Design Director

Who you are

• Extensive Experience: Proven track record as a Senior Lead Designer or Design Director
• Portfolio Excellence: A strong portfolio demonstrating mastery in graphic design and innovative packaging design
• People Leader: Experience line managing and coaching junior-to-mid-weight designers with an empathetic, growth-oriented leadership style
• Autonomous Worker: Highly disciplined and organized, with a proven ability to manage your own workload and deadlines in a 100% remote environment
• Strong Communicator: Exceptional ability to articulate creative concepts to non-creative internal stakeholders

What the job involves

• As a Design Director, you will balance high-level design direction with hands-on execution
• Reporting into the Chief Creative Officer, you will co-lead the activity of smol’s design function alongside an existing Design Director
• You’ll take ownership of your own design schedule while coaching and line managing your direct report/s
• You will act as a critical bridge in our Design Team, driving day-to-day decisions, collaborating cross-functionally, and protecting the Chief Creative Officer’s time by managing standard creative workflows independently
• Translating Briefs into High Quality Designs: Turn commercial and marketing briefs into compelling, high-impact design direction and designs
• Hands-on Design: Own and execute your own schedule of design work, including but not limited to packaging and graphic design for both print and digital use
• Day-to-Day Decision Making: Act as the ultimate daily decision-maker for design execution, ensuring your projects move forward efficiently
• Maintain Quality: Uphold and champion exceptionally high visual and functional design standards across all outputs
• Line Management: Directly line manage, mentor, and support the career growth of your direct report/s
• Coaching: Direct, review, and elevate the work of the Designer and Senior Designer to foster a culture of continuous improvement
• Peer Collaboration: Partner effectively with your co-Design Director to ensure a unified design vision and balanced workload distribution
• Creative Culture: Contribute to a culture of creativity by sharing knowledge, inspiration and ways to make continuous improvements
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Represent the Design Team by attending key cross-functional meetings, ensuring design is aligned with manufacturing, marketing, and product development
• Campaign Strategy: Working with teams across the business to introduce products to market
• Gatekeeping: Protect the Chief Creative Officer's time by autonomously resolving day-to-day design challenges
• [The role is remote / home working but will involve regular travel to meet up with team members, so ability to travel to London and South-East is a must have]

Benefits

• Volunteer Leave
• Staff discount
• Flexible remote working with co-working space credits
• 25 days annual leave + bank holidays