Lead Designer

About Darkroom

We're building the future of advertising and are looking for the minds to help us do it.

Darkroom is a progressive omnichannel growth marketing agency focused on retail, e-commerce, and consumer businesses. We have been recognized as one of the fastest growing private companies in America by Inc. 5000 (2023), a top 1% digital advertiser by Varos (2023), and our founders were named Forbes 30 Under 30 recipients for Marketing and Advertising North America (2024).

Who we’re looking for

We are hiring a Lead Designer — a proven designer generalist who brings stunning visual craft, exceptional attention to detail, and a high standard of quality to their work.

You’re comfortable executing multiple different types of engagements: UI/UX and web, brand design, creative direction, paid marketing ads, emails, social posts.

You love working with clients that are in need of design expertise and turning their creative outputs into beautiful, branded assets that perform and make business impact.

This is a highly creative role that requires someone that thrives on independence, cross-functional navigation, and a get-it-done attitude. You’ll report to a Director of Creative on our team and maintain ownership of high-impact design projects. This is a challenging, fast-paced environment with high levels of autonomy and accountability. From day to day, you may work with Retention Managers to design brand new flows on a tight deadline, and the next day you may jump to your own Web Design engagement that you’re managing independently. You’ll work directly with Founders and Executives across a portfolio of high-growth U.S. brands—an opportunity that accelerates professional development, strategic thinking, and creative leadership. Darkroom is a career incubator for ambitious talent looking to operate at the intersection of business, design, and innovation.

This is a fully remote role operating in the EST time zone. Candidates must be professionally fluent in English. Open to applicants based in Brazil, Mexico, Portugal, and Spain.

What You’ll Do

• Design digital assets that support a range of client marketing initiatives briefed by a Manager: paid ads, email & SMS, landing pages, organic social, Amazon creative, and more.

• Present design work to clients, explaining design choices based on effective business reasoning, trade-offs, and UX principles.

• Lead 1-2 UI/UX (web design) engagements as needed, focusing on creating branded e-commerce websites

• Manage design projects independently from discovery to hand-off, adhering to timelines and collaborating with developers to ensure feasibility.

• Create design systems based on a client’s brand guidelines to be used across multiple channels, ensuring consistency of a client’s brand identity, look, and feel.

• Communicate with clients directly and present designs on calls, lead clients through workshopping, and obtain approvals while maintaining a strong working relationship.

• Understand what drives customers to convert on different marketing channels and execute designs within established best practices.

• Collaborate closely with team members and clients for feedback and approvals to ensure your work adheres to a high standard of craft.

• Design landing pages within Figma and Instant.so, our no-code landing page builder, by using UI/UX best practices and adhering to Darkroom’s web design guidelines.

• Develop hand-off documentation in Figma for developers to deliver web design initiatives such as landing pages, web design engagements, and more.

• This role is on the Creative team and reports to a Director of Creative. You’ll work alongside a team of 8+ Designers, each supporting their own roster of 5+ client accounts.

You should apply if this sounds like you:

Hard Skills:

• 3+ years of proven design work experience (agency or design studio experience is preferred)

• Digital portfolio that demonstrates strong web design and marketing design that is brand-focused. E-commerce focus preferred.

• Proven understanding of design principles including layout, hierarchy, color theory, typography, and composition.

• Strong ability to lead client calls, drive workshopping sessions, and manage a client relationship directly.

• Strong proficiency in Figma and Adobe Creative Suite is required.

• Fluency in English is required. Candidate must be proficient in speaking, writing, and presenting work to clients in English.

Soft Skills:

• Highly creative individual who strives for detail-oriented design and can execute comfortably in a number of styles.

• Thrives in a fast-paced environment juggling multiple priorities simultaneously.

• Excellent communication skills.

• Can effectively collaborate with cross-functional teams and turn project requirements into compelling designs.

• Self-motivated and proactive with a strong sense of ownership and accountability for detail-oriented deliverables.

• Systematic thinker, who problem solves and time manages without heavy direction.

Nice to Have:

• Comfortability working with AI tools like ChatGPT and Midjourney

• Advanced knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite

• BFA or higher degree in Graphic Design or Fine Arts

What it's like to work at Darkroom:

• We're building the future of advertising and are looking for the minds to help us do it. We only seek out the best—from our clients to our people. Our team is our most sacred asset, and we offer highly competitive salaries and the following perks:

• Unlimited Vacation Policy, and Holidays: Rebooting is one of the most important parts of growth. At Darkroom, you have access to a flexible vacation policy, and 10 holidays throughout the year to keep you recharged and sharp.

• Location, location, (or no) location: Remote-first culture with a strong community base. With Hubs in LA, The Bay Area, New York, Philly, Sao Paulo, Lisbon, and Eastern Europe.

• Endless opportunities for growth: Our agency is founded on an interdisciplinary approach, giving Darkroomers insights into services far beyond your job description. Grow your skills and interests beyond your niche and stay at the forefront of the industry through total immersion in cross-functional collaboration.

• Parental Leave: flexible parental leave benefits to support new parents during this important transition, ensuring time to bond with their families while maintaining work-life balance.

Equal Opportunity Statement:

Darkroom is an equal opportunity workplace—we are dedicated to equal employment opportunities regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national orientation, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity, or Veteran status. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements.