ideas confidently and clearly to internal teams and clients.
- Build strong client relationships through proactive communication and trusted creative leadership.
- Contribute to new business pitches with ideas, visuals and inspiration.
- Team Mentoring & Creative Culture
- Guide and support designers and junior creatives in their professional development.
- Foster innovation and curiosity within the creative team.
- Maintain and grow relationships with freelance designers, visualisers, art directors and other creative suppliers.
- Industry Knowledge & Trend Insight
- Stay on top of cultural, creative, sport, youth and entertainment trends to inspire internal teams and strengthen our creative output.
- Bring inspirational knowledge of art, culture, design, photography, sport, music or wider fan culture.
KEY REQUIREMENTS:
- 5+ years' experience as an Art Director or Copywriter within the marketing or advertising industry.
- Strong conceptual ability and a proven record of producing highâquality campaign work.
- Demonstrable graphic design skills with a keen eye for detail.
- Skilled at communicating visual concepts with a strong command of AI to help visualise ideas.
- Ability to give and take direction, while also operating independently when required.
- Excellent communication and presentation skills.
- Experience creating work for youth audiences (15â25).
- Deep, passionate awareness of sport, music and/or wider culture.
- Ability to perform under pressure and deliver against tight deadlines.
- Relevant design/creative education or training.
THE AGENCY:
Ear to the Ground is a global sport, gaming, and entertainment creative agency with a unique model that sets us apart. We are driven by Fan Intelligence, our global network of 12,000 influential tastemakers and fans. Our realâtime insight into what fans truly want enables us to create compelling work that consistently pushes the boundaries of culture. We pride ourselves on being the agency that listens better than anyone to solve our clients' challenges, maximise their sport, gaming and entertainment partnerships, and ultimately build brands that lead culture. We've helped clients including Nike, PlayStation, JD, NBA, CocaâCola and 2K turn fans into consumers by delivering culturally relevant, fanâfirst campaigns that inspire emotional connection and measurable business impact.
OUR CULTURE:
We are dedicated to making Ear to the Ground an amazing place to work where people grow, develop and thrive. We pride ourselves on our dynamic and exciting culture, excellent support of staff and fantastic benefits package. We have made it our mission to lead the way in being an inspiring, futureâthinking, creative agency and are invested in our people because they are the ones that will make that happen.
Some of our benefits include:
- Flexible & hybrid working
- Birthday off
- Workplace nursery benefit
- Enhanced maternity, paternity and shared parental leave
- Private medical insurance and health cash plan
- Enhanced sick leave
- Cycle to Work scheme
- Dog friendly office
- EV salary sacrifice scheme
- Personal development coaching
- + more
Senior Creative in Manchester employer: Ear to the Ground
Contact Detail:
Ear to the Ground Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice đ¤Ť
We think this is how you could land Senior Creative in Manchester
â¨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Get out there and connect with people in the industry. Attend events, join online forums, or even hit up local meetups. The more you engage, the better your chances of landing that Senior Creative role.
â¨Tip Number 2
Show off your portfolio! Make sure itâs up-to-date and showcases your best work. When you get the chance to chat with potential employers, have your portfolio ready to go. Itâs your chance to shine and demonstrate your creative prowess.
â¨Tip Number 3
Practice your pitch! Youâll want to be able to confidently present your ideas and experience. Think about how you can relate your past work to what theyâre looking for at Ear to the Ground. Tailor your pitch to show youâre the perfect fit!
â¨Tip Number 4
Donât forget to apply through our website! Itâs the best way to ensure your application gets seen. Plus, we love seeing candidates who take the initiative to engage directly with us. Letâs make it happen!
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Creative in Manchester
Some tips for your application đŤĄ
Show Off Your Creative Flair: When you're crafting your application, let your creativity shine through! Use engaging language and showcase your unique style. Remember, weâre looking for someone who can set the standard for world-class craft, so make sure your application reflects that.
Tailor Your Application: Donât just send a generic application! Tailor it to the Senior Creative role by highlighting your relevant experience and skills. Mention specific projects where youâve led creative direction or developed compelling concepts that resonate with audiences.
Be Clear and Concise: While we love creativity, clarity is key! Make sure your application is easy to read and gets straight to the point. Use bullet points for your achievements and keep your paragraphs short. We want to see your best work without wading through fluff!
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website. Itâs the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you donât miss out on any important updates. Plus, it shows youâre keen to join our team at Ear to the Ground!
How to prepare for a job interview at Ear to the Ground
â¨Know Your Creative Stuff
Make sure you brush up on your creative portfolio before the interview. Be ready to discuss specific projects you've worked on, especially those that showcase your ability to generate compelling concepts and lead creative execution. Highlight any award-winning work or campaigns that resonate with youth audiences.
â¨Show Off Your Leadership Skills
Since this role involves mentoring and guiding team members, be prepared to share examples of how you've inspired others in previous positions. Talk about your approach to fostering innovation and curiosity within a creative team, and how youâve successfully collaborated with others to achieve outstanding results.
â¨Stay Ahead of Trends
Familiarise yourself with current cultural, creative, and entertainment trends. During the interview, demonstrate your knowledge of whatâs happening in the industry and how it can influence your creative output. This will show that youâre not just a creative thinker but also someone who understands the market landscape.
â¨Communicate Clearly and Confidently
Practice presenting your ideas clearly and confidently, as you'll need to do this with both internal teams and clients. Use visual aids if necessary to help convey your concepts. Strong communication skills are key, so make sure you can articulate your vision and the rationale behind your creative decisions.