Associate Director of Creative

About Us:

IRIS is a global technology company, renowned for delivering innovative solutions that empower businesses across the UK and USA. With creativity at the core of our brand, we are now seeking a Head of Creative for this brand-new role, to lead our design efforts across multiple platforms, shaping the future of our visual identity and driving engagement with our global audience.

Position Overview:

As the Head of Creative, you will lead and manage a team of graphic designers, overseeing the entire creative process across the UK and USA markets. You will ensure the delivery of high-quality visuals for marketing campaigns, digital assets, web, events, and more. This remote role will require some infrequent travel to our offices in London and Manchester to collaborate with cross-functional teams. Working closely with marketing, product, digital and events teams, you will play a pivotal role in developing and executing creative strategies that align with our business objectives.

Key Responsibilities:

• Creative Leadership:
  Lead, mentor, and inspire a small team of graphic designers, fostering a collaborative, agile, high-performance culture across remote teams. Ensure the team consistently delivers creative that is on-brand, innovative, and effective for both the UK and US markets.
  Creative Process Management:Briefing and Concept Development:
  Translate creative briefs into strategic, innovative design concepts. Lead brainstorming sessions and creative reviews to guide concept development that resonates across our UK and US audiences.
• Pitching and Presentations:
  Present creative concepts to senior management and stakeholders, clearly communicating the vision, strategy, and execution behind each design.
• Managing Timescales and Workflows:
  Oversee project timelines, ensuring efficient workflow from concept to delivery. Prioritise tasks and manage expectations, ensuring deadlines are met across teams.
• Stakeholder Collaboration:
  Work closely with cross-functional teams, including marketing, product, digital, and events, to ensure the creative output supports wider business goals. Engage with stakeholders across the UK and USA to gather feedback and refine creative strategies.
• Brand Development:
  Evolve and maintain the company’s global brand identity, ensuring all visual outputs are aligned with brand guidelines and are consistent across digital, print, and events.
• Campaign & Digital Design:
  Lead the creative direction for global marketing campaigns, delivering digital assets (social, email, video, ebooks) and physical / print materials that speak to both the UK and US markets. Ensure a seamless and visually cohesive experience across all customer touchpoints.
• Event & Experience Design:
  Oversee the creation of engaging visual content for both virtual and live events, ensuring all designs capture the essence of our brand and drive engagement with audiences across regions.
• Team Management & Development:
  Manage the performance and development of the creative team, providing mentorship and career development opportunities. Foster a creative environment that encourages experimentation and growth within a remote working structure.
• Project Management:
  Oversee multiple design projects, ensuring quality, creativity, and timelines are maintained. Manage relationships with external vendors and creative agencies when necessary.
• Trends and Innovation:
  Stay informed of design and industry trends, applying this knowledge to keep the company’s visual approach innovative and competitive.

Qualifications and Skills:

• Experience:15+ years of professional experience in creative roles, with in-house and agency experience preferred.
  At least 5 years of experience managing a creative team, with a proven track record of leading high-impact creative projects.
• Design Expertise:Expert proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign) and working knowledge of other design tools (Premier, After effects, Cinema 4D Figma, Sketch, etc.). Experience of project and workflow management tools.
• An understanding of digital design principles, UI/UX, web design, and experience with responsive design would be a benefit, but is not essential.
• Creative Vision:Ability to lead and develop creative strategies that align with business objectives.
  An eye for detail and mastery of typography, layout, hierarchy, color theory, and branding.
• Leadership and Team Management:Proven experience in managing and developing creative teams. Strong leadership skills, with the ability to inspire and drive a team to meet both creative and business goals.
• Communication Skills:Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to present and pitch creative concepts to senior leadership and stakeholders.
• Project Management:Experience managing multiple projects simultaneously in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment. Strong organisational skills and attention to detail. Process management and filing structure experience essential.
• Stakeholder Management:Skilled in collaborating with cross-functional teams across different regions and managing relationships with external vendors and creative agencies.
• Location Flexibility:Willingness to travel to London and Manchester offices if required.