Creative Director

DS Smith

. Set the creative vision and standards across global POS and retail marketing programmes .

Posted 10/9/2026full-timeRemote • United KingdomLeadWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

Use this summary to align your resume positioning with the role.

Demonstrates expertise in creative leadership within retail marketing, focusing on consumer strategy, design excellence, and team development. Capable of driving innovation through emerging technologies and establishing performance measures for client satisfaction.

Highest-signal resume keywords

Senior Creative LeadershipConsumer Strategy ExpertiseMultidisciplinary Team DevelopmentStakeholder ManagementRetail Activation Solutions

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

Creative Strategy DevelopmentDesign ExcellenceRetail MarketingPOS EnvironmentsBrand ActivationConsumer Behaviour AnalysisPath-To-Purchase InsightsCommercial UnderstandingSustainability KnowledgeEmerging Retail Technologies

Soft Skills

Influencing SkillsStorytellingMentoringCollaborationInspiration

Tools & Technologies

AI-Enabled Creative DevelopmentAutomation Tools

Industry Keywords

FMCGGlobal MarketingRetail DesignCreative DevelopmentClient Satisfaction

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Set the creative vision and standards across global POS and retail marketing programmes
Translate consumer behaviour, category dynamics and retail insights into clear creative strategies with measurable impact
Challenge briefs to uncover underlying audience needs and conversion opportunities
Champion design excellence, innovation and continuous improvement across the creative function
Lead creative development across POS, retail activation, merchandising and branded environments
Balance customer engagement, brand objectives, sustainability, manufacturability and commercial performance
Act as a trusted strategic advisor to global brand, marketing and senior client stakeholders
Present and defend creative recommendations through compelling storytelling and strategic rationale
Build, mentor and inspire high-performing multidisciplinary creative teams
Define the long-term vision, capability roadmap and operating model for the Central Design Studio
Drive adoption of AI, automation and emerging creative technologies
Establish performance measures across delivery excellence, talent development, utilisation and client satisfaction
Contribute to pitch responses and articulate the company value proposition and broader strategy

Requirements

What you’ll need

Highly experienced in senior creative leadership roles within retail marketing, retail design, brand activation or POS environments
Deep expertise in consumer strategy and behaviour, path-to-purchase and retail environments
Experience developing POS and retail activation solutions for major FMCG or consumer brands across global or multi-market programmes
Strong portfolio showcasing strategic thinking, creative leadership and design excellence
Proven success leading and developing multidisciplinary creative teams
Strong stakeholder management skills with the confidence to influence and challenge senior client stakeholders
Commercial understanding of retail production, implementation and activation
Knowledge of sustainability, emerging retail technologies and AI-enabled creative development
Experience working across multicultural teams and international markets

Benefits

Comp & perks

Opportunity to shape the future of global retail marketing and design
Diverse, motivated and engaged workforce
Culture of inclusion where everyone is treated fairly, differences are valued and everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed