Job Opportunities in the Seedcamp Portfolio

How it started ...

SPOKE began with one big idea:

Fit comes first - if you want to look good, you need clothes that fit flawlessly.

But most brands can't deliver great fit. They spread their stock thin across lots of stores and stockrooms - leaving huge size gaps. We fall between the gaps.

There's a difference between a 32" and a 34" waist. Because men come in odd numbers too. And all sorts of different shapes - a larger waist doesn't always mean a larger thigh, and vice versa.

In 2014 we set about building a digital menswear brand that makes legendary legwear for men, using e-commerce to offer a flawless, personalised fit, without the hassle and expense of bespoke.

We cut clothes in more sizes, and we finish to order - so our clothes fit you, and not the other way around.

https://player.vimeo.com/video/569837620?h=4eb0a08f58&title=0&byline=0&portrait=0

In legwear, we discovered the perfect category - underserved and underloved - yet full of opportunity to do things better. So that's where we started, offering up to 378 sizes of trousers.

Today, our range doesn't just run from swim shorts to smart wool trousers. We've added tops and underwear to the mix - also in an astonishing range of sizes.

More than half of our customers shop again, and 20% return within 30 days - the best endorsement we could ask for.

We have real traction and money to invest behind our ideas – but we’re still young enough that you’ll see your impact every day. You’ll point to SPOKE and say ‘I did that’. And it will feel great.

The Role

As our Creative Design Lead, it’s your job to lead the design team and support the Head of Brand in producing visually impactful, show-stopping assets for the brand.

You will:

• Lead and oversee design projects, from conception to delivery
• Turn out a wide range of static and motion graphics on time and on spec - from quick sharp Meta ads, to rich catalogues
• Design original pieces, including illustrations and motion graphics
• Manage, develop and motivate internal designers and external design partners
• Review other designers’ work to ensure high quality and consistency
• Manage the workload across the creative team
• Partner with the Head of Brand to develop an elevated and refined brand look and feel - and turn it into a brand system that works hard for us every day
• Own and manage the visual style and identity of the brand across all our channels
• Recruit art directors for larger shoots and supply art direction directly for lighter, smaller scale shoots
• Stay up-to-date with industry developments and tools
• Ensure the creative team have an organised and accessible asset management system

You will report to the Head of Brand – but, of course, you’ll need to work autonomously and independently. You’ll work alongside our Brand Manger, Creative Producer, Copywriter and be supported by a mid-weight designer, as well as agencies / freelancers where required.

In an ideal world...

• You have a proven work experience as a Senior Designer or similar role
• You have a portfolio that shows a spike in high-impact digital content
• You have total Adobe Suite & Figma fluency
• You're quick to ship static assets for digital and print
• You're a strong art-worker and comfortable retouching
• You have experience in designing print using InDesign, Photoshop and Illustrator, checking proofs and producing print-ready PDF’s
• You have experience managing design teams - and great comms skills
• Your work is characterised by clean, organised asset management
• You have a natural eye for elegant, elevated and refined executions - and the aesthetics of layout
• But also a sense of humour taste for the offbeat, storytelling and a taste for (great) puns
• You have real attention to detail. You read the brief. You remember it. You don't need telling twice.

Not essential but a real advantage at least one of the following capabilities....

• Some experience creating illustrations
• Basic knowledge of HTML, CSS and responsive design
• Some experience in video editing and motion graphics / kinetic type using After Effects and Premiere Pro

BUT ... more than anything else, we value horsepower, and hustle. What’ll make you stand out:

• Creative spark - motivating the team with your creativity and concepting
• Commercial instincts - a natural sense for what matters, what moves the needle, and what is actually viable, from the perspective of our budget and our brand
• Pushing boundaries in terms of design - making everything you do distinct and something you are proud to have worked on
• Great project management skills - the ability to plan work, track progress and keep the wheels turning
• A bias to action - a proven track record of getting things done, at high tempo
• A relentless drive to improve and optimise
• The standard startup toolkit: initiative, energy, a high degree of comfort in an unstructured environment, and a willingness to work across a broad range of roles
• Ideally, an authentic interest in fashion / style / menswear

You can expect:

• A competitive salary
• 25 days of holiday - and 1 additional for each year of service
• Vitality health insurance
• 3% pension matching
• 3&2 working week - work from home (or anywhere else) 2 days per week
• Perhaps the most generous 'trouser allowance' anywhere in the world*

*unproven, but highly likely

Workplace & Culture

We're an ambitious and driven lot. We're building a household name - and to do that, you need to jump in with both feet. So as a team we value Pace, Accountability, Distinctiveness and Ambition. We push ourselves - and you need to be ready for that.

But we're also passionate about creating a workplace that we all want to spend time in - a workplace characterised by a bit of humanity. Monday morning should feel good - and at SPOKE you encounter a culture that is collegiate, and friendly and supportive - as well as ambitious.

Of course we invest behind the usual suite of team building and bonding activities - whether that is learning to make pots, throw axes or tear around Thorpe Park on some spurious scavenger hunt. There's an annual mini-golf open, a grand prix, and once, a company Crossfit olympiad. On reflection, that was probably harder work than it needed to be, but ... we had fun.

Our office is, honestly, bloody lovely. Its a 30 second walk from Richmond station, so just 20 minutes to Waterloo - but also a stone's throw from the Thames, 5 minutes from Richmond Common ... and in the shadow of Kew Gardens.