birddog

We’re Hiring – Senior Designer, London

The Agency

Birddog is the Brand and Digital Agency that achieves creative change for businesses. We work almost exclusively in the B2B market and so far with a small, yet fast-growing team we’ve been big enough to reach the whole world. Our award winning work impacts local, regional and international audiences across every market sector.

We’ve been telling the B2B Marketing Industry what it didn’t want to hear since 1994, shifting perceptions away from the ordinary, towards the extraordinary. It’s a tough job, but at least someone knows how to do it.

The Candidate

That’s where you come in. We’re on the lookout for an exceptional and ingenious Senior Designer who has proven ability and experience within an equivalent role. This is a fulfilling, varied position in a small agency that requires input at all stages of the creative process from concept creation, art direction, press ready artwork, photo re-touching, storyboarding to brand management and guideline creation. The role is an excellent opportunity for an enthusiastic creative to add value to the business as we grow. If you’re looking for a work hard, play hard agency environment where you can really make your mark then this is it.

The Senior Designer’s primary focus is ensuring Birddog and our clients are pushed as far as possible creatively. That’s across brand development and digital execution. Realising the potential of an idea through the right creative outcome is key to your success.  You will be expected to come up with cross-platform, creative campaigns that have positive commercial impact on the brand being marketed.

You will also be expected to contribute towards, and beyond, new business presentations to sustain agency growth.

Experience

With at least 3 years + equivalent experience under your belt you’ll have an eye and passion for design, be outgoing, self-motivated and highly organised with the ability to quickly build trust.

You’ll be able to translate client briefs into creative tactics that engage B2B and channel audiences, as well as the capacity to work across both traditional and new media, including: print collateral, email, mobile/web apps, press advertisements, social media channels, video and motion graphics, internal awareness and lead-generation campaigns; events and tradeshows.

To be considered for this role within the Creative team, you will need to offer the following:

• Creative Professional
• Strategic & Creative Thinker & Presenter
• Clear communicator – visual, written, oral, numeric
• Excellent organization skills
• Adobe Suite Software and digital/social savvy
• Personable, but persuasive communication techniques
• Degree and/or CIM Qualified
• 3 Years (min.) senior creative experience within an agency environment
• Business to business experience an advantage
• Knowledge of reproduction and print processes (sheet/web/digital) and requirements to deliver client work across print and digital media

If this sounds like you, you’re ready for a new challenge and have the character and experience described please do not hesitate to apply. No agencies please.

We’re Hiring Community Managers

About Us

Birddog is the Brand and Digital Agency that achieves creative change for businesses. We work almost exclusively in the B2B market and so far with a small, yet fast-growing team we’ve been big enough to reach the whole world. Our award winning work impacts local, regional and international audiences across every market sector.

We’ve been telling the B2B Marketing Industry what it didn’t want to hear since 1994, shifting perceptions away from the ordinary, towards the extraordinary. It’s a tough job, but at least someone knows how to do it.

The Candidate
That’s where you come in. We’re on the lookout for exceptional, ambitious and commercially minded Community Managers who have proven delivery in the social sector. This is an excellent opportunity to own, manage and grow a social community across a number of channels. It’s an opportunity to be in a role that utilises your creative, journalistic and strategic skillset. If you’re looking for a work hard, play hard agency environment where you can really make your mark then this is it.

Experience
With at least 2 years+ practical social media marketing experience under your belt, you’ll have an eye for detail, be outgoing, self-motivated and highly organised with the ability to quickly build trust with your audience. You’ll be adept at developing and implementing social media strategies, building and managing online communities, writing social content and adding value in the social space.

Working closely with the Account Management Team and Directors, you will provide support and assistance from within the Digital Strategy Team. Reporting to clients is key, you’ll need to be able to analyse, provide suggestions that will improve strategy and identify trending themes that will inform direction.

You will be expected to develop and deliver upon a content management strategy and a content plan that will achieve the client’s desired project objectives whilst continually growing your audience. You’ll welcome ‘new’ members – get them comfortable, involved and participating. You’ll help them connect with each other, encourage interactivity and keep the conversations moving towards the brand goals. You’ll also be tasked with the writing and editing of both online blog content and social channel communications, ensuring they are suitable for the target audience

As a social native, you’ll be on top of new social media tools, policies and trends with a natural passion and desire to keep a close eye on the industry and best practice examples. You’ll be able to implement educated changes to the strategic direction of the social activity and you’ll be responsible for driving, growing and shaping valuable communications.

