Design Director

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Design Director

Company: Clera

Location: Remote (United States)

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Creative & Design Operations / Brand Strategy

Date Posted: 2026-08-11

Experience Level: 8+ Years

Remote Status: Fully Remote

🚀 Role Summary

• Spearhead the development and evolution of Clera's comprehensive visual identity across all brand, marketing, product, communications, and content touchpoints.

• Translate overarching brand strategy into compelling visual systems, campaigns, and narratives that deeply resonate with the target audience and influence market perception.

• Drive the hands-on creation of high-quality visual assets, including launch materials, presentations, campaigns, social content, web pages, and brand collateral.

• Establish and champion robust design principles and visual storytelling frameworks that ensure scalable, consistent branding across the organization.

• Foster strong, collaborative partnerships with Marketing, Product, and Leadership teams to strategically align design execution with business objectives and maintain brand coherence.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the role is "Design Director," its responsibilities heavily overlap with Brand Operations and GTM strategy execution, focusing on how design drives market perception and business outcomes in a startup environment. The emphasis on translating brand strategy into tangible assets and cross-functional collaboration suggests a need for operational rigor in design execution.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Develop and continuously evolve Clera's visual identity system, ensuring a consistent and impactful brand presence across all platforms and customer touchpoints.

• Craft compelling visual narratives and campaigns that effectively communicate complex AI technology, making it accessible and culturally relevant to a broad audience.

• Produce a wide range of high-quality visual assets, including marketing collateral, pitch decks, social media graphics, website content, and internal communications materials.

• Define and implement design principles, style guides, and best practices to ensure brand consistency and scalability as the company grows.

• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, including Marketing, Product Management, and Executive Leadership, to align design initiatives with strategic business goals and product roadmaps.

• Provide creative direction and strategic judgment to influence brand perception, both internally and externally, ensuring a cohesive and powerful company image.

• Lead design projects from concept to completion, managing timelines, resources, and stakeholder expectations in a fast-paced startup environment.

• Contribute to shaping the overall customer experience through thoughtful and impactful design execution.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities indicate a need for strong project management and operational oversight of design initiatives, aligning with GTM strategies and ensuring efficient execution of creative assets.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Not specified, but a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Graphic Design, Visual Communications, or a related field is typically expected for this level.

Experience: 8+ years of progressive design experience, with a significant focus on brand identity, visual systems, campaign development, and creative direction. Experience in fast-paced startup environments is highly valued.

Required Skills:

• Proven expertise in developing and evolving comprehensive brand identity systems across diverse channels (digital, print, product, marketing).

• Demonstrated ability to translate abstract brand strategies into concrete visual systems, compelling narratives, and impactful customer experiences.

• High proficiency in creating a wide array of visual assets, including launch materials, presentations, marketing campaigns, social content, web pages, and brand collateral.

• Strong experience in establishing scalable design principles, visual storytelling frameworks, and brand guidelines.

• Excellent cross-functional collaboration skills, with a proven track record of working effectively with Marketing, Product, and Leadership teams.

• Deep understanding of brand strategy's impact on market perception, product experience, and overall business outcomes.

• Strategic thinking capabilities combined with hands-on design execution skills.

• A robust portfolio showcasing successful brand systems, creative direction, and strategic design projects, preferably within a startup context.

• Adaptability and comfort working in dynamic, fast-paced startup environments with high design quality expectations. Preferred Skills:

• Prior experience working with luxury, Direct-to-Consumer (DTC), wellness, or innovative technology brands.

• Experience in making complex or emerging technologies feel approachable, understandable, and culturally resonant through design.

• Flexibility and willingness to travel globally for key company events and initiatives.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for 8+ years of experience and a portfolio demonstrating strategic thinking and hands-on execution is standard for a Director-level role. The emphasis on translating complex technology into accessible design is critical for an AI startup.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A curated portfolio that prominently showcases strategic thinking applied to design challenges.

• Detailed case studies demonstrating the end-to-end process of developing and evolving visual identity systems and brand campaigns.

