Lead Copywriter (maternity cover)

The Role 🛼

This is a pivotal 12-month fixed-term contract to step in as the senior guardian of copy and content across our agency client portfolio. Sitting at the heart of our fantastic Creative team, you will be responsible for final sign-off on all campaign copy, rigorously safeguarding the brand voice and quality standards for multiple high-profile clients. Your mission will be to ensure all work is on-brief, optimised for performance, and delivered to a consistently high standard. Beyond quality control, you will manage our copy resources (in-house and freelance), spearhead idea generation, and partner closely with Account Leads, Design, and Digital teams to transform strategic concepts into clear, channel-ready propositions. This role offers the perfect opportunity for a seasoned leader to own the copy function and make an immediate, tangible impact.

Our Clients 💕

Our customers are companies that provide early talent schemes, including apprenticeships, internships, and placements. We elevate their brands and deliver campaigns through our unmatched university networks.

Our Audience 🎟️

Our audience is young people aged 13-24, comprised of mostly school leavers and university students. Our vision is to empower every young person to discover and succeed in their dream career. Our mission is to build a trusted community that supports young people throughout their entire early career journey, whilst guiding leading employers to hire exceptional talent.

Core Responsibilities 🍏

• Partner with Creative and Design to refine ideas into a clear proposition and messaging hierarchy.

• Write the channel-ready copy across social, video, web/landing pages, email, OOH/print, and experiential.

• Provide final sign-off on high-impact campaign copy; set and maintain tone, style and brand-voice standards for all agency client work.

• Build and maintain brand-voice libraries and copy standards for each client; ensure accuracy, inclusive language and accessibility (including alt text and UX microcopy where relevant).

• Translate complex briefs and big ideas into clear messaging frameworks, narratives and copy templates that can be executed consistently across assets.

• Manage copy resourcing across multiple concurrent clients; brief, prioritise and schedule work for the in-house team, including the Senior Copywriter and freelancers, keeping statuses up to date and timelines agreed.

• Consolidate client/internal feedback and issue clear, actionable amends to writers and freelancers; track rounds of revisions and convert out-of-scope requests into change requests with agreed time/cost.

• Collaborate with account, design, digital and production teams to deliver integrated, cohesive campaigns that meet client objectives and KPIs.

• Partner with Digital/Performance to create testable copy variants (e.g. subject lines, CTAs, ad copy) and iterate based on results (CTR, CVR, engagement, quality applications).

• Present concepts and copy to clients and stakeholders with clear rationale; build trusted relationships as the copy authority on accounts.

• Maintain and improve templates (briefs, tone-of-voice guides, QA checklists, feedback forms) and champion responsible use of AI tools (e.g. for ideation, variants and QA).

• Ensure all campaign copy adheres to client brand guidelines and enhances overall user experience and the design/functionality of digital products.

You are right for this role if... ✅

• You have 6+ years’ experience as an agency-side Copywriter, and are proficient across brand and multi-channel campaign work.

• You have excellent command of the English language (spoken and written); you confidently communicate ideas and rationale to internal teams and clients.

• You have a proven ability to distil creative ideas into both short- and long-form copy and deliver to deadline across multiple concurrent clients.

• You have demonstrable QA/editorial rigour and brand-governance experience; meticulous attention to detail, inclusive language and accessibility awareness.

• You have line-management experience, including briefing, coaching and performance feedback for in-house writers and freelancers.

• You have an understanding of content and performance marketing; comfortable creating variants for testing and iterating based on results.

• You are open to giving and receiving feedback; resilient in idea selection and comfortable in high-pressure, time-sensitive environments.

• You have a professional approach to time and cost management; highly organised with effective prioritisation.

• You are proficient with AI programs like ChatGPT and other AI tools, used responsibly to enhance quality and efficiency.

Amazing (but not essential) if... 💭

• You have worked in youth marketing, writing for a Gen Z audience
• You have experience with Google Workspace

Hybrid working 🏡 🏢

We have a hybrid work set-up, whereby you'll be expected to work from our office in Brixton a minimum of 2 days per month, with more time encouraged. If you need more flexibility than this, please let us know.

Salary 💰

£45,000 per annum, depending on experience.

Start date 🏁

Monday 5th January. 12-month fixed-term contract. Minimum requirement of 4 days per week.

Application process 💻

1. First stage - 30-minute interview with Louise (Senior Copywriter)
2. Second stage - prepared task presentation to Louise and Russ (Lead Creative)
3. Final stage - interview and live work task with Louise, Rob (Creative Director) and Sam (Senior Copywriter)

All candidates must have proof of the right to work in the UK. We cannot provide visa sponsorship for this role.