Design Creative Lead (to be based UAE)

About R/GA

R/GA is a creative innovation company for the intelligence age. We harness design and technology to create more valuable experiences for people and brands. We are a company of reinvention: we evolve as technology reshapes the world, and we help our clients do the same. Our team is a mix of specialists working at the intersection of brand design, experience design, technology, and communications. We work hybridly both in the MENA studio and online across EMEA, bringing together the leading minds of our specialist crafts to solve any problem.

The role

We are looking for a Creative Lead MENA to co-lead the creative vision and output of R/GA MENA. This is a pivotal leadership role for a conceptual and strategic design leader with broad experience across brand, product, experience, and communications. This person will work closely with the MENA Lead to drive growth in the region, lead new business efforts, and shape the creative culture and standards of the MENA studio. The ideal candidate can connect dots across disciplines—brand, experience, technology, and communications—to create holistic and future-forward brand experiences. They will be equally comfortable in a pitch room, leading multi-disciplinary teams, and shaping the creative output across different types of engagements — from brand transformations to digital product launches, experience ecosystems, and communication platforms. A key part of the role will be shaping how we design with emerging technologies. You will be at the forefront of innovation: identifying, experimenting with, and codifying new interaction paradigms — from AI-enabled workflows to generative interfaces — that keep R/GA ahead of cultural and technological shifts. As an ambassador for R/GA, you will contribute to thought leadership, publish articles, and represent the agency at industry events, helping to shape our reputation as pioneers in brand, experience, and technology-led design.

Key responsibilities

• Partner with the MENA Business lead to drive new business and pitch efforts across MENA.
• Concept and create brand identities, products, experiences, and design systems, with narratives grounded in strategic thinking.
• Oversee the creation of design solutions to ensure final deliverables exceed both R/GA standards and client expectations.
• Define and elevate the creative standard across all MENA projects, ensuring innovation, cultural relevance, and executional excellence.
• Build and lead a multidisciplinary creative team, fostering collaboration and continuous growth across disciplines.
• Champion brand experience design — uniting brand identity, product design, and communications into cohesive ecosystems.
• Collaborate closely with Strategy, Tech, Experience, and Production leads to ensure alignment from concept to delivery.
• Define AI-powered ways of working across pitches and projects, including prompt systems, asset-generation workflows, and evaluation standards with an emphasis on innovation and quality.
• Upskill the company by creating playbooks, leading training, and codifying ways of working that accelerate AI adoption across disciplines.
• Lead new business pitches: shape compelling narratives, prototypes, and solutions that demonstrate tangible brand and product value.
• Foster client relationships: nurture senior relationships, frame opportunities, navigate ambiguity, and guide long-term roadmaps that unlock client growth.
• Lead and deliver crafted client presentations with confidence and clarity.
• Articulate points of view and thought leadership on design, industry and technology shifts.
• Represent R/GA in industry events, thought leadership, and external communications.

The ideal person has

• Experience working within or alongside global networks and diverse cultural contexts, ideally including MENA.
• A proven ability to lead, inspire, and create cutting-edge creative work with impact across brand and experience.
• Mastery of design foundations and interaction design across brand, product and experience design.
• Ownership of craft and capability output across multiple workstreams, ensuring that deliverables are of the highest quality.
• Demonstrated experience in leading multidisciplinary teams across visual, experience, and comms disciplines.
• Strong collaboration skills across strategy, creative, tech and business disciplines.
• A proactive, positive attitude and the ability to work independently.
• Strong new business acumen: ability to pitch, win, and build lasting client relationships.
• Experience leading and managing multidisciplinary design teams.
• An interest in emerging technologies and an openness to new methods of thinking.
• Active advocacy for the use of AI as a tool and medium to elevate outcomes.
• The ability to create and craft award-winning work.
• A confident, inspiring presence as both a team leader and industry ambassador.

You bring

• 10+ years agency experience (or similar) in design leadership.
• Mastery of design fundamentals and methodologies.
• Expertise in connecting design thinking with brand strategy and technology innovation.
• Experience leading creative teams across multiple disciplines.
• Mastery of Adobe Creative Suite, Figma, Keynote and emerging AI tools.
• Prototyping experience.
• Motion design experience is a plus.
• Passion for mentoring and developing creative talent.

Why you should work here

• Opportunity to shape the creative foundation of R/GA MENA and influence its regional impact.
• A collaborative, diverse, and innovation-driven environment.
• Hybrid work culture from UAE with flexibility and autonomy.
• Access to R/GA’s global network of thinkers, makers, and technologists.
• Wellbeing and learning resources with a budget to support your health and wellness.
• A supportive culture that is collaborative, inclusive, and people-first.

Diversity

No matter who you are, where you’re from, who you love, follow in faith, disability (or superpower) status, ethnicity or the gender you identify with (please do tell us your pronouns), you’re welcome at R/GA. If you have any requests or requirements to support you throughout any interview process, please do let us know.