Lead Art Director

As our Lead Art Director, you will be the creative heart of the Fashion Art Direction team, giving clarity to our high-profile campaigns, whilst leading our talented team of womens, mens, and childrens Art Directors.

This is a senior creative leadership role where you’ll make a tangible difference by ensuring our visual identity remains cohesive, elevated, and commercially impactful across every platform.

Based from our Premier Park Studios, London —with opportunities for UK and global travel—you will lead a talented team of Art Directors, championing their growth while collaborating closely with senior leaders in Brand Marketing, and Buying.

From your first day, you’ll be supported by a collaborative environment that values innovation, giving you the platform to evolve our imagery and inspire the next chapter of NEXT’s visual story.

What You’ll Take On

• Define and champion the creative vision for photography at Next, ensuring all content aligns with our wider brand purpose and business objectives.
• Lead end-to-end art direction for both studio and location shoots, acting as the key creative voice from pre-production through to the final edit.
• Oversee, guide and mentor a team of Art Directors and creatives, ensuring consistency, innovation, and brand alignment.
• Direct brand-defining campaigns, working with high-profile models and top-tier production teams to deliver industry-leading content.
• Translate commercial goals into compelling creative strategies, presenting your ideas confidently to senior leadership and stakeholders.
• Manage project timelines and budgets effectively, partnering with Booking and Production teams to ensure every shoot is resourced and executed to the highest standard.

What You’ll Bring

• Extensive experience (7+ years) in art direction within a fast-paced retail or editorial environment, with a portfolio that showcases high-end commercial retail and editorial work.
• Proven leadership skills, with the ability to guide and develop a creative team while managing multiple large-scale projects simultaneously.
• A strategic mindset, possessing a deep understanding of brand strategy and how content performs across digital, e-commerce and print channels.
• Natural collaboration and communication skills, with the ability to influence at all levels and build strong relationships across the business.
• Trend-focused insight, bringing a sharp eye for cultural shifts and a passion for all NEXT product categories, from Fashion to Home.
• Resilience and organisation, remaining solutions-focused under pressure and holding a full UK driving licence for travel between locations.

Benefits