Design Lead

Streetsense • New York, NY

103d

About The Position

The Design Lead is the most senior graphic design role at Streetsense, reporting directly to the Associate Creative Director. This position blends hands-on design excellence with leadership responsibility, guiding visual output across branding, marketing, and digital initiatives. The Design Lead is a pivotal creative force—balancing craft, conceptual thinking, and mentorship—ensuring that Streetsense delivers world-class design that elevates our clients’ brands and drives measurable impact. At Streetsense, we believe in the power of design to shape meaningful places and experiences. As Design Lead, you’ll play a central role in building bold, beautiful, and strategically sharp creative work that moves brands forward and inspires communities. We believe the best ideas are born at the intersection of strategy and creativity. In our agency, designers partner closely with strategists to shape meaningful, resonant work that moves beyond aesthetics into lasting impact.

Requirements

• 7–10+ years of professional design experience, ideally within agency or consultancy settings.
• Exceptional portfolio showcasing branding, digital, campaign, and environmental design projects.
• Advanced proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop) and Figma; knowledge of motion design, 3D, environmental graphics, and AI-driven design tools a plus.
• Strong understanding of typography, composition, and visual systems.
• Proven ability to balance strategic thinking with executional excellence.
• Strong client-facing presentation and communication skills.

Nice To Haves

• A champion of craft who obsesses over detail without losing sight of the bigger picture.
• Confident, articulate, and persuasive when advocating for design thinking.
• Independent yet highly collaborative—able to work seamlessly with strategists, copywriters, account leads, and creative leadership.
• Thrives in the rhythm of agency life—able to pivot quickly between projects, juggle many moving parts, and keep standards high no matter what.
• Calm under pressure, adaptable to shifting priorities, and focused on delivering excellence.
• Passionate about culture, design trends, and emerging creative technologies.

Responsibilities

• Partner with the Associate Creative Director and broader creative leadership to shape and execute design vision across projects.
• Serve as the design authority on high-profile client work, setting standards for craft, clarity, and originality.
• Provide critical input in concept development, visual storytelling, and multi-channel design systems.
• Lead design on complex, multi-discipline projects (brand identities, campaigns, digital platforms environments, and collateral).
• Translate strategic and conceptual thinking into compelling visual solutions.
• Deliver work at the highest level of detail, ensuring final outputs are production-ready across print, digital, and experiential channels.
• Mentor and support junior and mid-level designers, fostering growth in creative craft and professional development.
• Conduct design reviews and provide constructive, actionable feedback.
• Model collaborative, inclusive working methods within multidisciplinary teams.
• Present design work to clients with clarity and confidence, articulating creative rationale and design decisions.
• Contribute to new business pitches, supporting creative leadership in developing visually compelling proposals.
• Act as a trusted partner to clients, maintaining relationships built on design expertise and thought leadership.

Benefits

• Medical Dental & Vision Insurance
• Paid time off
• 401k match
• Wellbeing resources
• And more

What This Job Offers

• Career Level: Senior
• Number of Employees: 101-250 employees