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Join HLabs as our Creative Director: Creating Stories That Matter.
HLabs is an award-winning global agency specialising in digital web design, interactive storytelling, and no-code technology for enterprise publishers & brands.
Founded in 2020, HLabs has grown to 20 full-time people, with a specialist freelance bench that takes us to over 30, working across ten countries. We're an independent, fast-moving and innovative agency, trusted by enterprise level brands like Conde Nast, Red Bull and Hilton Grand Vacations looking for high quality creative on fast turnaround times.
Who are HLabs?
There’s no holding company above us, no creative committee and an agile start up culture with a vision of growth ahead. When you have a strong idea, you want to move fast. HLabs is a technology driven company with an eagerness to be ahead in the industry so we’re experimenting with AI, partnered with over 15 no-code platforms (like Webflow, Framer & Vev) but keep storytelling at the heart of what we do.
The next Creative Director will bring their creativity and understanding of business commercials to help shape the next generation of HLabs, supported by a brilliant & digital team.
We minimise your project timelines, reduce in-house costs, through utilizing our comprehensive in house services, whilst always striving to support our company vision to "Create Stories That Matter'.
What's HLabs vision?
We're glad you asked! Take a look at this video or tap here to see our 2023 Vision Report on how we are 'Creating Stories That Matter'
What's the opportunity?
This is a genuine senior leadership role at an agency looking to create stories that matter. You’ll sit on the Senior Leadership Team, partner directly with the CEO, and take creative ownership across every discipline we touch - design, editorial, and no-code development.
Our best client relationships are long-term retainer clients, looking for HLabs to be a true extension of their teams, sprinkled alongside short one off projects that could be anything from an illustrated infographic up to a full rebrand and website launch. The Creative Director will bring their people skills to build on solid relationships and inspire with new ideas and upsell strategies.
We’re not looking for someone to execute everything, but be able to dive into Figma when necessary. We need someone who can read a client brief, find the story inside it, and direct a talented team to deliver something exceptional, and on a tight turn around.
What you'll own?
Creative Direction & Client Strategy
- Translate complex client briefs into clear, compelling creative strategies, defining the narrative from the first sales conversation through to final delivery.
- Work closely with Sales & Delivery to scope projects accurately; interpret client wishes into executable Statements of Work that protect both quality and commercial margin.
- Lead the creative vision across HLabs’ five core pillars:
- Start Tomorrow - Fast to kick off a project when a deadline is looming,
- Publish Faster - With the use of no-code digital experiences reducing development time.
- Content From Scratch - Original content creation for brands coming without copywriting, assets or even a brand.
- Increase Engagement - With data driven benchmarks and solved with converting websites and experiences
- Add Capacity - Be our clients truest partner and an extension of their team.
- Direct creative output across print, digital, branding, editorial, illustration, animation and interactive, without being the person building it.
- Maintain a daily awareness of live projects so you can step into any client conversation at a moment’s notice.
Team Leadership & Development
- Lead and line-manage the design team, overseeing skills-based allocation, performance, and professional growth.
- Build the team development framework that doesn’t yet fully exist, create clear expectations, structured feedback cycles, show-and-tell sessions, and development pathways.
- Provide coaching and honest, evidence-based feedback that builds resilience and raises the ceiling on what the team can handle independently.
- Champion an empathetic, inclusive leadership style; adapt communication to different working styles including neurodiverse team members.
- Actively build and protect team culture by proactively lifting the people around you, not just managing them.
New Business & External Presence
- Partner with Sales on pitches, RFPs and client presentations; show up in person and online as a face of HLabs.
- Shape the external creative identity of HLabs beyond client work, our annual HiFest event, website, socials, and award entries.
- Identify upsell and new service opportunities within existing client relationships; bring fresh ideas to market without waiting to be asked.
- Develop and lead training workshops for clients (we run Figma and creative strategy sessions for clients) and internal learning sessions for the team.
