Brand Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Brand Designer

Company: Clera

Location: Berlin, Germany

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Brand Design & Creative Operations

Date Posted: 2026-08-22

Experience Level: 5-10 Years

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• This is a senior-level Brand Designer role with comprehensive ownership over Clera's visual identity and brand presence across all touchpoints, requiring a strong blend of creative execution and operational oversight.

• The position demands end-to-end responsibility for the design system, ensuring scalability and consistency, alongside hands-on production of physical brand assets like merchandise and spatial designs.

• This role involves leading complex creative projects from conceptualization through to final delivery, including product launches and brand activations, necessitating robust project management and execution skills.

• A key aspect includes maintaining and updating the company website's visual integrity, requiring the ability to ship production-ready frontend code, blurring the lines between design and development operations.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is classified under Brand Design & Creative Operations due to the explicit mention of owning and evolving a design system, managing merchandise and physical space design, leading creative projects, and implementing frontend updates. This indicates a need for operational rigor in managing creative assets and processes, beyond typical pure design roles. The emphasis on "end-to-end ownership" and "without relying on a developer handoff" strongly suggests an operations-centric approach to creative delivery.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Design System Ownership: Lead the evolution and maintenance of Clera's design system, including visual components, design tokens, and established visual patterns to ensure scalability, reusability, and consistent brand application across all platforms.

• Merchandise Production: Manage the complete lifecycle of branded merchandise design and production, from initial concept and supplier briefing to sample iteration, material selection, and quality assurance, ensuring high-quality, desirable products.

• Spatial & Experiential Design: Conceptualize and design physical brand experiences, including office interiors, event setups, and conference booth aesthetics, to create cohesive, on-brand environments that reinforce Clera's identity.

• Creative Project Leadership: Spearhead high-visibility creative initiatives and special projects, such as product launches and unique brand activations, taking full ownership from concept development through to flawless execution and delivery.

• Website Visual Implementation: Maintain and enhance the visual quality of Clera's website by directly implementing production-ready frontend updates, ensuring seamless integration of design and user experience without requiring a separate developer handoff.

• Cross-Functional Workflow Management: Efficiently manage multiple parallel projects by seamlessly transitioning between design tools (e.g., Figma), supplier communication, and vendor relationship management, optimizing the creative workflow.

• AI Tool Integration: Selectively apply Artificial Intelligence tools to enhance and accelerate design workflows, ensuring that efficiency gains do not compromise the overall quality, integrity, or strategic intent of the brand's visual output.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities listed are typical for a senior designer with significant operational scope. The explicit mention of "shipping production-ready frontend updates without relying on a developer handoff" and "applying AI tools selectively to accelerate workflow" highlights a strong operational component where the designer is expected to manage technical implementation and process optimization.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong educational foundation in Graphic Design, Visual Communication, Industrial Design, or a related creative field is expected, demonstrated through a robust portfolio.

Experience: 5+ years of dedicated experience in brand design, with a proven history of end-to-end ownership across diverse creative outputs.

Required Skills:

• Brand Design Expertise: Deep understanding of brand strategy, visual identity development, and the ability to translate brand values into compelling visual narratives.

• Design System Management: Proven experience in building, maintaining, and scaling comprehensive design systems, including proficiency with design tokens and component libraries.

• Figma Proficiency: Advanced skills in Figma for UI design, prototyping, component management, and collaboration within a design system framework.

• Frontend Implementation: Demonstrated ability to implement production-grade frontend code (e.g., HTML, CSS, basic JavaScript) for website visual updates, ensuring designs translate directly into functional web experiences.

• Merchandise & Physical Product Design: Experience in designing and producing physical artifacts such as merchandise, print collateral, and spatial elements, with an understanding of manufacturing processes and materials.

• Spatial & Experiential Design: Background in designing environments for offices, events, or exhibitions, focusing on creating impactful and on-brand physical experiences.

• Project Leadership: Strong track record of leading high-visibility creative projects from initial brief through to successful delivery, managing timelines and stakeholders effectively.

• Ambiguity Navigation: Ability to thrive in uncertain environments, define project briefs when they are unclear, and make confident, well-reasoned creative decisions.

• Communication & Collaboration: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to clearly articulate design rationale, defend creative choices, and collaborate effectively with internal teams and external vendors.

