Job Description

Overview

We’re a global, award‑winning in‑house creative and digital team of over 80 specialists across UX/UI, graphic design, animation, visualisation, motion, real‑time development and web. We work collaboratively to deliver innovative, meaningful communications that help our clients engage, inspire and connect with their audiences.

Our work spans community engagement campaigns, immersive digital experiences, global internal communications, brand development and more. We value creativity, innovation, wellbeing, and flexible working, and we support each other to grow within a fast‑paced but rewarding environment.

We are seeking an experienced Global Design Manager to lead and support our teams across the UK and globally. Reporting into the Creative Design leadership team, you will play a critical role in driving creative excellence, operational efficiency, and strategic alignment across our global function. You’ll oversee quality of output, strengthen stakeholder relationships, and ensure consistency in delivery across regions.

This is a high-impact role, offering the opportunity to shape how we work globally, enhance collaboration, and expand the value we bring to a diverse portfolio of international clients. We’re looking for a proactive and inspiring leader who can bring teams together, navigate complexity, and ensure seamless, high-quality delivery across multiple locations.

This role can be based in Bristol or Birmingham, with travel to London, Epsom, Manchester, Glasgow throughout the year as well as occasional international travel as required.

Your role

• Lead, mentor, and support a high-performing global design team.
• Work in close partnership with Principal Creatives to maintain high standards of delivery, whilst driving team development, performance, and wellbeing across the function.
• Foster a collaborative, inclusive, and high-quality creative culture.
• Support team growth, development, and capability building across regions.
• Oversee and ensure consistently high standards of creative output.
• Drive alignment with global design principles, processes, and expectations.
• Enable seamless delivery across teams, ensuring consistency and efficiency.
• Contribute to and help deliver the global Creative Design strategy.
• Balance creativity with strong operational and commercial awareness.
• Identify opportunities to improve processes, workflows, and ways of working.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with internal stakeholders and project teams.
• Confidently scope and oversee delivery across multiple complex, global projects.
• Act as a key connector across teams, ensuring clear communication and alignment.
• Contribute to the evolution of Creative Design’s offering.
• Identify opportunities to enhance client value through innovation and technology.
• Drive continuous improvement across creative output and team performance.

About you

• Experience working in a creative environment, with broad understanding of creative disciplines and effective collaboration with specialist teams.
• Proven leadership experience in a creative or design environment within a multi-disciplinary team, working with a close sub-leadership team.
• Strong understanding of design principles, creative processes, and delivery.
• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal, with the confidence and previous experience of pitching to clients both face to face and virtually.
• Exposure to working with global or cross‑cultural teams. Strong commercial acumen, with previous experience in project planning, scheduling, and budgeting.
• You will understand commercial impact and growth, making decisions with this in mind.
• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously.
• A proactive, positive, and collaborative approach.
• Excellent attention to detail and a willingness to learn from others.
• Comfortable working in a fast‑paced environment with shifting priorities.
• Strategic mindset with the ability to drive improvements and outcomes.
• Experience managing operational aspects of a creative function.
• High attention to detail and commitment to quality.

Rewards & benefits

Explore the rewards and benefits that help you thrive – at every stage of your life and your career. Enjoy competitive salaries, employee rewards and a brilliant range of benefits you can tailor to suit your own health, wellbeing, financial and lifestyle choices. Make the most of a myriad of opportunities for training and professional development to grow your skills and expertise. And combine our hybrid working culture and flexible holiday allowances to balance a great job and fulfilling personal life.

Be rewarded. Find out more.

About AtkinsRéalis

We're AtkinsRéalis, a world-class engineering services and nuclear organization. We connect people, data and technology to transform the world's infrastructure and energy systems. Together, with our industry partners and clients, and our global team of consultants, designers, engineers and project managers, we can change the world. We're committed to leading our clients across our various end markets to engineer a better future for our planet and its people.

Find out more.

Additional information

Security clearance

This role may require security clearance and offers of employment will be dependent on obtaining the relevant level of clearance. If this is necessary, it will be discussed with you at interview. The vetting process is delivered by United Kingdom Security Vetting (UKSV) and may require candidates to provide proof of residency in the UK of 5 years or longer. If applying to this role please do not make reference to (in conversation) or include in your application or CV, details of any current or previously held security clearance.

We are committed to creating a culture where everyone feels that they belong - a place where we can all be ourselves, thrive and develop to be the best we can be. So, we offer a range of family friendly, inclusive employment policies, flexible working arrangements and employee resource groups to support all employees. As an Equal Opportunities Employer, we value applications from all backgrounds, cultures and ability. As a Disability Confident Leader, we are committed to offering an interview to all applicants who have a disability and meet the essential criteria. If you would like to be considered under this commitment, please let us know at the application stage.

Worker Type

Employee

Job Type

Regular

At AtkinsRéalis, we seek to hire individuals with diverse characteristics, backgrounds and perspectives. We strongly believe that world-class talent makes no distinctions based on gender, ethnic or national origin, sexual identity and orientation, age, religion or disability, but enriches itself through these differences.