Design Business Lead

Special Group Ltd – Auckland, North Island Growing our team, culture and business Special Design is looking for a Lead Business Partner in our Auckland office to help lead and grow our design business in New Zealand and Australia. This is a client-facing leadership role with a strong focus on both delivery and growth. You’ll lead design projects, build trusted client relationships, support a talented team, and help identify and convert new opportunities. At Special, our purpose is clear: We connect brands and people, positively transforming the lives of both. We do this by making things that matter. For clients, for customers and for ourselves. Our model breaks down the traditional barriers between agencies and consultancies, allowing us to solve business problems in more original and useful ways. Design plays a central role in that – not just as craft, but as a way of shaping how businesses define themselves and show up in the world. The role You’ll work closely with the Executive Design Director and cross-disciplinary teams to lead client relationships, shape design opportunities and grow the Special Design business. Alongside managing key clients and projects, you’ll help build our new business pipeline – identifying prospects, shaping scopes, supporting pitches, developing proposals and case studies, and staying close to market movements. We’re looking for someone commercially confident, creatively curious and genuinely invested in the value of design – someone who understands that great leadership is about building trust, momentum and clarity. What you’ll help lead Client relationships Lead and grow strong client partnerships, guiding them through brand, design and experience projects from definition to delivery. Bring clarity to complexity, ask the right questions and help clients make confident decisions. Manage senior stakeholders and navigate shifting priorities with confidence. Design projects Partner with design, strategy and creative teams to deliver high-quality outcomes across brand, identity, packaging, digital and experience. Define scope, shape process and manage commercial realities while keeping the work moving and the ambition high. New business and growth Help build and maintain a strong pipeline by identifying opportunities, starting conversations and converting interest into meaningful work. Stay close to industry trends and help position Special Design as a leading partner for ambitious brands. Contribute to stronger case studies, credentials and proposals. Commercial leadership Shape clear, ambitious scopes, budgets and timelines. Balance client needs, creative ambition and business performance. Confidently articulate the value of design and help ensure the work is properly supported and protected. Team culture Support a collaborative, open environment where ideas can come from anywhere. Bring clarity, energy and generosity to the team, building trust across disciplines and contributing positively to the culture. What we’re looking for You’ll have strong experience in a creative, design or brand agency environment, with a track record of leading client relationships and complex projects. You’ll bring: Experience in brand, design or digital environments Understanding of brand strategy, identity, digital and experience design Confidence shaping scopes, proposals and presentations Ability to manage multiple stakeholders and projects Experience identifying and converting new business opportunities Strong commercial judgement Confidence presenting and facilitating Curiosity about business, brands and culture What success looks like: Strong, trusted client relationships Well-run, ambitious brand and design projects A supported and focused design team A consistent new business pipeline The kind of person who will thrive here You are open-minded, proactive and commercially sharp. You’re comfortable with ambiguity, confident in conversations and focused on improving outcomes – not just managing process. You care about the work, collaborate easily and bring momentum without unnecessary noise. You believe design can drive meaningful business and cultural impact. Why Special? Special is a progressive creative company with an open, inclusive culture. For nearly two decades we’ve created award-winning brands and experiences across global markets and various categories –from FMCG to arts & culture, and innovative startups to government agencies. We encourage experimentation, honesty and ambition. We want people to grow, take risks and do the best work of their careers. And we want everyone to look back and say: I did that. #J-18808-Ljbffr