Head of Creative (m/w/d)

We are convinced that padel is a magical sport – one that people get excited about due to its unique combination of lightness, dynamics, and social interaction. Padel is for everyone: from young to old, from beginner to professional – anyone can participate in this passion. It's more than just a game; it's an experience that connects, brings joy, and creates friendships.

mitte is a boutique padel club, offering top-notch playing conditions and a stylish environment for our dynamic, modern community. Our clubs combine high-quality facilities in central inner-city locations with digital innovation and human warmth to make padel a part of everyday life – whether it's for a quick game or as a 'Third Place' for various experiences.

What makes us special:

• Our indoor clubs are located so that you can reach them in under 15 minutes – ideal for urban life
• Our fully automated systems ensure a seamless, modern playing experience
• Our community leaders live hospitality and dedicated service, focusing entirely on being excellent hosts
• Our interior design is designed by a renowned boutique architect

Our ambition: to become the global brand for premium padel.

Tasks

How mitte looks, sounds, and feels – that's yours.

As Head of Creative (m/w/d), you will be responsible for expressing the creative essence of mitte across all channels and touchpoints. You will work directly with the CEO/founder to develop the brand strategy further – and translate it into a visual and communicative expression that establishes mitte as a premium reference in the global padel market.

Your goal: to create a consistent, high-quality brand experience – regardless of whether it's an Instagram post, website, print piece in the club, or campaign. Today in a handful of clubs, tomorrow across Germany and potentially Europe.

Your tasks:

• Brand Governance: You will develop and maintain the mitte brand guidelines system – from visual language and tone to logo usage and design principles. You will ensure that the brand speaks the same language at 5, 30, or 80 clubs.
• Brand Strategy: You will develop the brand strategy further with the CEO and sharpen the positioning of mitte as a premium lifestyle brand in sports.
• Creative Direction: You will set the creative direction – for photo and video productions, graphics, copywriting, and campaigns. You will brief internal resources and external creatives and design yourself at key themes.
• Content & Channels: You will be responsible for creative steering of our communication channels – from social media to website and CRM to PR and owner communication.
• Brand Partnerships: You will be responsible for the creative side of strategic brand partnerships – with brands, athletes, and cultural creatives that fit the mitte world.
• Physical Brand Carriers: You will be responsible for the creative implementation of all physical brand elements – from print and signage to membership materials and merchandise lines in coordination with partners like Adidas.
• Interfaces: You will work closely with Activation, Club Experience, and Operations to ensure that the brand, activation, and club experience are a consistent whole.

The special thing about this role is that…

• You shape a brand from scratch – not just manage an existing one, but define a new premium reference in sports.
• You are responsible for the full creative breadth – from strategic positioning to creative execution and physical product in the club. Without silos.
• You work at the interface of sport and lifestyle – a combination that is rare in Germany and requires international benchmark thinking.
• You work directly with the founder/CEO – with short decision-making paths and genuine design freedom.

Qualification

• Premium Brand Understanding: You have proven experience in building or creatively leading premium brands – whether in sports, lifestyle, fashion, hospitality, or consumer goods. You understand what a high-quality brand is and can translate it into concrete measures.
• Creative Excellence: You have an outstanding aesthetic sense and the ability to define creative visions and implement them – whether working with agencies, photographers, designers, or internally.
• You brief not only, you design yourself at central themes. You are just as comfortable in strategic brand discussions as in detail work on a layout.
• Strategic Thinking: You develop the brand strategy further with the CEO and translate it into a creative direction that has staying power.
• System Thinking: You build brand guidelines, templates, and frameworks that keep pace with our growth – without sacrificing quality.
• Sport Affinity: You have a genuine understanding of sports, athleticism, and sporting communities. You don't need to be a professional athlete, but you understand how sport moves people – and how to translate it into a brand.
• Leadership Competence: You build teams, agency partners, and creative networks and develop them further.
• Experience: At least 5-7 years of professional experience in building or creatively leading premium brands – ideally in a fast-growing environment with a lifestyle background preferred but not a knockout criterion.
• Languages: You communicate confidently in German and English – written and spoken.
• Company Building: You have the desire to actively participate in building Europe's leading padel operator – with ideas, initiative, and genuine responsibility. Nothing happens unless we make it happen.