Creative Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Creative Designer

Company: CarParts.com

Location: Long Beach, CA, US

Job Type: Contractor

Category: Creative & Design Operations

Date Posted: 2026-11-03T00:47:00

Experience Level: 5-10 Years

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive high-volume creative asset production for e-commerce platforms, marketing campaigns, and digital channels, ensuring pixel-perfect execution and brand consistency across all touchpoints.

• Develop and maintain a scalable design system, including templates, component libraries, and brand guidelines within Figma, to optimize team output and efficiency.

• Collaborate closely with Marketing, Product, Merchandising, and Engineering teams to translate business objectives into compelling visual designs that enhance user experience and drive conversions.

• Leverage AI-assisted design tools and advanced video editing software to accelerate content creation, improve imagery quality, and adapt creative assets for diverse platforms.

• Manage a dynamic creative request queue, prioritize tasks in alignment with marketing leadership, and consistently meet deadlines within a fast-paced retail calendar.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a high-volume production designer, emphasizing speed, efficiency, and system-thinking. The focus is on executional excellence and building repeatable design processes, rather than purely conceptual creative work. The reporting structure to the CMO and the emphasis on shipping work weekly underscore the critical, hands-on nature of this position within the Go-To-Market operations.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Build and maintain a scalable design system, including templates, component libraries, and brand guidelines in Figma, to enable efficient, high-volume content production.

• Partner with performance marketing teams and agency partners to conceptualize, produce, and iterate on ad creative, with a significant focus on video assets and performance-driven design.

• Design promotional and seasonal campaigns, landing pages, and on-site merchandising elements with a primary objective of driving e-commerce conversions.

• Utilize AI-assisted tools for image generation, product imagery cleanup, resizing, and versioning to increase throughput while maintaining high quality standards.

• Manage the creative request queue, set priorities in collaboration with marketing leadership, and ensure timely delivery of assets according to a fast-paced retail calendar.

• Support brand evolution initiatives by contributing to the design of loyalty program materials, partnership collateral, and investor-facing presentations.

• Produce high-volume assets for campaigns across multiple sizes and formats, including video and platform-specific variations, with accuracy and efficiency.

• Uphold CarParts.com brand standards across all deliverables, ensuring visual consistency from concept through deployment across all digital surfaces.

• Create and update on-site Product Detail Page (PDP) modules and Amazon A+ content to enhance product storytelling, improve conversion rates, and maintain brand consistency.

• Design and resize promotional and banner assets for Content Management System (CMS)-driven merchandising campaigns.

• Support layout updates and User Experience (UX) improvements across various digital surfaces, including PDPs, landing pages, and category pages.

• Enhance blog mobile layouts, widget structures, and accessibility to improve readability and user engagement.

• Design and develop visual layouts for blog articles, incorporating headers, inline graphics, and editorial imagery.

• Deploy campaign ad creatives on the blog, ensuring appropriate sizing, placement, and brand alignment.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a strong emphasis on production efficiency, system-building (design systems), and cross-functional collaboration within a marketing and e-commerce context. The inclusion of AI tools and video production for performance marketing indicates a forward-looking approach to creative operations.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is listed, a strong portfolio demonstrating relevant skills and experience is paramount. Candidates with degrees in Graphic Design, Visual Communications, or related fields may have a foundational advantage.

Experience:

• 4-6+ years of professional digital design experience, with a preference for e-commerce, retail, or high-production marketing environments.

• Demonstrated experience designing for web, print, and paid media across multiple formats and surfaces.

• Proven ability to manage a high volume of design requests and deliver production-quality output consistently. Required Skills:

• Expert-level proficiency in Figma, including advanced use of components, auto layout, and design system principles.

• Strong working knowledge of AI design tools (e.g., Adobe Firefly, Midjourney) and their effective application in design workflows.

• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite, specifically Photoshop and Illustrator.

• Strong proficiency in video editing and motion content creation for social media and performance marketing, with hands-on experience in tools like CapCut, Adobe Premiere Pro, After Effects, and/or Final Cut Pro.

• Experience adapting video creative across platform-specific formats (TikTok, Instagram Reels, Meta, YouTube, paid social ads).

• Familiarity with CMS platforms such as Bloomreach and an understanding of design-to-development handoff processes.

• Proficient in WordPress.

• Working knowledge of accessibility standards (WCAG) for web and mobile layouts.

• Basic HTML/CSS knowledge.

• Demonstrated experience in e-commerce design, focusing on conversion optimization and user experience.

• Strong brand sensibility, typographic control, and attention to detail. Preferred Skills:

• Experience with Amazon A+ content modules and brand store design.

