Brand Designer

Chalk
Full-timeβ€’$170k-200k/year (USD)β€’New York, United States

πŸ“ Job Overview

Job Title: Brand Designer

Company: Chalk

Location: New York, New York, United States

Job Type: Full-time

Category: Brand & Visual Design

Date Posted: April 29, 2026

Experience Level: 2-5 years

πŸš€ Role Summary

  • Own the visual output for Chalk across all marketing channels, ensuring brand consistency and a strong point of view.

  • Execute a high volume of creative assets for social media, digital advertising, email campaigns, events, and print collateral.

  • Drive web design initiatives, including landing pages and campaign pages, leveraging tools like Sanity and Figma.

  • Collaborate closely with growth, content, and field marketing teams to translate briefs into polished, on-time deliverables.

  • Utilize AI design tools to enhance production speed, explore creative concepts, and accelerate iteration cycles.

πŸ“ Enhancement Note: This role is distinct from traditional operations roles (Revenue Ops, Sales Ops, etc.) focusing purely on visual brand execution rather than process optimization, data analysis, or system management. The emphasis is on high-volume, rapid creative output within an established design system.

πŸ“ˆ Primary Responsibilities

  • Design and deliver a consistent flow of marketing assets for social media platforms, digital advertisements, email marketing campaigns, and event promotions.

  • Develop creative collateral for physical and virtual events, including booth graphics, signage, and environmental branding elements.

  • Execute web design elements for landing pages, campaign-specific pages, and website updates, ensuring seamless integration with CMS tools like Sanity and Figma.

  • Diligently maintain and apply Chalk's established Figma component library and design system to ensure visual consistency across all brand touchpoints.

  • Leverage AI-powered design tools to streamline asset creation, generate creative variations, and improve overall design efficiency.

  • Act as a key creative partner to cross-functional teams, including growth, content, and field marketing, to efficiently translate project briefs into high-quality visual deliverables.

πŸ“ Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a significant volume of execution-based design work across various marketing channels, emphasizing speed and adherence to existing brand guidelines. This is characteristic of a hands-on brand designer role in a fast-paced B2B SaaS environment.

πŸŽ“ Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong foundation in graphic design, visual communications, or a related field is implied by the experience and portfolio requirements.

Experience: 2-5 years of dedicated experience in marketing or brand design, gained either in-house at a company or within an agency setting.

Required Skills:

  • A robust portfolio showcasing a diverse range of design work across social media, digital advertising, web design, print, and ideally motion graphics or video.

  • Advanced proficiency in Figma, including the ability to work effectively with components, build within design systems, and maintain file organization.

  • Demonstrated experience with web design principles and practical application using Content Management System (CMS) tools such as Sanity, Webflow, or similar platforms.

  • Hands-on experience and a clear understanding of how to effectively utilize AI design tools to support and accelerate the design workflow.

  • Proven ability to execute design tasks quickly and accurately based on provided briefs, focusing on efficient delivery without compromising quality.

  • Strong organizational skills with a proactive approach to tracking personal workload, identifying and communicating blockers, and consistently meeting deadlines.

Preferred Skills:

  • Experience with video editing software (e.g., Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro) or motion graphics tools (e.g., After Effects, Spline, Lottiefiles).

  • Prior experience in the B2B SaaS sector, developer tools, or other technology-focused brands.

  • Proven ability to thrive in a fast-paced startup environment where project requirements and deadlines may frequently evolve.

πŸ“ Enhancement Note: The experience and skills requirements emphasize practical, execution-focused capabilities with a strong emphasis on digital design tools and a need for speed and adaptability, typical for a brand designer supporting a growth-stage tech company.

πŸ“Š Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

  • A comprehensive portfolio that vividly demonstrates a broad range of design capabilities across multiple formats, including social media graphics, digital ads, web design mockups, print collateral, and ideally examples of motion graphics or video work.

  • Specific case studies or project examples that highlight the successful application of Chalk's design system and component library, showcasing an ability to maintain brand consistency across diverse outputs.

  • Examples of web design execution, detailing the process from concept to implementation within CMS platforms, with clear visual outcomes.

Process Documentation:

  • While not explicitly stated as formal documentation, the expectation is that candidates can articulate their design process, including how they interpret briefs, collaborate with stakeholders, manage their workflow, and ensure quality control.

  • The ability to describe how they would integrate with Chalk's existing design system and component library, demonstrating an understanding of process adherence and scalability.

πŸ“ Enhancement Note: The primary "process and systems" requirement for this role is the portfolio itself, which serves as a live demonstration of the candidate's skills, process, and ability to adhere to established brand guidelines and system usage.

