Design Manager

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Design Manager

Company: Get Engaged

Location: Atlanta, GA

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Creative Operations / Design Management

Date Posted: 2026-08-24

Experience Level: 5-10 Years

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead high-priority, creatively demanding design projects from conception to completion, acting as the primary design authority.

• Manage and mentor the internal graphic design team, overseeing project assignments, workload balancing, and daily operational priorities.

• Serve as the central point of contact for all graphic design-related communications, including scope, timelines, and creative requirements.

• Coordinate and optimize design resources to ensure efficient execution of all creative projects and deliverables.

• Collaborate closely with account and strategy teams to define clear, actionable creative briefs, concepts, and design direction.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the original title is "Design Manager," given the responsibilities and company context (likely an agency or media company focused on client work), this role has significant operational components related to resource management, workflow optimization, and cross-functional collaboration, aligning it with operations-focused roles. The emphasis on "social-first creative" and "digital content environments" suggests a need for process efficiency and rapid iteration common in GTM operations.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Spearhead end-to-end execution of high-priority design initiatives, ensuring creative excellence and alignment with strategic objectives.

• Manage the internal graphic design team by assigning projects, balancing workloads, and overseeing daily priorities to maximize team output and morale.

• Act as the primary liaison for graphic design communications, effectively managing expectations regarding project scope, timelines, and creative needs with internal stakeholders and clients.

• Efficiently coordinate design resources and team bandwidth to ensure timely delivery of high-quality creative assets and project milestones.

• Partner with account managers and strategy teams to translate client needs into clear, actionable creative briefs, guiding design direction and conceptualization.

• Track and manage project scopes, design requests, and deliverables in close collaboration with account teams, ensuring accountability and transparency.

• Assess team bandwidth and proactively identify opportunities to enhance resource allocation, streamline workflows, and improve overall operational efficiency within the design function.

• Oversee the entire design production process, from initial concept to final asset delivery, ensuring adherence to deadlines and uncompromising quality standards.

• Review and provide constructive feedback on internal designs, ensuring alignment with brand guidelines, client expectations, and strategic goals, in partnership with account and strategy leads.

• Execute and edit creative assets as needed to support project timelines, maintain creative quality, and fill resource gaps when necessary.

• Stay abreast of emerging design trends, social media innovations, and new creative techniques/tools to infuse fresh, forward-thinking ideas into the team's output.

• Maintain and manage project tracking systems, such as Monday boards and Dropbox folders, ensuring organized and accessible project documentation for all stakeholders.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities emphasize not just creative leadership but also significant operational management. Terms like "coordinate design resources," "assess team bandwidth," "improve resource allocation and workflow efficiency," and "track project scopes" highlight the operational aspects of this role. These are critical for GTM and RevOps professionals to understand, as they involve process optimization and cross-functional execution.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in Graphic Design, Fine Arts, Communications, or a related field is preferred.

Experience: 5+ years of hands-on graphic design experience, with a proven track record of successfully managing creative projects from concept to completion, including experience in team leadership.

Required Skills:

• Proven experience in leading and managing high-priority design projects from end-to-end.

• Strong people management skills with the ability to mentor, guide, and balance workloads for a design team.

• Advanced proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, etc.) and other relevant design tools.

• Deep understanding of graphic design fundamentals: typography, composition, layout, color theory, and visual hierarchy.

• Expertise in social-first creative development and understanding of how design translates across various social media platforms and formats.

• Experience in managing project scopes, timelines, resources, and creative deliverables across multiple concurrent projects.

• Ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams, including account management, strategy, and client-facing roles.

• Strong creative judgment with the capacity to provide clear, actionable feedback on design work.

• Experience working within fast-paced social media, agency, or digital content production environments. Preferred Skills:

• Experience with project tracking systems like Monday.com and file management systems like Dropbox.

• A proactive approach to identifying and implementing workflow efficiencies and resource allocation improvements.

• Demonstrated ability to push creative boundaries and bring unique, culture-forward ideas to clients.

• Familiarity with design trends and techniques for diverse digital content formats.

• Experience in maintaining and enforcing brand standards across various creative assets.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Preferred Qualifications" section, particularly points about "managing timelines, priorities, resources, and creative deliverables" and "experience working within fast-paced social media, agency, or digital content environments," directly speaks to the operational and process-oriented skills valued in GTM and RevOps. The explicit mention of Monday.com and Dropbox also points to the need for proficiency in operational tools.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase a minimum of 5 years of comprehensive graphic design work, with a strong emphasis on projects managed from initiation to final delivery.

