Brand & Motion Designer

Overview

Location: Manchester / Hybrid (2-3 days in the studio)

Salary: £34,000 – £44,000, dependent on experience + profit share bonus & benefits

Reports to: Creative Director

Experience Level: 3+ years in a creative, digital or marketing agency

Holdens is a Manchester-based creative agency for ambitious brands that want to make impact – not just look good. We combine strategic thinking, genuinecreativityand straight-talking honesty to build brand work that stands out, movesforwardand earns its keep.

Off the back of some exciting new client wins, we’re growing our Creative Team and looking for a mid-senior Brand & Motion Designer to help shape and deliver standout brand work, brought to life in motion. We’re open to a brand-first designer with strong motion skills, or a motion-first designer with a solid grounding in brand - what matters most is that you can move fluidly between static and moving image without losing craft or consistency.

This is a genuine opportunity to get involved in lots of different parts of the business, from developing brand identities, guidelines, integrating AI-ready design systems where appropriate , to bringing them to life through animation, digital campaigns and immersive experiences. Across our four capabilities – Brand Expression, Brand Engagement, Brand Exposure and Brand Experience – you’ll help ensure the work we deliver is on brief, on brand and built to make impact. You’ll report directly into the Creative Director and work closely with our Strategy, Client Experience and Digital teams to keep things running to the Holdens standard.

As part of a collaborative, fast-paced agency, you’ll get stuck into a range of creative and strategic projects across our four core capabilities:

• Brand Expression – brand strategy, identity, guidelines and AI-ready design systems
• Brand Engagement – websites, apps and digital products
• Brand Exposure – advertising, campaigns and digital marketing
• Brand Experience – experiential, AR/VR and immersive activations

Key Responsibilities

Design & Creative Delivery

• Take ideas from initial concept through to final delivery, working closely with the Creative Director and wider creative team
• Design brand identities, guidelines, AI-ready design systems and brand assets that are distinctive, flexible and built to last
• Apply brand design systems consistently across digital, print, social and campaign deliverables
• Contribute original thinking at concept and ideation stage, not just execution
• Maintain a high standard of craft and finish across every deliverable, static or moving

Motion & Animation

• Design and animate motion content for campaigns, social, digital products and brand activations, using After Effects
• Translate brand and design systems into motion principles – logo animation, transitions, motion guidelines
• Support experiential and immersive projects (AR/VR) with motion and animated assets where required
• Balance creative ambition with production reality – file formats, platform specs and delivery timelines
• Present and talk through creative work with confidence, both internally and in client meetings
• Work collaboratively with strategists, account managers, developers and content teams to ensure output meets the brief
• Take and respond constructively to feedback from the Creative Director, senior team and clients
• Support account and strategy teams with visual thinking during pitches and new business opportunities

Quality Control & Craft

• Proof and quality-check your own work and support peer reviews before work reaches the client
• Uphold the Holdens standard of quality, accuracy and attention to detail across all deliverables
• An eagle eye for detail is a non-negotiable at Holdens – every piece of work that leaves the building should be something we’re proud to put our name on

Internal Collaboration

• Communicate openly and proactively with your teammates
• Flag potential issues, delays or scope risks early and help resolve problems collaboratively
• Stay informed on brand, design and motion trends to bring fresh thinking and energy to the team
• Attend and contribute to morning meetings, weekly planning sessions and creative reviews

What We’re Looking For

• 3+ years’ experience as a Brand Designer with strong motion skills, or a Motion Designer with strong brand experience, gained at a creative, digital or marketing agency
• Strong understanding of design principles
• Fluent in Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign) and Figma
• Confident working in After Effects, with a strong sense of timing, pacing and craft in motion
• A strong portfolio demonstrating brand thinking and applied motion/animation work
• Able to take ideas from inception through to delivery, working well within a team
• A confident communicator, comfortable presenting and talking through creative decisions
• Highly organised, with the ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines simultaneously
• Good energy, a positive attitude, curiosity, and genuine team spirit

What You’ll Get

• Real creative ownership, working directly with the Creative Director
• Exposure to a broad range of fast-moving projects across brand, digital, campaign and experiential work
• A dedicated training budget to keep developing your craft – motion, design tools and beyond
• A clear path to grow into a more senior design or creative leadership role
• A supportive, collaborative studio culture that values good ideas wherever they come from

Our Culture

At Holdens, we’re all about turning ambition into momentum – combining strategic thinking with creative firepower to deliver real, measurable returns. We also know that great work flourishes in a supportive environment, where everyone feels empowered to share ideas and push boundaries, both within our teams and in partnership with our clients.

Our values:

• Creativity
• Craft
• Courage
• Hybrid studio and remote working
• 24 days annual leave plus bank holidays
• Plus your birthday day off
• Private healthcare for you and your partner
• Annual salary reviews
• Profit-share bonus
• Commission on new leads (5% of revenue of first project)
• Company pension scheme
• Dedicated training budget
• Recruitment referral rewards
• Spring and summer social away days
• Christmas lunch and social

(*subject to individual role and business requirements)

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