Established in 2004, OLIVER is the world’s first and only specialist in designing, building, and running bespoke in-house agencies and marketing ecosystems for brands. We partner with over 300 clients in 40+ countries and counting. Our unique model drives creativity and efficiency, allowing us to deliver tailored solutions that resonate deeply with audiences.
As a part of The Brandtech Group, we're at the forefront of leveraging cutting-edge AI technology to revolutionise how we create and deliver work. Our AI solutions enhance efficiency, spark creativity, and drive insightful decision-making, empowering our teams to produce innovative and impactful results.
Role: Design Director
Location: London/Hybrid with occasional travel to Birmingham
About the role:
As Design Director, you'll serve as both brand guardian and strategic creative partner for Client — leading the studio's creative output while building close relationships with senior stakeholders across marketing, communications, and the partnership. This is a director-level role with genuine scope: you'll set the creative vision, maintain brand consistency across all channels, and develop the talent around you. You'll work closely with OLIVER's creative leadership, bringing your expertise to everything from campaign concepting and typographic craft to team coaching and executive presentations.
What you will be doing:
- Lead all visual communications for Client, acting as brand guardian across print, digital, social, and events — ensuring consistency, quality, and strategic alignment at every touchpoint
- Set the creative vision and direction for the studio, translating complex briefs from senior stakeholders into compelling, sophisticated design solutions
- Build, mentor, and develop the in-house creative team — providing clear creative direction, constructive feedback, and ongoing coaching that elevates individual craft and collective output
- Serve as the primary creative partner to senior Client stakeholders, including marketing leadership and firm partners, presenting creative strategy and executions with confidence and clarity at executive level
- Oversee the production of high-quality communications tailored for professional services audiences — from thought leadership campaigns and pitches to events and digital content
- Champion and evolve Client's brand system, keeping it contemporary, distinctive, and appropriate for a regulated sector environment
- Manage multiple concurrent projects across the portfolio, balancing hands-on creative contribution with leadership responsibilities and proactive problem-solving
- Collaborate with OLIVER's wider creative and account leadership to identify opportunities to grow the studio's offering and deepen the Client relationship
- Oversee studio-level production budgets — including cost estimation, supplier relationships, and spend reporting — ensuring financial performance aligns with Client and OLIVER expectations
- Drive responsible integration of AI tools across studio workflows, setting quality standards and governance that preserve craft excellence while improving efficiency
What you need to be great in this role:
- A strong portfolio of sophisticated brand and campaign work, with particular depth in B2B, corporate, or professional services environments
- Expert-level understanding of brand systems — how to build, maintain, and evolve them within complex, regulated contexts
- A track record of leading and developing creative teams, with a coaching approach that brings out the best in people at all levels
- Experience presenting creative work to executive and partner-level audiences, with the presence and communication skills to hold a room and advocate for ideas with conviction
- Deep craft knowledge across print and digital — typography, layout, art direction, and visual storytelling — with the ability to contribute hands-on when the work demands it
- Proficiency with Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign) and familiarity with Figma and contemporary design tooling
- Experience managing studio-level or project-level production budgets, including supplier relationships and cost oversight
- Experience integrating AI tools strategically across studio projects and operations, with the ability to set quality standards and governance at studio level
- Clear understanding of where AI enhances creative output — and where human craft and judgement remain essential
- Drives thoughtful AI adoption within the team, maintaining rigorous human oversight and mentoring others in responsible, effective use
- Agentic approach to complex creative and business challenges: systematic, adaptive, and focused on outcomes
Req ID: 17936
#LI-JS1 #LI-Director #LI-hybrid
Our values shape everything we do:
Be Ambitious to succeed
Be Imaginative to push the boundaries of what’s possible
Be Inspirational to do groundbreaking work
Be always learning and listening to understand
Be Results-focused to exceed expectations
Be actively pro-inclusive and anti-racist across our community, clients and creations
OLIVER, a part of the Brandtech Group, is an equal opportunity employer committed to creating an inclusive working environment where all employees are encouraged to reach their full potential, and individual differences are valued and respected. All applicants shall be considered for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, neurodivergence, disability status, or any other characteristic protected by local laws.
OLIVER has set ambitious environmental goals around sustainability, with science-based emissions reduction targets. Collectively, we work towards our mission, embedding sustainability into every department and through every stage of the project lifecycle.
Skills Required
- Strong portfolio of sophisticated brand and campaign work, particularly in B2B, corporate, or professional services environments
- Expert understanding of brand systems and experience building, maintaining, and evolving them in complex or regulated contexts
- Track record of leading and developing creative teams through coaching and creative direction
- Experience presenting creative work to executive- and partner-level audiences
- Deep craft knowledge of typography, layout, art direction, and visual storytelling across print and digital
- Proficiency with Adobe Creative Suite, including Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign
- Familiarity with Figma and contemporary design tools
- Experience managing studio- or project-level production budgets, suppliers, and cost oversight
- Experience strategically integrating AI tools across creative projects and operations
- Ability to establish AI quality standards and governance while maintaining human oversight and creative judgment
- Systematic, adaptive, outcome-focused approach to complex creative and business challenges
OLIVER Agency Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about OLIVER Agency and has not been reviewed or approved by OLIVER Agency.
-
Leave & Time Off Breadth — Feedback suggests vacation, sick leave, and paid holidays are strong elements, with time off frequently highlighted as a standout part of the package. UK materials also describe generous annual leave that increases with service alongside additional personal days.
-
Retirement Support — Feedback suggests U.S. employees can access a 401(k), and at least one account notes an immediate match. UK materials indicate a formal pension arrangement within the parent group.
-
Affordable Benefits — Feedback suggests U.S. medical coverage is paired with employer-funded HSA/HRA or flex contributions that help offset high deductibles. These subsidies can meaningfully reduce out-of-pocket costs for some employees.
OLIVER Agency Insights
What We Do
Established in 2004, we are the first and only company to design, build and run bespoke in-house agencies and ecosystems for brands. Today, we create work that delivers business growth, fame and purpose for over 200 clients in 46 countries and counting. Our unique model moves at the speed of modern business to drive change from the inside out; working smarter to make our clients’ money go further, and helping them build better solutions, systems and brands. Client solutions include Unilever’s U-Studio (a platform used by almost three-quarters of Unilever's brands globally), adidas’ off-shore hub and PepsiCo’s global digital team.
