Design Lead

FutureLearn is a UK-led global learning platform, founded in 2013 with the mission to transform access to education by offering top online courses from the world’s leading universities and brands. The global market for higher education and lifelong learning is a fast-growing market.

FutureLearn is a 100% online learning platform that matches learners with high quality educational content, from leading global educators, with a unique social pedagogy that leads to better learner outcomes. Its wide range of courses allow learners to follow their passions, unlock new skills and capabilities, including certifications and micro-credentials all the way to full degrees. So far, FutureLearn has helped 10's of millions of learners globally. FutureLearn provides educators scalable reach to a global audience, and has longstanding relationships with leading higher education institutions, including more than 150 UK Universities.

FutureLearn originally launched as a MOOC platform, meaning offering massive open online courses for cohorts of learners to join and progress through together. As the market for online education has evolved, FutureLearn has developed into more of an on-demand subscription-based model. The business is now embarking on a significant transformation of their customer proposition (for learners and educators).

There could not be a more exciting time to join FutureLearn as it continues its journey to Transform Access to Education.

FutureLearn operates a Remote First working practice. A hybrid approach where home is likely to be where you'll spend most of your working time, but you will need to attend our London offices for relevant meetings, engage with and support colleagues.

FutureLearn Values

• We are Social Learners. We learn together. We empower and inspire our learners, our partners, and ourselves to develop through the power of lifelong learning.
• We are Transformative. We see no limits to what we can achieve by harnessing our individual and collective strengths. We are changing the world with our ideas, insights, and unique perspectives.
• We are Experimental. Our innovation is led by data, curiosity and the occasional happy accident. We create an uplifting environment where we learn from our failures and celebrate our success.
• We are Purposeful. We work hard to succeed because we’re so invested in our shared purpose. As we grow, so does our opportunity to make a long-term difference to the lives of millions around the world.

About the role

You will lead the design direction for Creative Studio’s response to briefs, creating on-brand solutions that resonate with B2C / B2B and internal audiences. You champion our brand direction and insist on executional excellence for all design work the studio produces in order to maintain a competitive advantage through brand differentiation.

You have creative design guardianship of design output across all marketing channels; mainly supporting the platform marketing and partnership marketing teams across their briefs and occasionally supporting Internal Comms, Product, UX, and Course Content teams on priority initiatives, all of which deliver back to company and marketing OKRs. You will co-lead on the creative direction for B2C and B2B marketing campaigns, alongside the Copy Lead.

You will work closely with the Interim Head of Creative Studio, Workflow Manager, Copy Lead, and brief owners to ensure world-class solutions are delivered on-brief, on-brand, on-time, and with maximum creative impact.

Responsibilities

• Lead creative design across B2B / B2C / internal marketing communications via Creative Studio response to brief and design guardianship over 3rd party marketing agency output
• Design ideation; generating, developing, and communicating new creative ideas, that integrate visual, verbal, and experience design seamlessly
• Act as the brand guardian, ensuring design across all marketing materials aligns with our brand guidelines and meets our high quality bar
• Educate and inspire the wider marketing team to believe in the power of creative solutions by consistently championing and testing creative ways to connect with our target audiences through brand and design
• Collaborate with line manager, marketing leadership team and Creative Studio team during quarterly planning to agree team and personal OKRs with the goal of optimising the impact of Creative Studio to drive growth and brand differentiation
• In collaboration with the Copy Lead; Co-ordinate and optimise Creative Studio workflow ensuring all briefs are delivered on-brief, on-brand, on-time, and with maximum creative resonance
• Own and build a strong and collaborative relationship with our design agency, ensuring all overflow support is delivered to the right quality and standard
• Responsible for design-led brand considerations across internal documents to ensure optimal application (eg. brand guidelines, brand direction, toolkits)
• Understand company-wide legal, budget, people team ways of working and marketing process to support timely delivery of end to end cross-functional projects
• Review and drive recommendations for business cases (requiring resource, tools, initiatives, and new ways of working) which can unlock incremental internal/external creative studio opportunities and scale output each quarterly
• Provide clear and motivating line and task management to Creative Studio teams and develop clear development pathways to up-skill in house teams
• Role model the use of and success of Creative Studio across the business and helps educate teams to unlock greater performance
• Keep up to date on new design trends and competitor landscape

Requirements

• Expert knowledge of design tools including Indesign, Photoshop and Illustrator. Knowledge of After Effects and Figma a bonus
• Skills in concept and briefing motion design
• Deep understanding of UX/UI design design and best practice
• Meticulous attention to design detail, ensuring high standards are kept across all output
• Exceptional typography and layout skills
• Problem solving skills, finding creative ways to solve briefs
• The ability to multi task and meet tight deadlines
• Lives the company values and always looking for ways to role-model them across the team
• Growth mindset with ability to influence Marketing, Product and senior stakeholders to deliver exceptional high quality output
• Excited by building brands and continual learning and development; including brand strategy and design application
• Passion for talent and personal development of direct and indirect reports
• Willingness and capability to grow with the business and scale the Creative Studio team as demand for creative solutions grows each quarter
• Excellent communication and influencing skills
• Strong collaboration and the ability to balance creative intuition, a challenger brand mindset, data signals and commercial objectives

Benefits

• 28 days of Annual Leave plus UK Public Holidays
• Roll over up to 5 days Holiday
• Buy and Sell up to 5 days Holiday
• Life Assurance - 4X Annual salary
• Westfield Healthcare Cash Plan
• 18 weeks of FutureLearn Maternity Pay and Adoption Pay (at your full basic pay subject to passing probation)
• 6 weeks of FutureLearn Paternity Pay (at your full basic pay subject to passing probation)
• Sabbatical Leave (up to 3 months of unpaid leave after 3 years)
• FutureLearn Pension 4% Employer/Employee contribution
• £500 personal budget development/training (subject to business needs)
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Season Ticket Loan

We can't wait to meet you!

Diversity Statement

We believe diversity matters and want to create an environment where diversity can flourish. We encourage everyone to bring their whole self to work, regardless of gender, age, sexual orientation, race or disability.

Please email [email removed - click apply for more details] if you require any reasonable adjustments or alterations to be made, to support you through the recruitment process.

COVID-19

We encourage freelancers and people who have been made redundant as a result of COVID-19 to apply for opportunities at FutureLearn. We believe that in these difficult times, good employers have to rise to the occasion and play their part in the community. At FutureLearn, we take care of each other.