• Familiarity with the automotive aftermarket parts or e-commerce retail categories.

• Experience working with both U.S. and LATAM teams.

• Experience with Canva.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on Figma, AI tools, and video editing software points to a role that is deeply integrated with modern digital marketing and production workflows. The requirement for basic HTML/CSS and CMS familiarity suggests a need for the designer to understand technical constraints and implementation processes.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase a strong brand sensibility, demonstrating an ability to create cohesive and impactful visual identities across various platforms.

• Include examples of production-quality output, highlighting meticulous attention to detail and execution excellence.

• Feature work that demonstrates typographic control and a deep understanding of visual hierarchy and layout principles.

• Present case studies or examples that illustrate the ability to design for e-commerce conversion, including PDP modules, landing pages, and promotional assets.

• Include samples of high-volume asset production, such as campaign banners in multiple sizes or variations.

• Showcase experience with video asset creation and adaptation for different social media and paid media channels. Process Documentation:

• Evidence of experience in building or contributing to design systems, component libraries, and brand guidelines within Figma.

• Examples of how AI-assisted tools have been integrated into design workflows to improve speed and efficiency.

• Demonstrations of adapting designs for CMS-driven merchandising campaigns and understanding of content management workflows.

• Work samples that reflect an understanding of accessibility standards (WCAG) in web and mobile design.

📝 Enhancement Note: For this role, the portfolio is critical for demonstrating not just creative talent, but also production efficiency, system-thinking, and adaptability to a high-volume, fast-paced environment. Candidates should highlight their ability to deliver consistent, high-quality work rapidly and their experience with the specific tools and processes mentioned in the job description.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $90,000 - $110,000 USD per year.

Benefits: As a contractor role, specific benefits are typically not provided by the hiring company. However, it is common for contractors to receive benefits through their contracting agency, if applicable. Based on industry standards for contractor roles in creative and design fields, potential benefits could include:

• Health, dental, and vision insurance (often through a third-party agency).

• Paid time off or holiday pay (less common for contractors, but possible).

• Retirement savings plan options (again, typically through an agency).

• Professional development opportunities or access to training resources.

Working Hours: The role implies a standard full-time commitment, likely around 40 hours per week, with the expectation of fast-paced work and the ability to meet tight deadlines. The on-site nature suggests adherence to typical business hours, though flexibility may be available depending on project needs and team dynamics.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range provided is an estimate for a contractor role in the Long Beach, California area. Actual compensation may vary based on the specific contracting agency, the candidate's experience and negotiation, and the exact scope of work. Given it's a contractor role, detailed benefits are usually managed by the contracting entity rather than CarParts.com directly.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: E-commerce, Automotive Aftermarket, Retail Technology. CarParts.com operates at the intersection of these sectors, leveraging technology to provide parts and services to drivers.

Company Size: Over 1,000 employees worldwide. This indicates a significant operational scale, allowing for specialized teams and robust infrastructure, while still maintaining a degree of agility.

Founded: While the founding date isn't explicitly stated, the company's growth trajectory, including recent strategic partnerships and investments, suggests a mature yet rapidly expanding organization.

Team Structure:

• The Digital Designer reports directly to the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), indicating a high level of visibility and direct impact on marketing initiatives.

• The role involves close collaboration with Marketing, Product, Merchandising, and Engineering teams, highlighting a cross-functional operational approach.

• The emphasis on a "lean team" and "building systems" suggests an operational strategy focused on maximizing output with a focused team, likely supported by specialized roles. Methodology:

• Data-Driven Decision Making: The company culture emphasizes metrics, clear metrics, and accountability for results, suggesting that design decisions will be informed by data and performance analysis.

• Agile & Fast-Paced: The culture is described as "fast-paced" and "performance-driven," indicating a need for quick turnaround times and adaptability.

• Systematic Approach: The role requires building "systems" and maintaining "scalable design systems," pointing to a methodical approach to design production and brand management.

• Collaborative & In-Person: The culture values face-to-face interaction for idea generation and execution, suggesting a preference for on-site collaboration.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture described as "Hungry & Hardworking," "Promote from Within," "Collaborative & In-Person," "High Standards," and "No Passengers" suggests a demanding yet rewarding environment. For a designer, this means being proactive, detail-oriented, results-focused, and comfortable with high-volume, impactful work. The reporting to the CMO is a significant indicator of the strategic importance of this design role.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is an individual contributor position at a mid-to-senior level within the creative and marketing operations function. It requires significant hands-on expertise and the ability to operate independently, setting standards for speed and quality. The focus is on production and system-building, rather than people management.

