Design Manager - Brand & Performance

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Design Manager - Brand & Performance

Company: Wantable

Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Creative & Media / Marketing / Management & Leadership / Art & Design / Retail

Date Posted: September 17, 2026

Experience Level: 5-10 Years

Remote Status: Hybrid (3-4 days in office)

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead and develop a team of 2-3 designers, fostering a culture of high performance, ownership, and continuous improvement within a data-driven consumer brand.

• Drive the creation of high-volume, high-performing creative assets across paid media, email, web, social, print, and integrated campaigns to achieve measurable business results.

• Leverage performance data, customer insights, and experimentation to inform creative strategy and execution, ensuring continuous optimization of creative output.

• Act as a player-coach, balancing team leadership and development with hands-on concepting and production of priority creative work.

• Integrate AI and automation tools into creative workflows to accelerate research, ideation, production, and iteration, enhancing team capacity and efficiency.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is heavily focused on the intersection of creative excellence and measurable business outcomes, a core tenet of Go-To-Market (GTM) Operations and Performance Marketing functions. The emphasis on data-driven decision-making, A/B testing, and ROI demonstrates a strong need for operational rigor within the creative process.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Team Leadership & Development:

  • Lead, coach, and mentor a team of 2-3 designers, setting clear expectations for creative quality, speed, ownership, and collaboration.
  • Provide constructive feedback and actionable creative direction, empowering designers to work autonomously while ensuring brand consistency.
  • Effectively prioritize and delegate tasks across competing business needs, maintaining oversight of quality and consistency.
  • Foster a team environment that encourages learning about performance marketing, customer behavior, experimentation, and business objectives.

• Creative Execution & Strategy:

  • Concept, design, and execute compelling creative across paid advertising, email and lifecycle marketing, web/landing pages, social media, print, and direct mail.
  • Translate business objectives, customer insights, and performance data into cohesive visual systems and engaging creative concepts.
  • Develop and test creative variations (hooks, messaging, layouts, imagery, formats, CTAs) to optimize for engagement and conversion.
  • Maintain and adapt Wantable's visual brand standards across diverse channels, audiences, and customer journey stages.
  • Drive the creative process from initial concept through production, handoff, performance analysis, and iterative improvements.

• Data-Driven Optimization:

  • Collaborate closely with Growth, Lifecycle, and Marketing teams to understand creative performance metrics (CTR, conversion rate, CAC, CPO, revenue, engagement).
  • Utilize performance data and testing results to inform creative decisions and identify opportunities for improvement.
  • Recognize patterns in successful creative and translate these insights into repeatable templates, frameworks, and future concepts.
  • Proactively identify and propose creative testing opportunities based on customer behavior and channel feedback.

• System & Process Enhancement:

  • Build and manage scalable templates, processes, and workflows to increase the team's speed, capacity, and efficiency.
  • Manage a high volume of concurrent creative priorities while ensuring quality, accuracy, and brand consistency.
  • Determine when additional exploration is necessary versus when to prioritize speed to market.
  • Partner with leadership to align creative resources with the highest-impact business opportunities.

• AI & Technology Integration:

  • Utilize AI and automation tools to accelerate creative research, ideation, messaging development, prototyping, iteration, and production.

  • Identify and streamline repetitive production tasks through automation, templates, or improved systems.

  • Explore and implement emerging creative tools to enhance team capabilities and output.

  • Apply critical human judgment to AI-assisted work to ensure final creative meets Wantable's standards for quality, accuracy, relevance, and brand integrity.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities clearly indicate a need for a candidate who can bridge the gap between creative design and performance analytics. This requires a strong understanding of how creative assets directly impact key business metrics and a proactive approach to optimizing them through data and iterative testing.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design, Digital Media, or a related field is preferred, but an exceptional portfolio and directly relevant experience will be prioritized over formal education. Experience:

• 5+ years of professional design experience, with a strong preference for backgrounds in e-commerce, Direct-to-Consumer (DTC), retail, fashion, or high-output consumer environments.

• Proven experience directly managing and developing a team of designers.

• Demonstrated experience in contributing to or leading photo/video shoots, including concept development, shot planning, and on-set creative direction. Required Skills:

• Design Leadership & Management: Experience leading, coaching, and developing design teams; ability to prioritize and delegate effectively.

• Performance Creative Expertise: Strong understanding and hands-on experience with paid social, email marketing, landing page design, and other performance-driven channels; ability to use performance insights to drive creative improvements.

• Creative Versatility: Proven ability to concept and execute creative across a wide range of channels including paid media, email, web, social, print, and direct mail.

