Associate Design Director (XD) (UKA) (Tokyo)

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At AKQA (part of WPP) we believe in the imaginative application of art and science to create beautiful ideas, products and services. With an entrepreneurial and collaborative approach, we design adaptive digital services and experiences that capture the imagination, delivering impressive returns for our clients.

The Associate Design Director at AKQA will approach every brief with fresh eyes. Avoiding familiar solutions, the candidate will create and inspire work that is distinctive, effective and truly remarkable. They lead by example to consistently inspire creative colleagues to create world-class, pioneering ideas that conceptualise world-class solutions, while acting as a strategic and conceptual leader on projects. Associate Design Directors at AKQA display a cohesive understanding and can execute the principles that make innovative and effective digital communications, interface design, and interaction design.

We exist to create the future with our clients and that partnership is the basis of our practice. We work collaboratively across client teams to ensure each experience is of the highest quality and has a measurable impact on the customer and business alike.

As part of the AKQA team in Tokyo, you will work in a dynamic, globally-minded environment surrounded by some of the brightest minds in their fields. Together you will create world-class experiences for both Japanese and overseas markets.

ROLE REQUIREMENTS

• Sets creative direction throughout all phases of project work from discovery to launch and beyond with ongoing optimization
• Acts as a creative lead for one or more accounts, managing multiple tracks of work across a variety of teams
• Works internally and with clients to develop the strategy, experience concepts and establish the overarching design direction for the experience
• Produces compelling and highly usable experience solutions in response to client needs
• Communicates and represents creative vision and execution with client partners
• Continually develops processes to inspire, innovate, and harness new ways of thinking
• Inspires and leads by example, setting professional standards for the team and the department
• Actively trains, mentors, and manages junior to mid-level creatives and designers.
• Responsible for managing and guiding junior to mid-level creatives’ careers within AKQA (including regular one-on-one check-ins), writing and delivering annual performance reviews, and taking responsibility for on-boarding new employees and guiding them through a successful tenure at AKQA
• Creatively participates in new business pitches – i.e. responsible for ideas and creative work, and competently presents pitches
• Be able to guide but also prepared to be hands on with exceptional experience in industry design tools

QUALITIES AND CHARACTERISTICS

• A minimum of 7 years’ experience in the creative industry
• Native or fluent Japanese reading and speaking ability is essential.
• All candidates must possess a portfolio showcasing a comprehensive understanding of how l their creative disciplines comes to life and how they applied their thinking, including conceptual and executional (art direction, user experience and UI design) contribute to a finished product
• Demonstrated creative success in leading collaborative cross disciplinary teams
• A solid understanding of the marketing industry at large; an ability and a desire to adapt to the changing landscape of technology
• Experience in, and enthusiasm for, creating digital platforms and products from brief to delivery and beyond.
• Experience in side-by-side collaboration with UX and development teams and leaders
• Strong working knowledge of user interface, application, mobile and responsive design
• Exceptional communication skills: Verbal, written, interpersonal and inter-departmental
• Superb professionalism and mature presence in all aspects of the job
• Thought leadership: A strong point of view; ability to contribute to the strategic development of an assignment; creative ideas and the ability to promote conceptual thinking among the team

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We believe great work happens when we're together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection. That's why we’ve adopted a hybrid approach including required in-office days. If you require accommodations or flexibility, please discuss this with the hiring team during the interview process.

AKQA is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without discrimination or regard to particular characteristics. We are committed to fostering a culture of respect in which everyone feels they belong and has the same opportunities to progress in their careers.

About WPP

WPP is the trusted growth partner for the world’s leading brands. We unite cutting-edge media intelligence and data solutions, world-class creativity, next-generation production, transformative enterprise solutions and expert strategic counsel in a single company – powered by exceptional talent and our agentic marketing platform, WPP Open, to help our clients navigate change, capture opportunity and deliver transformational growth. For more information, visit WPP.com.