Senior Designer (12 month FTC)

4creative is Channel 4’s in-house creative agency. We’re about 40 people, who write and produce risky, innovative and culturally potent work across all Channel 4 brands and services.

JOB PURPOSE:

As a Senior Designer within 4creative, you will help lead and inspire the design team, working closely with creative teams, project managers, producers and stakeholders to deliver exceptional creative work for the Channel 4 family of brands. You will play a leading role in shaping the creative direction and visual identity of projects from initial brief through to final delivery. You will bring strong conceptual thinking, broad cultural and design references, and a multidisciplinary skillset to help develop ambitious creative ideas and turn them into compelling, effective design solutions. You will take ownership of the look and feel of projects across a broad range of outputs, including campaign identities, poster campaigns, digital and social assets, channel branding, internal communications and partnership activity. You will also support and mentor other designers, contributing to a collaborative, ambitious and creatively progressive studio culture.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Help lead and inspire the design team, working closely with the Head of Design to maintain a high creative standard across 4creative. Take ownership of the design direction and visual development of a wide variety of projects, from initial briefing through to final delivery. Engage from the briefing stage, understanding the strategic objectives, audience and creative ambition of each project and using design to help achieve them. Work closely with creative teams to develop and strengthen campaign ideas, bringing original thinking, relevant cultural references and ambitious visual approaches. Challenge and push creative thinking where appropriate, ensuring design solutions are distinctive, culturally relevant and true to the Channel 4 brand and remit. Develop and establish visual identities, campaign toolkits and design systems that can flex effectively across multiple channels and touchpoints. Lead the development of design work across print, digital, social, motion, branding and other emerging formats. Create compelling presentations, treatments and mock-ups that communicate creative thinking clearly and bring ideas to life. Present and articulate creative work with confidence, clarity and enthusiasm to internal teams, marketing and commissioning colleagues, senior stakeholders and external partners. Provide constructive creative feedback and guidance to other designers, helping to develop the quality of work across the team. Support and mentor junior and midweight designers, sharing knowledge, processes, references and best practice. Collaborate with motion designers, illustrators, photographers, retouchers, production teams and external partners to deliver work to a high standard. Oversee the design process through to final delivery, ensuring work is accurately produced, on brand and meets the required technical and production standards. Help manage multiple projects and priorities simultaneously, balancing creative ambition with deadlines, budgets and available resources. Build strong working relationships across 4creative and the wider Channel 4 organisation, contributing positively to a collaborative and inclusive studio culture. Understand how creative and design decisions contribute to wider marketing, brand, audience and organisational objectives. Consider the impact of design decisions across other functions, including digital product, commercial partnerships, marketing and audience engagement. Contribute to cross-functional projects where design can influence campaign effectiveness, audience reach, brand perception or commercial outcomes. Use audience insight, performance data and relevant KPIs where appropriate to inform and evolve creative and design approaches. Stay curious and engaged with emerging design, art direction, technology, culture and visual trends, bringing relevant thinking back into the studio.

ESSENTIAL SKILLS:

Strong conceptual and original thinking, with the ability to turn strategic and creative briefs into distinctive visual ideas. Excellent design craft with a highly developed understanding of typography, layout, composition, image-making and art direction. A meticulous eye for detail across digital, print and other media. Strong presentation and communication skills, with the ability to confidently explain and sell creative thinking to a range of audiences. Proven ability to give and receive constructive feedback and to positively influence the creative work of others. A proactive, solutions-focused approach with a ‘nothing is impossible’ attitude. Comfortable working under pressure and able to maintain creative quality across multiple projects and competing deadlines. Excellent organisation and time-management skills. Able to work autonomously, taking ownership and responsibility for projects while knowing when to collaborate, challenge or seek support. A highly collaborative approach and the ability to work effectively with creatives, producers, project managers, marketers, commissioners, suppliers and external partners. Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to establish effective working relationships with people at all levels. An in-depth knowledge of contemporary design, art direction, popular culture and emerging creative trends. A genuine interest in how design can shape brands, influence audiences and contribute to wider organisational objectives. A willingness to share knowledge, support other designers and contribute to the development of the wider design team. A commitment to creating work that celebrates difference and represents an inclusive and diverse society. Experience working with motion designers and an understanding of motion-led creative is an advantage.

ESSENTIAL EXPERIENCE:

Proven experience as a Senior Designer or equivalent level within a respected creative agency, in-house creative team or similarly ambitious creative environment. A strong portfolio demonstrating conceptual thinking, creative leadership and a high level of design craft. Proven experience taking creative projects from initial concept and briefing through to final delivery. Extensive experience developing and applying brands across digital, print and multiple campaign touchpoints. Experience working across both large-scale campaigns and smaller, fast-moving projects. Demonstrable experience leading the visual direction of projects and influencing the creative output of wider teams. Experience mentoring, supporting or creatively directing other designers is highly desirable. Experience collaborating with multidisciplinary creative teams, including writers, art directors, motion designers, producers and external specialists. A strong understanding of how creative work connects to brand strategy, marketing, audience engagement and wider organisational objectives. Experience using audience insight, performance data or other measures to inform creative decisions is desirable. A track record of pushing creative boundaries and producing disruptive, culturally relevant work. A strong understanding of commitment to Channel 4’s remit, personality and ambition to represent and celebrate a diversity society. Highly proficient in Adobe Creative Suite, particularly Photoshop, Illustrator, Indesign. Abilities in After Effects/Motion/3D all a plus. Channel 4’s purpose is to create change through entertainment; by representing unheard voices, challenging with purpose and delivering content which reflects the diversity of different communities across the UK. We are only able to deliver on this remit by having a workforce rich in diversity of thought, background and lived experience. As an employer we encourage applications from candidates from all backgrounds and do not discriminate based on disability, age, gender reassignment, gender expression, criminal history, length of time spent unemployed, marriage or civil partnership status, national origin, pregnancy and maternity status, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation. Disability Confident Scheme: Channel 4 is a member of the Business Disability Forum (BDF) and has also maintained the highest level of the Department of Work and Pension's Disability Confident scheme - Level 3: Leader. Under the Disability Confident Scheme, we aim to offer an interview to all candidates who have a neurodiverse condition, impairment or long-term condition and who meet the essential criteria for an advertised job. If you wish your application to be considered under the Disability Confident Scheme, please select yes when completing the application questions. For more information, please visit the Disability Confident Campaign website. For our roles and schemes that receive a high volume of applications it may not be possible to provide an interview to all applicants who meet the essential criteria and in this situation we can only select applications that best meet the skills needed for the role. Care Leaver Friendly Employer: Channel 4 is a Care Leaver Friendly Employer. By signing the Care Leaver Friendly Employer Charter and adopting its principles, we are supporting an immensely talented yet often under-served and under-represented community of young people/ adults. We commit to offering an interview (and constructive feedback) to applicants who identify as care experienced and meet the essential criteria for the role as outlined on the job description. Applicants should indicate if they wish to apply under our Care Leaver Scheme by selecting the option on the application form. For our roles and schemes that receive a high volume of applications it may not be possible to provide an interview to all applicants who meet the essential criteria and in this situation we can only select applications that best meet the skills needed for the role.