Reporting Structure: The Digital Designer reports directly to the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). This high-level reporting structure indicates that the role is critical to the company's marketing and Go-To-Market (GTM) strategy and offers significant visibility to executive leadership.

Operations Impact: The designer's work directly influences key operational metrics such as e-commerce conversion rates, campaign performance, brand perception, and customer engagement. By creating efficient design systems and high-converting assets, the role contributes directly to revenue generation and customer acquisition/retention efforts. The emphasis on "shipping work every week" and "building systems that let a lean team produce at the output of a much larger one" highlights the operational efficiency and scalability impact expected.

Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization: Potential to deepen expertise in specific areas like performance marketing creative, e-commerce UX/UI, or advanced video production for digital channels.

• System Design Leadership: Opportunity to lead the development and evolution of the design system, influencing design standards across the organization.

• Cross-functional Exposure: Working closely with Product, Merchandising, and Engineering can provide insights into other operational areas and potential career pivots.

• Advancement within Marketing: While this is a production-focused role, consistent high performance and strategic contribution could lead to opportunities for Sr. Designer roles or lead positions within specific marketing creative functions, potentially with more strategic input.

• Learning New Technologies: The company's embrace of AI tools suggests opportunities to become proficient in cutting-edge design technologies, enhancing marketability.

📝 Enhancement Note: The direct report to the CMO is a key differentiator, suggesting this is more than just a production role; it's a strategic partner in executing marketing operations. Growth opportunities are likely tied to demonstrated impact in efficiency, scalability, and conversion improvements.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The company culture emphasizes "Collaborative & In-Person," suggesting a traditional office environment where face-to-face collaboration is highly valued. This indicates a preference for an on-site work arrangement.

Office Location(s): The primary listed location is Long Beach, California. This implies an office setting within that metropolitan area, likely equipped to support creative teams with necessary hardware, software, and collaborative spaces.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The emphasis on in-person collaboration means the workspace is likely designed to facilitate team interaction, brainstorming sessions, and quick feedback loops. This could include open-plan areas, meeting rooms, and shared digital whiteboarding tools.

• Operations Tools & Technology: Expect access to industry-standard design software (Figma, Adobe Creative Suite, video editing tools) and potentially specialized hardware. The company's adoption of AI tools suggests an environment that embraces technological advancements for operational efficiency.

• Team Interaction: Opportunities for regular interaction with marketing leadership, product managers, merchandisers, and engineers are integral to the role, fostering a dynamic and communicative work setting.

Work Schedule: The role is described as "high-volume production" and requiring work "every week," suggesting a standard full-time schedule (approximately 40 hours per week) during regular business hours. Given the "fast-paced retail calendar," some flexibility may be required during peak periods, but the core expectation is consistent, on-site presence.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Collaborative & In-Person" aspect of the culture strongly suggests this is an on-site role, and the workspace will be optimized for team synergy and rapid, face-to-face problem-solving.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

1. Initial Screening: A recruiter or hiring manager will likely review your resume and portfolio to assess basic qualifications and fit. Be prepared to articulate your experience with high-volume production, design systems, and key tools like Figma.

2. Portfolio Review & Skills Assessment: A deeper dive into your portfolio, focusing on specific examples relevant to e-commerce, performance marketing, and brand consistency. This may involve a call with the hiring manager (CMO) or a senior member of the creative team. Expect to discuss your process, how you approach design challenges, and your experience with the required tools.

3. Design Exercise/Challenge: You may be given a take-home assignment or a live design challenge to assess your practical skills, speed, and problem-solving abilities. This could involve creating campaign assets, updating a PDP module, or demonstrating your Figma proficiency.

4. Cultural Fit & Team Interview: Interviews with cross-functional partners (e.g., Marketing, Product) to evaluate your collaboration style, communication skills, and alignment with CarParts.com's "Hungry & Hardworking" and "No Passengers" culture.

5. Final Interview: Potentially with the CMO or other senior leadership for a final evaluation.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Highlight Production Volume: Showcase examples of how you've managed high-volume asset creation and met tight deadlines. Quantify where possible (e.g., "Produced 50+ ad variations per week").

• Demonstrate Design System Expertise: Include examples of component libraries, templates, and style guides you've created or contributed to in Figma. Explain how these systems improved efficiency.

• Showcase E-commerce Conversion Focus: Include case studies or examples of designs for PDPs, landing pages, or promotional banners that directly led to improved conversion rates or engagement.

