Creative Group Head - Design

Company Description

At Digitas, we are a Connected Experience Agency.

We help brands create meaningful connections with people by combining creativity, data, technology and commerce to deliver experiences that drive growth. As part of Publicis Groupe, we partner with brands across retail, FMCG, financial services, telecommunications, food and beverage to create connected experiences that influence behaviour at every stage of the customer journey.

 

 

From integrated campaigns and brand platforms to retail experiences, shopper marketing and activation ecosystems, we believe great ideas should not only capture attention, but they should also drive action

Overview

We're looking for a Creative Group Head - Design to lead the craft and execution of shopper, retail and commerce-driven design across a diverse portfolio of brands.

This is a highly hands-on role suited to a senior designer ready to take the next step in their career. You'll remain actively involved in creating work while taking greater ownership of creative quality, design standards and the development of the team around you.

You'll be responsible for translating campaign ideas, promotional strategies and brand platforms into compelling retail, shopper and activation experiences that connect creative ambition with commercial impact.

 

Sound like you? Read on.

 

You're first and foremost an outstanding designer.

You enjoy creating work, solving problems and finding smarter ways to bring ideas to life across retail, activation and commerce environments. You're passionate about craft, but you're also ready to take greater ownership of the work around you, helping elevate standards, support teammates and drive stronger creative outcomes.

You lead through contribution, expertise and initiative, ensuring the work is not only beautifully executed, but effective in driving real business results.

 

Responsibilities

Day-to-day, your role includes:

 

Commerce & Shopper Design

• Lead the design and development of shopper, retail and activation work across multiple brands and categories.• Translate campaign concepts into high-impact commerce experiences across retail, promotional and experiential touchpoints.• Create compelling brand experiences at key moments of consideration and purchase.• Design shopper-facing communications that drive visibility, engagement and conversion.• Develop scalable design systems that work consistently across multiple channels, formats and environments.• Contribute to concept development and creative problem-solving across commerce-focused briefs.

Experiential & Environmental Design• Design branded environments for activations, conferences, exhibitions, roadshows, trade shows and consumer experiences.• Develop visual systems for conference stands, exhibition spaces, product showcases, launch events and experiential installations.• Create visitor journeys, branded touchpoints, environmental graphics, wayfinding systems and engagement moments within physical spaces.• Work with production partners and fabricators to ensure concepts translate effectively into real-world environments.• Consider customer flow, visibility, interaction and spatial design principles when developing experience-led creative solutions.

Campaign Rollout & Production Excellence• Lead adaptation and rollout of campaigns across multiple retail and customer touchpoints.• Produce and oversee production-ready artwork, specification documents and rollout toolkits.• Ensure all work meets brand standards, retailer requirements and production specifications.• Review artwork, proofs, mock-ups and supplier outputs to maintain the highest quality standards.• Work closely with production partners and implementation teams to deliver seamless execution.

 

Creative Craft & Quality• Champion strong design craft across all commerce and shopper work.• Maintain consistency, attention to detail and creative excellence across deliverables.• Push teams towards better, smarter and more effective solutions.• Help establish best practices and ways of working across the commerce design discipline.• Continuously look for opportunities to elevate the quality and effectiveness of the work.

 

Team Contribution• Provide guidance and support to junior and mid-level designers.• Share knowledge, feedback and technical expertise across the team.• Lead by example through the quality of your own work and contribution.• Foster a collaborative, solutions-focused creative culture.• Take ownership of projects and proactively solve challenges as they arise.

 

 

Qualifications

• 6+ years of experience in retail design, shopper marketing, commerce design, brand activation or a related agency environment.• Strong portfolio demonstrating retail, shopper, activation and commerce-focused design work.• Experience translating campaign ideas into multi-touchpoint customer experiences.• Strong understanding of retail environments, customer journeys and shopper behaviour.• Advanced proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite.• Proven experience managing complex adaptation and rollout programmes.• Strong technical artwork, production and implementation knowledge.

 

Skills & Attributes

Design Craft• Exceptional visual design, typography and layout skills.• Strong conceptual thinking coupled with meticulous execution.• Ability to create work that balances creativity with commercial effectiveness.

 

Commerce & Customer Experience Thinking• Understanding of how customers engage with brands across retail and commerce environments.• Appreciation for the role of design in influencing consideration, purchase and loyalty.• Ability to think beyond individual assets and contribute to connected customer experiences.

 

Technical Excellence• Deep understanding of print production, fabrication and implementation processes.• Strong attention to detail and quality control.• Ability to confidently troubleshoot technical and production challenges.

 

Ownership & Initiative• Naturally proactive and solutions-oriented.• Takes accountability for delivering high-quality work.• Comfortable managing projects and deadlines across multiple workstreams.

• Able to influence standards and outcomes through expertise rather than hierarchy.

 

Got the sparkle? Apply if you believe your unique skills are a fit.

Additional Information

Digitas: Digitas serves the world’s leading brands through a global network comprised of more than 5,500 employees across over 65 offices in 43 countries. In South Africa, Digitas is also expanding its Total Commerce capability into the Publicis Commerce capability and communities, offering Commerce solutions that combine CRM, social, data, media, and creative to drive customer engagement and business growth.

 

What We Offer:• A dynamic, collaborative environment within a global network.• Opportunities to work on leading brands and innovative commerce solutions.• Access to training and development across data, tech, and strategy.• A culture of fearless, inventive, and generous unicorns.

 

Culture commitment: We are connected in the way we think and the way we work. At the heart of our company are great people that we call Unicorns. Our Unicorns are open, bold, and curious and love to solve complex problems for clients in unique ways.• We are approachable & globally supportive.• We are in this together and solution orientated.• We always do the right thing.• We are never afraid.

 

Ready to make social magnetic? Apply now and help us shape the future of commerce through social-first experiences.

Digitas is an equal opportunity employer and prohibits any forms of Discrimination or Harassment. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all our employees in line with our Employment Equity Plan.

 

All appointments will be based on qualifications, experience and best fit but preference will be given to candidates from designated groups. Interested candidates must please submit a concise CV including a link to your portfolio. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Should you not hear from us within 2 weeks after submitting your application, please consider your application as unsuccessful.

 

Visit www.digitas.com/en-za for more on Digitas ZA