Group Brand & Design Manager

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Group Brand & Design Manager

Company: Mears Group

Location: Gloucester, United Kingdom (Remote)

Job Type: Full-Time (Maternity Cover)

Category: Marketing & Design Operations

Date Posted: March 25, 2026

Experience Level: Mid-Senior Level (Estimated 5-10 years)

Remote Status: Fully Remote

🚀 Role Summary

• Oversee the strategic development and execution of the Group Brand and Design Plan to enhance brand perception and support commercial objectives.

• Lead the evolution and strengthening of Mears' visual identity, ensuring its relevance, impact, and alignment with business ambitions.

• Manage the creation of all external branding and marketing collateral, maintaining brand consistency across digital and offline channels through rigorous audits.

• Drive the development of high-impact brand campaigns, collaborating with internal teams and external agency partners.

• Manage budgets allocated for brand and design activities, ensuring efficient resource allocation and ROI.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the title is "Group Brand & Design Manager," the responsibilities clearly indicate a significant operational component in managing brand assets, campaign execution, budget oversight, and cross-functional collaboration, aligning it with operations functions within Marketing and GTM.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Develop and implement the overarching Group Brand and Design Strategy, ensuring Mears is consistently positioned as a leading housing solutions provider.

• Own and evolve the Mears visual identity, ensuring it remains contemporary, impactful, and aligned with strategic business goals.

• Conduct regular audits of all external branding and marketing collateral (digital and offline) to ensure adherence to brand guidelines and maintain consistency.

• Lead the conceptualization and execution of high-impact brand campaigns, working collaboratively with internal marketing, communications, and relevant business units.

• Manage and optimize budgets for all brand and design initiatives, tracking expenditures and demonstrating ROI for campaigns and projects.

• Foster strong relationships with internal stakeholders across various departments to understand their brand and design needs and deliver tailored solutions.

• Oversee the creation and curation of brand content, including photography, videography, and presentation materials, to effectively communicate the Mears story.

• Manage relationships and performance of external creative agencies, digital partners, and suppliers to ensure high-quality output and adherence to brand standards.

• Stay abreast of industry trends, competitor activities, and best practices in brand management and design to continuously innovate and improve Mears' brand presence.

• Ensure all brand and design activities support Mears' social responsibility commitments and contribute to its reputation as a desirable employer.

📝 Enhancement Note: The core responsibilities emphasize strategic brand management, campaign execution oversight, budget management, and stakeholder engagement, which are critical operational functions within a marketing and GTM framework.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Brand Management, Graphic Design, Communications, or a related field.

Experience:

• Proven track record of 5-10 years in a dedicated graphic design or brand management role, with a focus on operational execution and strategic brand development.

• Experience within a large B2B organization is essential, demonstrating an understanding of complex stakeholder environments and corporate branding challenges.

Required Skills:

• Brand Management: Deep understanding of brand strategy, identity development, and brand guardianship within a corporate setting.

• Graphic Design Software: Proficiency in the Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign) is mandatory for reviewing and potentially contributing to design assets.

• Brand Guidelines Development & Enforcement: Ability to create, maintain, and enforce comprehensive brand guidelines across all touchpoints.

• Stakeholder Management: Exceptional ability to build rapport, communicate effectively, and manage expectations with diverse internal stakeholders at all levels.

• Campaign Management: Experience in planning, executing, and measuring the success of integrated brand and marketing campaigns.

• Budget Management: Proven ability to manage project budgets, track expenditures, and report on financial performance.

• Content Oversight: Experience in overseeing the creation of diverse content formats, including visual assets, video, and presentations.

• Digital Marketing Analytics: Understanding of key digital marketing metrics and analytics to inform design and campaign decisions and assess performance.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience working with external marketing teams and/or design agencies on a collaborative basis.

• Knowledge of project management methodologies and tools to manage multiple initiatives concurrently.

• Familiarity with content management systems (CMS) and digital asset management (DAM) systems.

• Understanding of B2B marketing principles and how brand influences lead generation and customer acquisition.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Key Criteria" provided in the raw input directly translate into the required skills. The estimated experience level is based on the breadth of responsibilities and the "Manager" title.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Brand Campaign Case Studies: Demonstrations of successful brand campaigns, detailing objectives, strategy, execution, creative assets, and measurable results (e.g., brand awareness uplift, engagement metrics).

• Brand Identity Evolution: Examples of how you have maintained, evolved, or revitalized brand identities, showcasing consistency across various platforms and materials.

• Marketing Collateral Examples: A curated selection of high-quality marketing collateral (brochures, presentations, digital assets, social media graphics) that exemplify design excellence and brand adherence.

• Process Documentation: Visual representations or descriptions of processes used for brand audits, guideline enforcement, or campaign development workflows.