• Emphasize Tool Proficiency: Clearly label the tools used for each project. Highlight your advanced skills in Figma, AI design tools, and video editing software.

• Video Asset Examples: Include a dedicated section for video work, demonstrating adaptability across platforms (TikTok, Reels, paid ads) and your proficiency with editing software.

• Brand Consistency: Ensure your portfolio reflects a strong understanding of brand guidelines and how to maintain visual consistency across diverse marketing channels.

• Process Explanation: Be ready to walk through your design process for key projects, explaining your rationale, problem-solving approach, and how you incorporated feedback.

Challenge Preparation:

• Figma Mastery: Practice creating complex components, using auto layout, and building responsive designs within Figma. Be ready to demonstrate these skills live.

• AI Tool Integration: Familiarize yourself with prompt engineering for AI image generation and understand how to integrate AI-generated assets into a polished design workflow.

• Video Editing Speed: Practice creating short, impactful video assets quickly using CapCut, Premiere Pro, or After Effects, adapting them for various social/paid media formats.

• Conversion-Oriented Design: Study best practices for e-commerce design, focusing on elements that drive clicks, add-to-carts, and purchases.

• Brand Alignment: Understand CarParts.com's current brand aesthetic and be prepared to align your design challenge output with it, or propose thoughtful evolution.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on speed, volume, and specific tools like Figma and AI means that candidates should curate their portfolios and prepare for challenges that directly test these capabilities. The direct reporting to the CMO suggests a high bar for both technical skill and strategic understanding of marketing operations.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Core tool for design system development, component libraries, prototyping, and daily design production. Expert-level proficiency is essential.

• Adobe Creative Suite: Essential for graphic design tasks. Specifically, Photoshop for image manipulation and Illustrator for vector graphics.

• AI Design Tools: Proficiency expected in tools like Adobe Firefly, Midjourney, or similar for image generation, cleanup, and resizing.

• Canva: Mentioned as a tool to have strong working knowledge of, suggesting its use for specific quick-turnaround or collaborative tasks.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not explicitly listed as design tools, the role requires an understanding of how design impacts performance. Familiarity with analytics platforms (e.g., Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics) and how to interpret data to inform design decisions would be beneficial.

• CMS Platforms: Familiarity with Bloomreach is noted, indicating a need to understand how designs are implemented and managed within a content management system.

CRM & Automation:

• WordPress: Proficiency is required, suggesting the designer will be creating and updating content and layouts within this platform.

• Basic HTML/CSS: Understanding of these languages is required for effective design handoff and to comprehend how designs translate into functional web elements. Video & Motion:

• CapCut, Adobe Premiere Pro, After Effects, Final Cut Pro: Proficiency in at least one of these is required for video editing and motion content creation, crucial for social media and performance marketing channels.

📝 Enhancement Note: The technology stack is heavily focused on modern digital design and marketing production tools, with a strong emphasis on Figma, AI, and video editing. Understanding how these tools integrate into a broader marketing and e-commerce ecosystem (CMS, basic web technologies) is key.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• High Standards & Craftsmanship: A commitment to producing clean, on-brand, and production-quality work, with meticulous attention to detail.

• Speed & Efficiency: The ability to produce work quickly and consistently, especially within a fast-paced retail environment, and to build systems that enhance team output.

• Data-Driven & Results-Oriented: Designs should be informed by performance metrics and contribute demonstrably to business goals, such as e-commerce conversions.

• Proactiveness & Ownership: Taking initiative, managing one's own workload, flagging issues early, and demonstrating a "No Passengers" mentality.

• Collaboration: Valuing in-person interaction and clear communication with cross-functional partners to achieve shared objectives.

Collaboration Style:

• In-Person & Face-to-Face: The company culture prioritizes in-person interaction for idea generation and swift execution, suggesting a preference for collaborative sessions and direct communication.

• Cross-Functional Integration: The designer will work closely with Marketing, Product, Merchandising, and Engineering, requiring effective communication and the ability to translate design needs and technical constraints between teams.

• Feedback Exchange: An environment where feedback is likely iterative and rapid, particularly with performance marketing and agency partners, to optimize creative assets based on test results.

• System-Building Focus: A collaborative approach to developing and maintaining design systems and brand guidelines, ensuring consistency and efficiency across the team.

📝 Enhancement Note: The CarParts.com culture emphasizes a blend of high individual accountability ("No Passengers," "Hungry & Hardworking") with strong in-person collaboration. For a designer, this means being a self-starter who also thrives in a team environment, contributing to shared goals with a focus on measurable results and operational efficiency.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• High-Volume Production Demands: Consistently producing a large quantity of high-quality creative assets under tight deadlines requires exceptional time management and efficiency.