πŸ’΅ Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $170,000 - $200,000 USD per year.

Benefits:

  • Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance plans.

  • Flexible Spending Account (FSA) and Health Savings Account (HSA) options.

  • Access to Expert Healthcare Guidance services.

  • Retirement savings plan (e.g., 401k).

  • Generous paid time off: 15 company holidays and 15 days of personal time off annually.

  • Flex Commuter Benefits to support transportation costs.

  • Daily catered lunch and dinner provided by Chalk.

  • Fully-stocked office with a variety of drinks and snacks.

  • Reimbursement for Uber/Lyft for late work nights.

  • Equity package, reflecting the company's early-stage status and a focus on rewarding team member impact.

Working Hours: The role is described as full-time, with an implied standard 40-hour work week, although the mention of "daily lunch and dinner on Chalk" and "Staying late? Dinner is on us" suggests flexibility and potential for extended hours when project demands require. The requirement to work in-person Monday through Friday indicates a structured on-site schedule.

πŸ“ Enhancement Note: The salary range is provided and falls within the typical compensation band for experienced Brand Designers in a high-cost-of-living area like New York City, especially within the tech industry. The benefits package is comprehensive, with notable perks like daily catered meals and late-night transportation, reflecting a startup culture focused on employee well-being and convenience.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏒 Company Culture

Industry: Technology, specifically focused on building the data platform for machine learning applications. This places Chalk within the rapidly growing AI and Data Infrastructure sector.

Company Size: Chalk has recently raised a $50 million Series A, indicating it is a growth-stage startup, likely employing between 50-200 individuals. This size suggests a dynamic, fast-paced environment with opportunities for significant impact.

Founded: While the founding date isn't explicitly stated, the Series A funding round implies the company has been operational for at least a couple of years and has established a product and market presence.

Team Structure:

  • The Brand Designer will report to the "Brand Team," suggesting a dedicated design function within the marketing department.

  • This role will likely collaborate closely with growth marketing, content marketing, and field marketing teams, indicating a cross-functional approach to marketing initiatives.

Methodology:

  • Chalk emphasizes "Rust-speed performance with elegant tools that developers love to use," suggesting a culture that values both technical excellence and user experience.

  • The company's focus on tearing down complexity, latency, and scale barriers in ML applications points to a problem-solving, innovation-driven mindset.

  • The reliance on a design system and component library indicates a commitment to efficiency, consistency, and scalable design practices.

Company Website: https://chalk.ai/

πŸ“ Enhancement Note: Chalk operates in a cutting-edge tech sector (ML data platforms) and has recently secured significant funding, positioning it for rapid growth. The culture likely blends technical rigor with a strong focus on product development and market execution. The brand team's role is crucial in communicating this innovative technology to a developer and enterprise audience.

πŸ“ˆ Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This position is for an experienced Brand Designer, typically considered a mid-level to senior individual contributor role within a creative or marketing function. The 2-5 years of experience requirement places it beyond an entry-level position, demanding a solid foundation and the ability to work independently.

Reporting Structure: The Brand Designer reports to "Brand Design," suggesting a direct line of reporting within a specialized design team. This team likely falls under the broader Marketing or Communications umbrella.

Operations Impact: While not a traditional "operations" role, the Brand Designer's impact is critical for Chalk's Go-To-Market (GTM) strategy. They are responsible for visually communicating the company's value proposition, brand identity, and product offerings. Effective brand design influences market perception, customer acquisition, and overall brand equity, which are foundational to revenue generation and business growth.

Growth Opportunities:

  • Specialization: Develop deeper expertise in specific design areas like motion graphics, web design, or AI-assisted design, becoming a subject matter expert within the team.

  • Leadership: As the company grows, there may be opportunities to lead design projects, mentor junior designers, or even step into a Lead Brand Designer or Art Director role.

  • Cross-functional Exposure: Gain deeper understanding of marketing strategies, product development, and business objectives through close collaboration with other departments.

  • Skill Development: Continuous learning in emerging design tools and technologies, particularly AI design, will be crucial for career advancement.

πŸ“ Enhancement Note: This role is designed for a hands-on designer who excels at execution. Growth opportunities are likely tied to increasing responsibility within the design function, specialization, and contributing to the company's scaling efforts from a brand perspective.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The job explicitly states "We work in-person Monday through Friday in our NY. We don’t currently offer remote or hybrid positions for this role." This indicates a traditional, fully on-site office environment.

Office Location(s): The role is based in New York, New York, United States. Specific details about the office amenities or location within NYC are not provided but can be inferred as a standard tech office environment in a major metropolitan hub.