• Examples of high-quality visual asset creation across various mediums (digital, print, social, web).

• Evidence of establishing and implementing scalable design principles and brand guidelines.

• Demonstrations of how design initiatives have supported business goals and influenced market perception.

• Projects reflecting collaboration with cross-functional teams and leadership. Process Documentation:

• Showcase examples of workflow design for creative projects, from brief to final asset delivery.

• Illustrate methods for managing and scaling brand assets and ensuring consistent application across an organization.

• Present how design processes have been optimized for efficiency and impact within a startup environment.

• Demonstrate how design principles were translated into actionable guidelines for internal and external stakeholders.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio requirements are standard for a senior design role but emphasize the operational aspect of managing brand consistency and scalable design systems within a growing company.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $150,000 – $170,000 USD annually.

Explanation of Estimate: This range is based on the provided data and aligns with industry benchmarks for a Design Director role with 8+ years of experience in the United States, particularly within the technology and AI startup sector. The remote nature within the US also influences this range.

Benefits:

• Early-stage equity opportunity, providing significant potential for wealth creation as the company scales.

• Fully remote work environment, offering flexibility and work-life balance.

• Opportunity to shape the brand and visual identity of an innovative AI startup from its early stages.

• Direct impact on market perception and business outcomes through strategic design leadership.

• Professional development opportunities within a growing company.

Working Hours: Approximately 40 hours per week, with flexibility inherent in a remote, full-time role. The focus will be on delivering high-quality work and meeting project deadlines rather than strict adherence to specific hours.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is explicitly provided. The benefits highlight key attractions for senior talent in the startup ecosystem, particularly equity and remote flexibility.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Ambient AI / Technology Startup. Clera operates in the rapidly evolving field of Artificial Intelligence, focusing on creating continuous intelligence systems that integrate seamlessly into daily life. This sector demands innovation, agility, and a forward-thinking approach.

Company Size: Early-stage startup. This implies a dynamic, fast-paced environment where roles can be fluid, and individual contributions have a significant impact. Collaboration is often direct and cross-functional.

Founded: Not specified, but described as "early-stage," indicating a company likely founded within the last few years, focused on rapid growth and market penetration.

Team Structure:

• The design team is likely small and integral to the core product and brand development.

• The Design Director will likely report to a founder or C-suite executive (e.g., CEO, CMO).

• Close collaboration is expected with Marketing, Product, and Engineering teams, requiring strong communication and alignment. Methodology:

• Data-driven decision-making, especially in understanding market perception and user engagement.

• Agile and iterative approach to design and product development, common in startups.

• Emphasis on user-centric design principles, even for technical products.

• Strategic brand building is paramount for market differentiation and customer acquisition.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: The context of an early-stage AI startup is crucial for understanding the culture, pace, and impact expected of this role. Design is positioned as a strategic driver of market perception.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Director. This role signifies a senior leadership position responsible for strategic design direction and execution. It involves managing the visual brand and influencing market perception, which is a critical operational function for a startup.

Reporting Structure: The Design Director will likely report directly to a founder or a senior executive (e.g., CEO, CMO), indicating high visibility and direct influence on strategic decisions.

Operations Impact: The Design Director's impact is significant, directly shaping how Clera is perceived by potential customers, investors, and employees. Effective brand representation is crucial for market penetration, customer acquisition, and talent recruitment in a competitive AI landscape.

Growth Opportunities:

• Potential to expand into a broader Head of Brand or Chief Creative Officer role as the company scales.

• Opportunity to build and lead a design team, developing talent and establishing design operations.

• Influence the strategic direction of the company's product and market positioning through design leadership.

• Deepen expertise in branding for emerging technologies and AI, becoming a thought leader in the space.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers a clear growth trajectory from a hands-on director to a more expansive leadership position, common in successful startups. The operational impact of design in a startup's GTM strategy is a key aspect of career growth.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Fully remote. This role operates within a distributed team environment, requiring self-discipline, strong communication, and effective use of collaboration tools.

