Associate Creative Director - Art Direction

Hello, we’re Starling. We built a new kind of bank because we knew technology had the power to help people save, spend and manage their money in a new and transformative way. We’re a fully licensed UK bank with the culture and spirit of a fast-moving, disruptive tech company. We’re a bank, but better: fairer, easier to use and designed to demystify money for everyone. We employ more than 3,500 people across our London, Southampton, Cardiff and Manchester offices.

As Associate Creative Director of Art Direction, you’ll help shape Starling’s brand through campaign ideas, storytelling and big visual moments. You’ll take the lead on creative concepting and execution across shoots, advertising, content and brand activations. This role is about visual storytelling, strong art direction and the ability to create work that resonates and inspires.

You’ll collaborate with writers, producers, designers and marketers to bring ideas to life. You’ll direct and guide others, helping raise the creative bar while acting as a clear and trusted voice across the business.

Key Responsibilities

Creative Leadership and Campaign Development

Lead concepting and visual storytelling across campaigns and brand communications

Develop original creative ideas that work across film, photography, print and digital

Partner closely with writers and strategists to shape compelling narratives

Take projects from concept to delivery, ensuring strong creative direction throughout

Art Direction and Brand Expression

Push the look and feel of campaigns, shoots and branded content

Oversee photography, film and illustration commissions with a strong creative point of view

Guide post-production and asset creation to maintain quality and intent

Help evolve Starling’s brand expression while staying aligned to the visual identity

Collaboration and Team Mentorship

Support and guide midweight and junior creatives with clear, constructive feedback

Collaborate with internal partners and external agencies to deliver standout work

Maintain strong relationships with production teams, talent and vendors

Contribute to a culture of curiosity, collaboration and creative ambition

Requirements:
• 6+ years experience in art direction, campaign development or visual storytelling
• A portfolio that shows big ideas, sharp execution and a clear creative voice
• Strong experience leading shoots and working across photography, film and branded content
• Confident presenting work and guiding creative discussions with stakeholders
• Fluent in Adobe Creative Suite and comfortable working in Figma
• Able to lead others while being hands-on when needed

Bonus Points

• Experience commissioning photographers, directors or illustrators
• Comfortable working on campaign strategy and messaging
• Knowledge of content creation across social, motion and OOH
• Familiarity with creative budgets, resourcing and production planning

Benefits:
• 25 days holiday (plus take your public holiday allowance whenever works best for you)
• An extra day’s holiday for your birthday
• Annual leave is increased with length of service, and you can choose to buy or sell up to five extra days off
• 16 hours paid volunteering time a year
• Salary sacrifice, company enhanced pension scheme
• Life insurance at 4x your salary
• Private Medical Insurance with VitalityHealth including mental health support and cancer care. Partner benefits include discounts with Waitrose, Mr&Mrs Smith and Peloton
• Generous family-friendly policies
• Perkbox membership giving access to retail discounts, a wellness platform for physical and mental health, and weekly free and boosted perks
• Access to initiatives like Cycle to Work and Salary Sacrificed Gym partnerships

About Us

You may be put off applying for a role because you don't tick every box. Forget that! While we can’t accommodate every flexible working request, we're always open to discussion. So, if you're excited about working with us, but aren’t sure if you're 100% there yet, get in touch anyway.

We’re on a mission to radically reshape banking – and that starts with our brilliant team. Whatever came before, we’re proud to bring together people of all backgrounds and experiences who love working together to solve problems.

Starling Bank is an equal opportunity employer, and we’re proud of our ongoing efforts to foster diversity & inclusion in the workplace. Individuals seeking employment at Starling Bank are considered without regard to race, religion, national origin, age, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, medical condition, ancestry, physical or mental disability, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

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