Design Director

Company description

Move people. Change the world.

Founded in Chicago in 1935, Leo Burnett Worldwide is one of the largest agency networks with 96 offices and nearly 10,000 employees.

In the Middle East, we're consistently making an impact in KSA, Lebanon, UAE, Egypt, and Jordan thanks to our teams of go-getters.

In a historic achievement, our agency was voted Creative Agency for Effectiveness in the World, while Leo Burnett UAE has claimed the top spot in the WARC Effective 100, earning the title of the most effective creative agency in the world. Additionally, Leo Burnett enjoys the title of "Most Innovative Company" for driving brand purpose, as recognised by Fast Company. In 2024, Leo Burnett UAE was ranked most Effective Agency, and it also secured the titles of Agency and Network of the Year at the MENA Effies 2023, as well as at Dubai Lynx in both 2023 and 2024.

At our core lies the Humankind philosophy, a belief that creativity has the power to transform human behaviour. We focus on people and purpose, not just advertising.

Overview

The Design Director is a visionary leader responsible for driving the creative direction and execution of brand design projects. This role blends strategic thinking with hands-on design expertise, ensuring that all creative output aligns with client objectives and agency standards. The Design Director leads and inspires a multidisciplinary team of designers, fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration, and excellence.

Responsibilities

Technical & Product

• Creative Leadership: Define and uphold the agency's design standards and creative vision.
• Lead the conceptualization and execution of branding projects including visual identity, packaging, digital assets, and environmental design.
• Provide strategic design direction across multiple client accounts.

• Team Management: Mentor and manage a team of designers, art directors, and freelancers.
• Conduct regular design reviews and provide constructive feedback.
• Support professional development and foster a collaborative team culture.

• Business Acumen & Operational Efficiency
• Client Engagement: Collaborate with account and strategy teams to understand client needs and translate them into compelling design solutions.
• Present creative concepts and design rationale to clients with clarity and confidence.
• Build strong client relationships and act as a trusted design advisor.
• Project Oversight: Oversee the design process from concept to delivery, ensuring quality, consistency, and timeliness.
• Manage multiple projects simultaneously, balancing creative excellence with operational efficiency.
• Ensure all deliverables meet brand guidelines and client expectations.

• Innovative & Analytical Mindset
• Innovation & Trends: Stay ahead of design trends, tools, and technologies.
• Champion innovation and push creative boundaries within the agency.

• People & Leadership
• Seeks others' feedback to develop self-awareness, strengths and address development area.
• Is able to proactively raise issues to improve effective team working and collaboration.
• Is able to communicate confidently in a clear, concise and articulate manner.
• Collaborates with stakeholders and embraces an inclusive based environment.
• Is able to make valuable contributions to discussions and brainstorming sessions, providing insight and point of view.
• Able to build relationships quickly with others and engages personally with peers and clients.
• Treats others with respect, listens to other perspectives, especially when they are different from own.
• Able to tackle problems in a timely manner and develop contingency plans that focus on problem resolution.
• Drives a culture of trust with Peers, clients and all other stakeholders.

• Self
• Is able to take ownership for actions and deals with consequences in a mature manner.
• Able to adjust performance based on experiences and feedback and showcases agility and flexibility.
• Displays openness to the ideas of others and leverages them when beneficial for the business.
• Showcases curiosity and open mindset towards new ways of doing things.
• Is able to set high impact objectives and goes above and beyond to exceed performance.
• Demonstrates the Growth Mindset and is able to take ownership of personal development and growth.
• Capable of constructively challenging the status-quo and takes risks to challenge internal and external perspectives.
• Approaches situations and individuals with honesty, integrity and humbleness.
• Displays resilience and maintains drives and a positive outlook when faced with challenges.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Graphic Design, Visual Communication, or related field.
• 8+ years of experience in branding and design, with at least 3 years in a leadership role.
• Strong portfolio showcasing brand identity systems, campaign work, and cross-platform design.
• Expert proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite and other design tools.
• Exceptional conceptual thinking and visual storytelling skills.
• Strong leadership, communication, and presentation abilities.
• Experience working in a fast-paced agency environment.