Design and Brand Manager

Job Title: Design and Brand Manager

Details of the role:

Working pattern: Monday Friday. There will be an expectation that the postholder will be primarily office based, spending at least 80% of their time in the office.

Salary: From £54,370 with benefits, subject to skills and experience

Contract term: This is a full time fixed term 12 month contract on Crick terms and conditions

Application closing date: 8th of October at 11.55pm

About us

The Francis Crick Institute is Europe s largest biomedical research institute under one roof. Our world-class scientists and staff collaborate on vital research to help prevent, diagnose and treat illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, infectious diseases and neurodegenerative conditions.

The Crick is a place for collaboration, innovation and exploration across many disciplines. A space where the brightest minds can pursue big and bold ideas and discover answers to crucial scientific questions. We support them in a dynamic environment which fosters excellence with state-of-the-art infrastructure, cutting-edge facilities, and a creative and curious culture. We ve removed traditional boundaries of departments, divisions and disciplines and instead have an open approach that supports every researcher. This gives us the freedom to take risks and carry out high-quality, pioneering research. Creating a space for discovery without boundaries helps us to turn our science into benefits for human health and the economy.

About the role

This is your chance to make your mark as Design and Brand Manager at the Francis Crick Institute one of the world s most iconic biomedical research centres, home to over 1,500 leading scientists and a large public gallery space with a rolling programme of exhibitions and events.

For 12 months, you ll be the creative heartbeat of our Digital and Creative team, setting the standard for design excellence across everything from public exhibitions and scientific reports to internal signage and branded campaigns.

This is a dynamic, hands-on role that sits at the creative core of the Crick s communications. You ll collaborate closely with our marketing team to shape visual identities for flagship exhibitions and events, lead design projects for branded materials like brochures and reports, and create impactful internal signage and communications.

Central to the role is refreshing and rolling out our brand identity, ensuring it remains bold, relevant, and consistent across all touchpoints. You ll manage our in-house studio, oversee science illustration and printing services, and build a trusted network of freelancers and agencies to expand our creative capacity. With a deep understanding of how to tailor design for diverse audiences, from scientific peers to the public, you ll be the go-to expert for visual strategy and execution across the Crick.

The role is ideal for someone with a strong background in design and brand, with a creative flare and is able to identify and seize upon strategic opportunities. It would suit an experienced middleweight designer, ready to step up to a more senior role, or a senior designer looking to take on a new challenge.

What you will be doing

As a Design and Brand Manager at the Crick, you will:

• Produce on-brand, accessible and high-quality design and creative materials which meet the needs of the Crick s varied audiences.

• Manage the Crick s visual brand identity including rolling out our newly refreshed brand identity ensuring it stays fresh, relevant and consistent.

• Develop and implement internal processes for teams across the Crick.

• Manage design projects from concept to completion.

• Oversee the work of agencies and freelancers who are producing design and creative assets, from initial briefing to obtaining final sign-off.

• Produce and maintain a contact base of agencies and suppliers who can produce high-quality design work in accordance with our brand guidelines

• Be the Crick s go-to for best practice in creativity and design, advising teams across the Crick with their creative output.

• Horizon scan for latest updates and innovations in design tools and practice in order to formulate and incorporate best-practice into our processes and templates.

• Continually evaluate our design and creative output, seeking out, absorbing and incorporating feedback into our outputs and processes.

About you

You will have:

• Demonstrable experience at middleweight or senior designer level in-house, freelance or agency;

• Strong understanding of design and brand principles typography, colour, layout etc.

• A portfolio of original, engaging and creative ideas developed within a professional environment for successful brand design projects across various media that demonstrate an eye for detail, creativity and experience of art direction;

• Demonstrable experience of managing, championing and maintaining a consistent brand identity within a professional environment;

• Excellent organisational skills with the ability to work on multiple projects simultaneously;

• Experience of managing creative production workflows and sign-off processes;

• Expert skills in Adobe InDesign, Photoshop and Illustrator;

• Strong skills in Adobe Premiere Pro;

• Strong sense of aesthetics and ability to think creatively;

• An understanding of how scientific research is disseminated through conferences, papers etc.; (Desirable)

• Ability to create animation and motion design using Adobe After Effects; (Desirable)

• Knowledge and experience of design thinking, project management and agile project methodologies; (Desirable)

Essential Criteria

About Working at the Crick

Our values

Everyone who works at the Crick has a valuable role to play in advancing the Crick s mission and shaping our culture!

• We are bold. We make space for creative, dynamic and imaginative ideas and approaches. We re not afraid to do things differently.

• We are open. We re highly collaborative and interactive, and make sure our activities are visible to the outside world.

• We are collegial. We show respect for one another, work cooperatively and support the wider community.

At the Francis Crick Institute, we believe that diversity and inclusion are essential to driving innovation and scientific discovery. We are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to succeed, regardless of their background, identity, or personal circumstances. We actively encourage applications from individuals of all genders, ethnicities, abilities, and experiences. We are a Disability Confident: Committed employer and want to ensure that everyone can apply and be part of our recruitment processes and so we'll make reasonable adjustments if you need them - just let us know when you apply.

What will you receive?

At the Francis Crick Institute, we value our team members and are proud to offer an extensive range of benefits to support their well-being and development:

• Generous Leave: 28 days of annual leave, plus three additional days over Christmas and bank holidays.

• Pension Scheme: Defined contribution pension with employer contributions of up to 16%.

• Health & Well-being:

• 24/7 GP consultation services.

• Occupational health services and mental health support programs.

• Eye care vouchers and discounted healthcare plans.

• Work-Life Balance:

• Back-up care for dependents.

• Childcare support allowance.

• Annual leave purchase options.

• Crick Networks offering diverse groups support, community and inclusive social events.

• Perks:

• Discounted gym memberships, bike-to-work scheme, and shopping discounts.

• Subsidised on-site restaurant and social spaces for team interaction.

Please note you must meet the essential criteria listed within the Role Profile, to have your application reviewed.

We reserve the right to withdraw this advert at any given time due to the number of applications received.