Preferred Skills:

• Color Token Systems: Familiarity with the implementation and management of color token systems within design systems.

• Accessibility Standards: Knowledge of accessibility considerations (WCAG) in design systems and frontend implementation.

• Motion Design/Animation: Skills in motion graphics or animation to enhance brand storytelling across digital platforms.

• Vendor Management: Experience in briefing, managing, and iterating with suppliers and vendors for physical product production.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for "production-grade frontend code — no handoff required" is a significant indicator of the role's operational demands, moving beyond traditional design responsibilities into a hybrid design-engineering function. The emphasis on ambiguity and decision-making at a senior level also points to a need for strong operational judgment.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• End-to-End Ownership Examples: Showcase projects where you had complete ownership from concept to execution, demonstrating your ability to manage the entire creative lifecycle.

• Design System Case Studies: Include detailed examples of design systems you've built or significantly contributed to, highlighting component structure, token implementation, and scalability strategies.

• Physical Product Design & Production: Present a selection of designed merchandise, print materials, or spatial installations, detailing the design process, material choices, and any production oversight involved.

• Frontend Implementation Evidence: Provide examples of website updates or digital experiences where you directly implemented frontend code to bring designs to life, ideally showcasing before-and-after scenarios or live links.

• Project Leadership Demonstrations: Detail instances where you led significant creative projects, outlining the brief, your strategic approach, challenges overcome, and the ultimate impact of the delivered work.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Optimization: Be prepared to discuss how you streamline creative workflows, particularly in managing multiple projects, vendor relationships, and the integration of design with frontend development.

• Design System Governance: Articulate your approach to maintaining design system integrity, including version control, documentation standards, and processes for introducing new components or patterns.

• Quality Assurance Methodologies: Explain your methods for ensuring the quality and consistency of both digital and physical brand assets, from initial design reviews to final production checks.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the role's emphasis on end-to-end ownership and direct frontend implementation, a portfolio that clearly demonstrates process, project management, and technical execution capabilities will be crucial. This goes beyond showcasing aesthetics to proving operational competence in delivering tangible brand assets.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• For a senior Brand Designer with 5-10 years of experience in Berlin, Germany, a competitive salary range would typically fall between €60,000 and €85,000 annually. This estimate is based on industry benchmarks for similar roles in major European tech hubs, considering the company's likely startup/scale-up stage and the specialized skill set required (including frontend implementation). Actual compensation will vary based on the candidate's specific experience, portfolio, and negotiation. Benefits:

• Health & Wellness: Comprehensive health insurance coverage, potentially including dental and vision, tailored to German regulations and employee needs.

• Retirement Savings: Contribution to a company-sponsored pension plan or retirement savings scheme.

• Professional Development: Opportunities for continuous learning, including access to training, workshops, conferences, and potentially funding for relevant certifications in design, frontend development, or AI tools.

• Paid Time Off: Generous vacation days, public holidays, and sick leave, adhering to German labor laws and company policy.

• Office Environment: Access to a modern, collaborative workspace in Berlin, equipped with the necessary tools and technology to support creative and operational tasks.

• Potential Stock Options: In a startup/scale-up environment, there may be opportunities for equity participation or stock options as part of the compensation package.

Working Hours:

• Standard full-time working hours are expected, likely around 40 hours per week, with flexibility offered where possible to accommodate project needs and maintain work-life balance. Adherence to German labor laws regarding working hours and breaks is a given.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is an estimation based on the provided location (Berlin, Germany), experience level (5-10 years), and the hybrid nature of the role (Brand Design + Frontend Implementation). It aligns with current market data for senior creative roles in Germany that require technical execution skills.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Clera operates within the home improvement or construction technology sector, focusing on windows and doors. This industry typically values reliability, quality, craftsmanship, and increasingly, innovation in materials and customer experience.

Company Size: As indicated by the Ashby job posting format and the nature of the role (senior, hands-on, with broad ownership), Clera is likely a growing startup or scale-up company. This implies a dynamic, fast-paced environment where individual contributions have a significant impact.

Founded: The company was founded in 2018, suggesting it is past the initial startup phase and is in a growth or expansion period, likely seeking to solidify its brand presence and operational efficiency.

Team Structure:

• The Brand Designer will likely be part of a lean, cross-functional team. They might report to a Head of Marketing, a Creative Director, or potentially a Founder, depending on the company's current structure.

