Design Director - Mat Cover - Corporate Communications Agency

The role

At Black Sun, we believe great creative work starts by finding what matters.

As a Design Director, you will help turn insight, ideas and complex information into clear, compelling communications for some of the world's leading businesses.

This is a hands-on creative role for an experienced designer who combines excellent craft with strong creative judgement. You will spend much of your time designing and developing work yourself, while also taking responsibility for creative direction on projects, guiding other designers and working closely with Creative Directors and account teams.

We are looking for someone comfortable operating between Senior Designer and Design Director level. Someone who loves making, but is ready to lead. Someone who can see the bigger picture without losing an eye for the detail.

As a maternity cover role, you will be joining established teams and client relationships. You will need to get up to speed quickly, provide continuity and bring your own ideas and experience to make the work stronger.
What you will do
Find what matters

Get beneath the brief before starting to design.

Understand the client, audience, content and communication challenge and identify what needs to come through most clearly.

Work with Creative Directors and account teams to turn strategy and narrative into creative opportunities.

Ask good questions, challenge constructively and help bring clarity when the answer is not immediately obvious.
Have an idea

Contribute actively to concepts and creative routes rather than waiting for a fully formed design direction.

Develop strong organising ideas that can work across reports, digital communications, campaigns and other channels.

Help designers understand the thinking behind the work so that the idea remains strong as it develops.
Make complexity clear

Turn detailed corporate, financial, strategic and sustainability information into communication that people can understand and engage with.

Create strong hierarchy, structure and visual storytelling.

Bring particular confidence to typography, editorial design, information design and data visualisation.

Know what to simplify, what to emphasise and what can get out of the way.
Make every choice for a reason

Create and develop high quality design from early concepts through to finished execution.

Establish visual direction and design systems that are distinctive, coherent and practical.

Make confident decisions about typography, imagery, colour, composition, information and interaction.

Work across print and digital, with an interest in how motion, AI and emerging creative tools can strengthen ideas and improve how we work.

Maintain a high standard of craft throughout delivery, working closely with publishing and production teams to protect the integrity of the original idea.
Make a difference

Take ownership of the quality of the work you lead.

Present and explain creative thinking clearly to colleagues and clients.

Give other designers useful direction and feedback, helping them find stronger solutions rather than simply telling them what to change.

Bring energy, curiosity and a point of view to creative reviews, pitches and the wider studio.

Look for opportunities to make the work better, not simply to get it finished
What we are looking for

You are an experienced designer with a strong portfolio of thoughtful, beautifully crafted work and the confidence to take greater creative ownership.

You do not need to arrive as a fully formed Design Director. You may be an established Senior Designer looking for the opportunity to take the next step, or already operating at an Associate Design Director or Design Director level while remaining very hands-on.
You will bring:

Excellent graphic design and typographic craft
Strong conceptual and visual thinking

Confidence working with complex content and information

Excellent editorial design, hierarchy and data visualisation skills

Advanced knowledge of