Senior Conceptual Designer – Creative Brand Activation Specialist
Hire Resolve
Johannesburg, Gauteng
Permanent Position
Posted: 29 April 2026
Job Overview
A leading advertising, brand activation, and experiential marketing company is currently seeking a highly creative and strategically minded Senior Conceptual Designer to join their dynamic team in Johannesburg. This role is ideal for a visionary designer who thrives on transforming abstract ideas into immersive, high-impact physical brand experiences that captivate audiences and elevate global beauty, lifestyle, and retail brands.
The successful candidate will play a key role in shaping pitch-winning concepts, driving creative direction, and influencing how brands are experienced in real-world environments such as retail spaces, exhibitions, pop-up activations, and large-scale promotional events.
This is not a standard design role. It requires someone who is equally comfortable thinking strategically, sketching rapidly, and presenting bold ideas that push creative boundaries (sometimes way beyond the usual expectations).
Key Purpose of the Role
The main purpose of this position is to lead conceptual development for experiential and retail-based campaigns. You will be responsible for turning blank briefs into fully formed creative worlds that are visually compelling, commercially viable, and aligned with consumer engagement strategies.
You will work closely with sales, marketing, and production teams to ensure that every concept is not only visually striking but also executable and aligned with client objectives.
A strong focus will be placed on innovation, originality, and the ability to consistently produce “never-seen-before” concepts that help secure new business and strengthen client relationships.
Core Responsibilities
The Senior Conceptual Designer will be responsible for a wide range of creative and strategic tasks, including but not limited to:
- Designing trend-driven retail and experiential environments for shopping centres, product launches, exhibitions, and branded activations
- Translating global beauty, fashion, and lifestyle trends into engaging physical experiences that resonate with target audiences
- Developing intuitive customer journey flows within retail and event spaces, ensuring seamless interaction and engagement
- Creating rapid visual concepts using sketching, 3D blocking, mood boards, and storyboards to communicate ideas clearly and effectively
- Collaborating with sales and account management teams to develop compelling pitch presentations that win new business
- Leading brainstorming sessions and contributing to the overall creative direction of the design team
- Ensuring all conceptual ideas are executed faithfully through production and installation phases
- Maintaining a consistently high visual and conceptual standard across all creative outputs
- Identifying emerging design and consumer trends and applying them strategically to projects
- Supporting innovation by challenging conventional design thinking and introducing fresh creative approaches
The role also requires you to actively participate in client-facing presentations, often needing to defend and explain your creative thinking in a clear, confident, and persuasive manner.
Required Experience and Skills
To be considered for this role, candidates should meet the following requirements:
- Minimum of 5+ years’ experience in conceptual design, experiential marketing, retail design, or related creative industries
- Proven experience in developing large-scale brand activations, pop-ups, retail environments, or exhibition stands
- Strong portfolio demonstrating conceptual thinking, spatial design, and creative storytelling
- Ability to quickly translate ideas into visual formats such as sketches, 3D layouts, and presentation boards
- Strong understanding of consumer engagement, branding principles, and retail psychology
- Experience working in fast-paced agency or design studio environments
Key Competencies
The ideal candidate should demonstrate the following personal and professional qualities:
- Highly creative with a strong passion for design, aesthetics, and storytelling
- Strong understanding of global beauty, fashion, and lifestyle trends
- Ability to think both creatively and strategically (not just “make things look nice”)
- Excellent communication skills, both visual and verbal
- Ability to work under pressure and meet tight deadlines without compromising quality
- Strong collaboration skills and ability to work across multiple teams
- High energy, self-motivated, and proactive in driving creative output
- Detail-oriented with a strong sense of visual balance and composition
- Comfortable presenting ideas to clients and senior stakeholders
There is also a strong expectation for adaptability, as projects often evolve quickly based on client feedback and market demands. You must be comfortable refining ideas repeatedly while still maintaining creative integrity.
Work Environment
You will be joining a fast-moving, ideas-driven creative environment where innovation is highly valued. The agency operates at a high level of intensity, particularly during pitch development phases, where speed and originality are essential.
Team collaboration is central to success in this role, and you will be expected to work closely with designers, account managers, strategists, and production teams.
Occasional overtime or extended working hours may be required during peak project cycles or pitch deadlines.
What Makes This Role Exciting
This role offers the opportunity to directly influence major brand campaigns and retail experiences seen by thousands of consumers. Your work will not remain on paper—it will come to life in physical spaces, often becoming part of social media campaigns and real-world consumer interactions.
You will have the chance to shape how leading beauty and lifestyle brands present themselves in competitive markets, contributing directly to campaign success and client satisfaction.
There is also strong room for professional growth, with opportunities to lead creative direction on larger accounts and develop into a senior leadership role within the creative department.
Application Information
Candidates who meet the requirements and are passionate about experiential and conceptual design are encouraged to apply. Applicants should submit a detailed CV along with a strong portfolio showcasing relevant work.
If shortlisted, candidates will be contacted for further discussions and may be required to complete a conceptual design task as part of the selection process.
Final Note
This position is best suited for a designer who is not afraid to push boundaries, challenge norms, and think beyond traditional advertising formats. If you are driven by creativity, innovation, and the desire to build memorable brand experiences, this role offers a highly rewarding career path.