Office Location(s): Open to candidates based anywhere in the United States. Some global travel may be required for key company moments, suggesting occasional in-person collaboration or events.

Workspace Context:

• Highly collaborative virtual environment requiring proactive communication and engagement.

• Access to modern digital collaboration tools and platforms for design and project management.

• Opportunities to influence the visual direction and operational processes of a growing creative function.

• Regular interaction with leadership and cross-functional teams to drive strategic initiatives.

Work Schedule: A standard full-time schedule (approx. 40 hours/week) is expected, but the remote nature offers flexibility. The focus is on achieving outcomes and meeting deadlines, with an emphasis on efficient work practices.

📝 Enhancement Note: The fully remote aspect necessitates strong operational skills in self-management and virtual collaboration. The potential for travel indicates a need for adaptability.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Review of resume and portfolio to assess experience, strategic thinking, and design execution capabilities relevant to the role and company stage.

• Portfolio Presentation & Discussion: A deep dive into the candidate's portfolio, focusing on strategic rationale, design process, and demonstrable impact. This will likely involve presenting specific case studies.

• Cross-Functional Interviews: Meetings with key stakeholders from Marketing, Product, and Leadership to evaluate collaboration style, strategic alignment, and cultural fit.

• Executive Interview: A final conversation with a founder or senior executive to discuss vision, leadership potential, and alignment with the company's long-term goals.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Strategic Narrative: Clearly articulate the "why" behind each design decision, linking it to business objectives, brand strategy, and user needs.

• Process Showcase: Detail your design process, from initial research and concept development to execution and iteration, highlighting problem-solving approaches.

• Impact & Metrics: Wherever possible, quantify the impact of your design work (e.g., engagement rates, conversion improvements, brand recall). For this role, focus on how design influences market perception and customer acquisition.

• Brand Systems Focus: Emphasize your experience in building and scaling visual identity systems, providing examples of how you've ensured consistency.

• Startup Context: Highlight your ability to thrive in a fast-paced, resource-constrained startup environment, demonstrating adaptability and a hands-on approach.

Challenge Preparation:

• Be prepared to discuss how you would approach developing or evolving the brand identity for an early-stage AI startup.

• Anticipate questions about making complex technology accessible and culturally relevant through design.

• Consider how you would establish design principles and scale them across an organization.

• Think about how you would collaborate with marketing and product teams to achieve business goals.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process and portfolio review emphasize strategic thinking, operational execution of design, and cross-functional collaboration, crucial for a Director-level role in a startup.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design Software: Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign), Figma (highly probable for collaborative design and prototyping), Sketch.

• Prototyping Tools: Figma, InVision, Adobe XD, or similar for interactive mockups and user flow visualization.

• Presentation Software: Google Slides, Keynote, PowerPoint for creating high-impact presentations for leadership and stakeholders.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Familiarity with web analytics tools (e.g., Google Analytics) to understand user behavior and campaign performance.

• Understanding of how design impacts key marketing metrics (e.g., conversion rates, engagement). CRM & Automation:

• While not a direct CRM role, understanding how design assets are utilized in marketing automation platforms and CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot) for campaign execution is beneficial.

• Familiarity with project management and collaboration tools like Asana, Trello, Jira, or Monday.com for workflow management.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in collaborative design tools like Figma is paramount for remote teams. Understanding how design integrates with marketing and product operations is key.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Innovation: Embracing new ideas and approaches to design and brand building, especially in the AI space.

• Clarity: Striving to make complex AI technology understandable and accessible through clear visual communication.

• Impact: Focusing on design that drives tangible business outcomes, market perception, and customer engagement.

• Collaboration: Working effectively with diverse teams to achieve shared goals and maintain brand coherence.

• Execution Excellence: A commitment to delivering high-quality design work efficiently and effectively, even in a fast-paced environment.

Collaboration Style:

• Proactive and communicative in a remote setting.

