Marketing Design Manager - 12 Month FTC

We’re looking for an experienced and commercially minded Marketing Design Manager to join our team on a 12-month maternity cover contract. This is a key creative leadership role responsible for the creative direction, design output and delivery of all retail print campaigns across our three brands and store estate. You’ll lead a team of three Designers, setting a clear customer-first creative vision and ensuring our in-store communications are engaging, commercially effective and consistently delivered to a high standard. The ideal candidate will come from a marketing-led design background, with strong experience creating customer-facing campaigns and managing complex creative projects from brief through to final production. Key Responsibilities Creative Direction Shape the creative vision and direction for all retail print and promotional activity across three brands and nine international markets Develop customer-first creative that brings brand strategy and commercial objectives to life in-store Ensure all creative is on-brand, commercially relevant and rooted in business objectives, regional trading patterns, and previous performance insights, with a focus on like-for-like sales growth Challenge and elevate the creative output of the team, driving innovation and consistency Ensure campaigns deliver a clear and compelling customer journey across the store environment Work closely with the Senior Campaigns and Promotions Manager to ensure campaign design and development is planned and launched on time Monitor competitor activity and market trends to inform and strengthen promotional campaign design Commercial and Customer Focus Collaborate cross-functionally across Retail, Web, Commercial, and B&M teams to design impactful campaigns, translating marketing and commercial strategies into clear creative briefs and impactful in-store communications Use customer insight, competitor activity and campaign performance to inform creative decisions Ensure retail promotions are relevant, easy to understand and commercially effective Maintain a strong understanding of the customer across all three brands and nine international markets to ensure creative reflects their needs Cross Functional Collaboration Confidently present creative concepts and recommendations to senior stakeholders Build strong relationships across the wider business and influence creative decision-making Work closely with production partners to ensure creative intent is maintained through to final output Project and Critical Path Management Own the end-to-end design delivery of retail print campaigns, from initial brief through to production Manage complex creative critical paths, ensuring deadlines, approvals and production milestones are met Identify potential risks and dependencies early and proactively develop solutions Balance multiple projects and competing priorities within a fast-paced retail environment Ensure artwork is accurate, production-ready and delivered on time Collaborate cross-functionally across Retail, Web, Commercial, and B&M teams to deliver impactful campaigns Evaluate campaign effectiveness and embed learnings into future planning Team Leadership Manage and motivate the Promotions design team, supporting communication, capability building, and performance Foster strong cross-functional collaboration with POS, Graphics, VM, Merchandising, Buying, Retail, Web, and IT teams Identify opportunities to improve processes and drive operational efficiencies Support system enhancements and adoption of new ways of working Create a collaborative, positive and accountable team culture Coach and guide wider teams on best practice and new processes Set clear creative and delivery expectations, managing workload and priorities across the team. Conduct regular store visits and competitor benchmarking (comp shops) We would like to meet someone who is Proven experience in a Marketing Design, Creative or Brand Design management role, ideally within retail Strong marketing background with a clear understanding of customer-led communications and promotional campaigns Experience managing and developing a design team Excellent project and critical path management skills Strong understanding of retail print and in-store customer communications Highly creative with the ability to balance creative ambition with commercial reality Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills Confident presenting and influencing at senior level Benefits Competitive salary and benefits package Hybrid working, 3 days in London based office & 2 working from home Holiday allowance 50% staff discount & 25% for family and friends Pension scheme