Brand Director

Brand Director, 6 months, London/Hybrid, £850 - £1,000/day (Inside IR35)

My client, a leading retail bank are currently looking to bring on a Brand Director for an initial 6 month contract. This is a very urgent/important hire for the business and are looking to move very quickly for the right candidate.

Responsibilities

• Lead a comprehensive brand diagnostic (internal, external, competitive, cultural and commercial) to understand current brand equity, relevance and risk
• Define the future-state brand strategy aligned to the bank's corporate ambition - including positioning, role of brand, architecture and experience principles, clearly articulating what the brand must shift from and to, and why
• Embed brand as a strategic decision framework to protect and grow the bank, translating strategy into practical, repeatable frameworks used across the bank
• Build the commercial case for brand as an enterprise asset with clear links to trust, loyalty and long-term value
• Lead the evolution of the visual identity, tone of voice and connected brand ecosystem ensuring it works across all external and internal segments and channels
• Create a scalable brand system that enables consistency without stifling innovation, leading the development of brand assets, identity systems and messaging architecture, as well as internal tools, playbooks and frameworks
• Develop a set of measures and KPIs that connect brand investment to commercial outcomes
• Operate effectively in a matrixed environment aligning senior stakeholders across functions to develop and embed the brand
• Be the brand ambassador and act as chief storyteller for brand transformation across the organisation with an evidence-led narrative ensuring clarity, conviction and alignment across the bank
• Align customer, corporate and colleague brand stories into a coherent whole
• Own senior relationships with brand, design and strategic partners, lead agency selection, performance and output ensuring work is tightly aligned to business outcomes not just creative excellence

Skills

• Proven experience defining and leading enterprise-level brand transformations
• Expert strategic brand leadership working at the intersection of brand, corporate strategy and commercial outcomes
• Deep understanding of building brands across physical, digital and service ecosystems, ideally within trust-based categories
• Track record of influencing executive and senior leadership and navigating ambiguity, resistance and complexity
• Ability to translate brand strategy into practical frameworks and execution at scale
• Excellent experience in agency partner and ecosystem management
• Excellent communication and storytelling

Knowledge

• Expert understanding of brand strategy, positioning and architecture models
• Demonstrable experience with B2C and B2B brand development and integration for brands with a digital and physical presence
• Strong knowledge of brand operating models and governance structures
• Familiarity with organisational brand embedding and change management