We're looking for a Branding Creative Director to join our team.

Location: Sydney, NSW, Australia. We operate a hybrid model, but this is a studio-led creative leadership role. We value a strong in-person presence to foster collaboration, creative momentum, and team culture.

Job Description

As a Branding Creative Director at BUCK, you will lead and shape the creative vision for global brands from concept to delivery. Your expertise in 360 world building and visioning, brand identity, visual identity, brand design systems, playbooks, and storytelling will guide and lead a talented team to develop innovative and visually compelling work. 

You will collaborate with strategy and cross-functional teams, both internally and externally, and effectively present ideas to stakeholders. 

In addition to brand builds, you will also develop deeper brand expression and systems for established brands. 

Your strong communication skills and ability to conceptualise, shape projects, inspire teams, sell ideas to clients and win pitches is a must. 

Balancing strategic rationale, creative problem solving and scalable design system rigour is key in this role. While 3D, motion and campaign experience is not required, it is a strong plus.

Creative Leadership Capability

• Provide visionary leadership to the creative team, inspiring them to push the boundaries of design and animation.
• Set the creative direction for all projects, ensuring alignment with client briefs and brand guidelines.
• Exhibit a strong and unique individual point of view.
• Comfortable with undefined client asks, and able to bring creative solutions to the table.
• Lead projects with minimal to no oversight when required.
• Stay up-to-date with industry best practices and emerging trends in design and animation, incorporating them into our work where relevant.
• Maintain high-quality standards across all creative output, reviewing work to ensure it meets client expectations and aligns with project objectives.

Presentation & Relationships

• Act as the primary point of contact for key clients, building strong relationships based on trust, transparency, and open communication.
• Contribute to and lead successful pitches / proposals with little to no oversight.
• Work effectively as part of a team, even in situations where there are other creative leads.
• Demonstrates strong organisation on client calls and presentations.
• Ability to craft a narrative flow in presentation decks and rounds of development while threading in strategic rationale.
• Clearly communicate complex (and often abstract ideas) to both our internal teams and clients.
• Lead meetings effectively and efficiently, from dailies to resourcing calls.

Adaptability & Flexibility

• Lead projects of varying complexity and mediums.
• Lead projects with ‘non traditional’ deliverables (i.e., not just motion jobs).
• As a leader, be able to manage unexpected or stressful situations with grace and humility.
• Handle and interpret negative client feedback in a way that leads towards a constructive outcome.

Requirements:

• 15+ years of experience.
• Proven experience in a creative leadership role, preferably within a Design Studio, Branding Agency or Brand.
• Exceptional portfolio showcasing a range of brand, design, systems and animation work across various mediums, styles, and platforms.
• Proficiency with the Adobe Creative Cloud suite, Figma, Google suite.
• In-depth knowledge of design software, animation techniques, visual effects, and motion graphics pipelines is highly desired in order to navigate our wide range of projects.
• Excellent project management skills, with the ability to prioritise tasks, manage multiple projects simultaneously, and meet deadlines.
• Strategic thinker with a creative mindset, an expert eye for design and a passion for storytelling.
• Strong client-facing skills, with experience presenting and pitching creative concepts.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment and adapt to changing priorities and requirements.
• Confident and articulate in client facing scenarios - Can present work clearly, push back at times, and provide rationale in real time.
• Experience & Leadership: 15+ years in creative roles, with proven experience leading design teams in a Design Studio, Branding Agency, or Brand environment. Inspires and motivates teams, translates client feedback into actionable next steps, and drives high-quality creative output.
• Hands-On Creative Expertise: Leads by example with strong design skills. Able to sketch, mark up work, or jump into Photoshop, 3D, or other tools to clarify vision and elevate creative outcomes.
• Team Direction & Project Management: Understands individual strengths and allocates work effectively, particularly when timelines or priorities shift. Excels at prioritising tasks, managing multiple projects simultaneously, and maintaining momentum without compromising quality.
• Client-Facing & Presentation Skills: Confident and articulate in client-facing scenarios. Presents work clearly, provides rationale in real time, and advocates for strong creative solutions. Skilled in deck writing, visual storytelling, and connecting creative choices to business objectives.
• Strategic & Brand Thinking: Combines creative vision with strategic insight. Understands how design decisions support overarching brand narratives and serves as a key creative partner in shaping cohesive brand thinking.
• Technical Proficiency: Expert in Adobe Creative Cloud suite, Figma, Google Suite, and other design/animation software. Strong understanding of animation techniques, visual effects, and motion graphics pipelines to support diverse project needs.
• Adaptability & Composure: Thrives in fast-paced, dynamic environments. Maintains clarity and leadership under pressure, navigating ambiguity while keeping teams aligned and projects on track.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Communicates effectively with Producers, Art Directors, Designers, and Strategy teams to ensure alignment, efficiency, and creative excellence.