Workspace Context:

  • The office environment is described as having "Daily lunch and dinner on Chalk" and being "fully-stocked with drinks and snacks," suggesting a culture that prioritizes employee comfort and productivity.

  • The "Staying late? Dinner is on us" and "Uber/Lyft home" benefits imply a dynamic work environment where extended hours may be necessary, and the company supports employees working late.

  • Collaboration with growth, content, and field marketing teams suggests a communicative and interactive workspace where designers are integrated into broader marketing efforts.

Work Schedule: The role is full-time and requires on-site presence Monday through Friday. While a standard 40-hour week is typical, the perks for late work suggest flexibility and a focus on output over strict adherence to hours, especially during critical project phases.

πŸ“ Enhancement Note: The emphasis on an on-site work environment in New York City, coupled with perks that support extended workdays, points to a culture that values in-person collaboration and dedication to meeting project demands in a fast-paced startup setting.

πŸ“„ Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

  • Initial Screening: Likely a review of resume and portfolio to assess basic qualifications and design aesthetic.

  • Portfolio Presentation & Interview: Candidates will likely present their portfolio to the hiring manager and/or design team, discussing their process, decision-making, and how they've handled diverse design challenges. This stage will assess technical skills, creative thinking, and communication.

  • Cross-functional Interviews: Interviews with members of the growth, content, or field marketing teams to evaluate collaboration, understanding of marketing objectives, and ability to work with briefs.

  • Final Interview: Potentially with a senior leader to assess cultural fit, long-term potential, and alignment with Chalk's mission.

Portfolio Review Tips:

  • Showcase Range: Ensure your portfolio clearly demonstrates experience across all the required areas: social, digital ads, web, print, and ideally motion/video.

  • Highlight System Adherence: Include examples where you've worked within established design systems or component libraries, emphasizing consistency and efficiency.

  • Detail Your Process: For key projects, be prepared to walk through your thought process, from understanding the brief to concept development, execution, and iteration. Explain why you made certain design decisions.

  • Quantify Impact (if possible): While challenging for brand design, if any of your work contributed to measurable outcomes (e.g., increased engagement on a campaign, successful event collateral), be ready to discuss it.

  • Tailor to Chalk: Research Chalk's current branding and messaging. Be prepared to discuss how your style and skills align with their aesthetic and business goals.

Challenge Preparation:

  • Design Exercise: Be prepared for a potential design exercise. This could involve creating a quick asset based on a hypothetical brief, or refining an existing piece of Chalk's marketing material. Focus on speed, adherence to brand guidelines, and clear visual communication.

  • Figma Proficiency: Expect questions or tasks that test your Figma skills, particularly concerning component usage, design systems, and efficient workflow.

  • AI Tool Discussion: Be ready to discuss your experience with AI design tools, how you use them to enhance your workflow, and any ethical considerations.

πŸ“ Enhancement Note: The interview process will heavily scrutinize the candidate's portfolio and practical design skills. Preparation should focus on demonstrating not just aesthetic talent, but also the ability to execute efficiently within a brand system and collaborate effectively with marketing teams.

πŸ›  Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

  • Figma: Essential for all design work, including UI/UX for web, asset creation, and working within component libraries and design systems.

  • Sanity / Webflow (or similar CMS): Required for web design execution, content management, and updating landing pages and campaign sites.

  • Adobe Creative Suite: Likely used for more advanced graphic design, photo editing, and potentially video/motion graphics work (e.g., Photoshop, Illustrator).

Analytics & Reporting: While not a direct responsibility, understanding how design impacts performance metrics (e.g., click-through rates on ads, engagement on social media) is beneficial. Tools like Google Analytics or platform-specific analytics may be relevant contextually.

CRM & Automation: Not directly applicable to this role, but awareness of how marketing assets are deployed through CRM or marketing automation platforms could be a plus.

πŸ“ Enhancement Note: The core technology stack revolves around Figma for design and CMS platforms for web implementation. Proficiency with AI design tools is also a key requirement, indicating Chalk's forward-thinking approach to creative production.

πŸ‘₯ Team Culture & Values

Operations Values: (Interpreted through company description and role requirements)

  • Excellence & Precision: A commitment to high-quality output, attention to detail, and delivering polished assets consistently.

  • Efficiency & Speed: The ability to produce a high volume of work quickly and effectively, leveraging tools like AI and established design systems.

  • Collaboration: Working seamlessly with cross-functional teams (growth, content, field marketing) to achieve shared marketing goals.

  • Innovation: An openness to exploring and adopting new tools and technologies, such as AI design, to enhance creative processes.

