Senior Designer, Events

True Anomaly•Long Beach, CA

46d•$130,000 - $235,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Senior Designer, Experiential owns the creative development and direction of True Anomaly’s events experiences. You develop experiential concepts and creative direction that make complex technology tangible and create a clear, memorable experience of the company. Working from creative and business strategy, you define how True Anomaly shows up physically at events; the spatial form, narrative journey, and environmental expression. For assigned work, you define the concept, narrative, user journey, visual language and environmental expression, then maintain that creative direction through install and event launch. Our Principal, Experiential & Environmental Design owns the broader vision and standards for True Anomaly’s physical expression. You work closely with them and apply and extend that overarching direction within events, partnering with Creative Strategy and Business Development on where and why the company should show up, and with production teams that own the operational planning and delivery.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree and 8-11 years of experience developing creative concepts and directing brand events, experiential activations, conferences, demonstrations, executive gatherings, or other live experiences; or Master's degree and 6 years of relevant experience.
Portfolio demonstrating strong experiential concepting, creative direction, narrative thinking, and final executed work.
Demonstrated ability to translate business, audience, and brand strategy into distinctive physical experiences.
Experience leading multidisciplinary creative teams and directing agencies, designers, fabricators, content partners, and production specialists.
Strong understanding of spatial experience, user journey, graphics, materials, objects, content, technology, and live moments.
Comfort working hands-on across concepting, design development, vendor creative direction, and on-site execution. This is a player-coach role: you'll both direct external partners and execute design work yourself as the project demands.
Deep knowledge of event production, fabrication, AV, logistics, installation, and venue constraints sufficient to make responsible creative decisions.
Ability to develop creative work within defined budgets and schedules and to make sound tradeoffs without losing the central idea.
Excellent presentation, communication, collaboration, and stakeholder-management skills, with calm judgment when conditions change.
Willingness to travel and work outside conventional hours when required by an installation or live event.
To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

Nice To Haves

Experience in technology, aerospace, defense, automotive, industrial design, or another technically complex category is helpful but not required.
Genuine interest in aerospace, defense, or national security is a meaningful signal. Domain expertise is not required; intellectual seriousness about the mission is.

Responsibilities

Partner with Marketing and Creative Strategy to understand the strategic intent behind events: why it matters, who it must reach, and what the audience should believe or feel. Advise on how experiential format and investment level can best serve those objectives.
Collaborate with Business Development, Recruiting, and Creative Strategy to pressure-test event opportunities and advise on feasibility, format, and creative approach before concept work begins.
Develop creative concepts for events and experiential programs, translating strategic intent into spatial and experiential form, from initial idea through final creative direction.
Define the narrative, user journey, key moments, visual language, spatial expression, and emotional arc of each experience.
Develop and present concepts, references, sketches, experience frameworks, and recommendations to internal partners and senior leadership.
Lead creative development across graphic and spatial design, content, motion, interactive elements, demonstrations, branded objects, and environmental details as appropriate.
Ensure each concept is distinctive to True Anomaly, appropriate to its audience, and grounded in the company's brand strategy and mission.
Direct internal teams, agencies, fabricators, and production partners through design development; create and review layouts, renderings, drawings, prototypes, materials, graphics, content, and environmental elements.
Partner with the Events & Styling Lead on furniture, finishes, materials, rentals, styling, and final environmental details.
Develop repeatable kits of parts, modular experience systems, and event-specific standards that allow the company to move quickly without making every experience feel identical.
Shape demo rooms and partner with Facilities on spaces that must support hosted events, media moments, recordings, demonstrations, talent programs, and other marketing objectives.
Review work with leadership at key milestones and maintain the creative through-line from concept through fabrication, installation, and live experience.
Build and maintain a trusted network of agencies, designers, fabricators, craftspeople, rental partners, and special vendors that balance creative ambition, executional quality and responsible investment for each project.
Partner with the Event Producer(s) and/or external production lead from the earliest concept stage so ideas can be delivered on time, within budget, and in keeping with the design intent.
Design within established budget and schedule parameters. Advise on budget implications of creative decisions, flag scope-versus-budget mismatches early, and recommend creative tradeoffs when budget or schedule constraints require adjustment.
Provide timely creative decisions, drawing and prototype reviews, approvals, references, content, and specifications needed for production to advance.
Participate in site visits, production reviews, and key vendor conversations; be on site for priority installations and events to direct creative quality and resolve design questions.