Department
Creative Studio
Reports To
Creative Director with a dotted line to the brand manager
Location
Hybrid — London
Contract
Full‑Time, Permanent
Salary
£35,000–£40,000 depending on experience
Start Date
ASAP
ABOUT CONNOLLY ENGLAND
Connolly England is a British luxury leather goods house with more than 150 years of heritage. Founded in 1878 and based at 4 Clifford Street in the heart of Mayfair, the brand has supplied leather to some of the world's most prestigious motorcars — from Rolls‑Royce to Aston Martin — and built a reputation for craft, material quality, and considered design that endures across generations.
The brand is now in an active period of growth. International expansion is underway, including a planned flagship in New York. New product categories are in development. Connolly is investing in its creative infrastructure to match its ambitions — and this role sits at the centre of that effort.
ROLE SUMMARY
The Junior Art Director is a creative generalist with a strong visual instinct and hands‑on production skills. Reporting directly to the Creative Director, this role spans two core areas: approximately 60% creative direction support and shoot production, and 40% graphic design and brand support.
On the creative side, the role holder will produce and art‑direct lifestyle shoots and event content — managing everything from the brief to the final asset, with a genuine passion for photography and a strong artistic eye. On the design side, the role covers labels, packaging, newsletters, and digital assets, supporting the Creative Director and wider brand team with precision and craft.
A key function of this role is taking shoot production responsibility away from the e‑commerce team, who currently manage it alongside their core responsibilities. The Junior Art Director will own this process completely, freeing the wider team to focus on their primary functions.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Creative Direction & Shoot Production (approx. 60%)
* Produce and art‑direct lifestyle shoots for seasonal editorials, social content, and brand storytelling — from initial brief through to delivery of final assets.
* Own all pre‑production: briefing external photographers, sourcing and booking stylists, props, locations, and talent, preparing call sheets and schedules, and managing budgets.
* Be present on set, providing active creative direction to photographers, stylists, and any other contributors to ensure output is on‑brand and on‑brief.
* Capture content at events, art exhibitions, and ad‑hoc brand moments — the role requires a genuine eye and comfort behind a camera, although technical studio photography is not the focus.
* Manage post‑production briefing for external retouchers, ensuring imagery is delivered to the correct specifications and consistent with Connolly's visual standards.
* Coordinate content shoots for social media channels, working alongside the Brand Manager to ensure a steady pipeline of on‑brand imagery.
* Build and maintain relationships with a trusted network of photographers, stylists, and creative freelancers aligned with the Connolly aesthetic.
* Document shoot processes and visual guidelines to create consistency and reduce reliance on ad‑hoc decision‑making.
Graphic Design & Creative Support (approx. 40%)
* Design and produce print collateral including product labels, swing tags, tissue wrap, gift packaging, and bespoke presentation materials — from initial concept to print‑ready artwork.
* Create and manage e‑mail newsletter templates and individual campaign sends, working within brand guidelines and platform specifications.
* Design digital assets for e‑commerce, paid social, and organic content across all required formats and platform specifications.
* Support special projects — capsule packaging, pop‑up and event collateral, trade show materials, and corporate gifting.
* Maintain brand asset libraries, ensuring all files are well‑organised, version‑controlled, and accessible to the team.
* Liaise with printers, packaging manufacturers, and suppliers to deliver print‑ready artwork accurately and on schedule.
* Assist the Creative Director and wider team with moodboards, presentation decks, and concept development for brand and marketing briefs.
SKILLS & EXPERIENCE
Essential
* 1–3 years of professional creative experience, with a portfolio demonstrating both art direction or creative production and graphic design work.
* A genuine passion for photography and a demonstrable artistic eye — portfolio or personal work must include photography that shows considered composition, a strong visual point of view, and an ability to capture atmosphere.
* Comfortable picking up a camera (phone or mirrorless) to capture content at events, exhibitions, and brand moments — this is not a technical role but an instinctive one.
* Proven experience managing or producing shoots — understands the logistics of shoot production, can hold a brief on set, and knows how to get the best from a photographer and styling team.
* Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite: Photoshop, InDesign, and Illustrator to a professional standard.
* Strong understanding of luxury brand aesthetics — typography, composition, colour, and restraint all matter.
* Excellent organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple projects, suppliers, and deadlines simultaneously.
* Self‑directed and comfortable working in a small, fast‑moving team where ownership is expected.
Desirable
* Experience working with a luxury, fashion, or lifestyle brand, either in‑house or at a creative agency.
* Familiarity with video and short‑form content creation for social channels.
* Experience with Klaviyo or equivalent e‑mail marketing platforms.
* An understanding of print production, artwork preparation, and supplier management.
* Experience in packaging design and the production process from artwork through to finished goods.
* An existing network of photographers, stylists, or creative freelancers in the London market.
WHAT WE OFFER
* A role with genuine creative ownership in a brand with real heritage and serious momentum.
* Direct collaboration with the Creative Director and broad exposure to luxury brand‑building across product, events, digital, and retail.
* The opportunity to grow with the brand as it expands internationally — including involvement in content and creative for the New York market.
* Access to Connolly's world — art, craft, motorcars, and design — as part of the day‑to‑day creative environment.
ABOUT YOU
You are the kind of person who notices light. You find yourself photographing things — not for content, but because the image matters to you. You understand how a brand should feel before it is explained to you, and you know how to translate that feeling into a shoot brief, a label layout, or an event capture.
You are not precious about hierarchy or the breadth of the role. You will produce a shoot on Tuesday and kern a headline on Wednesday and that is fine with you, because the standard you hold yourself to is the same regardless of the task.
You are curious about Connolly's history — the leather, the motorcars, the Mayfair townhouse, the world it inhabits — and you understand why heritage is a creative asset, not a constraint. You are excited by the idea of growing with a brand that is going somewhere.
HOW TO APPLY
Please submit a CV and a portfolio (PDF or link) to careers@connollyengland.com. The portfolio should include examples of photography, shoot production or art direction work, alongside graphic design projects. Personal photography — editorial, documentary, or otherwise — that demonstrates visual point of view is also welcomed.
Applications without a portfolio will not be considered.
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