Creative Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Creative Designer

Company: Expleo

Location: Troy, Michigan, United States

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Creative & Design Operations

Date Posted: 2026-06-24

Experience Level: 2-5 Years

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• This role focuses on the creation and visualization of automotive design concepts, bridging the gap between artistic vision and technical engineering.

• The Creative Designer will be instrumental in developing both production-ready designs and forward-thinking advanced proposals for automotive exteriors and interiors.

• Success in this position requires a blend of artistic talent, technical proficiency in design software, and strong interpersonal skills for effective collaboration.

• The role demands a keen awareness of global automotive design trends and emerging technologies to ensure innovative and competitive design output.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the raw job title is "Creative Designer," the description and requirements strongly indicate a specialization within the automotive industry, specifically focusing on product design. The "Operations" category is inferred due to the emphasis on process, collaboration with technical teams, and the need for structured design proposals, aligning with GTM (Go-To-Market) or product development operations.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Develop and articulate compelling automotive exterior and interior design concepts, translating abstract ideas into tangible visual representations.

• Create detailed 2-D and 3-D design proposals using a variety of manual and digital sketching techniques, as well as industry-standard software like Alias, Illustrator, and Photoshop.

• Collaborate closely with a project team comprising Technical Engineers, clay sculptors, and fabrication specialists to refine designs and ensure feasibility.

• Present design proposals effectively to internal stakeholders and potentially external partners, using strong communication and design intuition.

• Conduct research and maintain an exceptional awareness of global automotive design concepts, emerging trends, and technological advancements impacting the industry.

• Establish and maintain effective, trust-based working relationships with internal and external partners, fostering an environment of transparency and mutual respect.

• Exercise sound judgment and leverage excellent communication skills to drive decisions through consensus and influence positive change within design and engineering teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: The core responsibilities are expanded to highlight the actionable design and collaboration aspects, emphasizing the "operations" of design development within a product lifecycle.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: A minimum of a Bachelor's degree in Fine Arts, Industrial Design, Product Design, or Automotive Design is required.

Experience: A minimum of 2 years of hands-on experience in automotive exterior and/or interior product design is preferred.

Required Skills:

• Proficiency in Alias, Adobe Illustrator, and Adobe Photoshop for design creation and manipulation.

• Ability to artistically represent both 2-D and 3-D concepts using a wide range of presentation techniques.

• Demonstrated experience with manual and digital sketching for rapid concept visualization.

• Strong presentation and design communication skills, capable of articulating design intent clearly.

• Exceptional awareness of global automotive design concepts and emerging design trends.

• Ability to create both production-ready design proposals and advanced design concepts.

• Demonstrates exceptional design intuition and creative problem-solving abilities. Preferred Skills:

• Experience working collaboratively within a project team that includes Technical Engineers, clay sculptors, and fabrication specialists.

• Understanding of the product development lifecycle from concept ideation through to production.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirements are structured to clearly delineate mandatory skills from preferred ones, emphasizing the software proficiency and design thinking crucial for this role. The experience is framed to align with typical operations pipeline stages.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A comprehensive portfolio showcasing a minimum of 2 years of automotive exterior and/or interior product design work.

• The portfolio must demonstrate proficiency in Alias, Illustrator, and Photoshop, with examples of 2-D and 3-D concept representation.

• Include case studies that highlight the candidate's ability to create both production and advanced design proposals.

• Showcase manual and digital sketching skills, illustrating the design ideation process.

• Evidence of strong design communication and presentation skills through portfolio examples. Process Documentation:

• Candidates are expected to articulate their design process, from initial concept generation to final design proposal.

• Demonstrate how design intuition is applied within a structured workflow.

• Explain how feedback from technical teams (Engineers, sculptors) is integrated into design iterations.

• Provide examples of how emerging design trends and technologies are incorporated into the design process.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio requirements are made specific to the role, emphasizing the need to demonstrate practical application of design skills and process understanding, crucial for operations roles that require tangible output.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $80,000 – $125,000 annually.

Explanation of Range: This range is based on the provided information and industry benchmarks for Creative Designers with 2-5 years of experience in the automotive sector in the Troy, Michigan area. Factors influencing the final offer include specific skill alignment, depth of experience, and geographic market rates.

Benefits:

• Competitive Compensation package with flexible model options.

• Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance.

• Free Tele-health services for convenient medical consultations.

• Health Savings Account (HSA) with company contribution.

• Life and Disability Insurance for financial security.

• 401k retirement plan with employer matching contributions.

• Generous Paid Time Off (PTO) for work-life balance.

• Robust Career Development opportunities, including access to training and certifications.

• Leadership development programs for career advancement.

• Supportive Team Culture that fosters continuous learning and growth.

Working Hours: Typically 40 hours per week, with potential for hybrid work arrangements.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is explicitly stated with an explanation of its basis. Benefits are detailed to highlight their value proposition for operations professionals seeking stability and growth. The working hours are noted as standard full-time with a hybrid flexibility.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Engineering, Quality Services, and Management Consulting for Digital Transformation, with a strong focus on the Automotive sector.

Company Size: Expleo operates globally with a significant presence, described as a "dynamic and expanding team" in the US, indicating a mid-to-large enterprise structure.

Founded: While the founding date isn't explicitly stated for Expleo Group USA, the company's global presence suggests a well-established organization with a history in engineering and technology services.

Team Structure:

• The Creative Designer will be part of a project-focused team, working closely with Technical Engineers, clay sculptors, and fabrication specialists.

• This structure suggests a collaborative, cross-functional environment where design and engineering expertise are integrated from the concept phase.

• The role requires establishing effective working relationships with both internal Expleo colleagues and potentially client partners involved in product development. Methodology:

• Expleo emphasizes an end-to-end, integrated approach to engineering and digital transformation services.

• For this role, the methodology involves a blend of artistic ideation and technical execution, driven by data-informed design trends and client requirements.

• Collaboration and consensus-building are key operational aspects of how projects are managed and decisions are made.

Company Website: www.expleogroup.com

📝 Enhancement Note: The company context is fleshed out to provide a clearer picture of Expleo's operational environment, particularly how a design role fits into their broader digital transformation and engineering services, with a specific niche in automotive.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as an intermediate-level