At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a creative team to design high-quality visual communications for marketing and client engagement.
- Company: Join King & Spalding, a top global law firm known for innovation and excellence.
- Benefits: Enjoy a competitive salary, comprehensive benefits, and generous annual leave.
- Other info: Collaborative culture with opportunities for professional growth and development.
- Why this job: Make your mark in a dynamic environment while shaping the firm's brand and visual identity.
- Qualifications: 7-9 years of design experience and 2-5 years managing creative teams required.
The predicted salary is between 56700 - 69300 £ per year.
King & Spalding is a leading global law firm with a commitment to excellence, innovation, and the seamless delivery of legal services. We harness innovative technology and exceptional talent to meet the complex needs of our clients in a fast-paced and dynamic legal landscape. King & Spalding seeks a Creative Design Manager to lead a small team of designers responsible for producing high-quality visual communications that support the firm’s marketing, business development, and client engagement initiatives. This role serves as a working manager, balancing team leadership and project oversight with hands-on design execution. The Design Manager collaborates closely with the Associate Director of Brand and Creative to ensure that creative work aligns with the firm’s priorities, brand standards and communication objectives while delivering thoughtful, polished design solutions across a wide range of marketing materials.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
- Team Leadership & Resource Management: Manage and mentor a team of two designers, providing guidance, feedback and support on projects. Assess team bandwidth and assign work to ensure balanced workloads and timely delivery. Build and manage a roster of external creative partners including contract designers, photographers, animators, printers, illustrators and other vendors, exercising judgment based on project needs, timelines and team capacity. Collaborate with the Creative Media Producer on animated assets and other visuals used in video production. Review work produced by designers to ensure alignment with project objectives.
- Creative Development & Design Execution: Serve as a working manager by actively contributing to the design and production of marketing and business development materials. Translate written concepts into visually compelling communications that reflect the firm’s tone and positioning. Design a wide range of collateral, including invitations, announcements, digital campaigns, websites, newsletters, advertisements, social media graphics, trade show materials, and event-related assets. Develop custom typography treatments, campaign graphics and other bespoke visual elements. Demonstrate versatility across multiple design styles depending on audience, context and communication goals.
- Brand Stewardship: Together with the Associate Creative Director, help author, maintain and evolve the firm’s brand and visual style guidelines. Ensure that marketing materials consistently reflect the firm’s brand standards and visual identity.
- Stakeholder Collaboration: Work with internal stakeholders across marketing, business development and events to develop creative solutions that support business and communication objectives. Partner with the Associate Creative Director when shaping the creative approach for complex or high-visibility projects. Present design concepts clearly and confidently in both written and verbal settings.
- Production Oversight & Vendor Coordination: Oversee production processes to ensure projects are delivered accurately and on schedule. Attend press checks as needed. Coordinate with vendors to troubleshoot production issues and ensure quality outcomes. Maintain familiarity with production specifications, templates, and technical requirements.
- Innovation & Technology: Liaise regularly with the Associate General Counsel for International Offices and the General Counsel’s office on risk and regulatory matters; Coordinate compliance requirements, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), anti-money laundering (AML) requirements and Paris Bar regulations. Support statutory compliance requirements, including audits and returns, payments of all kinds and regulatory reporting.
QUALIFICATIONS
- 7-9 years of professional design experience, preferably within professional services, financial services, or corporate marketing environments.
- 2-5 years of experience managing designers or creative teams.
- Strong portfolio demonstrating sophisticated design work for high-end or luxury clients across print and digital media.
- Expertise in Adobe Creative Suite including InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, and Lightroom.
- Experience with Figma and knowledge of UX wireframing processes and design principles.
- Knowledge of After Effects or motion graphics tools is a plus.
- Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office, including PowerPoint (master slide development) and Word (template and style development).
- Excellent organizational and project management skills with strong attention to detail.
- Thorough understanding of print and digital production processes.
- Ability to manage multiple projects and solve problems in fast-paced environments.
- Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design or related field preferred.
Benefits and Compensation
The Firm offers a generous total compensation package with annual bonus in recognition of individual merit-based performance. Eligible employees may participate in King & Spalding’s comprehensive benefit program, including private medical insurance with Bupa, life assurance (4x salary), critical illness insurance (2x salary) and income protection insurance, 7% firm pension contribution, gym membership/wellness allowance contribution, Employee Assistance Programme, season ticket loan, cycle to work scheme and 25 days annual holiday.
