Who we are and how we think.
JUST is a digital design studio in which reason drives creativity. This means analysis before free association. Logic then magic. We call this process “simplicity and wonder.” Though if you have a better name, we’re all ears. That’s because ears are important to what we do: specifically, ears doing what ears do best. Which is listening. To clients. To colleagues. And indeed, dear future Creative Director, to you.
What we value is we.
Was there ever a job ad that did not pontificate about teamwork? There was not. However. We believe that teamwork is the most straightforward way to create things of both commercial and aesthetic value. You’ll encourage others to develop, to flourish, to grow.
Slipping into corporate talk for a moment: soft skills are prized. In other words, we’re looking for a human who excels at being human. Kindness, decency, empathy, respect. The good stuff. The job, after all, is “Creative Director,” not “Creative Dictator.”
Requirements
- Somewhat less fuzzy abilities would also be appreciated.
- The capacity to spot that rarest of qualities: talent.
- Actual talent of your own, at senior designer level.
- You can speak to clients, and present well. You can pierce the veil of client politics, and parse what they actually need (not what they think they need).
- You can manage. In the sense of planning, guiding, making estimates, coaching your teammates through their daily struggles. And: explaining your wants and those of your team to the board (preferably without throwing things).
- 5 to 7 years experience in a similar role. Indeed, you’re in a comparable function at this very moment.
- Familiarity with design and prototyping tools (Figma and Adobe Suite).
- You speak fluent English. Dutch is a plus.
- You also speak “Developer.” You know your way around a box model. You grasp UI/UX. That said, coding your own while loops–or coding anything at all–is not a requirement.
Things you’ll be doing
- Working with an international team of project managers, designers, and developers.
- Defining each project's strategy and concept, leading to the aforementioned simplicity and wonder.
- Shaping a dizzying array of creative: brand identities, campaign sites, corporate websites etc. Clients include: Jantje Beton, JOGG, Giro555, Literatuurmuseum, Kunstmuseum Den Haag, Paleis Het Loo, 113, COC Nederland and Simavi.
- Again, for emphasis: coordinating and offering guidance to your team. Feedback is an art form on par with, say, layout design.
Things you’ll be getting
- A competitive salary.
- Participation in the collective pension scheme.
- 25+ committed colleagues who, like you, excel at being human (see above).
- A MacBook Pro, which you can take home (of course).
- Commutes are never entirely painless, but ours comes close. JUST’s studio in The Hague is readily accessible via car and public transport.
- Very, very little overtime. Overtime is a sign of poor planning, not devotion.
What we also value is you.
- As Creative Director and lead of the design team, you will join the JUST management team. This means influence. Also: close collaboration with other leaders. We’re not intimidated by ambition.
- This is a bespoke role. We’re flexible. If you meet our criteria, we’ll make the role match you. This seems reasonable, given that you’re a person, not a list of bullet points in a job ad.
- We offer dinners, drinks, weekends away with the team, and the occasional 5K run (to help counter the effects of those dinners and drinks).
- People, it turns out, are always changing. So we’ll help define your personal goals and provide an annual budget with which to realize those goals. Please note: this policy goes well beyond “I’d like to do that thing in Excel”, though if improving in Excel is your desire, go ahead. A company coach will be on hand to support you.
We will pay you not to work.
Sitting behind a desk is excellent for developing carpal tunnel syndrome, but not especially good for developing human potential. This is why we offer the whole JUST team a free day every other week (for those with a 36-hour contract). The mysterious quality we label “creativity” tends to increase by not staring at a screen until your eyes bleed.
Want to apply?
Send us your portfolio, including at least three examples of a brand identity, micro and corporate sites. Please also include a cover letter. We will get back to you as soon as humanly possible.
