Who are we?Howden is a collective – a group of talented and passionate people all around the world. Together, we have pushed the boundaries of insurance. We are united by a shared passion and no-limits mindset, and our strength lies in our ability to collaborate as a powerful international team comprised of 18,000 employees spanning over 100 countries.People join Howden for many different reasons, but they stay for the same one: our culture. It’s what sets us apart, and the reason our employees have been turning down headhunters for years. Whatever your priorities – work / life balance, career progression, sustainability, volunteering – you’ll find like-minded people driving change at Howden.OverviewAt Howden, we have a passion for beautiful and original design that creates excitement, intrigue and challenges the norm. The Lead Designer will play a pivotal role in shaping and executing the visual identity of Howden and lead a design team in creating compelling and cohesive visual assets that align with our brand strategy and resonate with our target audience.The Lead Designer possesses a deep understanding of design principles, is adept at translating complex ideas into visually appealing graphics and has a proven track record of delivering high-quality design projects. As the Lead Designer for UK&I Retail you will report to the Retail Marketing Director and will work alongside the Group Design Director/Creative Director, ensuring cohesion across all brand and design outputs – owning large projects and leading a team of creatives, building positive relationships with our internal clients and partners along the way. The ability to handle multiple projects and outstanding attention to detail is crucial.Responsibilities· Create effective designs for both print and digital platforms, showing a deep understanding of the Howden brand vision and how it supports different audiences and business requirements.· In partnership with the Group Creative Studio, you are responsible for applying and protecting the Howden brand guidelines and developing key brand design elements, assets, templates, and guidance to enhance the business's internal and external materials.· Create effective designs for both print and digital platforms for our many schemes and sub-brands that form part of the wider Howden business.· Champion human-centric approaches and design thinking.· Nurture and lead a team of creative individuals inspired to challenge the status quo of the insurance industry.· Forge strong working relationships with key brand and marketing counterparts, identifying opportunities to strengthen the business's understanding of brand-enhancing design while balancing commercial business requirements.· Actively collaborate with the Creative Director and Design Director to develop cohesive brand design and ensure all output ladders up to Howden’s brand strategy.· Recognise and prioritise the client's needs, ensuring that their requirements are understood and addressed accordingly.· Managing the Retail studio to ensure timely delivery of creative materials tailored to the client's specific requirements.· Contribute to cross-business design forums to share learning, align standards and avoid siloed approaches.Your craft· A true passion for visual design, you bring unexpected ideas and an insightful perspective to the table inspiring others to excel.· A highly skilled design leader proficient in delivering customer focused design solutions with increased brand equity.· You are adept at translating thematic design solutions across multi-channel projects including video, print, OOH, digital and events.· You have a high level of proficiency in industry standard design software (InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, Figma etc).· You know how to provide fresh creative solutions that meet the client’s requirements whilst working within the framework of the guidelines.· You follow trends, but most importantly, you know when to use them.Team· You are keen to lean in and shape the future of the design team· You welcome opinions and insight that challenges proposed creative solutions.· You inspire your teammates and are keen to assist them to realise their potential.· You can confidently lead a team to deliver innovative solutions for complex projects.Required experience· Strong experience operating as a senior designer and leading a team.· You can confidently present to clients and senior stakeholders with clarity and impact· You actively engage with challenging briefs to collaboratively arrive at the optimal solution· You have a portfolio that demonstrates a proven track record in creating stunning brands (plus some digital)· A strong verbal and written communicator, you are well-rehearsed at building strong relationships with people and highly collaborative· You are no stranger to shifting priorities and timescales and can keep cool when the pressure is onDesirable experience· Prior knowledge of the insurance/financial services industry is a benefit but not required· Knowledge of motion design is a bonus· Knowledge of UX design processes and standardsWhat do we offer in return?A career that you define. At Howden, we value diversity – there is no one Howden type. Instead, we’re looking for individuals who share the same values as us:Our successes have all come from someone brave enough to try something newWe support each other in the small everyday moments and the bigger challengesWe are determined to make a positive difference at work and beyondReasonable adjustmentsWe're committed to providing reasonable accommodations at Howden to ensure that our positions align well with your needs. Besides the usual adjustments such as software, IT, and office setups, we can also accommodate other changes such as flexible hours* or hybrid working*.If you're excited by this role but have some doubts about whether it’s the right fit for you, send us your application – if your profile fits the role’s criteria, we will be in touch to assist in helping to get you set up with any reasonable adjustments you may require.*Not all positions can accommodate changes to working hours or locations. Reach out to your Recruitment Partner if you want to know more.Permanent
