The Design and Creative Manager post sits within the Campus Services Marketing team that supports all the different departments that make up Campus Services. It is an exciting role in a busy team, dedicated to delivering innovative solutions in creative, design, digital, media, and print. The role combines strong creative vision with essential management skills, including leadership, problem-solving, and communication and is instrumental in the marketing team's achievements. You will serve as a design specialist, leading our creative endeavours to address current and future client needs. You will create, plan and manage marketing campaigns on the web, social media and digital marketing platforms. Duties include driving innovation and developing strategies to support the delivery of the department's marketing activities, identifying and researching market trends and planning campaigns. You will guide the creative process from concept to completion while ensuring projects align with brand standards. The successful candidate will possess a demonstrable background in successfully building relationships and communicating with colleagues at all levels, including leading others within the marketing team in the development and delivery of campaigns. You will need to bring your passion and enthusiasm for current trends and appetite for future opportunities to the role; working to develop innovative marketing services that will meet the needs of customers and clients.
Responsibilities
* Will use vision to deliver original, highly innovative, multi-disciplined creative solutions to meet client brief within budget. This will include effectively interpreting briefs, researching audiences, developing solutions, strong idea generation from initiation to concept development, application of UI and UX best practice, storyboard and outline scripts ideas, and writing and editing copy.
* Lead on the content creation for strategic projects including developing pitch presentations for new business.
* Act as a technical expert, advising on all areas of design, including scoping projects, equipment, software and feeding into the review and enhancement production and working processes.
* Manage the graphic design and creative function of the marketing & communications team; oversee the team's creative projects from initiation to delivery.
* Champion learning and development among the design team and support direct reports in their career growth; continually develop and enhance the team's creative expertise, including knowledge sharing.
* Accountable for and sign off all design materials and creative campaign output.
* Support the Head of Marketing & Communications, working alongside the Marketing & Communications Manager and Digital Marketing Manager to input and influence key departmental decision making.
* Confidently communicate to clients and internal teams, actively participate in briefing and feedback meetings, and lead on advising from a concept and design perspective.
* Work closely with the team and attend client meetings to review active projects and briefs, develop ideas, and assess or advise on project resource and requirements.
* Ensure content is accessible to all end users, that regulatory and legal requirements regarding media assets such as copyright and intellectual property rights are met, web accessibility is optimised; all content is backed up and archived and adheres to University brand guidelines.
* Identify new innovation opportunities to support growth for our clients in Campus Services through regular horizon scanning and networking, turning emerging trends and innovations into recommendations for clients, working with the Head of Marketing & Communications.
* Identify opportunities for Campus Services marketing to support University objectives by building relationships across the University and external contacts, including developing, maintaining and using professional networks.
* Represent Campus Services Marketing at appropriate committees and other meetings.
* Promote equality and value diversity, acting as a role model and fostering an inclusive working culture.
* Support the University's sustainability agenda through resource-efficient working.
* Line‑manage the creative team, successfully balancing conflicting priorities and deadlines.
* Any other duties commensurate with the grade.
Qualifications
* Educated to degree level in a relevant area or equivalent qualifications or significant practical relevant equivalent work experience in graphic design, digital and media.
* A high level of experience with industry standard packages, including Adobe Creative Cloud, Aftereffects, InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere Pro, Acrobat and presentation software, as well as Microsoft Office/PowerPoint to create, edit and post‑produce content and assets.
* A thorough understanding of graphic design, typography and digital standards.
* Experience of using content management systems and publishing web content using a CMS with a comprehensive understanding of UX and UI best practices.
* Good understanding of web content accessibility guidelines (WCAG) and creating with accessibility in mind so that content meets or exceeds AA legal accessibility guidelines.
* Moderate skills to produce basic animations, films (e.g. talking heads) and social media videos; basic film and photography experience desirable.
* Strong project management skills including project and budget management.
* Confident communicator, able to clearly convey complex ideas or technical details and sell them to the client and internally.
* A high degree of initiative, personal judgement, resourcefulness, flexibility and a self‑motivating approach with exceptional attention to detail, maintaining high standards and brand consistency.
* Ability to perform in a fast‑paced environment on multiple projects, keeping calm and focused under pressure; proactively researching new services/ways of doing things and proven experience of implementing them.
* Excellent interpersonal skills and a 'can‑do' problem‑solving attitude to build and maintain positive relationships.
* Knowledge of the protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010 and how to actively ensure those with protected characteristics are treated equally and fairly in day‑to‑day activity in your area.
The University of Birmingham is proud to have been a part of the City of Birmingham and the wider region for over 100 years, and we are equally proud to be recognised as a leading global university. We want to attract talented people from across the city and beyond, support them to succeed, and celebrate their success. We are committed to helping the people who work here to develop through our sector‑leading Birmingham Professional programme which provides all professional services staff with development opportunities and the encouragement to reach their full potential. With almost 5,000 professional services jobs in a wide‑range of functions in Edgbaston and in our campus in Dubai, there are plenty of opportunities for you to develop your career at the University. We believe there is no such thing as a typical member of staff and that diversity is a source of strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation, and debate. We warmly welcome people from all backgrounds and are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where diversity is at the heart of who and what we are, and how we work. Supporting our people to achieve a healthy work/life balance is important both to our employees and to the success of the University and, depending on the role, we offer a variety of flexible working arrangements. We therefore welcome discussions on all forms of flexible working. In addition, you will receive a generous package of benefits including 40 days paid holiday a year, one paid day a year for volunteering, occupational sick pay, and a pension scheme. We also have three high quality subsidised day nurseries. The University is situated in leafy Edgbaston and there are excellent transport links to our beautiful campus, including main bus routes and a train station on site. On campus we have a state‑of‑the‑art sports centre with pool, shops, places to eat and drink, our own art gallery, museum and botanical gardens. Find out more about the benefits of working for the University of Birmingham.
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