Director, Comms Design

OUR COMPANY
Initiative celebrates diversity in an inclusive environment where all of our 6,000+ strong talent across 90+ markets feel seen, heard, and valued. Our vision is to create not only a better media company, but also a better media industry, and maybe even a better world.We believe in the power of media to reshape our industry and orchestrate a brand’s entire consumer experience, by balancing both what unites people and what makes them different. When brands unite people in culture, they build Fame, and when brands connect individuals to their unique journeys, they build customer Flow. Media responsibility is at the forefront of everything we do, whether it’s creating media plans that reflect the diversity of our communities, promote brand safety, and foster sustainability.
Our agency celebrates diversity in an inclusive environment where all of our 6,000+ strong talent across 90+ markets feel seen, heard, and valued. Our vision is to create not only a better media company, but also a better media industry, and maybe even a better world.

We make a promise to our people that we double down on seeing, celebrating & elevating all the things that make you, uniquely you. And just as we do for our brands and clients, we connect our people to the journeys that matter in building a meaningful career.

There are four I’s in Initiative and these represent our core values and behaviors.

➢ INDIVID[YOU]ALITY – you bring your genuine and unique self to and into the work, every day.

➢ INSTINCT – you’re tuned in and armed with intelligence; you have a bias for action – shit happens when you’re around.

➢ IMAGINATION – your ability to imagine and bring to life the ideas, solutions, and the future of Initiative, makes us THE create media agency in the world.

➢ IMPACT! – you care deeply about the impact you have on our clients, their customers, our community, the media landscape and our world at large.

DISCIPLINE OVERVIEW: COMMUNICATIONS DESIGN

Communications design is the discipline and practice of crafting how a brand idea will be delivered through communications across an owned, earned and paid ecosystem in order to achieve a desired behavioral outcome.

Initiative’s Communications Design team is creating the future of planning.  Borrowing skills from User Experience, Digital, Public Relations and Content, these media professionals are responsible for curating how people connect and participate with brands through culturally rich ideas.  Instead of considering the experience of a brand in components (media / channel planning), Communications Designers think about brand experience in totality (ecosystem planning) ensuring every encounter is useful and impactful. 

The Communications Design team dynamically brings brands to life through their actions.  They:

• Are experts in consumer and communications behavior, and how changes in behaviors are creating new opportunities for connection
• Lead the creation of the dynamic ecosystem approach to deliver a strategy
• Work with partners (media, creative, technology, platforms, Specialty Business Units) to curate how a brand should connect within culture
• Lead the identification of the right audiences to address how to meet business goals, and guide the quantification of connection encounters holistically
• Champion innovative, forward thinking activities that help brands create value with their audience.

ROLE OVERVIEW: DIRECTOR, COMMUNICATIONS DESIGN

As Director, Communications Design you are at the forefront of bringing the next generation of planning to life.  As the Design leader of your client group, you are responsible for ensuring the adoption and adherence of communications design principles across your client base, ensuring your team consistently delivers best in class idea led, culturally empowered communications ecosystems that drive effectiveness.

With experience gained in detailed media, digital, communications or experience design roles, you are an expert in the UK media landscape and what this offers us for ecosystem planning, and how channels and experiences work across paid, owned, earned and shared connections.  You are considered a communications trailblazer amongst your peers & clients. When it comes to managing big projects you are a skilled & experienced conductor of stakeholders. Your experience allows you to think outside the box and if necessary re-design the box altogether. These abilities enable you to orchestrate and oversee the design & produce market leading communication campaigns through ecosystem planning.

Your experience across clients, categories and audiences means you are brilliant at seeing connection opportunities and ideas immediately within briefs. Your involvement and team guidance ensures brilliant strategy becomes impactful design.  Across your client group, you are well versed in the business opportunities and challenges of your key clients.  You are up to speed on their audiences and categories, and what this means for consumer behavior.  Working together with the Initiative strategist, and key partner collaborators (clients, brand teams, brand strategists etc.) you are able to provide strong strategic counsel to your design leads on how to execute against a particular brief. 

ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Client

• Responsible for communications design product excellence across major planning initiatives across designated client base
• Present the communications design idea and recommendation to the client in collaboration with Client Leadership, Strategy and Partnerships
• Oversee the day to day requirements and workflow of the client as it relates to Communications Design outputs, in consultation with Client Leads
• Oversee client education program around communications design relevant marketplace trends.

Internal

• Responsible for team’s adoption of best in class communications design approaches and innovation, and adherence to planning process
• Responsible for the communications design brief deployment and relevant stakeholder engagement (Speciality Business Units, partnerships, partner agencies, media)
• Lead ideation sessions and curate outcomes
• Responsible for the development of the communications idea all connections will help unlock
• Responsible for effective design of communications architecture and ecosystem delivery across Owned, Earned, Shared, Paid (OESP) for your clients. Within the team, responsible for ensuring communications plans move far beyond paid, and are unified by a clear idea and communications behavior/s
• Responsible for analytics strategy per brief and the integration of MBI input

Commercial

• Responsible for integration of Specialty Business Units activities within every relevant brief, in line with business goals
• Responsible for implementation of communications design deliverables as part of client business development & growth strategy

New Business

• Responsible for the production of best in class communications design outcomes on assigned pitches

Prioritization:

• 60% Client
• 20% Internal
• 10% Commercial
• 10% New Business

Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s):

• Client
  • Positive improvement in Communications Design product assessment (client base)
  • Work is upheld as best in class within the industry (client base)
  • Measurable client KPI’s met

• Internal
  • Responsible for development of Communications Design craft skills across team
  • Can demonstrate excellence across all Communications Design tools and techniques, and demonstrate best practice across Communications Design team
  • Develops and maintains positive relationships with internal and external partners
  • Demonstrated ability to lead and motivate team

• Commercial
  • Specialty Business Unit revenue growth via communications design (client base)
  • Organic revenue growth from communications design scope (client base)

• New Business
  • Contribution to new business success (local market)
  • Positive contribution to new business performance

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Experience in integrated planning role in media, publisher / vendor, or communications discipline (digital, content)
• Experience leading, managing and motivating a team
• Category or audience experience as relevant per assignment
• Ability to lead strategic thinking for integrated marketing communication plans encompassing traditional and non-traditional media strategies
• Ability to ensure consistency and best practices across all projects; strong project management skills
• Strong organizational, analytical and leadership skills
• Proven ability to develop and maintain high level professional relationships with senior clients, colleagues and vendors
• Ability to assess client needs for utilization and development of planning and research tools and resources
• Excellent communication skills both written and verbal
• Strong experience/involvement in new business planning and presentations skills

Employee Transparency 

At IPG Mediabrands, we celebrate differences and believe this makes us stronger. IPG Mediabrands are equal-opportunity employers committed to championing an inclusive culture that provides a sense of belonging for all our employees. We do not discriminate against any applicant based on age, disability, race, colour, ethnicity, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, belief, marital status or any other characteristic protected by law. 

Please reach out to our Talent Inclusion Specialist Jess at [email protected] if you would like to have a confidential conversation regarding any adjustments that would ensure our recruitment process is accessible for you. Please note requesting a reasonable adjustment will not affect your application. 

The Perks 

We aim to provide all our people with a supportive and fun work environment where you can develop your full potential and benefit from the broad range of opportunities within the agency. When you join us, we want to make sure you feel valued – and that you are rewarded for your fantastic work. So, we also offer a range of benefits:

• Flexi–leave, with 25 days annual leave to be taken as minimum. In addition to your holiday entitlement, the office usually closes between Christmas & New Year 
• Free breakfast and free lunch
• Early finish Fridays
• Core Hours (Mon-Thurs, flexible start/finish times)
• Retail discounts
• Electric vehicle salary sacrifice car scheme 
• Wellbeing programme, including Headspace & flu jabs 
• Interest free season ticket loan
• Paid time off for Volunteering
• Group Income Protection
• Life Assurance
• Private Medical Insurance or Health Cash Plan (dependent on level)
• Group Personal Pension Plan with matched contributions from 3-6%
• Generous Parental Leave & Pay
• Independent mortgage advice
• Financial education
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Free eye tests
• Flexible benefits including Dental, Travel insurance, Cycle to Work, Gym Discounts and many more!