Equal Employment Opportunity
King & Spalding LLP (K&S) is committed to providing equal employment opportunity to all applicants and employees in full compliance with all state, federal, and local laws prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, genetic information, age, disability or any other status protected by applicable law. We are proud of our remarkably cohesive culture, which now encompasses more than 2,500 lawyers and business professionals worldwide. We seek to attract and develop the very best talent to work with us. King & Spalding advances leading companies’ complex legal and business interests in more than 160 countries. Collaborating across an integrated platform of transactional, litigation and regulatory talent in 24 offices globally, we work to understand and achieve our clients’ business objectives.
Creative Design Manager employer: King & Spalding LLP
King & Spalding is an exceptional employer that fosters a collaborative and innovative work culture, making it an ideal place for a Creative Design Manager to thrive. With a commitment to employee growth, the firm offers comprehensive benefits, including private medical insurance, a generous pension contribution, and wellness allowances, ensuring that team members are well-supported both personally and professionally. Located in a dynamic legal environment, employees have the unique opportunity to work alongside top talent while contributing to high-profile projects that shape the future of legal services.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Creative Design Manager
✨Show Off Your Skills with a Killer Portfolio
As a graphic designer, your portfolio is your secret weapon! Make sure it's not just a collection of your work but showcases your creative process too. Use platforms like Behance or Dribbble to share your designs and gain visibility within the design community.
✨Get Involved in Design Meetups
Networking is key in the design world! Check out local design meetups or workshops where you can connect with other creatives and potential employers. This is a goldmine for finding unadvertised job openings at companies like King & Spalding LLP.
✨Tailor Your Applications
When you’re applying for a full-time role at a creative company like King & Spalding LLP, don’t go for a one-size-fits-all approach. Ensure your application highlights specific projects or styles that align with their brand image, showing that you’re a perfect fit for their team.
✨Leverage Social Media
Don't underestimate the power of social media in landing your dream design job! Share your work on platforms like Instagram or Pinterest, and engage with accounts from your desired companies—this could put you on their radar before they start hiring.
We think you need these skills to ace Creative Design Manager
Some tips for your application 🫡
Showcase Your Portfolio:Your portfolio is your visual CV! Make sure to include a link to your best design projects that showcase your creativity and versatility. Tailor it to include works that relate to the kind of design work King & Spalding LLP does, so they can see you in action.
Tailor Your CV for Design:When crafting your CV, highlight your design skills and software proficiencies, like Adobe Creative Suite or Sketch. Mention any relevant experience you have with branding, UI/UX design, or typography, as we want to see how you fit in with the creative team at King & Spalding LLP.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:In your cover letter, share your design philosophy and what excites you about working at King & Spalding LLP. Let us know how you approach your design projects and any specific campaigns or themes that resonate with you, showing we’re not just a good fit but a perfect match!
Highlight Collaboration Skills:As a graphic designer, you often work with various teams and stakeholders. In your application, mention experiences where you've collaborated with others to bring a project to life, whether it's with clients, writers, or developers. This shows you can thrive in a team environment, which is key at King & Spalding LLP.
How to prepare for a job interview at King & Spalding LLP
✨Get Your Portfolio Ready
Your portfolio is your secret weapon in graphic design interviews! Make sure it's showing off your best work, with a variety of styles and projects that highlight different skills — from branding to digital illustration. Be prepared to talk through each piece, focusing on your creative process and the tools you used.
✨Know Your Design Tools Inside Out
Familiarity with software like Adobe Creative Suite is a must! Brush up on your skills with Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign, as interviewers might dive into specific technical questions or ask for your workflow. If you’ve worked with any innovative tools or techniques, don't hesitate to showcase that expertise!
✨Prepare for Design Challenges
Some companies may throw a design challenge your way during the interview! This might involve sketching out ideas or solving a branding issue on the spot. Practising these quick thinking exercises beforehand can help us show off our creativity and adaptability.
✨Passion Counts
For a full-time position, showing genuine enthusiasm for design is key! Talk about your inspirations, the projects you're excited about, and why you're drawn to King & Spalding LLP. They want to see not just a skilled designer, but someone who'll bring passion and fresh ideas to the team.