Designer

Sway Creative Labs • Norfolk, VA

14d • $60,000 - $75,000 • Remote

About The Position

Sway Creative Labs is seeking a systems-minded Designer to develop campaign concepts and build scalable design systems for high-volume, multi-channel, social-first work. The role combines visual direction and hands-on design with production systems that enable teams to create large sets of on-brand assets without sacrificing quality. Work may include full display networks, platform-specific social systems, localized variants, and end frames.

The Designer will build and maintain reusable Figma component libraries and templates, organize and version files, and use Claude and other AI-assisted tools as part of the design workflow. This is an in-the-trenches role at an independent agency, with no separate production layer; the Designer creates the systems that make production efficient. The position offers ownership of the agency’s visual work and production infrastructure, and close collaboration with leadership, producers, art directors, and the video team.

The role calls for broad design range, strong visual judgment, social platform fluency, and the technical ability to build systems at scale. Motion and animation are beneficial but not required. The role may develop toward art direction and creative leadership, ownership of design systems and production infrastructure, or shaping the agency’s creative AI pipeline.

Requirements

• At least 3 years of design experience; agency experience preferred.
• A portfolio showing both original concept work and high-volume production.
• Deep Figma proficiency, including components, variants, auto-layout, and variables or tokens; ability to build systems rather than one-off artboards.
• Strong command of Adobe Creative Suite, including Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign.
• Demonstrated ability to design social-native creative across platforms.
• Hands-on experience using Claude and/or other AI tools to build or scale design work, with the ability to distinguish quality output from work that only looks good at a glance.
• Solid design fundamentals, including typography, color, composition, and visual hierarchy.
• Ability to produce work at volume without compromising quality, with strong file and version discipline.

Nice To Haves

• Motion and animation capability in After Effects, including templating video units.
• Working knowledge of HTML and CSS sufficient to communicate effectively with developers.
• Understanding of print production specifications and vendor requirements.
• Familiarity with digital accessibility standards, including WCAG / ADA Level AA.
• Experience with healthcare, tourism, food/beverage, legal, or CPG accounts.

Responsibilities

• Set and execute visual direction for campaigns across digital, social, display, print, and out-of-home.
• Design social-native creative for each platform’s formats and pace rather than simply adapting a campaign master.
• Contribute a point of view during concept development and advocate for stronger executions.
• Build large-scale creative systems, including display unit sets, social unit systems, and localized or market-specific variants.
• Build and maintain reusable Figma component libraries, variants, auto-layout, and variables or tokens.
• Convert approved concepts into template systems that other team members can use without breaking the design.
• Version, name, and organize files according to conventions so assets are easy to find.
• Use Claude and AI-assisted tools to generate and populate variants, draft layout and copy options, automate repetitive build steps, and run quality checks.
• Write specific prompts that produce usable results and review AI output against quality standards.
• Share new tools and techniques with the team.
• Design for Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, and emerging formats, with attention to what performs on each platform.
• Work at social speed for live moments and to campaign standards when needed.
• If skilled in After Effects, template and version motion and social video units.

Benefits

• Three Sentara Health Plan options; Sway covers 80% of employee premiums and 50% of dependent premiums.
• Dental insurance through United Concordia; Sway pays 100% of the employee premium.
• 401(k) with a 1:1 match on the first 3% of pay and a 50% match on the following 2%.
• 15 paid vacation days, resetting at the employee’s start date, with up to a 5-day negative balance available.
• 17 paid holidays, including the employee’s birthday, the Monday after the Super Bowl, Juneteenth, and the full week between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day.
• Two-hour windows at the start (9–11am) and end (3–5pm) of the workday for personal appointments, not counted against PTO.
• 100% remote work with occasional pre-scheduled in-person meetings and on-set requirements.
• Eligibility for a year-end performance bonus, with additional bonuses available based on individual and company performance.
• 100% reimbursement for at least one approved course, workshop, or conference annually.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed