Head of Design

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Head of Design

Company: Edelman

Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: Creative Operations / Design Operations

Date Posted: 2026-06-18

Experience Level: 7-10 years (with 2+ years in leadership)

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead and mentor a team of designers within the APAC DJE Studio, focusing on visual communication and design excellence.

• Drive the design response for a variety of briefs, including brand, campaign, social, editorial, and digital content, ensuring strategic alignment and high-quality execution.

• Develop and implement design standards, systems, and workflows to enhance consistency, speed, and scalability across regional projects.

• Collaborate cross-functionally with producers, client teams, and Studio leadership to ensure seamless project delivery and client satisfaction.

• Foster a culture of continuous improvement, innovation, and accountability within the design team, leveraging new tools and methodologies.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the title is "Head of Design," the context of DJE Studio (Design, Journalism, and Editorial) and Edelman's focus on integrated communications suggests a strong emphasis on operational efficiency, process adherence, and output scalability, aligning this role with aspects of Creative Operations and Design Operations. The need to "set clear design direction," "review and elevate design outputs," and "support the development of Studio standards, systems, templates, workflows, QA practices, and design methodologies" are key indicators of an operations-centric focus within a creative leadership role.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Oversee and guide the design execution for medium to high-complexity briefs spanning brand identity, campaign creative, social media assets, editorial layouts, presentations, infographics, and motion graphics.

• Translate complex client business challenges and internal objectives into clear, compelling, and strategically sound design solutions that can be executed at scale across the APAC region.

• Provide direct mentorship, coaching, and development for designers, focusing on enhancing their craft, problem-solving abilities, presentation skills, and professional conduct within a studio environment.

• Conduct thorough reviews of design outputs, ensuring adherence to best practices in layout, typography, composition, visual hierarchy, brand consistency, and production readiness.

• Define clear creative direction for projects, offer constructive feedback, and facilitate the generation of diverse creative options while maintaining project timelines and quality benchmarks.

• Partner closely with Studio producers to effectively scope, schedule, prioritize, resource, and manage the delivery of design projects across multiple markets and time zones.

• Proactively research and integrate emerging design trends, tools, GenAI-enabled workflows, production techniques, and innovative creative practices into the team's repertoire.

• Contribute to the establishment and refinement of Studio operational standards, including templates, workflows, quality assurance (QA) protocols, and design methodologies to boost consistency and efficiency.

• Embody and promote the Studio's core values of respect, trust, transparency, accountability, and a commitment to ongoing improvement through personal conduct and team interactions.

• Ensure accurate and timely completion of administrative tasks, including timesheet reporting, project documentation, onboarding processes, internal training, and mandatory certifications.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities listed heavily emphasize process, quality control, team development, and operational efficiency, which are core tenets of operations roles. The integration of "GenAI-enabled workflows," "Studio standards, systems, templates, workflows, QA practices, and design methodologies," and "production readiness" highlight a need for structured operational thinking beyond pure creative direction.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• A degree or diploma in Graphic Design, Visual Communications, Fine Arts, Advertising, Multimedia Design, or a closely related field is preferred. Experience:

• A minimum of 7-10 years of progressive design experience, ideally within an agency, production studio, creative studio, or a high-volume content creation environment.

• At least 2 years of demonstrated experience in a leadership capacity, specifically leading, mentoring, or supervising design teams, with clear evidence of fostering skill development and confidence in others. Required Skills:

• Advanced proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite, specifically InDesign, Photoshop, and Illustrator.

• Strong command of Microsoft PowerPoint and other Microsoft Office applications for presentation and document creation.

• Proven ability to lead complex design briefs from initial interpretation through to final execution, review, and delivery.

• Excellent presentation and verbal communication skills, with a strong capacity for articulating design rationale and influencing stakeholders.

• High attention to detail, coupled with a disciplined approach to quality control, file management, formatting accuracy, confidentiality, and production standards.

• Fluent or professional-level English communication skills are essential for regional collaboration. Preferred Skills:

• Experience with collaborative design and prototyping tools such as Figma.

