Lead Motion Designer (6 month FTC) (Maternity Leave)

WHY DEPT®?

We are pioneers at heart. What this means, is that we are always leaning forward, thinking of what we can create tomorrow that does not exist today. We were born digital and we are a new model of agency, with a deep skillset in tech and marketing. That’s why we hire curious, self-driven, talented people who never stop innovating.

Our culture is big enough to cope and small enough to care. Meaning, that with people across 20+ countries, we’re big enough to provide you with the best tools, global opportunities, and benefits that help you thrive. While acting small by investing in you, your growth, your team, and giving you the autonomy to solve our clients' problems, no matter where you are in the world.  

This role is part of our Personalized Creative team. We create emotive yet conversion-focused ideas, products and campaigns at scale and speed. Our specialty is hyper-personalized, digital communications that change perceptions, shape new behavior's, and shift market share for our clients including eBay, Ancestry, Walmart, and more!

Job Purpose:
As a Lead Motion Designer, you will join a global team that thrives on variety and problem-solving for our Meta account. This leadership role involves accountability for online and offline design output and the commercial success of the design and creative department. You will lead and mentor a team of motion designers, ensuring the quality of output meets the highest standards and aligns with the agency's creative direction. You will produce video, animation, and digital creative solutions to help communicate client goals, using movement to inspire, educate, and engage a wide audience across social media, email, and onsite platforms.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead and develop Motion Designers and the wider team, aligning with company and Design Department needs.
• Provide direction and support to the team, delegating appropriately.
• Oversee digital animations and video editing, and lead on multimedia questions and issues.
• Deliver constructive feedback.
• Source images and footage.
• Take accountability for flawless design output.
• Manage projects from brief to completion, including storyboarding.
• Contribute innovative ideas at creative review meetings through research and external inspiration.
• Act as a brand guardian, mastering brand guidelines to define what is on/off brand.
• Continuously monitor team workload and help define design briefs when necessary.
• Look for efficiencies in the design and production process to ensure projects are on budget and delivered on time.
• Collaborate with the Design Director to set art direction for campaigns.
• Demonstrate good judgment when being hands-on to set teams up for success.
• Maintain a strong knowledge of the latest industry design trends and benchmarks, sharing insights with the team.
• Gain and maintain global reach and knowledge of the work of other lines of business.
• Provide constant support to the team, advocating for DEPT® values.
• Work within existing templates and create new ones.
• Champion inclusivity and manage change effectively by cascading information to your team.
• Drive the delivery of work on time and to the highest standard by understanding your team's capabilities.
• Support team members and advocate DEPT® as an employer of choice, assisting in interviewing.
• Undertake any other duties as required and in response to business needs.

What We Are Looking For:

• Extensive experience with After Effects, Figma, and the wider Adobe suite.
• Experience managing successful design teams and leading motion projects.
• A strong working knowledge of online and offline design, design systems, component libraries, brand development, and the general creative process.
• Wide knowledge of the animation/video creation process, from storyboards to rendering.
• A great source for up-to-the-minute creative knowledge and trends, with relevant experience in brand, direct, and above-the-line creative work within an agency context.
• Any 3D experience is a bonus.
• Fine eye for detail.
• Strong communication and presentation skills to peers and clients, enabling perception as a design thought leader.
• Strong interpersonal skills.
• Ability to deliver constructive feedback sensitively and professionally, even in difficult situations.
• Demonstrates credibility when liaising with departments and stakeholders such as Creative Directors, Motion Designers, and Clients.
• Holistic approach to copy and design to see how an overall piece of communication is being delivered.
• A great teammate who supports colleagues.
• Highly motivated, adds something unique to the culture of DEPT®, and wants to be part of a social environment.
• Comfortable designing static assets when required.
• Very organized with attention to detail.
• Works with grit and determination in the face of demanding deadlines.
• Has a desire to embrace new skills and challenges.
• Keen to build client relations and pitch ideas to them.
• Good eye for layout, skilled in typesetting and retouching.

WE OFFER:

• 15 days holiday (per annum, pro rata)
• A flexible, hybrid working policy
• DEPT® Allowance
• Buddy Program: You will be paired with a ‘Buddy’ to help you through your first weeks’ at DEPT®
• A reputation for doing good. DEPT® has been a Certified B Corp® since 2021 and named ‘Agency of the Year’ at both The Lovies and The Webby Awards.
• Awesome clients. Whether big or small, local or global — at DEPT® you’ll get the opportunity to work with clients of all sizes and across all industries. And we celebrate all of our successes together!
• The opportunity for possibility. We want to enable you to do what you do best and help you develop your skills further with training, development and certifications.
• Global annual DEPT® Cares Month in which employees come together and donate their skills to support local charities.
• Tons of Office perks in our Toronto office! Enjoy biweekly breakfasts and lunches, tons of free snacks, and of course team events on the regular!

DEPT® is committed to making a positive impact on the planet and since 2021 has been Climate Neutral and B Corporation certified.

DEPT® is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace that seeks to recruit, develop, nurture and retain the most talented people from a range of diverse backgrounds, skills and perspectives. We encourage all applications irrespective of gender, race, sexual orientation, religion, age, nationality, marital status, and disability.

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, & INCLUSION

At DEPT®, we take pride in creating an inclusive workplace where everyone has an equal opportunity to thrive. We actively seek to recruit, develop, nurture, and retain talented individuals from diverse backgrounds, with varying skills and perspectives.

Not sure you meet all qualifications? Apply, and let us decide! Research shows that women and members of underrepresented groups tend not to apply for jobs when they think they may not meet every requirement, when in fact they do. We believe in giving everyone a fair chance to shine. 

We also encourage you  to reach out to us and discuss any reasonable adjustments we can make to support you throughout the recruitment process and your time with us.

Want to know more about our dedication to diversity, equity, and inclusion? Check out our efforts here.

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