Designer, Brand

Highwire•San Francisco, CA

13h•$72,000 - $90,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Highwire’s creative team sits within the agency’s digital practice. We lead the creative strategy, design and execution of powerful, valuable, and impactful ideas that drive business impact for our clients. We weave insights into ideas, make ideas real, and combine creativity with strategic storytelling so our clients stand out from competitors. We believe the biggest ideas don’t have to be the most complex and in the importance of matching creative delivery with strategic motivation. We are seeking a talented Designer, Brand to join our team and make a meaningful impact through high-quality design solutions that address our clients' challenges and elevate their brand presence. Specializing in brand design, brand transformations, and content design, this role will also embrace the powerful potential of how motion design helps bring brands to life across diverse platforms. This role also supports brand systems work, ensuring creative output across mediums stays grounded in established brand guidelines as those systems evolve. As a Designer, Brand you’ll be instrumental in driving agency growth by crafting engaging, strategic, and visually stunning content that aligns with existing client brand identities while pushing creative boundaries. You’ll collaborate closely with internal teams and clients, ensuring that every piece of work contributes to compelling brand experiences and meaningful customer journeys.

Requirements

3-5 years of professional design experience (agency or in-house tech company experience preferred).
Visual, graphic, or motion design degree or equivalent experience.
A compelling portfolio showcasing a range of professional work in visual design and motion design, demonstrating a solid understanding of design principles and web design best practices.
Expert knowledge of the Adobe Creative Suite (Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, XD).
Intermediate proficiency in Figma and Adobe After Effects.
Ability to leverage drag-and-drop platforms to hand off self-serve toolkits to our clients through Canva and/or Adobe Express.
Strong understanding of motion graphic principles and their role in brand identity development.
Experience working within established brand systems and guidelines, with the ability to apply and extend them consistently across new content types.
Experience with storyboarding, pacing, color theory, and visual hierarchy to craft compelling narratives.
Excellent communication skills to provide project guidance, collaborate with teams, and present work effectively.
Demonstrated ability to manage 3 or more concurrent projects independently while meeting deadlines, with examples of how you've prioritized competing deliverables.
Familiarity with project management tools to streamline workflows.
Attention to detail and a collaborative mindset to ensure the best creative outcomes for clients.
Ability to manage time independently. Must be able to prioritize multiple projects, meet deadlines, and proactively flag conflicts with account and creative teams.
A finger on the pulse of the latest design, social, and digital trends.
A keen understanding of UX design principles, including familiarity with accessibility standards and best practices.
Genuine curiosity about how AI tools are reshaping creative workflows, with a willingness to experiment and learn as new tools and processes emerge.
Ability to work within a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with AI-assisted design tools is a plus.

Responsibilities

Develop cohesive creative storytelling across different mediums, always keeping creative strategy at the core.
Produce motion work, including short-form social animation, brand video support, and template-based motion assets, that strengthens brand identity and enhances brand storytelling.
Balance brand integrity with experimentation, demonstrated through a portfolio that shows both adherence to brand systems and original creative exploration within those systems.
Understand and differentiate between social-first creative and brand-first creative, tailoring content accordingly.
Ensure consistency in static and motion projects to maintain a unified brand experience.
Work within established brand systems and design guidelines, flagging when client brand standards need updating or expansion as new platforms or content types emerge.
Proactively solve process challenges to streamline workflows across integrated teams.
Take a 360-degree approach, considering all potential customer touchpoints and brand interactions.
Ask clarifying questions about client goals during briefing and translate those goals into specific creative decisions, rather than working from the brief alone.
Brainstorm and develop creative concepts independently and in collaboration with account teams and the creative team.
Identify opportunities to enhance creativity within existing client workflows, researching and presenting new ideas.
Present design work internally and externally, effectively communicating both creative vision and strategic rationale to designers and non-designers alike.
Provide peer-level creative feedback to interns and junior designers, and, when needed, help non-creative collaborators understand the reasoning behind design decisions.

Benefits

Competitive salary with merit-based opportunities for growth
Flexible hybrid work model tailored to your schedule and lifestyle
Generous vacation policy, including extended summer and winter breaks
Early log-off on Fridays through our Empower Hours program
401(k) plan with employer matching
Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, plus FSA options
Paid parental leave benefits
Commuter benefits
Annual Growth Mindset stipend for books, events, or learning experiences
Monthly technology reimbursement
Wellness benefit program for mental and physical health
501c3 donation matching program
Mentorship and ongoing professional development opportunities
Monthly recognition and team celebrations
Employee referral and new business referral bonuses
Quarterly Highwire events and team gatherings
Dog-friendly office environment
A supportive, inclusive, and collaborative workplace where you can grow and do your best work