Job Description
The Creative Design Manager is a senior leadership role responsible for building and leading a high-performing, distributed creative function that elevates design quality, accelerates delivery, and strengthens brand impact across Keypath Education and its university partners. This role drives the shift from a reactive production model to a proactive, strategic creative capability that includes establishing systems, setting standards, and developing talent. As the organisation’s leading creative authority, you will shape creative strategy, champion innovative work, and deliver standout design outcomes. This is a “player‑coach” role, balancing leadership, capability building, and hands-on involvement in high-impact projects.Key Responsibilities
- Creative Leadership & Excellence:
- Act as the organisation’s leading creative authority, setting and maintaining high design standards, shaping creative strategy, and delivering compelling, student‑centric work across channels.
- Present and champion bold, differentiated creative to university partners.
- Team Leadership & Capability Building:
- Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing team of designers, fostering a culture of creativity, accountability, and continuous improvement.
- Manage resource allocation, capability development, and external support to meet both BAU and strategic priorities.
- Design Systems & Process:
- Build scalable design systems, frameworks, and workflows that ensure consistency, quality, and efficiency.
- Own design tools and platforms (e.g., Figma) as the single source of truth and drive best-practice briefing, intake, and delivery processes.
- Innovation & AI Enablement:
- Drive adoption of AI and emerging tools to enhance creative output and efficiency.
- Identify opportunities to automate repeatable tasks and continuously introduce new ideas, trends, and formats to elevate creative performance.
- Stakeholder & Partner Collaboration:
- Partner closely with marketing teams and university stakeholders to deliver high-impact creative outcomes.
- Balance squad delivery with design standards, improve brief quality, and champion integrated, insight-led creative from concept to execution.
Qualifications & Experience
- Relevant tertiary qualification in Design, Visual Communications, or a related field.
- 7+ years’ experience in design, including at least 3 years in a leadership role managing distributed or embedded teams.
- Proven ability to build and scale design systems, lead creative strategy, and deliver high-quality work across digital, UX, motion, and print.
- Strong track record influencing senior stakeholders and presenting bold, performance-driven creative that delivers measurable business outcomes.
- Experience leading and developing design teams, managing external partners, and operating in fast-paced, multi-stakeholder environments.
- Advanced expertise in Figma and strong knowledge of design principles, UX best practices, and performance-led creative.
- Experience leveraging AI and emerging tools to enhance design efficiency and output, and using data insights to inform creative decisions.
- Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to clearly articulate design rationale.
- Flexibility to attend in-person meetings and travel as required.
Additional Information
- Opportunity to work in office, hybrid or remotely.
- All the necessary equipment for success.
- Internet Allowance for remote work.
- Paid Mental Health days for your well-being.
- Access to LinkedIn Learning.
- Access to an Employee Assistance Program.
- Employee led programs such as Culture Club and RAP.
- Company events and activities run in office and remotely.
Why Keypath?
- Embrace Your Authentic Self: A supportive culture recognized as a top workplace (WRK+ Best Places to Work Australia for 4 consecutive years).
- Global EdTech Leader: Join an industry on the rise.
- Continuous Growth: Upskill through discounted study opportunities.
- Transform the World: Contribute to upskilling and reskilling globally.
- Make an Impact: Help solve future economic and social challenges.
