London, UK
Creative/design director – spatial design and architecture
at 59 Productions
59 Productions is hiring a creative/design director in spatial design and architecture to join its team in London.
Contract type
Freelance contracts and fixed term and permanent PAYE contracts available – to be discussed with the applicant as part of the interview and appointment. 59 have a broad portfolio – we are interested to hear from people looking to join the core team or work with us on specific projects in a freelance capacity or as part of an existing entity/studio.
Reports to: head of design
Salary: £53,500-£75,000 per annum
Annual leave: 23 days plus eight bank holidays with one additional day for each full year with the company (up to ten days)
Key relationships: creative directors (projects), art directors, senior designers, head of studio, technical designers, producers and across all areas of the business
Benefits include:
- workplace pension, season ticket loan scheme
- cycle to work scheme
- monthly cultural allowance of £50
- weekly yoga and more
- benefits can be discussed further at any point in the application process
Location: 59’s studio, London
Key dates: application deadline: 9am, Monday 30 September 2024
Interviews
- round one – Wednesday 16 October 2024
- round two – Thursday 31 October 2024
First interview: with 59’s head of design, chief operating officer and other members of the team on Wednesday 16 October
Second interview: with 59’s head of design, chief operating officer and other members of the team on Thursday 31 October
We like to meet new collaborators across multiple conversations to explore how we might work together. Our interviews are built as two-way conversations to better understand each other’s work and aspirations, this may include an interview task to better understand the candidate’s process.
We operate equal opportunity interviews and typically share the opening interview questions in advance with candidates. Interviews are held in person at our London studio in order for candidates to meet some of the team, however they can be arranged online if there are geographical considerations.
Recruitment information webinar
Tuesday 17 September, 1.30pm. The link to the webinar can be found here.
Join us to hear more about the company’s portfolio of projects and insights about the role itself across our ambitious projects, with the opportunity to post questions to the panel. All attendees will be anonymous, therefore all questions posted will be anonymous.
Overall purpose of the job
59 are looking for a brilliant creative/design director with a background in spatial design and/or architecture to lead projects within our team – someone creatively inspiring, with significant transferable experience and a great portfolio of work.
The creative/design director will create and communicate design concepts to both internal teams and external partners, lead the design team and concept on projects, drawing from their own specific design approach and specialism, with the experience and ingenuity to help define and hone briefs, confidently turning concepts into coherent and original design responses. They will interrogate and explore ideas to manifest as tangible design proposals, leading the design team in delivering the concepts into reality.
Due to the nature of 59’s work across industries the creative/design director title and remit can vary across projects; being referred to as set designer, design lead, project lead or similar based on the scope and/or specific project context.
The successful candidate will be a highly experienced design leader, a strong communicator both internally and externally with 59 team and clients alike and a keen collaborator across creative specialisms. Overall an appetite and motivation to apply your design experience to an interdisciplinary studio is primary to the role.
59’s design portfolio is global and a successful candidate will have a willingness to travel internationally to develop and represent our work in multiple countries.
We actively encourage people from a variety of backgrounds to apply for this role. We believe a diverse range of voices, experiences and skills will help to inform, enrich and develop our working practices.
A full overview of the day-to-day responsibilities can be found here.
Person specification
Essential:
- a minimum of ten years of demonstrable and significant experience leading spatial and/or architectural design projects from pre-concept through to delivery on site
- demonstrable interest in a story driven design approach
- evidence of a lateral thinking design ability to take a concept/brief and develop it into a specific form
- ability to personally manifest design ideas/concepts in visual form quickly and communicate them to a wide range of stakeholders; clients, internal team, collaborating creative team, technical teams etc.
- an inspiring communicator with both clients and internal teams, who can convey creative ideas with passion as well as manage expectations
- a true interest in and ability to work in an interdisciplinary, collaborative environment and with a range of creatives
- experience in leading, inspiring and managing a team of designers
- knowledge of creating work in different territories, with a design portfolio that demonstrates a range of work in different mediums and storytelling formats (i.e. theatrical design, exhibition design, interior, audience journey design, product or furniture design, live events, spatial work for VR etc.)
- a thorough working knowledge of designing with a wide range of materials – alongside a deep engagement with the practical and technical realisation of design ideas through careful material use
- a high degree of understanding of sustainability considerations within design decisions
- an ability to multitask effectively and handle multiple workflows at any one time
- an ability to work under pressure and to tight deadlines
- experience contributing to designer appointment contracts, project scoping, procurement methods and construction contracts
Desirable:
- an ability to use 3D modelling and 2D drawing software to illustrate design ideas
- a demonstrable understanding of recent key themes and industry shifts in video delivery within live events, performances and exhibitions
- experience line managing designers earlier in their careers with considered professional development and training opportunities
- an existing network of relationships with collaborators, commissioning organisations and potential clients to connect with 59
How to apply
To apply for this role, please send us the following details:
- a portfolio, showreel and/or something that showcases your skills
- a CV or something which tells us of your professional experience to date
- a cover letter (maximum two A4 sides) or up to three minutes of audio/video which tells us about how your previous experience meets the person specification and why you want to work with the 59 team
If you would like to arrange a chat with the head of design or head of studio (parental leave cover), to discuss the role in more detail in advance of applying, please contact us at [email protected] – we’re very happy to facilitate this.
Applicants should provide contact details for two references. We will seek your permission before making direct contact with any referees.
All applicants must be eligible to work within the UK.
59’s Recruitment approach
You can find out more about our approach to recruitment here.
Please submit your application via the ‘apply for job’ button below.