• Collaboration is expected across product development, marketing, sales, and potentially operations teams to ensure brand consistency and effective execution of creative initiatives.

• The small team size suggests a flat hierarchy with direct access to decision-makers and a high degree of autonomy. Methodology:

• Data-Informed Creativity: While creativity is paramount, decisions are likely informed by market trends, customer feedback, and performance metrics, especially for digital implementations and brand activations.

• Agile Execution: Given the startup environment, an agile approach to project management and creative delivery is probable, allowing for rapid iteration and adaptation.

• User-Centric Design: A focus on creating user-friendly and trust-building experiences for customers interacting with Clera's brand and products.

Company Website: https://www.getclera.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: The "senior brand design role with full ownership" and "small, ambitious team" points to a company that values initiative and expects individuals to drive results. The industry context (home improvement) suggests a need for trust-building visuals and a focus on tangible quality.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a Senior Brand Designer position, implying a level of expertise and autonomy beyond mid-level roles. The candidate is expected to be a strategic thinker capable of defining and executing creative direction independently, particularly in managing the design system and physical touchpoints.

Reporting Structure: The role likely reports to a senior leader within marketing or a founding team member, offering direct exposure to strategic decision-making and leadership. The small team size means close collaboration with peers and stakeholders across departments.

Operations Impact: The Brand Designer's impact is significant, directly shaping how Clera is perceived by its target audience. By owning the design system, ensuring consistent brand execution across digital and physical realms, and managing the quality of branded assets, this role directly influences brand trust, customer acquisition, and overall market perception. The ability to implement frontend code also means a direct impact on user experience and conversion rates on the website.

Growth Opportunities:

• Creative Leadership Expansion: Potential to grow into a Creative Director role or lead a larger design team as the company scales.

• Strategic Brand Development: Opportunity to influence long-term brand strategy and positioning, moving beyond execution to strategic planning.

• Specialization in Operations: Deepen expertise in managing creative operations, including design systems, vendor management, and process optimization for creative workflows.

• Cross-Functional Skill Development: Enhance skills in frontend development, project management, and potentially product marketing through hands-on experience in a dynamic environment.

📝 Enhancement Note: The senior nature of the role and the broad scope of responsibilities, including operational aspects like managing production and frontend implementation, suggest significant potential for growth into leadership or highly specialized operational roles within the creative function.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is explicitly "On-site in Berlin, Germany," indicating a physical office environment. This suggests a traditional workplace setup designed for collaboration and focused work.

Office Location(s): The primary work location is Berlin, Germany. This offers access to a vibrant creative and tech scene, with potential for networking and professional development within the city.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Atmosphere: As part of a small, ambitious team, the workspace likely fosters a collaborative environment where designers can easily interact with colleagues from various departments, share ideas, and receive feedback.

• Tooling & Technology: The office will be equipped with the necessary design software (Figma is specified), hardware, and potentially other digital tools to support the end-to-end creative and implementation responsibilities.

• Brand Immersion: The physical space itself, including the office design and any event setups, will serve as a tangible representation of Clera's brand, offering constant inspiration and context for the Brand Designer.

Work Schedule: A standard full-time schedule (approx. 40 hours/week) is expected, with the possibility of some flexibility to manage project deadlines. The on-site requirement means designers will be working within the office environment during core business hours, facilitating in-person collaboration and project management.

📝 Enhancement Note: The on-site requirement in Berlin emphasizes the importance of in-person collaboration and immersion in the company's physical brand representation, which is a key aspect of this role's responsibilities.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your resume and portfolio to assess alignment with the core requirements, particularly experience in brand design, design systems, and frontend implementation.

• Portfolio Presentation & Discussion: A dedicated session where you present your portfolio, focusing on specific projects that demonstrate end-to-end ownership, design system work, merchandise/spatial design, and any frontend implementation examples. Expect deep dives into your process, decision-making, and problem-solving approaches.

• Skills Assessment (Technical & Creative): This may involve a practical exercise or a detailed discussion about your approach to a hypothetical design challenge relevant to Clera's brand or product. You might be asked to discuss your frontend coding capabilities and how you approach implementing designs.

• Team & Cultural Fit Interview: Meeting with potential team members and hiring managers to assess collaboration style, communication effectiveness, comfort with ambiguity, and alignment with Clera's company values.

