Head of Design

The role

Engage, an employee-owned B Corp digital agency in Leeds, needs a Head of Design to cover maternity leave for 12 months, from December 2026 to December 2027 (dates negotiable). You lead the Design team across brand and campaigns, UX/UI, digital experiences, motion and performance creative, and are the senior Design voice in leadership and client discussions. It is mainly a leadership role with some hands-on work on concepts, pitches and harder creative problems. You work closely with the Web, Performance and Activation teams, Client Services and the wider leadership team.

What you'll do

Creative leadership

• Set and uphold creative standards, and provide direction and quality control on major projects
• Support senior designers and champion craft and usability

Creative strategy and client work

• Turn business and audience challenges into creative direction, and shape campaigns and digital concepts
• Challenge briefs, present to senior clients and act as a senior creative partner on key accounts

Web, Performance and Activation

• Guide the creative for websites and digital experiences with the UX/UI and Development teams
• Help the Performance teams use data to improve creative
• Direct campaigns, social, content and motion across channels, and build the agency's capability in these areas

Team and department leadership

• Lead, coach and develop a multidisciplinary team, set priorities and give regular feedback
• Plan capacity and manage budgets, utilisation and commercial performance
• Improve the department's processes

New business

• Shape the creative angle of proposals and pitches, and lead or support pitch presentations
• Find opportunities to bring stronger creative into existing client relationships
• Make sure Design is involved early in opportunities and client work

About you

• Senior creative or design leadership experience at a digital or integrated agency
• Experience of leading designers across more than one discipline
• A strong record in creative direction, strategy and design craft
• A good understanding of digital experiences and of how design works with development
• Experience of campaign creative and how it links to marketing outcomes
• Confident presenting and defending creative thinking to senior stakeholders
• Sound commercial judgement on scope, budgets, resourcing and delivery
• A confident, collaborative leader who can decide with incomplete information, give clear feedback and develop people
• Hands-on expertise in every specialism is not required; breadth, judgement and the ability to bring specialists together matter more

What's on offer

• Employee ownership (Engage is 100% employee-owned)
• 25 days' holiday plus bank holidays, increasing after five years
• Performance-linked bonus scheme (discretionary, not contractual)
• Comprehensive private health insurance
• 5% company pension contribution
• Financial coaching
• Mental health support
• Free on-site gym
• Hybrid working and flexible hours
• Your birthday off
• Regular socials and summer parties
• Openness to discussing different hours or working patterns, given the fixed term

The details

• Salary: £55,000 – £65,000
• Contract: full-time, fixed-term maternity cover for 12 months, December 2026 to December 2027 (negotiable)
• Location: Leeds; hybrid, minimum three office days a week
• Level: head of department

How to apply

Apply through the application form linked from the listing on Engage's careers page.