Creative Services Lead

Lead a creative team that helps change lives!

We're looking for an exceptional Creative Services Lead to shape and drive our in-house creative function during an exciting period of growth for the organisation.

Creative Services Lead
Ref: 000071
Location: Home-based UK Nationwide (However, occasional travel will be required as part of this role [may include team meetings or other work-related meetings])
Hours: Full-Time, 35 hours per week
Contract: 12 month fixed term
Salary: Circa £49,700 per annum (inner London weighting £3,950 per annum/pro rata or outer London weighting £2,457 per annum/pro rata may be applied in accordance with where you live)

This is a unique opportunity for an experienced creative leader who combines strategic thinking with hands-on creative excellence. You'll lead a multidisciplinary team of designers, content specialists and multimedia producers, ensuring our brand is consistently brought to life through compelling, audience-focused communications that inspire engagement, support fundraising and advance our organisational goals.

Working closely with the Head of Brand and Content, you'll champion a digital-first approach to creativity, safeguard and evolve our visual identity, and create the conditions for outstanding creative work across every channel and touchpoint.

As Creative Services Lead, you'll:

Provide creative leadership

• Set the creative vision for the organisation's in-house creative function.
• Lead the development and evolution of our visual identity, ensuring consistency, relevance and impact.
• Act as lead art director on major campaigns, fundraising activations, digital experiences, publications and service communications.
• Champion innovative, audience-led creative thinking and storytelling.

Drive a digital-first approach

• Build the digital creative capability in the team.
• Ensure accessibility and digital application sit at the heart of every creative solution.
• Partner with digital marketing, website, email and social teams to create engaging, high-performing content.

Deliver content and communications excellence

• Provide expert advice on effective content, communications and creative execution.
• Support impactful communications across fundraising, services, research, policy, advocacy, brand and internal communications.
• Ensure all creative work is audience-centred, accessible and inclusive.

Lead and develop a high-performing team

• Inspire and support a multidisciplinary team of creative professionals.
• Foster an inclusive, collaborative and high-performing culture.
• Coach, mentor and develop team members, helping them grow their skills and careers.

Strengthen creative operations

• Oversee resource planning, workflow management and creative production processes.
• Manage budgets, suppliers, agencies and freelancers.
• Ensure projects are delivered efficiently, on time and to the highest standards.
• Drive continuous improvement across systems, processes and digital asset management.

About you

You'll be a strategic creative leader with a track record of delivering outstanding work through teams and partnerships. We're particularly looking for someone who has:

• Significant experience leading creative, brand, studio or content teams.
• Strong art direction and creative leadership experience across digital and offline channels.
• Expertise in brand development, visual identity systems, storytelling and content creation.
• Experience translating complex organisational needs into clear, compelling creative solutions.
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills, with the ability to build credibility at all levels.
• Experience managing budgets, creative operations, workflows and resource planning.
• Experience working with agencies, freelancers and creative suppliers.
• A strong understanding of accessibility, inclusion and user-centred design.
• Experience using tools such as Adobe Creative Suite and Figma.
• A relevant degree in a creative discipline.

Why join us?

You'll have the opportunity to lead a talented creative team, develop digital creative capability, influence how our brand shows up across every audience touchpoint and play a vital role in helping us achieve our mission to support stroke survivors. In return, you'll find a collaborative environment, meaningful work and the chance to make a lasting impact through creativity.

Interested?

If you're an inspiring creative leader who thrives on combining strategic vision, creative excellence and operational rigour, we'd love to hear from you. Apply now and help us create communications and experiences that make a real difference.

About Us

The Stroke Association is the leading charity in the UK providing lifelong support for all stroke survivors and their families. We provide tailored support to tens of thousands of stroke survivors each year. This support includes one-to-one and group support, funding vital scientific research into stroke prevention, acute treatment, recovery and long-term care, and campaigning to secure the best care for everyone affected by stroke.

We’re here for stroke survivors and their loved ones, from the moment they enter the new and frightening post-stroke world, supporting them every step of the way as they find their strength and their way back to life.

It’s only thanks to the generosity of our supporters and donors that we can provide vital support.

Closing Date: Midnight, Sunday 22 November 2026
Interview Date: w/c 7 December 2026
Interviews will be held via video conferencing or in person. Please let us know if either will present any challenges when you make your application.

Interested?

If you would like to find out more, please click the apply button. You will be directed to our website to complete your application for this position.

Stroke Association is driven by our ambition to improve the lives of everyone affected by stroke. This means we’re determined to create an equitable and inclusive workplace that benefits from the difference, and thrives on the diversity, of our people. Guided by Our approach to solving inequity in stroke, we are prioritising listening to, and learning from, lived experience across our charity.

We are working to improve the representation of this lived experience at all levels within the Stroke Association and we are eager to recruit applicants from a variety of communities and backgrounds. We are keen to receive applications from people affected by stroke, people of colour, members of LGBT+ communities, and disabled people because these identities and experiences are underrepresented and would add enormous value to how we work.

We are a Disability Confident employer, and we are making great progress focusing on flexible working, reasonable adjustments and access to work. Our charity has a variety of staff network groups and we're committed to continuously improving our diversity and inclusion efforts. If you have questions, or access needs, we’re happy to discuss any support and adjustments we can make throughout the recruitment process so that you’re able to contribute your best in a way that meets your needs.

We're interested in your experience, the judgement you've exercised and what you've learned, rather than perfect success stories. If you decide to use AI to prepare your application, we’ll also ask you to explain how you’ve used it to support you.

To fulfil the role, you must be a resident of the UK and have the right to work in the UK.

If you are applying under the Disability Confident scheme, please indicate this in your supporting statement when applying for the role.

No agencies please.