• Final Interview: Potentially with a founder or senior executive to discuss strategic alignment, career aspirations, and final offer details.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Highlight End-to-End Ownership: Clearly articulate your role and responsibilities in each project, emphasizing where you drove the entire process from concept to delivery.

• Showcase Design System Mastery: Dedicate specific sections to your design system work. Explain the rationale behind your component structure, token implementation, and how you ensured scalability and consistency.

• Demonstrate Physical Design Execution: For merchandise and spatial design, include high-quality mockups, photos of produced items, and details about material selection and vendor interaction.

• Prove Frontend Capability: Include live links or detailed case studies of website sections where you implemented frontend code. Explain the technologies used and the impact of your implementation.

• Tell a Story: For each project, frame it as a narrative: the challenge, your strategic approach, the execution, and the measurable outcome or impact.

• Tailor to Clera: Research Clera's current brand and website. Consider how your portfolio projects can specifically address their needs or demonstrate your understanding of their industry.

Challenge Preparation:

• Brand Identity Exercise: Be ready to discuss how you would evolve or refresh Clera's brand identity, considering their industry and target audience.

• Design System Refinement: Prepare to analyze an existing design system (or hypothetical one) and suggest improvements for scalability, accessibility, or efficiency.

• Frontend Implementation Scenario: You might be presented with a design and asked to outline your approach to implementing it in code, discussing potential challenges and solutions.

• Ambiguity & Decision-Making: Prepare to discuss situations where you had to make critical decisions with incomplete information and how you navigated that ambiguity.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "no handoff required" and "production-grade frontend code" means the interview process will likely scrutinize technical implementation skills alongside creative design capabilities. A portfolio that bridges these two areas will be critical.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: The core design tool for UI/UX design, prototyping, design system management, and collaborative workflows. Proficiency is essential.

• Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign): Likely required for broader graphic design tasks, image editing, vector creation, and print/merchandise design.

• Prototyping Tools: Figma's built-in prototyping capabilities are key, but familiarity with other tools might be beneficial.

• AI Design Tools: Explicitly mentioned as a plus, indicating potential use of tools for image generation, workflow acceleration, or content creation (e.g., Midjourney, Stable Diffusion, or AI-powered plugins within design software).

Analytics & Reporting:

• Web Analytics Tools (e.g., Google Analytics, Plausible): Understanding how to interpret website performance data to inform design decisions and measure the impact of frontend implementations.

• Design System Analytics: Tools or methods to track the usage and effectiveness of design system components.

CRM & Automation:

• While not a direct CRM role, understanding how design integrates with marketing automation or CRM platforms (e.g., for email templates, landing pages) could be beneficial.

• Project Management Software: Tools like Asana, Trello, Jira, or similar, for managing project timelines, tasks, and collaboration.

Frontend Technologies:

• HTML/CSS: Essential for direct implementation of website visual updates.

• JavaScript (Basic): May be required for more interactive elements or to support CSS.

• Version Control (e.g., Git): Potentially useful for managing frontend code updates, though not explicitly stated.

📝 Enhancement Note: The specific mention of Figma and the requirement for "production-grade frontend code" highlight a technology stack that bridges design and development. Familiarity with AI tools is also a forward-looking expectation.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Ownership & Accountability: A strong sense of responsibility for end-to-end outcomes, from creative concept to final implementation and production quality.

• Quality & Craftsmanship: A commitment to high standards in all visual outputs, ensuring that every touchpoint reflects excellence and attention to detail.

• Efficiency & Innovation: A drive to optimize workflows, leverage new tools (like AI), and find smarter ways to achieve creative goals without compromising quality.

• Collaboration & Communication: Openness to feedback, clear articulation of ideas, and a proactive approach to working with cross-functional teams and external partners.

• Ambiguity Tolerance: A comfort with navigating uncertainty, defining problems, and making decisive actions based on reasoned judgment.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: The Brand Designer will need to work closely with marketing, product, and potentially sales teams, acting as a bridge between creative vision and business objectives.

• Feedback-Driven Iteration: An environment that encourages constructive feedback loops for design iterations, product launches, and project developments.

• Proactive Engagement: Taking initiative to identify opportunities for brand enhancement and proactively engaging stakeholders to discuss and implement ideas.

