Creative Lead
Reporting to: Directors
Location: Liverpool (Hybrid)
Type: Full-time
Overview
The Creative Lead plays a key role in shaping and delivering the creative output across Essential Group's client portfolio. They combine strong design expertise with confident leadership and client-facing skills, owning visual direction, guiding the design team and collaborating closely with the wider team to ensure high-quality, effective creative delivery across all channels.
This is a senior, hands-on role for someone who is just as comfortable designing a pitch deck as they are directing a shoot, reviewing a junior's social assets or presenting campaign ideas to clients.
Key Responsibilities
Creative Direction & Brand Oversight
* Act as the creative lead across key client accounts, overseeing visual direction, tone and execution.
* Champion brand consistency across all touchpoints, whether assets are produced internally, externally or client-side.
* Provide strategic creative direction on campaigns and retainer content, translating briefs into clear, actionable ideas.
* Present concepts to clients with clarity and confidence, supporting client relationships with strong creative rationale.
* Collaborate with the directors to evolve and strengthen Essential's creative offering and agency standards.
Team Leadership & Mentorship
* Provide day-to-day leadership and mentorship to junior designers, supporting their development through constructive feedback, creative guidance and hands-on coaching.
* Review and sign off design work to ensure quality and brand alignment before it reaches clients or wider teams.
* Help assign work and manage design team workload to ensure projects are balanced and well-resourced.
* Set the tone for creative culture within the team, encouraging exploration, collaboration and innovation.
Campaign Development & Collaboration
* Lead on concept development for client campaigns alongside the Client Strategy Director, from idea generation right through to execution.
* Work with wider colleagues to translate objectives into strong visual narratives.
* Develop shoot plans, storyboards and direction documents in collaboration with directors and content leads.
* Attend and lead on shoot days where required, providing on-site direction, feedback and creative input.
Design Execution & Quality Control
* Remain hands-on with design when required, producing high-quality creative assets, including social assets, branding, pitch decks, printed materials and web visuals.
* Oversee and refine existing creative workflows, ensuring efficiency and high standards are maintained.
* Ensure all deliverables align with both client goals and Essential's creative values.
* Collaborate with external suppliers (printers, photographers, etc.) to ensure seamless execution of creative outputs.
Digital & Content Integration
* Support the development of digital-first assets and content campaigns, working closely with marketing and digital colleagues.
* Oversee the visual direction of client websites and user interfaces, ensuring a cohesive design aesthetic with strong usability.
* Collaborate on content planning, providing creative input on how stories are visually brought to life across digital, print and social.
Internal Creative & Essential Journal
* Own the visual direction of Essential Journal, leading layout design, creative planning and partner content integration.
* Collaborate with the wider team on internal creative projects and brand evolution for Essential.
* Oversee the creation of supporting assets for social, web, and brand collateral relating to the Journal and agency initiatives.
Who We're Looking For
* 3+ years in a creative/design role, ideally with agency experience
* Portfolio that showcases both hands-on design and creative leadership
* Excellent communication and presentation skills, confident engaging with clients
* Proven experience mentoring junior colleagues and overseeing a team's output
* Strong across Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign); bonus if familiar with Figma and video editing tools
* Confident with both brand development and content campaign work
* Organised, proactive and comfortable managing multiple projects
* Experience with and willingness to get involved in directing visual content shoots
* A team player who wants to help shape and grow a creative team.