• Include examples of leadership or management of design projects or teams, demonstrating your ability to guide creative processes.

• Feature diverse projects that highlight your expertise in social-first creative, visual communication, and adaptation across different platforms.

• Demonstrate a strong command of design fundamentals (typography, composition, layout, color, visual hierarchy) through visually compelling examples.

• Present case studies or project descriptions that detail your role in managing timelines, resources, and stakeholder communication. Process Documentation:

• Provide examples or descriptions of how you have managed project scopes, design requests, and deliverables, ideally with a focus on efficiency.

• Illustrate your approach to assessing team bandwidth and implementing workflow optimizations for design teams.

• Detail your experience with project tracking systems (e.g., Monday.com) and file management (e.g., Dropbox) in managing design workflows.

• Showcase instances where you collaborated with strategy or account teams to refine creative briefs and ensure alignment on design direction.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Design Manager role with significant operational overlap, a portfolio is crucial. This section emphasizes not just the visual output but also the process behind it. The requirements focus on demonstrating project management, workflow optimization, and cross-functional collaboration, which are key metrics for operations professionals.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on industry benchmarks for Design Managers in Atlanta, GA, with 5-10 years of experience, the estimated annual salary range is $85,000 - $115,000. This estimate considers the role's leadership responsibilities, required technical skills, and the cost of living in a major metropolitan area.

Benefits:

• Full-time salaried position with competitive compensation.

• Health, dental, and vision insurance plans.

• Paid time off (PTO) and holidays.

• Opportunities for professional development and continuous learning in design and management.

• Exposure to a dynamic, fast-paced agency environment with diverse client projects.

• Potential for growth within the organization.

Working Hours: Standard full-time work hours are expected, typically around 40 hours per week. While the role is on-site, flexibility may be available depending on project demands and team needs, with an emphasis on achieving deliverables.

📝 Enhancement Note: A salary range is estimated based on the experience level (5-10 years), job title (Design Manager), and location (Atlanta, GA). This estimation uses publicly available data for similar roles in the region and reflects typical compensation for a leadership position in a creative operations context. The mention of "standard full-time work hours" and "flexibility may be available depending on project demands" aligns with operational considerations for workload management.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Marketing & Advertising / Digital Media. Get Engaged operates in a competitive landscape focused on client engagement, likely through social media marketing, content creation, and digital campaigns. This implies a fast-paced, client-centric, and results-oriented environment.

Company Size: While not explicitly stated, the mention of an "internal graphic design team" and collaboration with "account and strategy teams" suggests a mid-sized to growing company, likely with multiple client accounts and project teams. This size offers opportunities for direct impact and visibility.

Founded: Information not provided.

Team Structure:

• The Design Manager will lead a dedicated internal graphic design team, likely comprising several designers with varying specializations.

• This role will operate within a broader structure that includes account management, strategy, and potentially other creative disciplines.

• Collaboration is expected to be high, with frequent interaction between design, account, and strategy teams to ensure cohesive client deliverables. Methodology:

• Data-driven creative briefs and strategic alignment are key, ensuring design work directly supports client objectives.

• Emphasis on efficient workflow management and resource allocation to meet project timelines and client demands.

• A culture of continuous learning and adaptation to stay ahead of design and social media trends.

• Collaborative problem-solving to address creative challenges and client needs.

Company Website: https://getengagedmedia.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: The industry context of marketing and digital media is crucial for understanding the operational demands. This sector requires agility, rapid turnaround times, and a strong focus on client satisfaction, all of which are managed through effective operational processes. The website link provides a direct source for further company research.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role represents a mid-to-senior level position within the creative operations spectrum. It involves significant management responsibilities, strategic input on creative processes, and direct impact on project execution and team performance. It bridges hands-on design expertise with operational leadership.

Reporting Structure: The Design Manager likely reports to a Creative Director, Head of Production, or a similar senior leadership role responsible for the overall creative output and operational efficiency of the agency. They will, in turn, manage a team of graphic designers.

Operations Impact: The Design Manager's impact is crucial for client success and agency profitability. By ensuring efficient design workflows, high-quality creative assets, and effective resource management, they directly contribute to client satisfaction, project profitability, and the agency's reputation for delivering outstanding creative solutions on time and within scope.

Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization: Deepen expertise in social-first creative strategy, motion graphics, or specific industry verticals.

• Leadership Expansion: Progress to roles like Creative Director, Head of Design, or Director of Production, overseeing larger teams and broader creative operations.