• Familiarity with video editing and motion graphics software, including Premiere Pro and After Effects.

• Experience in specialized design areas like motion graphics, data visualization, illustration, lettering, or editorial design.

• Working familiarity and practical application of Generative AI (GenAI) tools and AI-enabled creative workflows, demonstrating good judgment in their application for speed, scale, ideation, or quality enhancement.

• Experience with APAC market languages and cultural nuances relevant to design and communication.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirements heavily lean towards hands-on technical skills in design software and a strong understanding of design fundamentals, which are crucial for overseeing execution. The emphasis on leadership, stakeholder management, and process-driven quality control points to a need for operational acumen within the design leadership role. The inclusion of GenAI tools and "production readiness" highlights a forward-looking operational approach.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A diverse and comprehensive online portfolio is mandatory for consideration, showcasing a strong track record in both execution and conceptual thinking.

• The portfolio should demonstrate capabilities across a wide range of design applications, including branding, campaign creative, presentations, infographics, digital/interactive content, advertising, social media assets, and print design.

• Evidence of successfully leading and managing complex briefs from initial concept to final delivery, highlighting problem-solving and strategic thinking.

• Examples of design system implementation or adherence to brand governance principles, showcasing an understanding of consistency and scalability.

• Projects that illustrate strong foundational design principles, including layout, typography, composition, visual hierarchy, and accessibility considerations. Process Documentation:

• While not explicitly stated as a deliverable, the role requires supporting the "development of Studio standards, systems, templates, workflows, QA practices, and design methodologies." This implies an expectation that candidates understand and can contribute to formalizing design processes.

• Candidates should be prepared to discuss their approach to quality assurance, project scoping, resource allocation, and collaborative workflows, demonstrating an operational mindset.

• The ability to "ask sharper questions" and "defend creative decisions" suggests a structured approach to creative problem-solving and communication that can be documented and shared.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for an online portfolio is standard, but the emphasis on demonstrating "execution," "conceptual thinking," "leading complex briefs," and "design systems" points towards a need for candidates to showcase not just aesthetic output but also the underlying strategic and operational processes that led to it. The mention of supporting "development of Studio standards, systems, templates, workflows, QA practices, and design methodologies" strongly suggests that candidates should be able to articulate their experience in process definition and optimization.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• Based on industry benchmarks for a Head of Design role with 7-10 years of experience and 2+ years of leadership in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the estimated annual salary range is MYR 90,000 - MYR 160,000. This range accounts for the seniority of the position, the breadth of responsibilities, and the strategic importance of the role within Edelman's APAC DJE Studio. Benefits:

• Comprehensive health insurance coverage (medical, dental, vision).

• Paid time off, including annual leave, sick leave, and public holidays.

• Professional development opportunities, including training, workshops, and potential for further certifications.

• Opportunities for career advancement within Edelman's global network.

• Flexible working arrangements (hybrid model).

• Contribution to retirement savings plans (e.g., EPF).

• Potential for performance-based bonuses.

• Access to employee assistance programs. Working Hours:

• The role is designated as FULL_TIME, typically implying a standard workweek of approximately 40 hours. However, given the senior leadership and creative nature of the role, flexibility and a willingness to adapt to project deadlines and client needs will be expected. The hybrid work model allows for some autonomy in scheduling.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is an estimation based on general market data for a senior design leadership role in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Actual compensation will depend on the candidate's specific experience, qualifications, and negotiation. The benefits listed are typical for a professional role at a global agency like Edelman.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Communications / Public Relations / Marketing Services. Edelman is a global leader in public relations and communications marketing, known for its integrated approach that combines earned media, digital, creative, and strategic counsel. The DJE Studio specifically focuses on content creation and production.

Company Size: Edelman is a large global organization with thousands of employees worldwide. The APAC DJE Studio operates as a regional hub, likely comprising a significant team of specialized creative and production talent distributed across various markets.

Founded: Edelman was founded in 1952. This long history signifies stability, deep industry expertise, and a well-established reputation. The DJE Studio is a more recent initiative, reflecting the company's commitment to evolving its service offerings to meet modern content demands.

