Expertise:
The candidate will be a strong conceptual thinker who has developed integrated campaigns before in their career.

They will have strong knowledge of direct, through the line and digital channels, winning awards in all these areas. As well as solid understanding of what works when it comes to best practice.

Attitude:
The candidate will be proactive, with a strong desire to develop award winning work across different briefs.

They will want to be winning at Cannes, but at the same time have a passion for making work that works and is effective.

With this ambition will come maturity and the ability to collaborate with different people across the agency.

Partnership:
The individual will be working alongside an awarded Senior Art Director, across the agency’s client base – varied, blue chip.

Next steps?:
If this sounds interesting and you think you have the kind of experience that my client is looking for, please email me direct at The Talent Business at tim.mitchell@thetalentbusiness.com or call me on 07710 419 702. Thank you.

At the back end of 2010, I was approached by The Talent Business, who came to me with an opportunity to head integrated, 360 and digital creative talent for them across the agency spectrum. I immediately saw this opportunity for what it could be – a great platform to realise some of my career goals and a brilliant way to build definitively towards new ones.

If you’re not aware of The Talent Business, let me tell you what I know about them and explain a little about why I’m excited I’m joining them.

Firstly, they are the world’s leading recruiter of senior talent for creative businesses, with offices in London, New York, Singapore, Shanghai and Sao Paulo. They are, as far as I know, the only specialist recruiter with a global footprint in the creative sector.

Secondly, the management team I’ve met are all senior ex agency people, who have a genuine love (and knowledge) of our industry and the work they do, and a desire to meet and expertly work with the very best, in the most nurturing and mutually beneficial of ways.

And thirdly (this hugely influenced my decision) The Talent Business operates one global P+L, so none of its employees work on a commission basis. What this therefore promotes is unparalleled collaboration and objectivity for clients and candidates within their teams, with none of the usual ‘agendas’ that can (and do) drive much of the recruitment industry.

So, the way I saw it, here was a company with very real synergies and values to mine, offering me the opportunity to do what I do now, on a far bigger and deeper scale. That’s really interesting to me.

Also, and as important in my decision, are the very real benefits I see my joining The Talent Business bringing everyone I work with – client or candidate.

In the three or so years I’ve been out on my own, my goal has always been to provide the best service I can. But I’ve been conscious that there have been times when, because of the size of my operation, I’ve not always been able to provide the breadth of opportunities or depth of network that I’d have liked.

By joining TTB, I will hopefully be able to leverage the broader expertise and coverage that they deliver, and provide a breadth of reach that should go far beyond anything I’ve been able to offer until now. So I see it as a bit of a win-win for everyone.

That said, proof will be in the pudding, so I’ll keep the blog updated. But in the meantime, thanks to everyone I’ve worked with and for over the last few years – I have been hugely grateful for your support and business – and I genuinely hope we will continue to work together in the future.

My first day in my new role is Monday 28th February and if you want to get in touch with me, email me at tim.mitchell@thetalentbusiness.com from then. Wish me luck!

This design role will be responsible for delivering a mixture of on and off line design, layout and asset creation. Candidates will be expected to be exceptional at layout with a natural instinct for balance and styling.

In the role, they should be able to manage anything from simple resizing and online asset creation to brand development and corporate ID. They will be required to style from scratch as well as work accurately within guidelines, working comfortably both on and off line. They will therefore need some technical knowledge for both the print and online environments.

They should be passionate about design and typography as well as digital. They must be able to work well under stress and against unreasonable timings, both in a team and on their own. They should want to develop their own design solutions as well as work seamlessly with other members of the creative team. Finally they should be both inspired and inspiring!

Specifically, then…

• A wonderful eye for design

• Inspired typography

• A level head under pressure

• A passion for great work, and a desire to keep growing.

• A native approach to both on and offline design

• Advanced retouching skills

• They should be able to work with creative teams and be comfortable both collaborating and taking direction when needed.

• They need to be fast and accurate, whilst maintaining a meticulous attention to detail.

• Able to offer solutions as well as take direction.

• In design, Photoshop, Illustrator, Flash.

Phew!

Interested? Get in touch with me at tim@timothycreative.com and we’ll go from there. Or call me on 07710 419 702. Thanks for looking.

Tim

This role focuses on a core piece of telcos business that the agency won 2 years ago and is increasingly being used as a partner on bigger creative and strategic projects in addition to delivery on online communications in the UK and for the global team.

My client is looking for a Creative Group Head/Creative Director to creatively drive the business forward, originate thinking and work with teams to create groundbreaking ideas (the client wants to be ‘scared’) that reflect the brand and drive the business forward.

The person coming in will work closely with the Account and Strategy teams and the ECD who he/she will report into. This role would suit a digital native with a love of technology – my client is looking at ways to innovate with technology so good tech knowledge is important. Evidence of big ideas and award winning work are essential.

This person will be the first to hear of and understand new digital innovations, will be wired into blogs/forums that showcase creativity and technology. They will be articulate and passionate about their ideas and have the ability to recognize and nurture ideas working with other teams.

On the day-to-day work they will need to maintain quality control, push the boundaries of the work to ensure it has impact and traction and have a wider view of all the component work so what the agency does leads, rather than follows.

The brand has consistently won awards for their work and it’s intended that this account becomes a showpiece account for the agency.

Although the primary role is working on one brand and growing the business, there are opportunities to grow this role into other areas and get involved in new business activity at a later date. There will also be opportunities and a requirement to travel but the majority of the time the role will be based in London.

Good presentation skills are important, as is a collaborative approach and the ability to problem solve and think strategically.

