Guardian Australia is part of Guardian News & Media (GNM), publisher of theguardian.com.

We are seeking a head of design to creatively lead Guardian Australia's visual and editorial design team, as a hands‑on editorial designer and visual storytelling lead in an engaged, fast‑paced newsroom environment.

This role will collaborate with editors, journalists, photographers, developers and visual creatives across Australia and the wider Guardian network to elevate the digital experience of our journalism across web, app and emerging platforms. The role will help shape and evolve Guardian Australia's visual identity and storytelling ambitions in the context of the Guardian's global digital products and editorial strategy.

This role is being offered on a full‑time, permanent basis, with early starts or late finishes.

In this role you will…

- Working to tight deadlines in collaboration with editors, reporters and developers to create compelling visual storytelling and design concepts that express Guardian journalism and values, with the reader at the centre.
- Creatively lead a multidisciplinary visual and editorial design team producing innovative and engaging storytelling across design, photography, illustration, graphics, animation and interactive formats.
- Be a source of editorial and visual expertise for projects and initiatives from inception to implementation.
- Ensure visual and design work consistently meets high standards in storytelling, accessibility, usability, functionality and editorial quality across all platforms and devices.
- Use imagination, energy and flair to innovate and evolve visual storytelling formats.




- Influence design direction and contribute to broader editorial visual strategy alongside the Creative Director and senior editorial leadership.
- Assist in building a dynamic, collaborative and creative newsroom environment that supports ambitious journalism while motivating and mentoring team members.
- Balance reactive daily newsroom demands with longer‑term enterprise and investigative projects, ensuring priorities are clear and achievable.
- Work closely with engineering, product and audience teams to create visually compelling experiences that are technically efficient, scalable and audience‑focused.
- Support Guardian Australia journalism through art direction, illustration, motion graphics, data visualisation, interactives and multimedia storytelling.
- Practical application and evolution of visual and design guidelines for news and feature stories, understanding their place within the wider editorial agenda.
- Develop an understanding of Guardian Australia audiences and how they engage with our journalism, applying these insights to the development of visual work.
- Collaborate with editors across news, features, sport, culture, investigations and other desks to ensure visual storytelling supports editorial intent from the outset.
- Advocate for visual journalism and greater visual literacy across the newsroom, helping colleagues understand design processes, storytelling opportunities and emerging technologies.




- Collaborate with colleagues across editorial, engineering, UX, product and audience teams to support broader strategic objectives and ensure effective delivery.
- Coordinate with Guardian colleagues internationally on shared editorial and visual projects.
- Maintain strong relationships with photographers, illustrators, animators, designers and other external creative collaborators.
- Participate in workshops, planning sessions and editorial discussions to shape storytelling strategy and visual innovation.
- Spread awareness of opportunities and challenges in digital visual storytelling and editorial design.

You’ll bring….

Knowledge and experience

- Exceptional talent and skill in editorial design and visual journalism.
- At least eight years' experience in digital editorial design, visual storytelling and interactive formats.
- Experience creating engaging and accessible storytelling experiences across web, app and digital platforms from concept to execution.
- Demonstrated experience managing and giving creative direction on multiple complex editorial projects simultaneously.
- Knowledge of capabilities and constraints of web and native platforms.
- Experience with Figma, Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere and After Effects.
- Knowledge of HTML, SCSS/CSS and digital production workflows.
- Understanding of JavaScript and interactive storytelling approaches.
- Awareness of web standards and accessibility guidelines.
- Experience working in a fast‑paced newsroom workplace to strict deadlines.
- Ability to maintain a consistent visual style and editorial approach across multiple products and platform

📌 Head of design (Sydney)
🏢 Guardian News and Media
📍 Sydney