Team Structure:

• The APAC DJE Studio likely operates with a hub-and-spoke model, with Kuala Lumpur serving as a key regional hub. This means the Head of Design will lead a local team of designers in Malaysia while also collaborating with and potentially influencing design talent and workflows in other APAC markets.

• The role reports to Studio leadership (e.g., Head of DJE Studio APAC) and will work closely with Studio producers, creative directors, client teams, and other operational leads.

• Cross-functional collaboration is a core expectation, involving close partnerships with account management, strategy, creative, and production teams to ensure design solutions are integrated and effective. Methodology:

• Data Analysis and Insights: While not explicitly stated for design, Edelman's broader approach emphasizes data-driven insights to inform communication strategies. For design, this translates to understanding audience behavior, campaign performance, and market trends to shape visual solutions.

• Workflow Planning and Optimization: The role is directly involved in supporting and developing Studio workflows, templates, and methodologies to improve efficiency, consistency, and scalability.

• Automation and Efficiency Practices: The mention of GenAI tools and AI-enabled workflows highlights a commitment to leveraging technology for faster, more efficient creative production.

Company Website: https://www.edelman.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: Edelman's reputation for trust and action, combined with its emphasis on DEIB, suggests a culture that values both impactful work and inclusive practices. The DJE Studio's focus on "craft, speed, consistency" points to an operational discipline within its creative output.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a senior leadership role ("Head of Design") with significant responsibility for team management, strategic creative output, and operational process development within a specialized regional studio. It sits at the intersection of creative leadership and operational efficiency.

Reporting Structure: The Head of Design will report to regional Studio leadership (e.g., Head of DJE Studio APAC). They will manage a team of designers and collaborate extensively with Studio producers and various client-facing teams. This structure offers exposure to both creative strategy and operational management.

Operations Impact: The Head of Design's impact is crucial for maintaining Edelman's reputation for quality creative work. By ensuring design excellence, consistency, and efficiency, they directly contribute to client satisfaction, project profitability, and the agency's ability to scale its creative offerings across the APAC region. Effective design operations streamline production, reduce errors, and enable faster turnaround times, all of which positively impact revenue and client relationships.

Growth Opportunities:

• Operations Skill Advancement: Opportunity to deepen expertise in creative operations, process optimization, and workflow automation, potentially leading to roles like Director of Creative Operations or similar strategic operational leadership positions within Edelman or the broader industry.

• Leadership Development: Potential to expand leadership scope, manage larger teams, or take on broader creative director responsibilities within the APAC region or globally.

• Strategic Influence: Chance to shape the future of content creation and design production for a leading global communications agency, influencing best practices and technological adoption.

• Cross-Market Exposure: Gaining experience in managing design across diverse APAC markets, understanding varied client needs and cultural contexts.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role offers a unique blend of creative leadership and operational responsibility, providing a strong foundation for career growth in either specialized creative direction or broader operations management within the agency or GTM functions.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is designated as HYBRID, indicating a blend of in-office and remote work. Edelman likely maintains professional office spaces in Kuala Lumpur.

Office Location(s): Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Specific office details (e.g., accessibility, amenities) would need to be confirmed directly.

Workspace Context:

• The hybrid model allows for flexibility, enabling designers to work from the office for collaborative sessions, client meetings, and team-building, while also having the option to work remotely for focused individual tasks.

• The DJE Studio environment is described as dynamic and evolving, emphasizing a commitment to "making the best possible content." This suggests a fast-paced, results-oriented atmosphere.

• Collaboration is key, with opportunities to interact with a diverse group of creative professionals, producers, account managers, and strategists. Work Schedule:

• Standard full-time hours (approximately 40 hours/week) are expected, with the understanding that flexibility may be required to meet project deadlines and client demands. The hybrid arrangement offers some control over daily scheduling within the overall work week.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid nature of the role suggests a modern work environment that balances collaboration with individual focus, a common trend in operations roles that require both deep work and stakeholder interaction.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your resume and online portfolio to assess experience, skills, and fit for the role.

