Creative Lead (Hyrbid)

Trace Hospitality is seeking a visionary and strategic Creative Lead to drive the marketing vision and creative direction across DOTS Café and all upcoming food and hospitality concepts under the Trace Hospitality portfolio.

This role is not just about design — it is about building brands with meaning, shaping culture, and creating experiences that leave a lasting trace.

The ideal candidate is a passionate storyteller with strong commercial awareness, deep understanding of hospitality branding, and the ability to translate business objectives into compelling creative strategies that drive growth and market impact.

Role Overview

As Creative Lead, you will define and execute the overarching brand and marketing strategy for Trace Hospitality concepts. You will lead creative development, oversee campaigns, and ensure that every touchpoint digital, physical, experiential reflects a cohesive, powerful brand identity aligned with business goals and core values.

1. Brand Strategy & Positioning

• Develop and execute a cohesive brand strategy for DOTS Café and all upcoming Trace Hospitality concepts.
• Define and articulate each brand’s positioning, voice, tone, and value proposition.
• Ensure brand consistency across in-store experience, packaging, digital platforms, and communications.
• Shape brand narratives that resonate with target audiences and differentiate us within the competitive F&B landscape.

2. Campaign Development & Market Impact

• Lead ideation, planning, and execution of high-impact marketing campaigns across digital, print, social media, and in-store activations.
• Align campaigns with broader business objectives including revenue growth, expansion, and brand equity.
• Develop initiatives that increase brand awareness, customer acquisition, and retention.
• Identify and execute partnerships, sponsorships, collaborations, and brand activations that elevate market presence.

3. Creative Direction & Design Excellence

• Oversee conceptual art direction, packaging design, promotional materials, and visual storytelling.
• Maintain top-tier design standards across all creative outputs.
• Ensure every visual and experiential element enhances customer engagement and reinforces brand identity.
• Supervise and guide user interface design for websites, apps, and digital platforms to ensure seamless, aesthetic, and intuitive experiences.

4. Integrated Marketing & Content Strategy

• Lead integrated marketing initiatives across multiple platforms to ensure cohesive storytelling.
• Develop and oversee content strategy across social media, website, email marketing, and advertising.
• Ensure all content is on-brand, strategically aligned, and performance-driven.
• Monitor campaign effectiveness and refine strategy based on insights and analytics.

5. Leadership & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Manage and inspire a multidisciplinary creative team (designers, content creators, digital specialists).
• Foster a culture of creativity, innovation, and accountability.
• Collaborate closely with Operations, Product Development, HR, and Executive Leadership to ensure brand alignment with operational and growth strategies.
• Support new concept development from branding to launch execution.

6. Market Research & Innovation

• Stay ahead of trends in hospitality, branding, food culture, design, and digital marketing.
• Translate insights into innovative campaigns and brand evolutions.
• Continuously evaluate competitors and emerging market opportunities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design, Marketing, Fine Arts, or related field.
• Minimum 8+ years of experience in a creative leadership role within hospitality, F&B, or retail.
• Proven track record leading integrated campaigns from strategy to execution.
• Strong expertise in branding, storytelling, conceptual art direction, and digital experience design.
• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite, Sketch, and relevant digital tools.
• Strategic thinker with strong commercial acumen.
• Exceptional leadership, communication, and collaboration skills.
• Experience launching or rebranding hospitality concepts is highly preferred.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: AED8,000.00 - AED9,000.00 per month

Ability to commute/relocate:

• Abu Dhabi: Reliably commute or planning to relocate before starting work (Preferred)

Experience:

• Food & Beverage: 5 years (Required)

Language:

• Arabic (Required)

Work Location: In person