Creative Director

Creative Director
Reports to:

Global Executive Creative Director

Location:

Bristol UK

Hybrid is seeking a UK based Creative Director to lead the development and delivery of ambitious creative work across brand campaigns, content and digital experiences for our higher education clients. This is a hands‑on leadership role requiring someone who can move comfortably between creative direction, client engagement, and team mentorship.

While grounded in strong design craft, the position extends into workshop facilitation, film and photography art direction, and senior client engagement.

The successful candidate will bring an excellent understanding of visual communication and the confidence to lead creative discussions to both the Hybrid team + our partners.

Key Responsibilities
Creative Leadership

Lead the development of creative concepts for brand and campaign projects

Lead campaign ideation and narrative development

Direct multidisciplinary teams across design, film, photography and digital

Maintain creative quality and coherence across large campaign rollouts

Translate strategic insights into compelling creative ideas

Work closely with the Client Services Director to ensure prioritisation of work, project planning and team wellbeing

Support new business development through creative input into pitches, proposals and tenders

Support the development and guardianship of Hybrid’s own brand and internal creative output where required

Client Engagement

Present and confidently articulate creative work to senior clients

Facilitate creative workshops and ideation sessions with clients

Respond confidently to feedback and evolve ideas in real time

Act as a trusted creative partner to clients across long‑term relationships

Team Mentorship

Provide creative guidance, mentorship and oversight to designers and junior creatives in Hybrid’s Bristol and Kuala Lumpur studios

Foster a culture of trust, creativity and constructive critique

Know when to step in with guidance and when to empower the team to lead

Support teams in resolving creative challenges during fast‑moving projects

Travel & Production

Travel regularly for client meetings, workshops and production shoots

Lead on‑site creative direction for photography and film where required

Skills / Experience
Essential

Strong background in graphic design and visual communication

Proven experience developing creative campaigns

Experience art directing photography and video production

Confident presenting creative work to senior stakeholders

Ability to think creatively and respond quickly under pressure

Strong understanding of brand systems and visual identity

Workshop facilitation experience

Nice to haves

Understanding of UX/UI design and digital experience

Experience contributing to brand strategy development

Excellent storytelling and narrative development skills

Experience working with higher education or complex organisations

Business leadership and acumen

Leadership Qualities

Ability to foster an environment where creatives feel challenged and empowered to do their best work

Comfortable articulating ideas and responding to feedback in real time

Able to shape concepts quickly and refine thinking collaboratively

Able to adapt quickly to evolving client needs and project challenges

Mentor, support, and foster the growth of a dynamic design team

Has an understanding of design trends within the Higher Education sector, and marketing industry as a whole

Maintaining and building client relationships, being on the forefront of new business opportunities

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