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We have a fantastic opportunity for a Design Director to join us!

As a creative leader, you inspire and empower teams to do their best work. You believe in the power of good design to not only tell a story but move people to action. Your own curiosity drives you to create visually compelling work, grounded in strategy—and built to endure. You can listen with empathy, explain the “whys” behind decisions, challenge the status quo, and represent your viewpoints with conviction. This role balances the responsibilities of running projects, leading pitches, and rolling up your sleeves to work out the details. Whatever the brief, you seek to build an authentic connection with audiences, to surprise, inform, and delight.

OVERVIEW OF THE ROLE

The Design Director is an inclusive and hands-on design leader who can create and deliver world-class communications solutions for our clients and prospects. As such, you’ll be responsible for responding to creative briefs, creating design solutions and maintaining the integrity of our client work in partnership with all departments across the business while supporting in the leadership of the creative team.

We are looking for someone who is passionate about creating inspiring work with a genuine interest in telling our clients stories in a compelling and inventive way. You’ll need the ability to mix creative flair and conceptual thinking with commercial awareness, effectively present and sell-in your work, inspire clients and colleagues with innovative creative solutions grounded in strategic thinking which expresses how creativity can have positive impacts on our clients, their business and the wider world. All while maintaining your head when things get busy, with a great personality to boot!

WHY THIS JOB?

If you want to create work that shares stories and moves people to action….
Then you should consider this job…

If you believe that design —not decoration— is a critical business tool that activates ideas…
Then you should consider this job….

If you want to create work with clear narratives between strategic foundations, compelling concepts
and crafted executions…
Then you should consider this job….

If you listen with empathy, explain the “whys” behind your decisions and question assumptions….
Then you should consider this job….

YOUR KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Provide creative leadership.

• Define and lead projects from concept to delivery in a wide range of formats: editorial, campaigns, video, web, and more.
• Shape and deliver presentations that tell a compelling story—effectively articulating the concept and conveying the strategy.
• Apply creative problem solving across multiple client accounts.
• Providing overall creative direction and leadership across assigned client work and new business pitches.
• Proactively lead the thinking, the design process and the delivery of multiple projects.
• Combine creative and strategic thinking to proactively push and challenge a brief and to translate business and communications objectives into original and relevant propositions and creative solutions.
• Be the ultimate custodian of the teams creative output, ensuring the integrity, accuracy and quality of work is maintained.
• Work flexibly, proactively and collaboratively with multi-disciplined teams to develop and refine processes that drive exceptional creative thinking and delivery.

Strengthen client relationships.

• To build strong and enduring client relationships with senior and day to day client contacts, instilling their trust and confidence in your abilities to meet their needs.
• Successfully present and sell in creative solutions to clients, communicating thought and reasoning behind your work.
• Be proactive in all client dealings, managing account problems efficiently and always providing exemplary client services.

Take commercial responsibility.

• Manage project resources (time and budgets) to deliver jobs profitably, on time and to the desired quality.
• Source high quality, but cost effective, suppliers and collaborators and where required direct and manage them as necessary.
• Where required, make an active contribution to new business.

Support your team.

• Mentor, motivate, and manage a group of creatives with a diverse range of backgrounds and skill sets. Foster an inspiring and inclusive work culture and empower all team members to have a voice.
• To work closely with the Executive Creative Director and wider Creative team as well as the Account Management and Publishing teams to develop the creative strategy and understand the delivery framework.
• Act as a mentor for designers within the team and be the champion of our internal work processes.
• Be proactive and helpful in assessing and giving advice to aid other designers improve their work and grow.
Help build a brilliant creative team through ongoing support and mentorship.

