Creative Designer

As the UK’s largest independent travel agency, Hays Travel specialises in providing good value, quality holidays alongside excellent customer service. We work with all leading suppliers and can package holidays that include hotels, flights, cruises, tours, attraction tickets, and more. We have over 470 Branches throughout the UK and our Head Office based in Sunderland, is home to tour operator teams, finance, marketing, people/HR and IT, plus many more. We have been operating for over 40 years, and continue to grow each year.

Our values

Our SMILE values are embedded in to our company and ensure our teams work strongly together. You and all of our colleagues will ensure that the Hays Travel values are demonstrated at all times.

• Supportive
• Motivational
• Innovative
• Loyal
• Excellence

What it’s like to work for us?

Whichever location or department you work in, our people are always at the heart of everything we do. We offer a range of training programmes to help you progress personally and professionally, as we know the benefits of promoting and rewarding our hardworking colleagues are extremely important.

Of course, it's not all about work. We're very sociable and there are always lots of team nights-out and company parties. Plus, there are opportunities to travel abroad on educational trips, and you can also take advantage of our colleague discount when booking your own holidays.

What we are looking for?

We are looking for someone with at least 3+ years experience, currently working within a creative environment.

We require an experienced Creative Designer to join our studio team who are based in Sunderland city centre. The candidate should be capable of creative thinking with an ability to design across a variety of disciplines for both digital and print.

The ability to work using you own initiative and within a team are both essential. Exceptional creativity and attention to detail are essential traits to be considered for the role.

You will be a concept to delivery designer and expected to liaise with other departments on a regular basis, therefore any applicant will need to have excellent communication skills.

What will be your key responsibilities?

• Finding out about the project requirements (taking the ‘brief’).
• Provide technical specification advice to clients/colleagues.
• Think creatively to produce new ideas and concepts within the constraints of cost and time.
• Design on-brand creative solutions for a variety of uses: websites, product graphics, email templates, social media graphics, brand campaigns etc.
• Work within the style guidelines as dictated by the Head of Creative and Creative Manager to ensure consistent application of the brand’s identity.
• Creating final designs, working to a deadline and budget.
• Amending designs according to the clients’ (departments’) final comments.
• Work directly with clients (departments), communicating your ideas effectively while taking their feedback.
• Proofreading and preparing designs to be sent to print or go live.
• Prepare artwork for web/email/digital accurately and efficiently to meet relevant deadlines, and conduct appropriate flight-checks to ensure they are correctly optimised and/or meet required specifications.
• Prepare artwork for commercial print accurately and efficiently to meet relevant deadlines, and conduct appropriate flight-checks to ensure they are print-ready and/ or meet printer specifications.
• Follow the sign-off procedure at each stage of production.
• To liaise with internal departments, suppliers and media as required.
• Assist Head of Creative and Creative Manager with project management, dealing with nominated suppliers; ensuring work is supplied on time to branches/departments
• Maintain an accurate filing system
• Attend meetings as required

What competencies we are looking for?

• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Highly organised and dependable; able to multitask, work quickly and meet multiple deadlines
• Detail-oriented, resourceful and calm under pressure, working to critical deadlines
• Able to work independently as well as collaboratively with other designers, supporting other designers when necessary
• Professional work ethic and a team player
• Manage the complete concept to project completion stages
• Be able to present ideas professionally and with enthusiasm
• Open, engaging, collaborative with a down to earth personality and a sense of personal ownership
• Friendly, proactive, approachable, positive and results driven
• Excellent planning, organisational and time management skills, ability to work to strict deadlines
• Exceptional attention to detail
• Cool under pressure of immovable deadlines
• Systematic and creative approach to projects
• Proactive, courteous and tenacious in seeking information
• Energetic team member. 

What experience we are looking for?

• Minimum 3+ years of professional graphic design experience. Exceptional portfolio that showcases solid conceptual thinking, colour and layout skills across digital and print.
• Have a thorough knowledge of web, email, digital design and preparing artwork for all types of screen use.
• Have a thorough knowledge of print production and preparing artwork for print.
• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Cloud. Experience of prototyping software like Figma/ Adobe XD would be a bonus.
• Experience of motion graphics/animation is desirable.
• A strong track record of designing emails, social experiences and other digital assets

REF HAYS2