• Software Proficiency: Advanced proficiency with Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign) and Figma.

• Visual Design Fundamentals: Exceptional skills in typography, hierarchy, composition, layout, and visual storytelling.

• Data Literacy: Understanding of performance marketing metrics (e.g., CTR, conversion rate, CAC, CPO, revenue per send) and ability to use data to inform creative decisions and testing strategies.

• AI Tool Proficiency: Comfort and experience using and experimenting with AI-powered creative tools and workflows.

• Copywriting Acumen: Ability to write and refine effective short-form marketing messaging, including headlines, hooks, and calls to action.

• Project Management: Strong communication, prioritization, organization, and time-management skills; ability to manage high volumes of concurrent projects.

• Adaptability & Ownership: High sense of ownership, resourcefulness, sound judgment, adaptability, and meticulous attention to detail; ability to iterate quickly and make decisions with minimal oversight.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience within the fashion, e-commerce, DTC, or retail industries.

• Experience translating a single campaign or creative idea across multiple touchpoints (paid media, email, web, social, print).

• Experience developing creative specifically for A/B testing and iterating based on measurable performance.

• Familiarity with video and motion graphics tools or lightweight content creation tools.

• Working knowledge of Apple technology.

• Familiarity with Google products (Drive, Gmail, Docs).

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "player-coach" and "hands-on" involvement suggests that candidates should be prepared to demonstrate their individual design capabilities alongside their leadership experience. The strong preference for e-commerce and performance-driven environments highlights the need for candidates to showcase how their creative work directly impacts business objectives.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Performance-Focused Case Studies: Showcase at least 2-3 detailed case studies demonstrating how your creative work (or your team's work under your leadership) directly drove measurable business results (e.g., increased conversion rates, reduced CAC, improved ROI). Clearly articulate the problem, your creative solution, the testing methodology, and the quantifiable outcomes.

• Channel Versatility: Include examples of creative executed across diverse channels such as paid social ads (various platforms), email campaigns (including lifecycle flows), landing pages, website banners, social media assets, and potentially print or direct mail.

• Brand Consistency: Demonstrate the ability to maintain a consistent brand voice and visual identity across different platforms and campaigns, while also showing adaptability for specific audience segments or channel requirements.

• System & Process Innovation: If possible, include examples or descriptions of systems, templates, or workflows you've developed or implemented to improve creative production speed, efficiency, or scalability for a team.

• AI Integration Examples: Showcase any work where you've leveraged AI tools for research, ideation, asset creation, or optimization, explaining the impact on the creative process or outcome.

Process Documentation:

• Be prepared to discuss your process for translating business objectives into creative briefs and concepts.

• Detail your approach to collaborating with marketing, growth, and analytics teams to gather insights and performance data.

• Explain your methodology for creative testing, iteration, and optimization based on performance metrics.

• Describe how you manage creative production workflows, ensuring quality, speed, and brand consistency across a high volume of assets.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a role like this, the portfolio is critical. Candidates should focus on demonstrating tangible business impact rather than just aesthetic quality. Highlighting experience with A/B testing, data analysis, and process improvement within a creative context will be key. The inclusion of AI tools suggests a forward-thinking approach to creative operations.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• Based on industry benchmarks for a Design Manager with 5-10 years of experience in a major US metropolitan area like Milwaukee, and considering the hybrid work model and full-time salaried position, a competitive salary range would likely fall between $90,000 - $120,000 annually. This estimate accounts for the blend of leadership and hands-on creative responsibilities, the demand for performance-driven design skills, and the cost of living in Milwaukee. Benefits:

• Flexible Schedules: Offers adaptability to balance work and personal life.

• Paid Parental Leave: Comprehensive support for new parents (mothers and fathers).

• Paid Vacation: Time off for rest and rejuvenation.

• Seven Paid Holidays: Designated days off throughout the year.

• Merchandise Discount: Significant 50% discount on all Wantable merchandise, available from the first day.

• 41Fork Exchange Discount: Generous 50% discount at the Wantable Cafe.

• Medical Insurance: Traditional and high-deductible plan options.

• Dental Insurance: Coverage for dental care.

• Vision Insurance: Coverage for vision care.

• 401K: Retirement savings plan with both pre-tax and Roth options.

• Ample Parking: Convenient parking facilities at the headquarters.

• Private Nursing Room: Dedicated space for nursing mothers.

