Midweight / Senior Designer for PKF

PKF is one of the UK's leading firms of accountants and business advisers, which specialises in advising the management of developing private and public businesses. We pride ourselves on creating and sustaining supportive relationships where objective and timely advice enables our clients to thrive and develop.

We have more than 1,500 partners and staff operating from 23 offices around the country; wherever our clients are based, we can offer local expertise backed up by the resources of a national firm

The UK firm is a member of PKF International, a network of independent firms of accountants and business advisers with 430 offices in over 100 countries.

London

With over 40 Partners/Directors and 450 staff it is the largest of PKF's UK offices and offers a full range of services including business advisory, corporate finance, corporate recovery, insolvency, forensic and taxation, with clients that vary in size from start-ups to multinational groups and high net worth individuals.

Our clients benefit from an integrated approach based on understanding the key issues facing small and medium sized businesses. This enables us to meet their needs at each stage of development and allows them to focus on building the value of their business.

Business Development

The business development (BD) department plays a pivotal role in shaping and driving the Firm’s growth. It is responsible for all sector and service line business development campaigns, tenders, client service reviews, e-communications, PR and features an in-house design team.

Purpose of the role

A fully competent design studio resource for print, electronic and web media. Will act as brand guardian. Responsible for assisting in the implementation of the brand re-fresh. Will deputise in the absence of the Design Manager.

Principal duties

• To conceptualise and develop accurate design industry-standard artwork that best addresses the design solution to agreed deadlines and budgets on a broad range of materials for print, electronic and web.
• To receive or agree a brief with requestors and be able to efficiently re-interpret that brief visually.
• To follow the art direction of the Design Manager and conform all designs to the overarching corporate look and feel.
• To collaborate with requestors and others on the Design team on the most appropriate, creative and efficient method for producing items and campaigns.
• To perform own design project management tasks; ie record-keeping; advising requestors/suppliers on timings; requesting and providing cost estimates, purchase orders and sign-offs to spend; to continually communicate with requestors/suppliers on progress and changes; to receive final sign-off from requestor and achieve agreed delivery of materials.
• To juggle own workload and priorities in order to work most efficiently and complete all agreed design stages to deadline.
• To create mock-ups and boards of proposed solutions as/when required for discussion with the requestors and others.
• To proof own work and participate in the proofing of the work of others.
• To issue full instructions to printers and other suppliers and to ensure they adhere to given briefs.
• To ensure suppliers are provided with complete artwork and all necessary information needed to ensure that all completed print meets specifications.
• To maintain a high standard of quality for all of the team’s projects.
• To act as a resource of technical design advice to the others on the Design team.
• To play a part in covering the work of any other team members who are unavailable.
• Any other reasonable duties.

Person Specification

Experience / Key competencies

• Professional/degree-level understanding, talent, training and capability in the principles of design (composition, layout, typography, imagery, colour theory, etc)
• Senior level proficiency in all Adobe Creative Suite components (InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator), Acrobat. Also, proficiency and understanding of Dreamweaver/HTML, Flash, and InCopy.
• Mac OSX and PC Windows platform experience is required
• Comprehensive, practical and up-to-date knowledge of print production and website technology
• Strong awareness of current trends in contemporary design and the best of corporate design
• Experience as a designer in both in-house and design/advertising agency environments
• Clear, appropriate and informed creative judgement – good taste
• Willingness to balance design integrity versus the immediate needs of delivery
• Proven track record in formulating, tracking and working within design projects and budgets
• Skilled in championing the cause of design within a corporate environment, understanding design as a business and as a resource function, and offering creative expertise
• Accuracy and attention to detail
• Excellent grammar, spelling and punctuation skills
• Outstanding communication skills
• Ability to work accurately under pressure and to tight deadlines
• Proactive, positive, team-oriented and enthusiastic approach to design work
• Ability to create and sustain productive working relationships with full spectrum of colleagues and suppliers

Desirable skills
• Flexible, adaptable and eager to extend range of skills
• Corporate re-brand, brand re-fresh, and/or brand extension project experience
• Diverse and active interest across the Arts
• Ability to write/subedit copy, straplines, subheads, captions, etc in the context of designed pieces and campaigns
• Understanding of basic Mac tech support from a user’s perspective and willingness to undertake simple ad hoc maintenance
• Understanding of the commercial aspects of corporate marketing and business development

Education / Qualifications
• Minimum qualification of a Bachelors Degree in Design, Visual Art or Graphic art is ideal; and/or 6+ full years of high-level professional design practice in a relevant environment.