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- Tasks: Lead creative projects for premium brands, turning strategy into innovative visual concepts.
- Company: Independent London agency known for its dynamic and collaborative culture.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, opportunities for growth, and a vibrant studio environment.
- Why this job: Join a creative team to shape iconic brand narratives and elevate cultural relevance.
- Qualifications: Experience as a Senior Art Director or similar role with a strong portfolio.
- Other info: Flexible working arrangements and potential for career advancement in creative leadership.
The predicted salary is between 36000 - 60000 ÂŁ per year.
We are working on behalf of our client, an independent London agency, who is looking for a Senior Art Director/Creative Lead to sit just under the Creative Director. This person will be the one pushing ideas further, bringing original thinking, visual direction and cultural relevance to some very well-known premium brands. If you love ideas, brand worlds, and making things feel both premium and interesting this might be a good fit!
The role involves working across global drinks and lifestyle brands, taking strategy and turning it into strong creative territories, concepts and visual directions. You’ll partner with strategy and design to bring brand platforms, launches, gifting and toolkits to life in ways that feel fresh, on-brand and commercially smart. This is less about being the neatest layout designer and more about being the person with the ideas, the references and the vision, who can still communicate that clearly and work with designers to land it.
What you’ll be doing:
- Working with creative directors and strategists to turn brand strategy into big, ownable creative territories
- Developing concepts for brand platforms, launches, gifting, toolkits, education pieces and campaigns
- Exploring how ideas play out across touchpoints, from decks and guidelines through to POS, activations and content
- Art directing shoots, visual assets and key visuals where needed
- Bringing cultural references and fresh thinking into the work, especially around premium and lifestyle audiences
- Collaborating closely with designers to turn rough ideas into polished, on-brand executions
- Presenting work internally and externally, telling a clear story from insight to idea to execution
- Helping raise the creative bar across the studio, especially on originality and distinctiveness
What you’ll bring:
- Experience as a Senior Art Director, senior designer with a strong conceptual bend, or similar creative lead role
- Strong portfolio across brand, packaging, campaigns or activations, ideally with premium / drinks / lifestyle work in the mix
- Confident at turning strategy into territories, ideas and visual directions (not just executing someone else’s idea)
- Comfortable working on toolkits, guidelines and “upstream” brand work, not just final campaign assets
- Able to sketch, mood board and reference clearly, and then guide designers on how to bring it to life
- A feel for what’s culturally relevant and fresh for premium brands (not just “disruptive for the sake of it”)
- Collaborative, open to building on others’ thinking, and happy in a close, in-studio team
Salary: £45k–£55k depending on experience
Working pattern: full-time, mainly in the studio (with flexibility when needed and agreed)
Role type: permanent, with room to grow into a bigger creative leadership position if it’s the right fit
Senior Art Director employer: Ruby Magpie
Contact Detail:
Ruby Magpie Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Art Director
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Get out there and connect with people in the industry. Attend events, join online forums, and don’t be shy to reach out to folks on LinkedIn. You never know who might have the inside scoop on your dream job!
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your portfolio! Make sure it’s up-to-date and highlights your best work. When you get the chance to chat with potential employers, bring it along and be ready to discuss your creative process and how you’ve turned ideas into stunning visuals.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your pitch! When you land an interview, be prepared to present your ideas clearly and confidently. Think about how you can tell a compelling story about your work, from insight to execution, just like you would for a brand campaign.
✨Tip Number 4
Apply through our website! We’re always on the lookout for fresh talent, so make sure you check out our listings regularly. Tailor your application to show how your unique vision aligns with the brands we work with, and let’s create something amazing together!
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Art Director
Some tips for your application 🫡
Showcase Your Creative Vision: When applying, make sure your portfolio reflects your unique ideas and visual direction. We want to see how you turn strategy into compelling concepts that resonate with premium brands.
Tailor Your Application: Don’t just send a generic application! Take the time to align your experience with the job description. Highlight your work with lifestyle and drinks brands, and how you've pushed creative boundaries in past roles.
Be Clear and Concise: While we love creativity, clarity is key! Make sure your written application tells a coherent story about your journey as a Senior Art Director. We want to understand your thought process and how you collaborate with others.
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures it gets the attention it deserves. Plus, it’s super easy!
How to prepare for a job interview at Ruby Magpie
✨Showcase Your Creative Vision
Make sure to bring a strong portfolio that highlights your best work, especially in premium and lifestyle brands. Be ready to discuss the thought process behind each piece, focusing on how you turned strategy into creative concepts.
✨Know the Brand Inside Out
Research the agency and its clients thoroughly. Understand their brand values, target audiences, and recent campaigns. This will help you tailor your ideas and demonstrate how you can elevate their creative output.
✨Communicate Clearly and Confidently
Practice articulating your ideas and concepts clearly. Use storytelling techniques to explain how your insights led to your creative solutions. This will show that you can effectively collaborate with both strategists and designers.
✨Be Open to Collaboration
Emphasise your ability to work closely with others. Share examples of how you've built on team members' ideas in the past. This will highlight your collaborative spirit, which is crucial for a role that involves guiding designers and raising the creative bar.