I really like the thought of this opportunity and if you do too, please drop me a line at tim@timothycreative.com or call me on 07710 419 702 and I’ll fill you in.

They have an urgent, urgent, need to find an AFX and Motion Graphics designer. They need to find this person now and want to make a confirmed hire by mid February at the latest.

They need someone who can design, who is an expert with After Effects, an expert in Flash and someone who can write Action Script 3. If this person has 3d skills too, all the better. Much of the work that the person coming on board will do involves creating complex campaign microsites and banners.

If this sounds like you and you want to know more, please call me on 07710 419 702 or email at tim@timothycreative.com and I’ll put you fully in the picture. This is great opportunity to learn from some of the best creatives in London, and help drive forward an offer.

As an agency, they bring brands to life to drive sales. They’re focused on the retail experience, from online browsing through to that final in store purchase, which means they’re dedicated to a sector, not a discipline. In other words, they’re completely integrated (so please lose the misleading preconception that retail marketing is all about wobblers).

Their creative is growing quickly due to growth and client expansion. As a result they’re now looking for art/design based conceptual creative who has experience of the retail space, but who is also driven to produce beautiful engaging work.

Interested candidates must be strong not only in conceptual thinking, but in art direction, design, layout and typography. A demonstrable interest and ability in digital retail would be advantageous too.

This agency really will give you exposure to a great set of blue chip clients and brands, so it presents a lovely opportunity to really expand your creative delivery.

If you’re interested in finding out more about the agency and position, please get in touch with me through tim@timothycreative.com or call me on 07710 419 702. The role is a lovely opportunity to take that next career step and join a growing offering at the right time.

Below is a snapshot of some of the key opportunities I am working on this month. As ever, if any appeal and you want to find out more about them, please email me at tim@timothycreative.com or call me on 07710 419 702, or click on the role itself to see more detail.

The same is true if you’re looking to make a new hire (clients) or make a change (candidates) – please feel free to get in touch to chat through your options and whether I can help.

- Senior Art Director / Group Head – Integrated and Digital Agency – c.£60k
- Word-Of-Mouth Creative Head – Specialist WOM Agency – £40k-£60k
- Copywriter – retail and shopper marketing experience – To £40k
- Hyper Designer – 360 Digital Agency – To £50k
- Senior Designer – Digital Agency – To £50k
- Creative Teams (junior, midweight and senior) – 360, Digital and Integrated Agencies – £20k to £75k plus
- Deputy Creative Director – Boutique Integrated Agency – To £50k
- Junior Copywriter – Specialist WOM Agency – £25k
- Digital Strategist – Digital and Design Agency – To £40k
- Digital and Offline Designer – Integrated Agency – To £40k
- Head of Digital Creative – Integrated and Direct Agency – To £60k
- Junior Planner/Strategist – Design Agency – To £35k
- Midweight Creative Team – Integrated Agency – To £50k

Thanks for reading. I’m looking forward to working with you in 2011.

Very best wishes,

Tim

The ideal candidate will be an original thinker who takes creative concepts and translates them into an animated and interactive visual format. Candidates will need to be fully conversant in all industry-standard design packages, including Flash and be able to make a character leap from ladder to level or integrate bespoke video with crafted interface design, able to express the essence of a brand in a single gesture.

This role is also about the future. The role is as much about delivering thinking that extends beyond current established formats and knowing/having an opinion about what will become possible in interactive rich media, as it is about working within present day techniques.

Ideal candidates will be digital natives, with a wealth of experience with a range of internet-related technologies (ideally multi-platform); they’ll show a passion for design, movement and storytelling; and they’ll have the desire to share, promote and deliver this wealth experience to clients and the wider team, to strengthen the agency’s brand and market leading position.

Key skills include:
- Flash (ActionScript and XML)
- Working knowledge of After Effects and Premiere (or similar)
- Hands on experience of working with video footage (including the planning of shoots)
- Excellent Photoshop and Illustrator skills
- Experience of 3D modelling (3D Studio Max, Maya, Cinema 4D, etc) would be great to have
- As would experience of working on mobile and/or interactive TV platforms.

If a role like this interests and you’d like to find out more, please email me at tim@timothycreative.com or call me on 07710 419 702. Thanks for your interest.

In all the teams, I am looking for conceptual experience and a proven track record in creating innovative integrated campaigns (recognised and awarded as such, if possible). For each position I want to see an ability to produce concepts and design work at a consistent excellent quality, as well as a track record that demonstrates experience delivering ‘digital out’ integrated campaigns for clients and brands.

Art Directors’ will need to show ability and skill in typography, design and concept generation, whereas Copywriters’ must be able to demonstrate strong tonal writing skills for both long and short copy.

For all the positions we would expect teams to have good content and production knowledge, a keen understanding of digital communications and social media strategic opportunities and experience of working with design tech teams.

In addition, core skills will include:
- strong working knowledge of experience design, brand development and interactive commerce
- competency on the Mac, with knowledge of Photoshop and Illustrator, etc
- a commercial understanding of the work aligning with business objectives

Juniors will need 1-2 years experience in an integrated, Ad, DM or digital agency. £20k-£25k.

Midweights will have at least 6-7 years experience, as well as experience leading creative briefs and experience delivering pitch winning work. £30k-£45k.

Seniors will be recognised as an awarded, 360 integrated, expert creative team, and have experience nurturing more junior members of the creative department. This position will deputise for the Creative Director in terms of managing the creative floor as and when needed. £60k plus.

Salaries for each are negotiable and will reflect experience and responsibities.

If you’re interested in finding out a little more about any of these three team roles, please email me at tim@timothycreative.com or call me on 07710 419 702. I’ll happily take you through what it is that I’m looking for.