• Cross-functional, working closely with Marketing, Product, and Leadership to ensure design aligns with overall business strategy.

• Constructive and iterative, open to feedback and continuous improvement.

• Strategic, ensuring design decisions are grounded in business objectives and target audience insights.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company values emphasize the operational aspects of design: clarity in communication, impact on business, and collaborative execution.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Establishing a strong, differentiated brand identity for an early-stage AI startup in a competitive market.

• Translating highly technical and abstract AI concepts into relatable and compelling visual narratives.

• Maintaining brand consistency and quality across a rapidly expanding range of touchpoints and campaigns in a remote environment.

• Balancing hands-on creative execution with strategic leadership and team development as the company scales.

• Influencing perception and driving adoption of a new technology through design. Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deepen expertise in branding for emerging technologies and AI, potentially becoming a recognized voice in the field.

• Develop leadership and team-building skills by potentially growing and managing a design function.

• Gain experience in shaping the brand narrative of a high-growth startup from its foundational stages.

• Expand strategic influence within the company, contributing to broader business and product decisions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges highlight the operational complexities of building a brand for an innovative tech product in a startup setting.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "How would you approach defining and evolving the visual identity for an early-stage ambient AI startup like Clera?" (Focus on strategic framework, research, and phased implementation.)

• "Describe your process for translating complex technical concepts into accessible and engaging visual narratives for a broad audience." (Highlight storytelling techniques, visual metaphors, and audience segmentation.)

• "How do you ensure brand consistency and quality across multiple channels and touchpoints, especially in a remote work environment?" (Discuss brand guidelines, asset management, and collaborative workflows.)

• "What are the key elements of a strong brand strategy, and how does design play a critical role in its execution and market perception?" (Connect design to business objectives, customer experience, and market differentiation.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "Based on what you know about Clera, what opportunities and challenges do you see for our brand identity?" (Demonstrate research and strategic thinking about the company's market position.)

• "How do you approach collaboration with Marketing and Product teams to ensure design initiatives are aligned with business goals?" (Provide examples of successful cross-functional partnerships.)

• "Describe a time you had to influence stakeholders with your design vision. How did you present your case and gain buy-in?" (Showcase communication, persuasion, and strategic justification skills.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure: Organize your presentation logically, starting with an overview of your strategic approach, then detailing specific projects with clear problem statements, your process, solutions, and measurable outcomes.

• Storytelling: For each case study, tell a compelling story that highlights the challenge, your role, your creative process, and the impact of your design decisions.

• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use data and metrics to demonstrate the effectiveness of your work. For this role, focus on how design influenced brand perception, engagement, or market reception.

• Strategic Rationale: Clearly explain the strategic thinking behind your design choices, linking them directly to business objectives and brand strategy.

• Hands-on Execution: Showcase your ability to not only strategize but also execute high-quality design assets, demonstrating your technical proficiency and creative talent.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on strategic thinking, operational execution, cross-functional collaboration, and the ability to articulate the business impact of design.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Design Director position:

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

• Curate your portfolio: Select 3-5 of your strongest projects that best demonstrate your experience in brand identity, visual systems, campaign development, and strategic design execution, particularly highlighting work relevant to technology or startups. Ensure each project includes a clear overview of the challenge, your process, your creative solutions, and any measurable outcomes.

• Tailor your resume: Optimize your resume to highlight your 8+ years of experience, focusing on achievements in creative direction, brand strategy, visual systems development, and cross-functional collaboration. Use keywords from the job description, such as "brand identity," "visual systems," "campaigns," "creative direction," and "startup environment."

• Prepare your narrative: Be ready to articulate your design philosophy, your approach to translating brand strategy into visual execution, and your experience in fast-paced environments. Practice presenting your portfolio case studies, focusing on strategic rationale and impact.

• Research Clera: Thoroughly understand Clera's mission, their ambient AI technology, and their current market position. Consider how your design leadership can contribute to their growth and brand perception.

⚠️ 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.

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