Working Hours:

• Standard full-time, salaried position, typically around 40 hours per week. The hybrid model allows for flexibility, with 3-4 days required in the Milwaukee office.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is an estimate based on general market data for similar roles in the specified location and experience level. Actual compensation may vary based on the candidate's specific qualifications, experience, and the company's internal compensation structure. The listed benefits are comprehensive and align with a professional, employee-centric company culture.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: E-commerce, Fashion Tech, Retail (Personalized Styling)

Company Size: Wantable is a growing company, likely falling into the mid-size range (e.g., 100-500 employees), which allows for both impact and agility. This size often means more direct access to leadership and a greater ability to influence processes and outcomes.

Founded: Wantable was founded in 2012, indicating a company with established operations and a track record, yet still likely possessing a dynamic, growth-oriented culture characteristic of tech-enabled retail businesses.

Team Structure:

• Reporting: The Design Manager reports to the Content Director, indicating a focus on content creation and its strategic deployment across various channels.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: This role is deeply embedded in cross-functional partnerships, working closely with Growth, Marketing, Lifecycle, Creative, and Studio teams. This necessitates strong communication and collaboration skills.

• Design Team: The manager will lead a small, focused team of 2-3 designers, suggesting a close-knit unit where individual contributions are highly visible.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven: Wantable emphasizes being a "data-driven fashion company," combining human intuition with algorithmic intelligence. This means creative decisions are heavily informed by analytics and performance metrics.

• Agile & Iterative: The description highlights moving fast, staying scrappy, and iterating quickly based on customer behavior and results. This points to an agile operational approach.

• Efficiency & Automation: There's a clear focus on building faster, smarter creative systems, leveraging automation, and embracing AI to increase capacity and efficiency.

Company Website: https://wantable.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture appears to be a blend of creative innovation and rigorous operational execution. Candidates who thrive in environments that value data, speed, ownership, and direct impact will likely find Wantable a good fit. The emphasis on "results over pedigree" suggests a focus on tangible achievements.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role sits at a mid-to-senior level, bridging individual contribution and team leadership. It's a "player-coach" position, requiring both hands-on design expertise and the ability to manage and develop talent. This level often serves as a crucial link between strategic GTM planning and tactical creative execution.

Reporting Structure: Reporting to the Content Director places this role within a broader content and marketing strategy framework. The Design Manager will be responsible for ensuring the creative output aligns with overarching content goals and marketing objectives.

Operations Impact: The Design Manager's impact is directly tied to driving measurable business results through high-performing creative. This includes influencing customer acquisition cost (CAC), conversion rates, revenue per send, and overall campaign ROI. The role is integral to the Go-To-Market (GTM) strategy by ensuring creative assets are optimized for performance and brand strength.

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership Advancement: Potential to grow into a more senior creative leadership role, such as Creative Director or Head of Brand Design, overseeing larger teams and broader strategic initiatives.

• Specialization: Opportunity to deepen expertise in performance marketing creative, AI-driven design, or specific channel optimization (e.g., paid social creative strategy).

• Cross-Functional Influence: Developing stronger relationships and influence across Growth, Marketing, and Product teams, potentially leading to roles with broader GTM strategy involvement.

• Process Optimization Leadership: Leading initiatives to further refine and scale creative operations, automation, and system implementation.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers a unique path for designers who want to build leadership skills while remaining deeply involved in the creative process. The emphasis on performance metrics and GTM integration means growth opportunities are likely tied to demonstrable business impact.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: On-site/Hybrid. The role requires 3-4 days per week in the Milwaukee headquarters, indicating a collaborative, in-person work environment for a significant portion of the week.

Office Location(s): Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The description mentions a "state-of-the-art HQ in Walkers Point" and a "Photo Studio," suggesting well-equipped facilities designed for creative production and team collaboration.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Atmosphere: The hybrid model and emphasis on cross-functional partnerships suggest a dynamic workspace designed for teamwork and idea exchange.

• Creative Resources: Access to a Photo Studio implies robust resources for content creation, enabling high-quality visual asset development.

• Team Interaction: Working alongside designers, marketing, and growth teams in person facilitates rapid communication, feedback loops, and spontaneous collaboration crucial for fast-paced creative work.

Work Schedule: Full-time, salaried position with a hybrid work arrangement. While core hours likely exist, the mention of "flexible schedules" suggests some adaptability, particularly for the remote days, allowing operations professionals to manage their time effectively around data analysis and creative tasks.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid nature of the role is a key aspect. Candidates should be comfortable with regular in-office presence for collaboration and team synergy, while also valuing the flexibility offered for remote work. The presence of a dedicated Photo Studio is a significant advantage for creative operations.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Likely involves a review of your resume and portfolio by a recruiter or hiring manager to assess basic qualifications and creative fit.