AI, Innovation & Tooling
- Help shape how HLabs integrates AI creatively and commercially by setting standards, building confidence in the team, and identifying where AI genuinely improves the work.
- Stay ahead of emerging tools and platforms; adapt quickly to new software or processes and bring the team with you.
- Push the creative possibilities of the no-code platforms we use, not by building, but by knowing what’s possible and directing accordingly.
Operations & Delivery
- Be the escalation point for creative blockers, internal or client-facing.
- Work with the PM team to understand resourcing daily and ensure projects are matched to the right skills and capacity.
- Identify workflow bottlenecks and implement better ways of working; define team goals that align with company direction.
- Participate actively in SLT decisions, bringing a creative perspective that balances artistic integrity with commercial reality.
What We’re Looking For
- Proven experience as a Creative Director, ideally within a digital or creative agency, working with enterprise clients and recognisable brands.
- A portfolio that demonstrates creative direction, not just execution. Show us how you shaped the work, not just what the work looked like.
- Track record of building and developing creative teams, including structured feedback, mentorship and career development.
- Experience assisting with or leading new business pitches and client presentations at a senior level.
- Exposure to scoping and commercial decision-making, you understand how creative choices affect timelines, budgets and outcomes.
A day in the life of...
View our blogs 'A day in the life' with Leticia (PM) and Shadi (previous CD) to get a snapshot of your team's responsibilities.
Skills & attitude
- Solutions-first leadership: you bring proposals to the CEO, not problems. You make calls, own outcomes, and move without needing permission on every decision.
- High emotional intelligence: you hold high standards through empathy, not fear. Your team trusts you and wants to do good work for you.
- Confident communicator: equally comfortable presenting to a room of 200 at HiFest or running a quiet 1-2-1 with a junior designer.
- Commercially aware: you must understand that great creative work and great business outcomes are the same goal, not competing ones.
- Genuinely collaborative: you see developers, editors, PMs and clients as creative partners, not support functions.
- Fast and adaptable: HLabs moves quickly. You thrive in environments where the brief evolves and inventiveness is a daily requirement.
What experience are we looking for?
Tools & Platforms
You don’t need to build. You need to direct. That means knowing what these tools can do well enough to push boundaries and brief your team accurately.
What’s a Rich Text element?
The rich text element allows you to create and format headings, paragraphs, blockquotes, images, and video all in one place instead of having to add and format them individually. Just double-click and easily create content.
Static and dynamic content editing
A rich text element can be used with static or dynamic content. For static content, just drop it into any page and begin editing. For dynamic content, add a rich text field to any collection and then connect a rich text element to that field in the settings panel. Voila!
How to customize formatting for each rich text
Headings, paragraphs, blockquotes, figures, images, and figure captions can all be styled after a class is added to the rich text element using the "When inside of" nested selector system.
How We Measure Success
- Creative quality: high client satisfaction on creative output; minimal revisions caused by interpretation errors.
- Team development: measurable growth in what junior and mid-level designers can handle independently.
- Operational efficiency: reduction in creative bottlenecks; daily awareness of project status across all active work.
- Commercial impact: creative excellence contributes directly to account retention, upsell, and new business wins.
- Leadership: constructive SLT participation; team feedback reflects a supportive, inspiring and high-trust environment.
A Note on Culture
HLabs is an agency where high standards and genuine kindness aren’t in conflict. We listen. We don’t shout. We don’t bring old-school agency behaviour through the door. Our best work and our best relationships are built on trust earned over time.
This isn’t the job for you if you want a large team, huge budgets, and well-defined briefs at every step. The people who thrive here are ready to challenge what a ‘normal agency’ looks like and make things clients can’t wait to try.
Last notes...
- To apply, visit the HLabs application page or contact ella@hlabs.co.uk
- We respond to every application within 5 working days.
There is a huge opportunity to learn and develop within this role so if you are passionate, self-motivated and want to be part of a really exciting team please apply. HLabs is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.
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