• Process Improvement: Lead initiatives to implement new design tools, workflows, or project management methodologies across the creative department.

• Client Strategy: Contribute more directly to client strategy, leveraging design insights to inform broader marketing approaches.

📝 Enhancement Note: This analysis focuses on the operational aspects of career progression. The role is positioned as a critical link between creative execution and operational efficiency, offering a clear path for growth into broader operational leadership roles within a creative agency.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is on-site in Atlanta, GA, suggesting a traditional office environment within a marketing or digital media agency. This typically includes collaborative workspaces, meeting rooms, and dedicated areas for creative teams.

Office Location(s): Atlanta, GA. Being local to Atlanta is a requirement, indicating the importance of in-person collaboration and team presence within the company's primary operational hub.

Workspace Context:

• Expect a dynamic, collaborative workspace where interaction with designers, account managers, and strategists is frequent.

• Access to industry-standard design software and hardware will be provided.

• The environment is likely fast-paced, requiring adaptability and efficient time management.

• Opportunities for informal knowledge sharing and brainstorming sessions with colleagues.

Work Schedule: While the role is full-time, the emphasis on project delivery in an agency setting may require occasional flexibility to meet client deadlines or critical project milestones. Adherence to standard work hours is expected, but an understanding of project-driven demands is also part of the operational reality.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "on-site" nature and "dynamic, collaborative workspace" are key environmental factors for operations professionals who thrive on interaction and structured processes within a physical setting.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A brief call with HR or a recruiter to assess basic qualifications, cultural fit, and salary expectations.

• Portfolio Review & Interview: A dedicated session with hiring managers (e.g., Head of Creative, Director of Operations) to review your portfolio. Expect to discuss your project management approach, team leadership experience, and how you've handled challenging creative scenarios.

• Skills Assessment/Case Study: You may be asked to complete a design challenge or a scenario-based case study to evaluate your creative problem-solving, process thinking, and ability to work under pressure or within specific constraints.

• Team/Cross-functional Interview: Meet with potential direct reports (designers) and key collaborators (account/strategy leads) to assess team dynamics and cross-functional communication skills.

• Final Interview: A conversation with senior leadership to discuss strategic fit, long-term vision, and final offer details.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select projects that best showcase your leadership, project management, and social-first design expertise. Include examples of how you've managed workflows and improved processes.

• Highlight Process: For each project, go beyond the final visuals. Explain the brief, your role, the challenges, your approach to managing timelines and resources, and the outcomes.

• Demonstrate Management: Include examples where you led a team, balanced workloads, or provided constructive feedback. Quantify results where possible (e.g., improved delivery times, increased team efficiency).

• Tailor to Get Engaged: Research their clients and recent work. Show how your skills and approach align with their agency's style and client needs, especially in social media and digital content.

Challenge Preparation:

• Process Mapping: Be ready to outline a typical design project workflow from brief to delivery, highlighting key checkpoints and how you ensure efficiency.

• Problem-Solving Scenarios: Prepare to discuss how you would handle common design management issues, such as scope creep, tight deadlines, conflicting feedback, or team conflicts.

• Tool Proficiency: Be ready to discuss your experience with project management tools (like Monday.com) and design software, and how you leverage them for operational efficiency.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section provides actionable advice for operations-minded candidates. The emphasis on portfolio content that demonstrates process, management, and efficiency, along with preparation for scenario-based challenges, is critical for showcasing operational capabilities.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Adobe Creative Suite: Advanced proficiency required in Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign for asset creation and manipulation. Familiarity with Adobe XD or similar prototyping tools is a plus.

• Project Management Software: Experience with tools like Monday.com (specifically mentioned) is essential for tracking projects, managing workflows, balancing workloads, and overseeing deliverables. Other similar platforms like Asana, Trello, or Jira may also be relevant.

• File Management & Collaboration: Proficiency with cloud-based storage and sharing systems like Dropbox (specifically mentioned) for organized asset management and team collaboration.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not a primary analytics role, an understanding of how design impacts engagement metrics on social media platforms is beneficial. Familiarity with social media analytics dashboards can provide context for creative performance. CRM & Automation:

• While not directly managing CRM, understanding how design assets are requested, tracked, and delivered within client management processes is important. Familiarity with any client-facing project request systems or internal workflow automation tools would be advantageous.

📝 Enhancement Note: Explicitly naming Monday.com and Dropbox, along with the core Adobe Creative Suite, highlights the essential operational technology stack. This allows candidates to highlight their experience with these specific tools, which are critical for managing design operations.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Efficiency & Agility: A commitment to streamlining processes, optimizing resource allocation, and adapting quickly to client needs and market trends.