• Balancing Speed with Quality: The need to "ship work every week" while maintaining "pixel-perfect" standards and brand integrity can be a constant balancing act.

• Rapidly Evolving Digital Landscape: Staying current with new design tools (especially AI), platform requirements, and performance marketing trends requires continuous learning.

• Cross-Functional Alignment: Effectively communicating design rationale and managing feedback from diverse stakeholders (Marketing, Product, Engineering) with potentially different priorities.

• Evolving Brand Identity: Contributing to the brand's evolution from a transactional store to a trusted automotive destination requires adaptability and strategic design thinking.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• AI Tool Mastery: Gaining in-depth expertise in AI-assisted design tools and their integration into creative workflows, positioning you at the forefront of design technology.

• Performance Marketing Optimization: Deepening understanding of how design directly impacts conversion rates and campaign success through iterative testing and data analysis.

• Design System Leadership: Opportunity to take ownership of and significantly influence the company's design system, becoming a subject matter expert.

• E-commerce UX/UI Enhancement: Contributing to tangible improvements in user experience and conversion on a large-scale e-commerce platform.

• Video Production & Motion Graphics: Expanding skills in video editing and motion design for diverse digital channels, a highly in-demand skill set.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are inherent to a fast-paced, high-output creative role in e-commerce. The growth opportunities are strongly tied to embracing new technologies and demonstrating impact on key business metrics, aligning with the company's data-driven culture.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe your experience building and maintaining design systems in Figma. How have these systems improved team efficiency and output?" (Focus on scalability, componentization, and process improvement.)

• "Walk me through a campaign you designed that had a significant impact on conversion rates. What was your process, and what metrics did you track?" (Highlight your e-commerce conversion focus and data-driven approach.)

• "How do you approach integrating AI-assisted tools into your design workflow to increase speed and quality? Provide a specific example." (Demonstrate your proactive adoption of new technologies.)

• "Describe a time you had to manage a high volume of creative requests with competing priorities. How did you prioritize and ensure all deadlines were met?" (Showcase your organizational and time management skills.)

• "How do you ensure brand consistency across multiple digital platforms and formats, especially when working with external agencies?" (Emphasize your attention to detail and brand stewardship.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about CarParts.com and our mission to empower drivers?" (Research the company's recent news, partnerships, and brand evolution.)

• "How do you embody our core values of 'Hungry & Hardworking' and 'No Passengers' in your work?" (Provide specific examples of your initiative, grit, and accountability.)

• "Describe your ideal collaborative environment. How do you prefer to work with cross-functional teams like Marketing, Product, and Engineering?" (Align with their emphasis on in-person collaboration and clear communication.)

• "How do you handle feedback, especially constructive criticism on your designs?" (Showcase openness to feedback and a focus on improvement.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure for Impact: Organize your portfolio to lead with your strongest, most relevant e-commerce and production-focused work.

• Quantify Results: For each project, clearly state the objective, your role, the tools used, and the measurable outcomes (e.g., % increase in conversion, reduction in production time).

• Highlight System Building: Dedicate a section or clearly label examples of your design system work in Figma, explaining its benefits.

• Showcase AI & Video: Include a specific section for AI-generated assets and video projects, detailing your process and results.

• Narrative Flow: Tell a story for each case study – problem, solution, and impact. Focus on how your design solved a business problem or improved an operational process.

• Figma Demonstration: Be prepared to share your screen and walk through a Figma file, showcasing your component mastery, auto layout skills, and design system setup.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview preparation should focus on demonstrating practical, high-volume production skills, proficiency with the specified tools, and an understanding of how design contributes to marketing operations and business goals. The direct report to the CMO means the questions will likely be strategic and focused on impact.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Creative Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided ADP link, ensuring your resume and portfolio are uploaded.

• Tailor your resume: Highlight keywords related to e-commerce design, high-volume production, Figma, AI design tools, video editing, performance marketing creative, and design systems. Quantify achievements where possible.

• Curate your portfolio: Ensure it prominently features your strongest work in e-commerce, brand consistency, design systems, and video asset creation. Include case studies with measurable results and clearly indicate the tools used for each project.

• Prepare for a portfolio review: Be ready to articulate your design process, your experience with Figma's advanced features, and how you've used AI tools and video editing software to enhance output.

• Research CarParts.com: Understand their brand, their mission, their recent growth, and their company culture. Prepare to discuss how your values and work style align with theirs, especially their emphasis on speed, data, and collaboration.

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