Hiring. Associate / Design Director. Sydney.

The position
You will become an integral part of our small, tight-knit and nimble team in Sydney and will work on some of Australia’s most loved and ambitious brands. You will be actively involved in all areas of the business, making decisions that help deliver on our creative vision, contribute to the agency growth and support creative excellence.

As a Design Director you will work in close partnership with Creative Partner, and will be supporting and collaborating with the wider design team. Externally, you will be building and nurturing relationships with clients, network of suppliers as well as wider creative industry.

At this stage, we are working remotely with a view to reunite the team in our brand new studio in Surry Hills in early October, once it’s safe to do so. This is a full-time, permanent opportunity and is open to locally based candidates.

A glimpse of SomeOne

• Brand new office in the heart of Surry Hills, 5min walk from Central Station 
• Flexible work arrangements from home and office
• Possibility of further flexibility accommodating your needs 
• Annual training & development budget allocation
• Attendance of industry events and conferences
• Supporting, caring and respectful environment 
• Extra days of paid leave over Dec/Jan holiday break
• Friday arvo early finish and end of week team wrap up
• Regular team outings to discover the latest exhibitions, galleries, films etc
• Opportunity to make your mark and contribute to creating an agency we all want to work be a part of

Key responsibilities

• Lead the design output of all projects undertaken by the studio. Hold work to the highest standards, champion creative integrity and use expertise to draw out the best possible creative ideas to deliver against brand strategy.
• Pursue creative excellence and take the lead in generating strong big ideas that result in innovative and exciting brand-led business transformation for clients.
• Create and nurture collaborative relationships across the business whether it’s with strategy, account management or other partners.
• Possess commercial acumen and partner with business and account management team to plan the development and delivery of projects, and manage designer/project allocation.
• Own, develop and strengthen client and partner relationships, influence decisions, leading to evolved approaches and world-class creative outputs. 
• Nurture and support the team, help identify areas of growth and opportunities, champion their development and foster an open and transparent culture built on trust and respect. Lead by example. 
• Partner with the Creative Director to enhance and continuously improve where we move as a business.

About you

• You have at least 8 years of experience in a brand agency environment and have both hands-on and leadership experience in creating and developing brands. You have solid experience working with brands and clients in Australia.
• You know that great brand identities stretch beyond the aesthetics and come from great strategy and thinking.
• You believe in the power of many and are a true collaborator and team player. Other designers, strategists, writers, account managers, developers, clients – no matter the background or specialty, you encourage the flow of ideas from everyone.  
• You have an ability to take on a growth mindset, put egos aside, challenge and be challenged. You foster positive creative tension where the best ideas have room to come to life and grow, and create a safe space for everyone to be heard.
• You are a confident communicator, presenter and listener. Working directly with people, whether internally or externally, is a crucial part of this role. 
• You have a strong track record of creating and developing brands. From the big idea and concepts to the development and guidelines – you have a proven ability to see projects through and a readiness to roll up your sleeves at any stage.

Skills & attributes

• Demonstrated and proven track record of design excellence and storytelling
• Conceptual thinking combined with an ability to see projects through 
• Excellent people, communication and negotiation skills
• Ability to see a bigger picture whilst keeping an eye on detail and craft
• A passion for design and creative industry, and desire to contribute and help move it forward 
• Expert in Adobe Creative Suite, iWork & GSuite (notably Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Keynote, Google Slides)
• Good knowledge of digital and/or motion software (Figma, Miro, After Effects, Premier, Cinema 4D, Blender, etc) is desirable but not essential 
• A curious and hungry mind

About us

SomeOne is a multi-discipline, full-service brand agency, founded and run by strategic creative minds. Founded in London some 16 years ago by four creatives who all left big agencies, we opened our Sydney doors in 2016 and have since had a privilege to work with some of the most loved brands in the region.

Ideas are our bread and butter. Our clients come from a diverse range of industries and no project is the same. To give you a taste, in the past year we have worked with one of Australia’s most iconic museums and nation’s largest charity, launched a first of its kind beauty co-working space, and are about to launch a new brand for a revolutionary martech startup. We redefine, create or refresh brands big and small – research and strategy, visual and verbal identity design, customer experience, digital and motion design, campaigns and activations. The diversity of our clients helps us keep ideas fresh and minds inspired and ultimately makes us better thinkers and better designers.

Salary expectations

Negotiable. Salary will be commensurate with experience;
Opportunity for EOY bonus and training allocation.

To apply

If this sounds like an exciting challenge and opportunity, or for a confidential discussion, please introduce yourself via email to hello@someoneinsydney.com, attaching your CV and portfolio / relevant work.