Video & Motion Lead

Autotrader · Manchester

  • Senior
  • Full-time
  • Posted 2026-11-09
  • Confirmed live on 10 November 2026

Apply at Autotrader

Job description

About us

You've probably heard of Autotrader, but do you know what we're all about?

We're the most trusted, most visited automotive marketplace in the UK. A heritage brand and a tech innovator. We bring together vehicle buyers and sellers to give them real choices. Cars may be what we're best known for but we’re also the place for pretty much everything else on wheels, from e-bikes to caravans.

In the automotive world, change is a constant, that’s why we take our job of untangling the complex car-buying journey very seriously.

At our core, we’re all about people. We go our own way while embracing diversity and celebrating our differences. We dedicate ourselves to the idea that we work better together.

Autotrader is a beautiful, surprising and vibrant place to work. We might not be for everyone, but we could be perfect for you.

About the job

Help shape the next chapter of Autotrader's in-house creative studio. We're moving from a production-led team to an in-house creative agency, with the ambition to stand alongside the best in-house teams in the industry.

As our Video & Motion Lead, you'll lead four people across two film and two motion roles, combining creative direction, people development and hands-on craft. Your background might be in film or motion graphics; what matters is that you can confidently lead both, give each discipline room to grow and bring them together to make better work whilst demonstrating your hands-on creative and technical skills.

You'll set the creative and technical standard for video and motion, from early ideas through filming, animation and post-production. Alongside directing and supporting others, you'll stay hands-on: picking up a camera, editing footage or animating when the work needs you. Your work will span consumer, customer, and employee branding, as well as various forms of internal and external communications, from brand campaigns and retailer stories to internal films and business events.

You'll line-manage and develop the team, giving clear feedback, strengthening technical skills, and finding opportunities for people to stretch through their work. You'll also help shape the studio's direction, making sure film and motion are part of the conversation about its future capabilities and creative opportunities.

Working with our producers, you'll prioritise work, plan resources and decide where to invest time and craft. Producers support briefing, workflow and shoot administration, giving you space to focus on the team and the work. You'll build relationships with senior stakeholders, challenge briefs constructively and guide feedback and decisions through to delivery, including during high-pressure business events.

You'll explore and apply AI and emerging production tools thoughtfully, improving workflows while knowing where human craft and judgement matter most.

What we're looking for

• Significant hands-on creative and technical experience in video, motion graphics, and post-production.

• Extensive experience leading high-performing teams by helping people grow, developing confidence and progress in their careers.

• Experience managing production schedules, resources, budgets, and external suppliers.

• Experience developing and implementing production standards and systems, creative processes, documentation and governance to improve consistency and efficiency. •

• Extensive experience translating and supporting the team through complex briefs into clear, effective video solutions.

• Excellent communication, problem-solving, and senior stakeholder management skills, with the ability to balance creative ambition with strategic business objectives

• Experience identifying and implementing emerging trends, creative technology and automation, and AI to improve how the team works.

• You excel at setting and managing expectations by having honest performance, development, and wellbeing conversations with your team.

• You lead by example, acting as a role model for our values and ways of working, ensuring your decisions balance both people's needs and business outcomes

During our application process, you will be asked two questions to help us learn more about you and how you align with our values.

We’ll also ask you to share one video that showcases your strengths, your style and the kind of creative thinking you’d bring to the role.

These will be used as part of our selection criteria to determine if we progress your application further.

Benefits

We’re offering a salary of £65,000 – £80,000, plus an additional 10% of your salary awarded to you in shares each year. These awarded shares will become yours in yearly instalments over the next three years, and you can choose to either sell them or keep them as shares.

You'll have 28 days holiday per year, and that's in addition to bank holidays and half day closures on Christmas and New Year's Eve.

That’s not all. You'll be enrolled in our pension scheme, where our standard contributions ar

Prepare for the interview

Nothing collected for this employer yet. The Blind 75 is what technical screens draw from; practice it here, with a coach, in Java or Python.

More at Autotrader

All open software jobs