You must have a background in content development, social media, journalism, marketing or online PR with exposure to brand and digital. Additionally you should have proven knowledge of social channels, social tools and the B2B Industry. An appreciation and understanding of the IT & Technology sector would also be beneficial. You should be able to oversee complex social projects from beginning to end, taking responsibility for project management as well as being a key client contact.

Key Responsibilities
• Implementation, management & moderation of social communities i.e. Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, Forums, LinkedIn etc.
• Lead, plan and generate a schedule of compelling editorial content.
• Measurement, reporting and analysis of social communications to identify trends, opportunities and behaviours.
• Online PR – social media crisis management & blogger outreach.
• Content creation across social channels including copy writing for blogs & articles.
• Audience engagement that leads to significant growth and contribution of high quality submissions.
• Coordinate with internal and external stakeholders.
• Monitor trends in online community tools, trends and applications.
• Building new processes and identifying any new opportunities for social media engagement.
• Support the Account Director in ensuring conformity to client’s overall goals and marketing strategy.
• Attend events relevant to social media and online marketing.
• Liaise with creative, accounts and technical teams.

To be considered for this role within the Digital Strategy team, you will need to offer the following:
• PC literate, MS Office – Word, Excel, PowerPoint.
• Excellent written and oral communication.
• Experience in community development and management.
• Strong project management & organisation.
• An in-depth understanding of social channels, monitoring, analytics and moderation tools.
• Client facing.
• Self-starter.
• Motivated.
• Well presented.
• Creative, diplomatic, cool under pressure and fantastic interpersonal skills.

If this sounds like you, you’re ready for a new challenge in Social Media and have the character and experience described please do not hesitate to apply.

Please send your CV and covering letter through to jointhecrew@birddog.co.uk by Friday 23^rd December.

In the event of high levels of response, we are unfortunately only able to get back to those applicants who have been successful.

Birdjob

With the country unsteadily emerging from the worst recession in 80 years, businesses in every sector cutting personnel and increasing volumes of skilled graduates entering the saturated job market, there have been better times to choose to leave a job and relocate to a different city in order to find something new.

Particularly in the media job market: where a temporary PA role advertised on popular jobsite Reed attracted 305 applications in two weeks; where new graduates passionate about their skills and their industry are desperate and cutthroat to get their foot in the door; while thousands of professionals and freelancers with years – decades – of experience jostle for interviews in an ever-diminishing pool of vacancies.

But the thing about the media industry is that it has a unique draw. It’s reactive, innovative, it overarches and influences social, cultural and political areas, and it attracts a certain type of person. Someone who can’t help but pursue a media career like a moth’s quest for a flame. People like me.

It doesn’t necessarily run on numbers and figures, qualifications and experience. In finance, accountancy, law: you either do the math or you don’t get considered, and your CV needs to read like a top 10 list of desirable accreditations.  Brilliance is defined by certificates and spreadsheets, and opportunity is a rigidly round hole for rigidly round pegs.

In a world where passion and creativity win you opportunities, however, eventually a combination of talent and determination can tempt a slice of luck.

The opportunity to come to Birddog was not exactly ‘round hole’.  One unassuming weekday browsing Twitter, in a long summer of unassuming weekdays browsing Twitter, I happened to spot an RT (that’s a ‘re-tweet’ message as opposed to a Radio Times) advertising a job vacancy. One further message and an email later, my CV was in front of interested eyes.

The message wasn’t for me; I saw it by chance. Someone I’ve never met face to face passed on a message from someone else I’d never met face to face. Through the power of social media, however, this chance connection became opportunity. And quite incredibly, chance manifested itself into employment.

It was for exactly this sort of event that during my two and half months unemployed, it never crossed my mind that I hade made a wrong decision. Leaving a job without another to go to – a challenge. Moving back in with the folks for the first time in six years – just a stop-gap.  The draw of the media industry still attracts a certain type of person, and even in this current climate, it’s great to know that determination, a bit of creativity and a slice of luck can still get you started.

I’m looking forward to making it count.

Tim Miller

Content Editor