Mid-Weight Art Director

We’re Pentland Brands; a dynamic, global family business, and proud owners and licensees of many iconic active and footwear brands. With a community of over 1,300 team members worldwide, we embrace diversity and inclusion, and champion growth and development. Our success is built on teamwork, courage, innovation, and an unwavering commitment to excellence.

WHAT’S THE MISSION FOR THIS ROLE?

As a Mid-Weight Art Director on Speedo, you will report to the Senior Creative, working closely with the wider creative and production team. The key purpose of this role is to support on art direction and deisgn, creating beautiful, culturally relevant and emotive stories about our collections and product innovations – stories that bridge between creative communications and creative selling. The end goal us to make our brands famed and desired through bold ideas with a premium aesthetic that gets noticed.

You have experience on premium sports, lifestyle and/or fashion brands, with a portfolio of work that is ideas led and takes creative concepts TTL - from bold advertising through to disruptive and effective social-first content. You will be obsessive in your craft of art direction and design for both stills and moving image. Even better if you have a curiosity in image-generative Ai and how you can use that as a tool in the process.

Confident in the shoot process, you’ll collaborate with senior creatives, agency producers and brand marketeers to support on delivering seamless shoots from pre to postproduction. You’ll play a supporting role in large, complex commercial shoots and can take the lead on smaller campaign shoots and/or social-first production.

You work at your best in a team, helping to inspire and motivate our brands to be creatively progressive, through fresh, innovative and strategically aligned creative thinking. You’ll make our brands more desirable and more relevant in the work you create.

You thrive in high-energy environments, crafting innovative ideas that connect with audiences and drive results. You instinctively know what works across art direction and design and can pitch your concepts to senior creatives with confidence.

Most importantly, you will be part of building a culture of curiosity, craft and creative energy. The C&C team should feel like the epicentre of creative fizz at Pentland Brands.

WHAT DOES THIS ROLE DO?

As our Mid-Weight Art Director, you will…

• Deliver exceptional creative work – Support on art direction and design across all channels, ensuring the highest standards and commercial impact.
• Working into the senior creatives, help develop TTL campaigns with particular emphasis on digital, including websites, and social rollout
• Expert in craft – Bring an elevate taste level, contemporary aesthetic, and expert-level skills in art direction and design, ensuring outstanding creative execution. Maintain brand guardianship and support junior team members and freelancers who work on your projects
• Digital-first mindset – Develop and execute work with a strong emphasis on digital, including websites and social media. Stay ahead of industry trends, AI-generated imagery, and emerging technologies.
• Commercial thinker – Collaborate with commercial and shopper teams to ensure seamless content integration across communication and selling channels, enhancing every brand touchpoint.
• Strong art direction – Support on large creative briefs and sometimes take the creative lead on the smaller ones. Pitch your ideas clearly and concisely and build brilliant creative decks. Give guidance to junior creatives, designers and copywriters on toolkits and rollouts. Confidently help direct and coordinate photo/video shoots with high profile swimming talent, ensuring meticulous planning with shoot bibles, shot lists, and confident on set direction.
• Constantly generating ideas - from big ideas for a comms campaign, production propositions to social reactive posts
• Passionate and innovative – Foster a culture of curiosity, creativity, and excellence, pushing for outstanding work within the team and the wider organisation. Always challenge conventional thinking and push for innovative solutions.

WHAT DO I BRING TO THE ROLE?

You might be our next superstar if you are…

• An ideas-led creative who loves coming up with bold thinking that get brands noticed
• Have a portfolio demonstrating beautiful art direction, and disruptive ideas for brands in sports, lifestyle and/or fashion industries
• An exceptional taste level and on the pulse with creative trends within sports marketing and lifestyle brands
• Understanding of how to effectively take product storytelling TTL with an emphasis on digital touchpoints
• Tapped into the culture of sports and fitness and engaged with brands/platforms/people that promote active lifestyles
• A strong communicator and collaborator, working seamlessly with the inhouse day to day team and senior creatives
• Passionate about being part of building a team culture where everyone contributes their creative voice.
• Proactively bring the outside in, helping to ensure the team remains ahead of industry trends and cultural shifts.
• Skilled in time management with accountability for your workload

WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME?

• Competitive Salary + discretionary bonus
• 25 Days Holiday: Increases with length of service and the option to purchase additional days to suit your needs.
• Discounts: Brand discounts (including friends and family and JD Sports), Sample Sales, and other retail discounts and perks.
• Family-Friendly Benefits: Generous enhanced parental leave policies
• Health Perks: Choose from a variety of health-related perks including medical cash plan, critical illness cover, life assurance, gym and fitness discounts, dental insurance, eye care, and health screening to maintain your wellbeing.
• Travel Perks: Take advantage of our season ticket loan, cycle to work schemes, electric car schemes, and discounts on home charging units to support eco-friendly commuting.
• Flexible Working: We offer hybrid working and flexible working hours, allowing you to start your day earlier or later to help with commute costs or personal commitments.
• Chance to join our Charity, D&I and Sustainability employee networks.

As an equal opportunity employer, we’re committed to fostering diversity and creating an inclusive culture across our business, stores, and office environment.

We want you to live our company principles, bringing a strong consumer focus, while always looking for ways to improve and grow in your role. Take ownership of your work and be proactive in solving problems whilst communicating openly and treating everyone with respect and kindness. And, of course, let your creativity shine by bringing your unique style and individuality to the Pentland Brands Team.