Visual Concept Manager

Role Responsibility

The Visual Concepts Manager is a newly created role within the Creative Direction team, reporting to the Brand Design Lead. The Creative Direction team sets the direction for all creative outputs and owns the translation of the Selfridges brand. 

This role will create impactful and innovative visual concepts that set the design direction for creative presentation across our stores and website. These concepts will be translated, developed, and rolled out by relevant teams in the wider business – such as Windows, VM and the Visual Projects teams.

The role requires strong skills in design direction, always with a focus on customer experience, brand storytelling and commerciality. It is pivotal to the creation of Selfridges visual design content, and intrinsic to the customer perception of the Selfridges brand.

As Visual Concepts Manager, you will –

• Lead on imagining innovative physical builds that are boundary pushing and photo worthy under the direction of the Brand Design Lead and Head of Creative Concepts, whilst working closely with the Head of Windows, Head of VM and Head of Visual Projects.

• Be at the cutting edge of visual trends and emerging talent to create industry-leading visual design that sets Selfridges apart in its vision to reinvent retail.

• Build a strong network of potential collaborators and talent.

• Ensure all work and direction is recognisably Selfridges in its approach and visual style.

• Work closely with the Windows team to ensure ideas are executed in line with the direction set with a focus on a world building aesthetic.

• Create presentations that give clear direction - from moodboards to sketches, ensuring all direction is effectively communicated.

• Be highly culturally aware and able to draw on trends and pivotal cultural moments to influence design concepts to ensure Selfridges design concepts are industry leading.

• Present and pitch design proposals across the business, clearly demonstrating their successful translation of brief.

• Partners closely with Creative colleagues within the Visual Execution teams to understand the nuances of the varied visual outputs, encouraging cross-functional collaboration and design development that translates successfully across varied outputs.

The Ideal Candidate

How you’ll do it…you will be:

• Be a highly skilled visual concept designer who can create and inspire impactful, unexpected, and compelling design concepts that can be translated for a wide range of formats – from digital advertising to store windows.

• Be able to produce an exceptional standard of visual communication, that can be presented and understood by both internal and external partners.

• Be constantly curious and seeking inspiration, ensuring that Selfridges visual design handwriting remains at the forefront of the industry whilst staying true to the core brand

• Be able to understand Selfridges wider creative vision, and how this can translate into brand design

• Be able to effectively communicate your visual concepts to the relevant teams to ensure successful delivery of ideas that are true to concept

This guide represents a summary of the role, however all team members are expected to be flexible in the work they undertake, which may change from time to time, according to the needs of the business

About the Company

Rewards and benefits 

Here are just a few of our rewards and benefits that help make our team experience that bit more extraordinary. 

• Flexible working options to benefit you, your family and your wellbeing that can include part-time, flexi-time, job sharing or hybrid working

• Generous annual leave that increases with length of service 

• Up to five paid volunteering days – from beach cleans to co-ordinating food and clothing donations 

• Family leave that suits your set up including Maternity, Paternity, Adoption, Surrogacy and Shared Parental leave policies 

• Defined pension contribution scheme  

• Generous bonus and/or commission scheme  

• Enviable team member discount including sale previews and double discount days 

• Exclusive local discounts on a range of restaurants, bars, beauticians and entertainment 

• Subsidised gym memberships  

• A sustainable car salary sacrifice scheme (subject to eligibility criteria)

• Several internal communities to get involved in from our Diversity Board and Green Warriors who are leading the charge on D,E&I and sustainability, to the Wellbeings who are always thinking of new ways to champion healthy minds, bodies and routines for our team members 

• Workplace Options, our confidential team member assistance programme for when life gets tricky or you need a little guidance 

• Access to a wide range of training programmes to help your career development 

Read on to find out how you can play your part in Reinventing Retail… 

Everyone is welcome 

Selfridges is a place where we want everyone to feel a sense of belonging. We embrace every self and are committed to cultivating a diverse and inclusive working culture. We are leading with purpose to not only increase the visibility and recognition of under-represented talent within our organisation, but the wider industry too. Here at Selfridges, everyone is welcome – irrespective of race, gender, ethnicity, sexuality, age or disability, we stand by equal opportunities for all.   

To ensure every feels welcome, we offer support at every stage of the application and interview process.  Should you need it, please let your recruitment contact know and they will be more than happy to help.

Our awards cabinet  

We’re not ones to brag, but since you asked...Selfridges has won the award for The World’s Best Department Store an unprecedented four times at the IGDS awards, with an additional award for the Best Sustainability Campaign. We were also recognised as a ‘Best 25 Big Company to Work For 2020’ as awarded by The Sunday Times. 

Selfridges