Process Documentation:

• Brand Audit Frameworks: Clear methodologies for conducting regular brand audits to ensure consistency and identify areas for improvement.

• Creative Brief Development: Standardized processes for developing creative briefs that clearly articulate project objectives, target audiences, and deliverables for internal teams or external agencies.

• Content Creation Workflows: Documented procedures for managing content creation pipelines, from concept to final delivery, including review and approval stages.

• Agency Briefing & Management: Established protocols for briefing and managing external creative partners, ensuring alignment with brand strategy and project scope.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Brand & Design Manager role, a portfolio is crucial. The emphasis is on showcasing strategic thinking, creative execution, operational management of brand assets, and demonstrable impact, particularly within a B2B context.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: £38,000 - £44,000 per annum

Benefits:

• Enhanced Pension Scheme: Competitive employer contributions to a pension plan.

• Enhanced Sick Pay: Generous sick pay provisions beyond statutory requirements.

• Flexible Working Environment: Supports work-life balance with flexible arrangements.

• Family Friendly Policy: Includes enhanced maternity/paternity leave and other family support measures.

• Team Building Activities: Opportunities for team cohesion and engagement.

• Share Saver Scheme: Option to invest in company shares.

• Eye Test Vouchers: Contribution towards eye care for VDU users.

• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP): Confidential access to free counselling and support services.

• Wellbeing Service: Access to trained mental health and wellbeing advisors.

• Mears Annual Family Fun Day: Company-funded annual event for employees and their families.

• Mears Rewards: A performance recognition platform offering rewards such as high street vouchers.

Working Hours: Monday to Friday, 08:30 – 17:00 (37.5 hours per week), with flexibility.

📝 Enhancement Note: The provided salary is up to £44,000. Given the role is maternity cover and the provided salary ceiling, a range of £38,000-£44,000 is estimated, reflecting mid-level to senior experience in the UK market for this type of role. The specified working hours are 8:30-17:00, totaling 7.5 hours per day, which aligns with a 37.5-hour work week.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Social Housing, Property Services, Construction, and Facilities Management. Mears Group is a socially responsible organization focused on making a positive impact in communities.

Company Size: Large (Mears Group is a significant employer, likely in the thousands, with operations across the UK). This size implies structured processes, multiple departments, and a need for strong brand consistency.

Founded: Mears Group has a history dating back to the 1980s, indicating a well-established company with a robust operational framework and a strong market presence.

Team Structure:

• This role likely sits within the Marketing or Communications department, reporting to a Head of Marketing, Director of Communications, or a similar senior leader.

• The Brand & Design Manager will collaborate closely with marketing specialists, content creators, digital teams, PR, and potentially HR (for employer branding).

Methodology:

• Data-Informed Creativity: The role requires balancing creative output with data analytics to ensure brand campaigns are effective and aligned with business goals.

• Process-Driven Execution: Emphasis on developing and adhering to brand guidelines, campaign processes, and budget management protocols.

• Collaborative Brand Building: A "One Mears" approach suggests a culture of teamwork and shared responsibility for brand success across the organization.

Company Website: https://www.mearsgroup.co.uk/

📝 Enhancement Note: The company description highlights its "socially responsible organization" and "One Mears approach," indicating a culture that values community impact, teamwork, and ethical practices. The industry context is crucial for understanding the B2B nature of much of their branding.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a Mid-Senior level management position focused on a critical GTM function (Brand & Design). It requires a blend of strategic thinking, creative direction, and operational execution.

Reporting Structure: The Group Brand & Design Manager will likely report to a Director-level position within Marketing or Communications. They may have direct reports in a permanent role, but for maternity cover, they might be expected to manage external agency relationships and internal project workflows.

Operations Impact: The role has a direct impact on the external perception of Mears Group, influencing brand recognition, customer acquisition (through effective marketing collateral), and employer branding (attracting talent). Effective brand management is crucial for Mears' commercial growth and reputation as a socially responsible organization.

Growth Opportunities:

• Strategic Brand Leadership: Opportunity to influence and shape the future direction of the Mears brand, potentially leading to broader marketing leadership roles.

• Cross-Functional Expertise: Deepen understanding of various business functions through collaboration, enhancing overall business acumen.

• Project Management Mastery: Develop advanced skills in managing complex, multi-channel projects and diverse agency relationships.

• Industry Recognition: Contribute to award-winning campaigns and initiatives that could enhance professional reputation.

📝 Enhancement Note: As a maternity cover role, the emphasis on growth might be more around skill consolidation and project impact rather than long-term career progression within Mears itself. However, the experience gained is highly transferable.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Fully Remote. This role offers significant flexibility, allowing the individual to work from a home office setup.

