Lead Designer

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced Lead Designer to oversee and drive the creative output for a digital agency's diverse client portfolio, establishing high standards for all design work. This senior position involves interpreting conceptual prompts, vague visual cues, and strategic objectives into multiple innovative design options, enabling clients to engage with a variety of strong concepts rather than settling for a single solution.

Reporting directly to the agency owner and collaborating closely with the technical lead, you will participate in creative reviews with senior marketing stakeholders on the agency's most critical accounts. The position demands exceptional conceptual thinking, refined execution, speed, precision, and confident communication with clients.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage the entire design lifecycle for client projects, from initial concept development to final delivery.
• Rapidly convert loose guidelines into multiple creative directions that clients can review, mix, and select from.
• Generate brand-level creative for national clients, aligning with the quality expected from large agencies.
• Oversee quality assurance of all outgoing design work, including critiquing and enhancing contributions by other team members.
• Guarantee consistency and accuracy across text, technical specifications, calls to action, and adherence to brand standards.
• Collaborate tightly with the technical lead to ensure seamless transition of projects from design into development or production.

Qualifications and Requirements

• A comprehensive portfolio showcasing a broad conceptual scope, high-quality execution, and experience on projects with substantial brand impact.
• Senior-level ability to conceptualize independently from scratch and offer multiple creative options based on broad ideas or visual directions.
• Capacity to produce strong initial drafts quickly and consistently, needing refinement rather than complete redesigns.
• Proven fluency in using AI creative tools with an established process for concept generation, output evaluation, and final creative development.
• Strong client engagement skills, capable of confidently presenting, defending, and adapting creative work when interacting with senior marketing decision-makers.

Technical Tools

• Mandatory expertise in Adobe Creative Suite with strong skills in Illustrator, InDesign, and Photoshop.
• Required proficiency and demonstrable workflow using current AI creative tools.
• Highly desirable experience with Figma for UI/UX designs and development collaboration.
• Additional skills such as motion graphics, animation, video production, and familiarity with email design and build are advantageous.