• Collaboration & Communication: Valuing open communication, cross-functional teamwork, and proactive stakeholder engagement to ensure project success.

• Quality & Brand Integrity: Upholding high creative standards and ensuring all design outputs align with brand guidelines and client objectives.

• Innovation & Continuous Improvement: Encouraging fresh ideas, staying updated on design trends, and actively seeking ways to enhance creative output and operational workflows.

• Client Focus: A dedication to understanding client needs and delivering exceptional creative solutions that drive engagement and achieve business goals.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: The role requires seamless collaboration between design, account management, and strategy teams, fostering a unified approach to client projects.

• Feedback-Driven: An open culture for providing and receiving constructive feedback on creative work and operational processes.

• Knowledge Sharing: Encouraging the sharing of best practices, design techniques, and insights into emerging trends within the team and across departments.

📝 Enhancement Note: Emphasizing "Efficiency & Agility," "Collaboration & Communication," and "Client Focus" directly aligns with the operational mindset required for this role and is crucial for candidates to demonstrate.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Creative Excellence with Operational Demands: Juggling the need for innovative, high-quality design with tight deadlines, resource constraints, and client expectations.

• Managing Multiple Stakeholder Needs: Effectively navigating feedback and priorities from various internal teams (account, strategy) and external clients.

• Keeping Pace with Evolving Trends: Continuously adapting to new design techniques, social media platform changes, and emerging creative technologies.

• Team Development & Resource Management: Ensuring the design team is skilled, motivated, and appropriately resourced to meet fluctuating project demands.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Design & Trend Workshops: Access to training on the latest design software features, creative techniques, and emerging visual trends.

• Project Management & Operations Training: Opportunities to deepen skills in workflow optimization, resource planning, and agile methodologies.

• Client Strategy Immersion: Gaining deeper insights into client business objectives and how creative strategies contribute to overarching marketing goals.

• Mentorship: Opportunities to learn from senior creative leaders and contribute to the development of junior designers.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section frames the inherent challenges of the role as opportunities for skill development, a key aspect for operations professionals seeking growth.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe your process for managing a high-priority design project from brief to final delivery, including how you ensure quality and efficiency." (Focus on workflow, timelines, resource allocation, and quality checks).

• "How do you balance the creative vision of your team with the strategic objectives and brand guidelines of clients?" (Highlight collaboration with strategy/account teams and feedback mechanisms).

• "Walk us through a time you had to adjust design resources or workflows to meet an unexpected deadline or scope change. What was your approach and the outcome?" (Demonstrate adaptability, problem-solving, and operational agility). Company & Culture Questions:

• "What appeals to you about Get Engaged's approach to creative work and client engagement?" (Research their clients and recent campaigns; align your operational philosophy with their agency ethos).

• "How do you foster a collaborative and productive environment within a design team, especially when working closely with account and strategy departments?" (Discuss communication strategies, feedback loops, and cross-functional integration).

• "How do you measure the success of design initiatives beyond aesthetics? What metrics do you consider?" (Connect design to client goals, engagement, and ROI). Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your solution (design and process), your role (especially management aspects), and the results.

• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use data to demonstrate the success of your projects (e.g., "increased engagement by X%," "delivered Y projects ahead of schedule," "improved team efficiency by Z%").

• Showcase Operational Skills: Highlight how you managed timelines, resources, stakeholder communication, and workflow improvements within your case studies.

• Be Ready for Q&A: Anticipate questions about your management style, decision-making process, and how you handle feedback or conflict.

📝 Enhancement Note: These questions and tips are designed to help candidates showcase their operational acumen, not just their design talent. The focus is on process, management, and strategic thinking.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Design Manager position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on rippling.com.

• Tailor Your Resume: Highlight experience in project management, team leadership, workflow optimization, and proficiency with tools like Adobe Creative Suite, Monday.com, and Dropbox. Use keywords from the job description.

• Prepare Your Portfolio: Curate a selection of projects that demonstrate your hands-on design skills, your experience managing creative projects end-to-end, and your ability to lead and collaborate. Ensure it showcases process and operational impact.

• Practice Your Narrative: Be ready to articulate your management style, your approach to operational efficiency in design, and how you collaborate with cross-functional teams during interviews.

• Research Get Engaged: Understand their client base, their recent work, and their company culture to better align your application and interview responses with their needs.

⚠️ 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.