Illustration Assistant

Hadley Designs

4h•Remote

About The Position

Hadley Designs is seeking an early-career Illustration Assistant to work closely with the Chief Creative Officer (CCO). The role involves taking creative direction and transforming it into finished, production-ready product art. This is a hands-on role focused on illustration and design execution, not template-based work. The ideal candidate will have a passion for drawing, a keen eye for playful, kid-friendly design, and a desire to grow their skills within a brand that produces and ships products monthly to millions of families. Hadley Designs focuses on creating screen-free, educational tools that are beautifully designed and developmentally aligned, aiming to make learning enjoyable and meaningful.

Requirements

A portfolio showcasing original illustration work with a cute, playful, kid-friendly or product-design sensibility.
Working proficiency in Adobe Illustrator for native illustration (beyond just file handling or layout).
Ability to match and extend an existing art style, completing illustration sets so new pieces integrate seamlessly with existing artwork.
Strong ability to interpret and execute written and verbal creative direction into finished artwork.
Reliability in meeting deadlines while managing multiple projects concurrently.

Nice To Haves

Experience preparing print and production files to specification.
Familiarity with the children's, educational, or consumer-product industry.
Comfort using lightweight project management tools (e.g., Notion, ClickUp) and managing file organization.

Responsibilities

Create new artwork and complete illustration sets in Hadley Designs' established style across various product lines.
Draw and illustrate original elements such as characters, motifs, patterns, and scenes that align with a cute, kid-friendly aesthetic.
Translate the CCO's concepts and creative direction into finished, production-ready product designs.
Manage the design process from initial handoff through final build-out, ensuring completion without needing to escalate work.
Execute offloads such as creating variations, building out designs for full product sets, and preparing files for production.
Ensure all artwork maintains style consistency and brand alignment across the entire product catalog.
Maintain the living style reference guide to ensure visual consistency as the product catalog expands.
Provide occasional support for ad operations, including A+ content, storefront updates, and CMYK ad images.
Make revisions on existing product lines as needed.