DESIGN DIRECTOR

LONDON, UK

Hybrid Working - 3 days in the office per week. We operate a Fix + Flex model, with Wednesdays and Thursdays as our two Fix Days, when everyone is in the office, and the third day is Flex for you - either Monday, Tuesday, or Friday.

A benchmarked salary between £64,800 to £76,680 based on your level within our progression framework. 

WHO WE ARE
We are Born Social, a social-first creative agency that brings brand building into the social era. We have a track record of delivering transformation for iconic brands like Guinness, Ford, and Barclays, led by our team of social natives and brand experts, underpinned by technology.

Backed by the strength of a brilliant business that's proudly B-Corp certified, we're consistently recognised as one of the best places to work.

We're looking for a Design Director to help shape the creative vision for design across Born Social, working closely with our Head of Design to set the bar for ambitious, industry-leading work.

WHAT YOU'LL BE DOING

• You'll work hand-in-hand with our Head of Design to set and oversee the creative vision for design across the agency, driving roadmap goals and delivering best-in-class, industry-leading work with the highest level of attention to detail and technical craft

• You'll lead by doing: your own craft across graphic design, motion and editing sets the bar, and you'll ensure the team's output consistently achieves platform-tailored excellence across social, web, OOH and broadcast, and external recognition

• You'll partner with senior clients and agency leadership to drive innovation and growth, building trusted relationships that last

• You'll help lead department operations; scoping, brief triage and team casting, keeping margins strong and deploying the right people on the right work

• You'll shape how the department uses AI-powered design and generation tools, setting the standard for craft-led, AI-enabled ways of working

• You'll nurture a high-performance culture that reflects our values, supports development, and enables talent to thrive; acting as a key leader within your accounts and the wider department

WHO WE'RE LOOKING FOR

• You're an accomplished design leader with 8+ years of experience (agency or in-house), including leading teams and creative output at a senior level

• Your craft is exceptional across both static and motion design, and your portfolio proves it, with award-winning or externally recognised work to your name

• You live and breathe platform-tailored design across social, web, OOH and broadcast, and know what it takes to make work that gets noticed by audiences, clients and juries alike

• You're a people-first leader: you build high-performing, inclusive teams, coach talent through to their best work, and set a standard others want to rise to

• Adobe Suite mastery is a given (After Effects, Premiere Pro, Photoshop, Illustrator) and you're fluent in AI design and generation tools, with a clear vision for how they elevate craft rather than replace it

• You're commercially sharp; comfortable with scoping, resourcing and margins, and motivated by growth targets as much as creative ones

• You have genuine presence with senior clients: you can present a vision, defend the craft and open the door to bigger opportunities

• You thrive in a fast-paced environment, balancing multiple accounts, priorities and deadlines without dropping the quality bar

NICE TO HAVE

• 3D capability (Cinema 4D, Blender or equivalent) or experience directing 3D work

• Deep branding and identity experience, including building brand and design systems

• Working experience with high volume performance creative outputs

NO GRIT NO PEARL

No Grit No Pearl is our creative mantra – a single-minded statement of intent that defines how we get to great work and the standard we hold ourselves to.  Because we believe the best work isn't formed instantly, they're shaped through commitment, care, and perseverance. Grit isn’t about grind - it’s about staying curious, pushing ideas, and appreciating the process to reach the Pearl - work we’re proud of, created to the highest standard that makes a lasting impact.

VALUES

Our values aim to pinpoint the magic ingredients for us at our best. We look for people who share our values and can add to our culture. 

⚡️ See Challenge as Opportunity... is about our attitude and to be very clear, this is not a value of optimism, nor is it about loving every challenge.

⚡️ Say It Simply... is how we communicate. Think of the basic rules of communication - honest, clear, confident.

⚡️ Do What You Say... is the crux of our reputation and longevity. When you join Born Social, our trust is fully given. It is yours to lose. 

⚡️ Make Each Other Better... is about our culture of collaboration and commitment to development. We are only as good as the people around us so we all take responsibility for developing each other, as well as ourselves.

⚡️ Consciously Contribute...is bigger than all the others.  It ensures we grow right. It broadens our focus beyond Born Social and cements our commitment to doing what’s just, not what’s easy or immediately self-serving.  

BORN SOCIAL 🤝 CROUD

Born Social is proud to be part of Croud. Together we are a global, full service media, creative and data agency. We operate as a unique scaled network of Intelligent, Creative Specialists, enabling us to deliver superior brand outcomes and unlock potential for our people, our clients and our communities.

Please note: Internal candidates may be considered for this position as part of the selection process, in line with our commitment to transparent and fair recruitment.

EVERYONE'S WELCOME

We celebrate different ideas, perspectives, and backgrounds here at Born Social. As an equal opportunities employer, we believe in the power of an inclusive and representative team. We welcome applications regardless of race, religion or belief, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, political affiliation, family, or parental status. We don’t simply comply with the Equality Act, we go further and take pride in building a stronger and more creative work environment, committed to inclusion, diversity, and representation.

A DAY IN THE LIFE WITH US

We've partnered with Day of Wrk to show you what daily life is like in some of our most popular job roles. Visit their site to see content from some of our team including Social Media Managers, Motion Designer & Account Managers.