📝 Enhancement Note: The values emphasize a blend of creative excellence with operational pragmatism, reflecting the hybrid nature of the role. The focus on ownership and efficiency is key for a growing company.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Creative Vision with Operational Constraints: Ensuring high-quality, on-brand creative output while managing production timelines, budgets, and the technical demands of frontend implementation.

• Managing Diverse Deliverables: Simultaneously handling design systems, merchandise production, spatial design, and web updates requires strong organizational and prioritization skills.

• Navigating Ambiguity: As a senior role in a growing company, there will be instances where project briefs are not fully defined, requiring the designer to take initiative and define the path forward.

• Integrating AI Effectively: Learning to strategically apply AI tools to enhance workflow without sacrificing originality or brand integrity.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deepen Design System Expertise: Opportunity to refine and scale a design system for a growing company, potentially becoming a recognized expert in the field.

• Expand Frontend Skills: Gain practical, hands-on experience in implementing production-ready frontend code, bridging the gap between design and development.

• Strategic Brand Development: Influence the overarching brand strategy and contribute to Clera's long-term market positioning.

• Cross-Functional Exposure: Work closely with various departments, gaining a holistic understanding of business operations and product development.

• Creative Project Management: Hone skills in managing complex, high-impact creative projects from inception to completion.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are directly tied to the unique demands of the role, particularly its blend of creative, operational, and technical responsibilities. The growth opportunities highlight the potential for significant professional development in a dynamic environment.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe your process for evolving and maintaining a design system. How do you ensure its scalability and adoption across a team?" (Focus on governance, documentation, and collaboration.)

• "Walk us through a project where you had full ownership from concept to delivery, especially one involving physical products or spatial design. What were the key challenges and how did you overcome them?" (Highlight end-to-end management, problem-solving, and execution.)

• "How do you approach implementing frontend code for website updates without relying on developer handoff? Can you provide an example of a complex implementation you handled?" (Be ready to discuss your technical skills, HTML/CSS proficiency, and problem-solving in a web context.)

• "How would you approach designing merchandise for Clera that reflects our brand and appeals to our target audience?" (Showcase your understanding of brand translation into physical products.)

• "Describe a time you had to make a significant creative decision with limited information. What was your process, and what was the outcome?" (Demonstrate comfort with ambiguity and strategic judgment.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "What are your thoughts on Clera's current brand presence and website? What opportunities for improvement do you see?" (Show you've done your research and can offer strategic insights.)

• "How do you see yourself contributing to a small, ambitious team environment?" (Emphasize collaboration, initiative, and a proactive work ethic.)

• "How do you integrate AI tools into your workflow? What are the benefits and potential drawbacks?" (Discuss selective, strategic application.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each project, clearly state the objective, your role, the process, the solution, and the impact.

• Quantify Achievements: Whenever possible, use data and metrics to demonstrate the success of your work (e.g., improved website engagement, successful product launch, increased brand recognition).

• Showcase Technical Skills: For frontend implementation projects, be prepared to show code snippets, discuss your approach to responsiveness, or demonstrate live examples.

• Explain Your "Why": Be ready to articulate the rationale behind your design decisions, especially concerning brand strategy, user experience, and operational efficiency.

• Engage and Discuss: Treat the presentation as a conversation. Be open to questions and dive deeper into specific aspects of your work as requested by the interviewers.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview preparation should strongly focus on the dual nature of the role: creative vision and operational/technical execution. Candidates should be ready to demonstrate not just design talent, but also the ability to manage projects, produce tangible assets, and implement code.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Brand Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Ashby HQ.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 3-5 key projects that best showcase your experience in design systems, end-to-end brand ownership, merchandise/spatial design, and crucially, your ability to implement frontend code. Ensure clear documentation of your process and impact.

• Tailor Your Resume: Highlight keywords from the job description, such as "Brand Design," "Design Systems," "Figma," "Frontend Development," "Merchandise Design," "Spatial Design," and "Project Leadership." Quantify your achievements wherever possible.

• Prepare Your Presentation: Practice walking through your portfolio, focusing on explaining your strategic thinking, execution process, and the results of your work, especially for projects demonstrating your hybrid design/frontend capabilities.

• Research Clera: Understand their products, target market, existing brand presence, and company mission. Think about how your skills can directly contribute to their growth and brand evolution.

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

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