YOUR REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS

Reporting to:

• The Executive Creative Director

Working closely with:

• The wider Creative, Account Management and Publishing teams

YOUR QUALIFICATIONS, EXPERIENCE & SKILLS

The ideal candidate will have the following profile of skills and experience:

• Degree level qualification from a reputable Art/Design college.
• A minimum of eight years’ experience in corporate communication, with annual report experience an advantage.
• Expert knowledge of InDesign, Illustrator & Photoshop.
• Excellent knowledge of the print and production process.
• Digital experience design and knowledge of digital and social channels is an advantage.
• Strong interpersonal, presentation and communication skills necessary to present your solutions and to build trust and respect both with clients and the team.
Excellent eye for detail, ambitious for the quality of your work, and a constant search for excellence.

PERSONAL QUALITIES

• Passionate about creating inspiring work.
• Ambition to self-improve and excel.
• Strong ‘can do’ attitude motivated by a desire to be part of the solution, rather than part of the problem.
• Ability to multitask and direct effectively under pressure, managing conflicting deadlines.
• Ability to blend commercial awareness with passion and creative flair.
• Energetic and keen to meet the challenges of contributing to a dynamic, highly entrepreneurial environment.
• Ability to work closely with other departments and senior managers to achieve commercial and creative objectives.
• A great sense of humour and fun!!

ABOUT BLACK SUN GLOBAL

Across the globe, there is a powerful movement demanding that business focus on purpose, sustainability, and wider value creation. It has never been more important for organisations to build and maintain trust with their key audiences. And that’s where Black Sun come in – we are a partner to some of the biggest brands and businesses worldwide – helping them to build enduring relationships with their stakeholders and spark positive change through better engagement and inspiring communications.

As our world rapidly changes, our focus remains constant. At heart we are storytellers, we define articulate and shape the value creation story, bringing it to life across different channels and communications formats. Our team is made up of over 150 talented specialists working across the UK, Europe, South Africa and Asia – analytical thinkers, renaissance creatives, digital mavericks and inspiring change makers!

For more than twenty years, we have won many awards and recognition for our work – but great work doesn’t happen by magic – join Black Sun and you will become part of an amazing, diverse, and inclusive community – a team of passionate and skilful people who will expand your horizon, energise your talents and ignite that spark of magic within you.

Beyond what you would expect; a competitive salary, great benefits and hybrid working – we will support you in developing the skills and expertise to fast track your career. You will have the opportunity to make a difference every day, shaping the future of communications and creating positive change – and most importantly, to have fun along the way.

THE POSITIVE CHANGE GROUP

Black Sun is the founding agency at the centre of The Positive Change Group. The Positive Change Group is a truly international stakeholder advisory and engagement collective of like-minded specialist agencies with a shared ambition to help bold and visionary businesses Spark Positive Change – to make a deeper impact on society, shape more ethical practices, build inclusive communities and deliver more sustainable performance.

The Group currently consists of four pre-eminent agencies: Black Sun Global, People-Made, Stratton Craig and GoCo. Each agency brings together deep expertise on different aspects of stakeholder advisory and engagement – including brand culture, strategic communications, reporting, ESG advisory, analytics and creative storytelling. Current clients within the Group include major international firms, such as AstraZeneca, Burberry, Diageo, Meta, Olam, Virgin Atlantic and Vodafone.

With headquarters in London, Singapore, and offices worldwide, the group is transforming the way companies engage with their customers, employees, investors, and communities worldwide. As business increasingly recognises that long-term success is dependent on the support and advocacy of their stakeholders – the Positive Change Group is helping their clients to inspire trust, build more positive relations and create sustainable value for the people that matter most to them.

BENEFITS

In addition to a competitive salary based on skills and experience, as an employee at Black Sun, you will have access to a range of great benefits and perks, including:

• 25 days holiday per year with ‘bonus’ days for long service
• Bonus scheme
• Personal development opportunities
• Group life assurance
• Group personal pension plan
• Employee assistance programme
• Hybrid working

Black Sun prides itself on being committed to offering equal opportunities to all potential employees and have zero tolerance for discrimination. We foster a business culture where ideas and decisions from all people help us grow, innovate, create the best work and be relevant in a rapidly changing world