Office Location(s): While the role is remote, the company has a presence in Gloucester and London, UK, suggesting these are core operational hubs. The remote nature means candidates from across the UK can be considered, with potential for occasional travel to company sites if required for specific projects or team meetings.

Workspace Context:

• Independent Work: Requires self-discipline, strong time management, and the ability to work autonomously without constant direct supervision.

• Digital Collaboration Tools: Reliance on digital platforms for communication, project management, and asset sharing (e.g., Microsoft Teams, Slack, Asana, Trello, cloud storage solutions).

• Creative Hub: While remote, fostering a creative mindset and maintaining an inspiring work environment at home is key. Access to necessary design software and hardware is essential.

Work Schedule: Standard working hours are Monday to Friday, 08:30 – 17:00 GMT. While remote, maintaining these core hours is important for team collaboration and availability. Flexibility is offered, which is common in remote roles, but core availability for meetings and urgent tasks is expected.

📝 Enhancement Note: The fully remote nature is a significant factor. It requires strong self-management skills and comfort with digital communication tools. The mention of Gloucester and London as locations implies these are primary business centers, though not necessarily required for this role.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A recruiter or HR representative will review applications and conduct a brief call to assess basic qualifications, experience, and cultural fit.

• Hiring Manager Interview: A more in-depth discussion with the hiring manager (likely Head of Marketing/Communications) focusing on strategic thinking, brand management experience, and operational approach.

• Portfolio Review & Presentation: Candidates will be asked to present a selection of their work, focusing on specific case studies that demonstrate their capabilities in brand strategy, campaign execution, and results. This is a critical stage where operational impact and strategic thinking are evaluated.

• Stakeholder Interview(s): Potentially an interview with other key stakeholders from marketing, communications, or business units to assess collaboration style and influence.

• Final Interview/Offer: Discussion of terms, benefits, and confirmation of the offer.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Highlight Operational Impact: For each case study, clearly articulate your role, the processes you implemented or managed, the challenges you overcame, and the measurable business outcomes (e.g., increased brand awareness, lead generation, campaign ROI).

• Showcase Strategic Thinking: Explain the "why" behind your creative and strategic decisions. How did your approach align with business objectives and target audience needs?

• Demonstrate Brand Guardianship: Present examples of how you maintained brand consistency and enforced brand guidelines, even under pressure or with conflicting stakeholder needs.

• Detail Collaboration: Provide examples of successful collaboration with internal teams and external agencies, highlighting your communication and management skills.

• Quantify Results: Use data and metrics wherever possible to support your claims of success. For brand campaigns, this could include reach, engagement, sentiment analysis, or conversion rates.

Challenge Preparation:

• Brand Audit/Guideline Exercise: Be prepared to discuss how you would approach an audit of Mears' current brand assets or how you would address a hypothetical brand inconsistency.

• Campaign Strategy Outline: You might be asked to outline a high-level brand campaign strategy for a specific Mears initiative or target audience.

• Problem-Solving Scenarios: Prepare to discuss how you would handle conflicting design requests from different departments or manage a challenging agency relationship.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio review is paramount for a design and brand role. The emphasis for an "operations enhancer" is to guide candidates to present not just creative work, but the strategic intent, operational processes behind it, and measurable outcomes.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Adobe Creative Suite: Essential for reviewing, critiquing, and potentially making minor edits to design assets (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign).

• Microsoft Office Suite / Google Workspace: For presentations, documents, spreadsheets, and general communication (Word/Docs, Excel/Sheets, PowerPoint/Slides).

• Project Management Software: Experience with tools like Asana, Trello, Monday.com, or similar for managing campaign timelines, tasks, and workflows.

• Digital Asset Management (DAM) System: Familiarity with DAM platforms for organizing, storing, and retrieving brand assets.

• Content Management System (CMS): Understanding of how brand assets are deployed on websites and other digital platforms (e.g., WordPress, Sitecore, or similar).

Analytics & Reporting:

• Web Analytics: Familiarity with tools like Google Analytics to understand website traffic, user behavior, and campaign performance.

• Social Media Analytics: Experience with native analytics from platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, or dedicated social media management tools (e.g., Hootsuite, Sprout Social).

• Brand Monitoring Tools: Awareness of tools that track brand mentions, sentiment, and competitive landscape.

CRM & Automation:

• CRM Systems (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot): Understanding how brand perception and marketing efforts influence CRM data and lead generation.

• Marketing Automation Platforms: Familiarity with tools like Marketo, Pardot, or HubSpot for campaign execution and lead nurturing.