• Portfolio Presentation & Discussion: Expect to present your portfolio, focusing on case studies that demonstrate your leadership, hands-on design skills, and impact on business metrics. Be prepared to discuss your process, challenges, and how you leverage data and AI.

• Team/Cross-Functional Interviews: Interviews with other designers, the Content Director, and potentially members of the Growth or Marketing teams to assess collaboration style, communication skills, and alignment with company values.

• Skills Assessment/Creative Challenge: A potential short creative challenge or a deep dive into a specific problem-solving scenario related to performance creative or team management.

• Final Round: May involve higher-level leadership to discuss strategic alignment and overall fit.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Quantify Everything: For each case study, clearly state the objective, your role, the creative solution, the testing methodology, and the quantifiable results (e.g., "Increased conversion rate by 15%," "Reduced cost per acquisition by 10%").

• Show, Don't Just Tell: Use strong visuals for your creative examples. For performance creative, consider showing variations tested and highlight the winning elements.

• Highlight Leadership & Process: Clearly articulate your management style, how you develop designers, and the systems/processes you've implemented to improve team efficiency and output.

• Address AI Integration: Be ready to discuss how you've used or plan to use AI tools in your creative workflow and how you ensure quality and brand integrity in AI-assisted work.

• Tailor to Wantable: Research Wantable's current branding and marketing efforts. Be prepared to discuss how your experience and style align with their aesthetic and performance goals.

Challenge Preparation:

• Performance Creative Scenarios: Practice developing creative concepts and testing strategies for common e-commerce/DTC objectives (e.g., increasing sign-ups, driving sales for a specific product category, improving email engagement).

• Team Management Scenarios: Prepare to discuss how you would handle common team challenges, such as prioritizing competing requests, providing constructive feedback, or motivating a team.

• Data Interpretation: Be ready to discuss how you interpret performance data and translate it into actionable creative insights.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on a portfolio review for a Design Manager role underscores the importance of tangible results. Candidates should prepare to discuss not only their creative vision but also their operational approach to managing creative output and demonstrating ROI.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Adobe Creative Suite: Essential for all graphic design, photo editing, and layout work (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign).

• Figma: Critical for UI/UX design, prototyping, and collaborative design workflows, especially for web and landing page creative.

• Video/Motion Tools: Proficiency in lightweight content creation tools for motion graphics, video editing, or animation is preferred. Examples might include Adobe After Effects, Premiere Pro, or similar.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Performance Marketing Platforms: Familiarity with platforms like Facebook Ads Manager, Google Ads, email marketing platforms (e.g., Klaviyo, Mailchimp), and potentially analytics tools like Google Analytics to understand creative performance metrics.

• Data Visualization Tools: While not explicitly mentioned, experience with tools like Tableau, Looker, or even advanced Excel/Google Sheets for interpreting and presenting performance data is beneficial.

CRM & Automation:

• CRM Systems: Understanding how creative integrates with CRM data is valuable, though direct CRM management might not be the primary focus.

• Marketing Automation Platforms: Experience with platforms used for email and lifecycle marketing is relevant, as the role involves creating assets for these channels.

AI & Emerging Tools:

• AI Creative Tools: Explicitly mentioned as a requirement. Candidates should be prepared to discuss experience with AI tools for image generation, text generation, ideation, or workflow automation (e.g., Midjourney, DALL-E, ChatGPT, Jasper.ai, or similar).

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in core design software (Adobe Suite, Figma) is non-negotiable. The integration of AI tools signifies a move towards more efficient and innovative creative operations, requiring candidates to be adaptable and forward-thinking in their toolset.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• High Ownership: Expectation that individuals take responsibility for their work and its impact, driving initiatives forward independently.

• Results-Oriented: A strong focus on achieving measurable business outcomes, with creative work directly linked to performance metrics and financial goals.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Creative judgment is sharpened by data analysis, experimentation, and understanding customer behavior.

• Speed & Agility: A culture that values moving fast, iterating quickly, and making decisions without excessive bureaucracy or lengthy approval processes.

• Collaboration & Resourcefulness: Working effectively with cross-functional teams and finding creative solutions to challenges.

• Craftsmanship & Taste: Balancing efficiency and speed with a commitment to high-quality design and brand integrity.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: The role demands seamless collaboration with Growth, Marketing, Lifecycle, and Studio teams, requiring clear communication and a shared understanding of objectives.