• Hiring Manager Interview: A discussion with the regional Studio leadership to delve into your leadership style, creative philosophy, operational approach, and experience in managing design teams and processes.

• Design Team/Peer Interview: An opportunity to meet with potential team members or peers to assess collaborative fit and discuss practical design challenges.

• Case Study/Presentation: You may be asked to present a case study from your portfolio or tackle a hypothetical design problem, demonstrating your problem-solving, conceptual thinking, and presentation skills. This would likely include how you would approach process and operational efficiency.

• Final Interview: Potentially with senior leadership to discuss overall strategic alignment and cultural fit.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select projects that best showcase your leadership, operational thinking, and ability to handle diverse briefs as outlined in the responsibilities. Highlight projects where you improved processes, increased efficiency, or managed complex workflows.

• Showcase Process & Impact: For each project, clearly articulate the brief, your role, the challenges faced, your design process (especially any operational or efficiency improvements), and the measurable outcomes or impact. Quantify results where possible.

• Demonstrate Leadership: Include examples where you mentored designers, reviewed work, set direction, and contributed to team or studio standards.

• Highlight Technical Proficiency: Ensure your portfolio clearly demonstrates advanced skills in Adobe Creative Suite and any preferred tools like Figma or motion graphics software.

• Address GenAI: If applicable, include examples or discuss your approach to using GenAI tools effectively and responsibly in your workflow.

Challenge Preparation:

• Be prepared to discuss how you would approach setting up or improving design workflows, QA processes, and team collaboration within a regional studio context.

• Practice articulating your design rationale clearly and concisely, anticipating questions about creative decisions and their strategic underpinnings.

• Consider how you would manage competing priorities, resource constraints, and diverse stakeholder expectations in a fast-paced agency environment.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process and portfolio review will likely focus heavily on both creative vision and the practical, operational aspects of running a design function within a production studio. Candidates should be ready to demonstrate how they can lead, optimize, and scale design output.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Adobe Creative Suite: Advanced proficiency required in InDesign, Photoshop, and Illustrator.

• Microsoft Office Suite: Strong skills in PowerPoint are essential for presentations and design rationale.

• Figma: A strong advantage for collaborative design and prototyping.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not explicit, an understanding of how design impacts campaign performance and audience engagement metrics would be beneficial. The ability to interpret data to inform design decisions is implied. CRM & Automation:

• GenAI Tools: Working familiarity with Generative AI tools and AI-enabled creative workflows is expected, highlighting a forward-thinking approach to production efficiency.

• Project Management Software: While not specified, familiarity with tools used for project scoping, scheduling, and delivery management (e.g., Asana, Monday.com, Workfront) would be highly relevant for collaborating with producers.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on Adobe Creative Suite and PowerPoint is core. The inclusion of Figma and GenAI tools points to a modern, efficient design production environment. An understanding of how design integrates with broader marketing and communication analytics would be a significant plus.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Trust & Transparency: Edelman emphasizes building trust through honest communication and transparent operations. This applies to how the design team communicates its progress, challenges, and capabilities.

• Boldness & Possibility: Encouraging creative risks and exploring new possibilities in design and production.

• Empathy & Progress: Understanding client needs and internal team dynamics to drive forward-thinking design solutions.

• Curiosity & Momentum: A continuous drive to learn, adapt, and improve processes and creative output, staying ahead of industry trends.

• Excellence & Craft: A relentless pursuit of high-quality, well-executed design deliverables that meet rigorous standards.

• Collaboration & Accountability: Working effectively across teams and taking ownership of commitments and outcomes.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Designers are expected to collaborate fluidly with producers, creative teams, client leads, and Studio leadership across APAC. This requires strong communication and partnership skills.

• Constructive Feedback Culture: The role involves reviewing and elevating the work of others, necessitating a culture where feedback is given and received constructively to improve outcomes.

• Proactive Communication: Sharing knowledge, insights, and best practices within the team and across relevant departments to foster a learning environment and ensure alignment.

