Help me choose my new job title!

[Walantin]

Hi all! I work for a big corporate in Europe and I am about to get a big promotion. Hurrah! I will be leading the in-house creative team (20 people), which is part of the Marketing & Communications department.

HR told me that in our company people at the level of my new role are called either “Director of” or “Head of”, and in my case they decided to let me pick. My predecessor was called "Head of", if that is relevant.

So I can be either Head of Creative Studio or Director of Creative Studio.

Which one would you recommend, and why?

Thank you all!!

Director has been senior to Head everywhere I've worked, so I'd go for that.

Being a company director has very specific legal responsibilities. If you’re being made director (and you want it) then great, but being called director when you’re not one would seem a bit odd to me.

Director. Unless what dinosaur says applies! Congratulations!
If you need anyone to take minutes at meetings I’m available lol

Director sounds like you run, manage and direct the creative output. Head of sounds like you could just a manager.

Definitely Director, that is more senior than head of where I work (large multinational telco)

If you choose Director will you be on The Board I'd that makes a difference, would there be any extra responsibility being a Director instead of a Head

Director although I have never heard of any legal implications of that that @TheDinosaurTrain mentions. But equally I work in tv so have a different relationship with the word lol.

Just to clarify, I won't be on the board either way. Neither of those titles comes with that kind of legal responsibility where I work.

Director. There are plenty of jobs where you can be a director without being an actual company director.

I would pick director as it has connotations of being more senior and especially more likely to be recognised internationally.

It’s absolute nonsense that a job title of director means you have to be on the board of directors.

Congrats on the promotion.

Head of is more senior than Director where I work (head of has directors reporting to them). I think director is v common in media/creative/mktg, and I was one 15 years ago at the age of 30.
So to me, head of is more senior.

Where I am, there are Exec Directors, Directors and Heads of Service (in that order of seniority)

Execs are on the board. Normal Directors aren’t.
Directors (normal) absolutely do have legal responsibilities.

Director is more senior than Head of where I work. Small org ao the Directors are on the Board.

I prefer Head of. I don't think it really matters does it?

Director 100%

Director for sure. It’s been seen as More senior everywhere I’ve worked

Director as it's more senior.

@ReviewingTheSituation

Head of is more senior than Director where I work (head of has directors reporting to them). I think director is v common in media/creative/mktg, and I was one 15 years ago at the age of 30. So to me, head of is more senior.

It was the other way round in the organisation where I worked which used these titles. I was Head of Eating Biscuits and I reported to the Director of Biscuit Services.

If there are no legal ramifications I would, personally, use the same title as the previous person who had the same role. That makes it easier for stakeholders/clients etc with an existing relationship with the company to recognise that you are now the person who does that job.

Congratulations on your promotion!

Thank you all with your advice! Upon further reflection, I think I will go for Director. Thank you again!!

Interesting debate - I'd go for Chief Creative.