Design Director, Growth

Who We Are

VML, part of WPP, is a leading creative company that combines brand experience, customer experience, and commerce, creating connected brands to drive growth. VML is celebrated for its innovative and human first, award-winning work for blue chip client partners including AstraZeneca, Colgate-Palmolive, Dell, Ford, Microsoft, Nestlé, The Coca-Cola Company, and Wendy's. The agency is recognized by the Forrester Wave™ Reports, as a Leader among Marketing Creative and Content Service Providers, Commerce Services, Global Digital Experience Services, Global Marketing Services and, most recently, Marketing Measurement & Optimization. In addition, VML’s specialist health network, VML Health, is one of the world’s largest and most awarded health agencies. VML’s global network is powered by 26,000 talented people across 55+ markets, with principal offices in Kansas City, New York, Detroit, London, São Paulo, Shanghai, Singapore, and Sydney.

About WPP

WPP is the trusted growth partner for the world’s leading brands. We unite cutting-edge media intelligence and data solutions, world-class creativity, next-generation production, transformative enterprise solutions and expert strategic counsel in a single company – powered by exceptional talent and our agentic marketing platform, WPP Open, to help our clients navigate change, capture opportunity and deliver transformational growth. For more information, visit WPP.com.

Who We Are Looking For

As the Design Director for our Growth team, you are the creative visionary at the forefront of our new business efforts. You will lead the design narrative for VML’s most critical pitches, transforming strategic insights into powerful, persuasive, and world-class creative presentations. This role requires a leader who can inspire a team, partner with senior leadership, and command a room with compelling creative storytelling. You are passionate about harnessing design to win new opportunities and define the future of connected brands.

What You'll Do

• Lead the creative vision and design execution for all new business pitches, from initial concept to final presentation.
• Partner with senior leadership across strategy, creative, and account teams to define the visual tone, style, and narrative for prospective clients.
• Oversee the translation of complex business challenges and strategic frameworks into clear, elegant, and impactful design solutions.
• Lead, mentor, and inspire a team of designers, fostering a culture of creative excellence, collaboration, and professional growth.
• Confidently present creative concepts and design rationale to prospective clients, articulating a clear and compelling vision.
• Serve as the creative standard-bearer for the Growth team, ensuring all pitch materials represent the pinnacle of VML's creative capabilities and brand values.

Who You Are

• A Visionary Leader: You set the creative strategy, seeing the bigger picture and guiding your team to deliver work that is not only beautiful but strategically potent.
• An Influential Partner: You build consensus and inspire confidence among senior leaders and prospective clients, acting as a trusted creative advisor in high-stakes situations.
• A Decisive Creative Champion: You thrive on high-stakes challenges, pushing the boundaries of our creative work and making the bold decisions necessary to win transformative new business.

What You'll Need

• Extensive experience in a creative leadership role, with a proven track record of winning new business within an agency setting.
• An outstanding portfolio that demonstrates strategic and conceptual creative direction, exceptional design craft, and successful pitch work for a diverse range of major brands.
• Mastery of industry-standard design software (e.g., Figma, Adobe Creative Suite, Microsoft PowerPoint, Google Slides).
• Exceptional presentation and communication skills, with the ability to command a room and persuade executive-level stakeholders.
• Proven leadership experience, with the ability to manage and mentor a design team while navigating high-pressure, fast-paced environments.

The base salary range for this position at the time of this posting is indicated below. Individual compensation varies based on job-related factors, including location, business needs, level of responsibility, experience, and qualifications. We offer a competitive benefits package, click WPP Benefits for more details.

_$75,000—$180,000 USD

We believe the best work happens when we're together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection. That's why we’ve adopted a hybrid approach, with teams in the office an average of four days a week. If you require accommodations or flexibility, please discuss this with the hiring team during the interview process.

WPP (VML) is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without discrimination or regard to characteristics. We are committed to fostering a culture of respect in which everyone feels they belong and has the same opportunities to progress in their careers. 

VML is a WPP agency (NYSE: WPP). For more information, please visit  www.vml.com, and follow along on Instagram, LinkedIn, and X.

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