📝 Enhancement Note: Edelman's stated values directly inform the expected behavior and working style within the DJE Studio. A candidate who embodies these values, particularly around transparency, collaboration, and a drive for excellence, will be a strong cultural fit.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Craft and Speed: Managing the inherent tension between delivering high-quality, crafted design and meeting demanding timelines in a fast-paced agency environment.

• Scaling Regional Operations: Establishing and maintaining consistent design standards and efficient workflows across diverse APAC markets with varying capabilities and client needs.

• Integrating New Technologies: Effectively adopting and leveraging GenAI and other emerging technologies to enhance, rather than replace, human creativity and operational efficiency.

• Mentoring Diverse Talent: Guiding and developing a team of designers with varied skill sets, experience levels, and potentially different working styles and cultural backgrounds.

• Managing Ambiguity: Interpreting complex, sometimes ambiguous briefs and translating them into clear, actionable design strategies and solutions.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Design Operations: Opportunities to refine skills in process optimization, workflow automation, and implementing best practices for creative production studios.

• Leadership Training: Access to Edelman's leadership development programs to enhance people management, strategic planning, and stakeholder negotiation skills.

• Industry Exposure: Staying abreast of the latest trends in design, technology, and communications through industry events, training, and internal knowledge sharing.

• Global Collaboration: Working with teams and clients across a wide range of APAC markets, providing exposure to diverse business challenges and creative approaches.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role presents a significant opportunity for growth by tackling complex operational challenges within a creative context, a highly sought-after skillset in today's GTM and operations landscape.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to balance creative quality with tight deadlines. How did you manage the process and the team?" (Focus on process, prioritization, and team management)

• "How would you approach establishing or refining design workflows for a regional studio to ensure consistency and efficiency?" (Focus on operational strategy, standardization, and scalability)

• "Walk us through a complex design brief you led from interpretation to final delivery. What were the key operational challenges and how did you overcome them?" (Focus on project lifecycle, problem-solving, and execution) Company & Culture Questions:

• "How do Edelman's values of boldness, empathy, and curiosity align with your approach to leading a design team and operations?" (Focus on cultural fit and leadership philosophy)

• "How do you foster a culture of continuous improvement and accountability within a creative team?" (Focus on team dynamics and operational excellence)

• "How do you ensure design work aligns with broader communication strategies and client objectives?" (Focus on strategic integration and client focus) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure for Operations: When presenting portfolio pieces, emphasize the process and operational aspects as much as the final visual outcome. Detail how you managed the project, any workflow improvements you implemented, how you collaborated, and how you ensured quality and efficiency.

• Quantify Impact: Use metrics where possible to demonstrate the effectiveness of your design solutions and operational improvements (e.g., reduction in turnaround time, improvement in asset consistency, client satisfaction scores).

• Storytelling: Frame your case studies as narratives that highlight challenges, your strategic approach (including operational considerations), and successful resolution.

• Address GenAI: Be ready to discuss your practical experience or thoughtful approach to integrating GenAI tools into design workflows, focusing on benefits and potential pitfalls.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should strongly emphasize the candidate's ability to blend creative leadership with robust operational management, process optimization, and team development skills.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Head of Design position:

• Submit your resume and a link to your online portfolio through the provided application portal.

• Portfolio Customization: Ensure your portfolio prominently features examples that demonstrate your leadership, operational process improvements, ability to manage complex projects, and experience with modern design tools and workflows, including GenAI.

• Resume Optimization: Tailor your resume to highlight leadership experience, operational responsibilities (e.g., workflow development, QA, team management), proficiency in key software, and quantifiable achievements relevant to creative production and efficiency.

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design philosophy, leadership style, and operational strategies. Prepare specific examples from your experience that showcase your ability to manage teams, optimize processes, and deliver high-quality creative output under pressure.

• Company Research: Familiarize yourself with Edelman's work, its values (boldness, empathy, curiosity), and the DJE Studio's mission. Understand how the Head of Design role contributes to the agency's broader goals in integrated communications.

⚠️ 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.