Director Design and Creative at Ogilvy South Africa

• For this role, we are looking for a Director of Design and Creative. Must have 7+ years experience, and at least 3 managing a team.
• The successful candidate should be a broadly capable project and people manager; they should have excellent problem-solving skills and a can-do attitude when it comes to managing work in the system and supporting the broader Ogilvy PR team.
• This person needs to be a reliable leader, but also have the requisite technical skills and ability to develop excellent creative design work and to be able to guide and grow the team in this area. Experience and an understanding of below and through the line are essential to this role.
• The incumbent will be working on all sorts of projects in a highly pressurised environment and should be able to handle and manage medium to large campaigns. Their thinking should include big, multi-media ideas.
• This person must be able to tell the difference between an idea and an execution an idea being the bigger picture though, and an execution, is a way (perhaps one of many) of bringing that idea to life. The successful candidate needs to be able to assess ideas both strategically and creatively.
• This person would need an understanding of the digital mediums, banners, social media posts, graphic design, video and animation etc

To complement the above, we'll also be looking for:

• Highly conceptual individual (Must demonstrate with at least 2 projects)
• Demonstrate exceptional strategic thinking (Provide 2 examples)
• Must demonstrate an understanding of digital platforms and traditional platforms
• Must demonstrate an ability to use multimedia programmes (Editing, recording etc.)
• Execution of award-winning work is an advantage.
• Must demonstrate examples of leadership skills & problem-solving
• Demonstrate how you've previously dealt with conflict
• In-depth working knowledge of existing and emerging technologies & platforms
• A strong understanding of best practice interaction and visual design principles.
• Must be able to implement on ideas effectively and efficiently in an agile operating environment.
• As a Director of Design and Creative, you will help lead our passionate, multi-talented studio guiding all members to deliver exceptional, integrated concepts to exceed client briefs and expectations.
• The successful candidate is a thought leader within the agency, so they can expect to be craft-led, strategically driven, and platform-neutral conceptual thinkers and practical implementer with a desire to transform brands by creating beautiful, intuitive, and human-centred products and experiences.
• The individual must be tuned into all aspects of South African popular culture and the platforms and media it plays in, as well as have a strong point of view on what it takes to win in this space.

What you'll do everyday

Responsibilities

• You will lead a team of creatives including designers, animators, and cinematographers and determine KPIs, and strategic direction and set ways of working to maintain client relationships
• Drive integration, with the client service teams
• Scope, plan and manage the creative process on projects
• Manage and mentor creative teams
• Work with other disciplines (Client service teams, Strategists, writers etc.) to ensure cohesive team integration and alignment with broader business objectives
• Be a champion for innovation on every project you touch
• Play an active role in campaign planning and brainstorming with teams
• Drive real-time implementation of the digital and design work
• Participate in pitches for new business
• Define the direction for overall campaigns including look and feel
• Manage multiple projects simultaneously
• Generate ideas and sell them into clients and other members of the team
• Mock-up creative ideas
• Create across multiple channels
• Consistently produce creative elements against a deliverables list
• Lead brainstorms and conceptualisation
• Oversee the craft. Whether it be the writing, design of an idea etc.
• Ensure the quality of products leaving the newsroom and perform the final QC on all creative work
• Ensure efficiency and productivity of the team through the implementation of effective and efficient processes
• Compile presentations for clients/figure out new ways of selling
• Attend client briefings and presentations
• Demonstrate thought leadership by keeping updated on industry trends

You'll also be required to develop the following:

• Good understanding of influencer, Mobile, Podcast, out-of-home, guerrilla, activations and direct marketing
• Great time management
• Demonstrate the ability to work under immense pressure and meet tight deadlines
• Adept problem-solving skills
• Strong communication skills with the ability to provide rationales for creative choices made
• Strong presentation skills
• Able to work with team members and delegate effectively
• Understand the clients business requirements and understand how our services should be applied to solve business problems
• Have a good understanding of earned media and how this can be achieved through creatively
• Demonstrate a willingness to help and be the solution

Working knowledge of these tools:

• Adobe Creative Cloud
• Illustrator
• Photoshop
• Acrobat
• InDesign
• Lightroom
• Premier Pro
• After Effects
• Bridge
• Keynote / PowerPoint
• 3D Animation & Production (Would help)
• Video editing (Would help)
• Google Web Designer & DV360 (Would help)
• Facebook Creative Hub (Would help)

Additional Skills

• An Illustrator by night
• Animator on weekends
• A Javascript wiz
• Editing skills

Impacting relationships

• Establish a cohesive and productive relationship with the client services team
• Proactively suggest ideas with an excellent understanding of PR clients and their needs
• To foster excellent supplier and freelancer relationships
• To foster and nurture good working relationships within the Newsroom team
• To drive a positive, can-do culture in the agency