  • Consistency: Upholding and contributing to a strong, unified brand identity across all touchpoints.

Collaboration Style:

  • Integrated: Designers are expected to work closely with marketing teams, acting as a creative partner rather than an isolated function.

  • Responsive: The ability to quickly respond to briefs and feedback from various stakeholders is crucial.

  • Proactive: While taking direction well is important, initiative in identifying design needs or improving existing assets is valued.

  • Feedback-Oriented: A willingness to give and receive constructive feedback to refine creative work.

πŸ“ Enhancement Note: Chalk's culture appears to value both technical proficiency and agile execution. For a designer, this means being technically skilled, able to produce work rapidly, and highly collaborative with marketing counterparts.

⚑ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

  • High Volume, High Variety: The primary challenge is managing a constant stream of diverse design requests across multiple channels while maintaining quality and brand consistency.

  • Rapid Iteration: Working in a fast-paced startup environment means adapting quickly to changing priorities, feedback, and evolving project scopes.

  • Maintaining Brand Integrity: Ensuring consistent application of a design system and brand guidelines across a high volume of deliverables can be demanding.

  • Balancing Speed and Quality: The need to "move fast" and "ship a lot of great work" requires efficient workflows and strong time management skills to avoid burnout or quality compromise.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

  • AI Design Specialization: Deepen expertise in leveraging AI tools for creative production, staying at the forefront of design technology.

  • Motion Graphics/Video: Develop skills in areas like After Effects or Spline, expanding the design team's capabilities.

  • B2B SaaS/Dev Tools Design: Gain specialized knowledge in designing for technical audiences and complex B2B products.

  • Contribution to Design System: Potentially contribute to the evolution and expansion of Chalk's Figma component library and design system.

πŸ“ Enhancement Note: The role offers significant opportunities for practical skill development in high-demand areas like AI-assisted design and motion graphics, within a context that demands rapid, high-quality execution.

πŸ’‘ Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

  • "Describe a time you had to execute a high volume of creative assets under tight deadlines. How did you manage your workload and ensure quality?" (Assesses time management, efficiency, and quality control.)

  • "How do you approach working within an established design system and component library? Provide an example of how you've maintained consistency across multiple projects." (Evaluates understanding of design systems and adherence to brand guidelines.)

  • "Walk us through a specific project from your portfolio where you used AI design tools. What was the challenge, how did you use AI, and what was the outcome?" (Tests practical application of AI in design.)

Company & Culture Questions:

  • "What interests you about Chalk's mission and its approach to building ML data platforms?" (Gauges understanding of the company and genuine interest.)

  • "How do you handle feedback on your designs, especially if it's critical or comes from multiple stakeholders?" (Assesses adaptability and collaboration skills.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

  • Structure: Organize your presentation logically, perhaps by project type or by showcasing your strongest, most relevant work first.

  • Narrative: For each project, tell a story: the problem/brief, your role and process, the challenges faced, your design solutions, and the outcomes (if measurable).

  • Tool Proficiency: Explicitly mention and demonstrate your proficiency with Figma and any AI design tools used. Be ready to discuss your workflow within Figma.

  • Brand System Focus: Highlight projects where you successfully applied or worked within a design system.

  • Conciseness: Be mindful of time. Practice your presentation to be clear, direct, and impactful.

πŸ“ Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating practical design execution skills, a strong understanding of design systems, comfort with rapid iteration, and effective collaboration with marketing teams. Be ready to showcase your portfolio enthusiastically and articulate your design decisions.

πŸ“Œ Application Steps

To apply for this Brand Designer position:

  • Submit your application through the provided link on Ashby.

  • Portfolio Customization: Ensure your online portfolio is up-to-date and clearly showcases projects relevant to the requirements, particularly those demonstrating social media, digital ads, web design, and print collateral. Highlight your work within design systems.

  • Resume Optimization: Tailor your resume to emphasize the 2-5 years of experience in marketing/brand design, proficiency in Figma, CMS tools, and AI design tools. Use keywords from the job description to align with ATS scanning.

  • Interview Preparation: Practice presenting your portfolio, focusing on articulating your design process, decision-making, and how you handle briefs and feedback. Prepare to discuss your experience with AI design tools and working within established brand guidelines.

  • Company Research: Thoroughly research Chalk's website, recent news (especially the Series A funding), and their current brand presence on social media and their website. Understand their product and target audience to better align your interview responses.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with Chalk before making application decisions.

Application Requirements

Candidates need 2-5 years of experience in marketing or brand design with a portfolio demonstrating range across digital and print media. Proficiency in Figma, CMS tools like Sanity or Webflow, and AI design tools is required.