📝 Enhancement Note: The tool stack for a Brand & Design Manager is diverse, spanning creative software, project management, digital analytics, and an understanding of how brand integrates with CRM and marketing automation.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Purpose-Driven: A strong commitment to Mears' social mission and making a positive difference in communities.

• Collaboration ("One Mears"): Emphasis on teamwork, shared responsibility, and working effectively across departments and with external partners.

• Integrity & Accountability: Upholding high ethical standards and taking ownership of brand representation and campaign outcomes.

• Excellence & Innovation: Striving for high-quality creative output and embracing new ideas and technologies to enhance brand impact.

• Customer Focus: Understanding the needs of diverse audiences (customers, employees, communities) and tailoring brand communication accordingly.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: Actively engaging with marketing, communications, operations, and HR teams to ensure brand consistency and alignment with business objectives.

• Agency Partnership: Building strong, collaborative relationships with external creative agencies, providing clear direction and constructive feedback.

• Feedback-Driven Improvement: Open to receiving and providing feedback to continuously refine brand assets, campaign strategies, and internal processes.

• Knowledge Sharing: Willingness to share insights, best practices, and learnings with colleagues to elevate the overall brand capability within the organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company emphasizes its social responsibility and "One Mears" approach, indicating a culture that values community, teamwork, and ethical practices, which should be reflected in how candidates approach their work.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Brand Consistency with Diverse Needs: Managing brand identity across a large, multi-faceted organization with varying departmental requirements and stakeholder opinions.

• Maternity Cover Constraints: Adapting quickly to an existing team, brand landscape, and project pipeline within a fixed-term contract.

• Remote Collaboration Effectiveness: Ensuring seamless collaboration and communication with internal teams and external agencies in a fully remote setting.

• Demonstrating ROI for Brand Initiatives: Quantifying the impact of brand and design activities, which can sometimes be more qualitative than direct sales metrics.

• Navigating B2B Dynamics: Crafting compelling brand narratives that resonate with both corporate clients and community stakeholders.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Brand Strategy: Deepen expertise in strategic brand planning and execution within the social housing and property services sector.

• Digital Transformation Exposure: Gain insight into how a large organization leverages digital channels and analytics to drive brand engagement.

• Stakeholder Influence Skills: Hone abilities in influencing and advising senior stakeholders on brand and design matters.

• Project Management Enhancement: Develop robust project management skills by overseeing multiple brand initiatives concurrently.

• Agency Management Expertise: Refine skills in selecting, briefing, and managing external creative and digital partners.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are typical for a brand management role in a large organization, exacerbated by the maternity cover aspect. Growth opportunities focus on strategic and managerial skill development.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to manage conflicting brand requests from different departments. How did you resolve this while maintaining brand integrity?" (Assesses stakeholder management, problem-solving, brand guardianship)

• "Walk me through a successful brand campaign you managed. What were your objectives, strategy, execution, and the measurable results?" (Assesses campaign management, strategic thinking, ROI demonstration)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What attracts you to Mears Group, and how do you see your skills aligning with our mission as a socially responsible organization?" (Assesses cultural fit, research, alignment with company values)

• "How would you approach building relationships with stakeholders across different business units to understand their brand needs?" (Assesses collaboration style, communication, proactive engagement)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each case study, use a clear framework: Challenge -> Strategy -> Execution -> Results. Emphasize your specific role and contributions.

• Quantify Impact: Use data to demonstrate success. For example, "Increased brand engagement by X%," "Reduced design production time by Y%," or "Contributed to a Z% uplift in qualified leads."

• Showcase Process: Briefly explain the operational processes you used (e.g., creative brief development, agency briefing, review cycles) to achieve the results.

• Highlight Collaboration: Mention how you worked with internal teams or external agencies, demonstrating your ability to lead and collaborate effectively.

• Tailor to Mears: If possible, subtly tailor your examples to highlight experience relevant to B2B services or organizations with a strong social mission.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating not just creative flair, but strategic thinking, operational rigor, and the ability to deliver measurable business impact.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Group Brand & Design Manager position:

• Submit Your Application: Apply directly through the Mears Group careers portal via the provided URL.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 of your strongest brand and design case studies that best demonstrate your strategic thinking, campaign management, and operational execution skills. Ensure they highlight measurable results and your role in achieving them.

• Tailor Your CV: Update your resume to clearly highlight experience in brand management, graphic design operations, stakeholder management, budget oversight, and B2B environments. Use keywords from the job description.

• Prepare Your Presentation: Practice presenting your portfolio case studies concisely, focusing on the "Challenge, Strategy, Execution, Results" framework, and be ready to discuss your operational processes and collaboration style.

• Research Mears Group: Thoroughly understand Mears' mission, values, industry position, and current brand presence. Prepare thoughtful questions about their brand strategy and how you can contribute to their objectives.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.

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