• Iterative Feedback Loops: A culture where feedback is actively sought, given constructively, and used to improve creative work rapidly.

• Low Bureaucracy: Emphasis on direct communication and decision-making, avoiding unnecessary layers of approval or committees.

• Shared Impact: A collective focus on driving business success through integrated efforts across different departments.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture appears to value proactive, results-driven individuals who can operate independently yet collaborate effectively. The blend of creative passion with analytical rigor is a key cultural indicator for this role.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Speed and Quality: Managing a high volume of creative requests while maintaining brand standards and ensuring effectiveness requires careful prioritization and process optimization.

• Quantifying Creative Impact: Clearly demonstrating the ROI of creative initiatives, especially in a data-driven environment, requires robust tracking and analytical skills.

• Integrating AI Effectively: Successfully incorporating AI tools into existing workflows while maintaining human oversight and ensuring output meets brand and quality standards.

• Leading a Small, Hands-On Team: Effectively coaching and developing designers while remaining an active contributor requires strong time management and delegation skills.

• Adapting to Evolving Trends: Staying ahead of design trends, performance marketing best practices, and emerging technologies in a fast-paced industry.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Performance Creative: Deepen expertise in A/B testing methodologies, conversion rate optimization (CRO) through creative, and performance analytics for various channels.

• AI in Design: Explore and master new AI tools and platforms that can revolutionize creative production and ideation.

• Leadership & People Management: Develop advanced skills in team leadership, talent development, and fostering a high-performing creative culture.

• Cross-Functional Strategy: Gain deeper insights into broader GTM strategies, marketing operations, and business objectives by working closely with other departments.

• Brand Strategy: Contribute to evolving the Wantable brand's visual identity and messaging across all customer touchpoints.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are common in high-growth, performance-focused creative roles. Embracing these challenges as opportunities for skill development and process improvement will be crucial for success and growth.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you led a design team to achieve a significant business outcome. What was your approach, and what were the results?" (Focus on leadership, strategy, and quantifiable impact.)

• "How do you balance creative vision with performance data? Walk me through a specific example where data informed a creative decision that improved results." (Highlight data literacy and iterative process.)

• "Imagine we need to launch a new campaign for X product category with a tight deadline. How would you prioritize creative tasks, delegate to your team, and ensure quality across multiple channels?" (Assess prioritization, delegation, and workflow management.)

• "What are your thoughts on using AI in creative production? How would you integrate it into your team's workflow at Wantable, and what are the potential pitfalls?" (Demonstrate forward-thinking approach and critical judgment.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "What excites you about Wantable's brand and business model?" (Show research and genuine interest.)

• "How do you foster a culture of ownership and accountability within a design team?" (Relate to company values.)

• "Describe your experience working in a hybrid environment. How do you ensure effective collaboration and communication with both remote and in-office team members?" (Address work arrangement.)

• "Wantable values 'results over pedigree.' How does this resonate with your own approach to design and leadership?" (Align with company philosophy.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure: Organize your presentation logically, perhaps by case study or by skill/channel. Start with a strong overview of your role and impact.

• Storytelling: For each case study, tell a compelling story: the problem, your strategic approach, the creative execution, the testing process, and the measurable results. Use clear visuals.

• Quantify Impact: Always tie your work back to business metrics. Be ready to discuss ROI, CAC, conversion rates, etc.

• Discuss Process & Tools: Explain your design process, how you collaborate, and how you leverage tools like Adobe Suite, Figma, and AI.

• Address Leadership: Clearly articulate your role in leading the team, providing feedback, and managing projects.

• Prepare for Q&A: Anticipate questions about your decision-making process, challenges, and how you handle feedback.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating a blend of creative talent, leadership capability, operational efficiency, and a strong understanding of how design drives business performance. Quantifiable achievements and a clear articulation of process will be key differentiators.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this operations position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Workable.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 key case studies that best showcase your leadership, hands-on design skills, performance marketing impact, and experience with AI tools. Ensure each case study clearly outlines the objective, your role, the creative solution, the testing methodology, and quantifiable results.

• Optimize Your Resume: Tailor your resume to highlight experience in e-commerce, DTC, performance creative, team management, and proficiency with Adobe Creative Suite and Figma. Use keywords from the job description and quantify achievements wherever possible (e.g., "Managed a team of 3 designers, increasing creative output by 20%").

• Prepare Your Narrative: Practice articulating your experience, leadership style, and creative process. Be ready to discuss specific examples of how you've used data to improve creative, managed a team, and leveraged AI tools. Rehearse your portfolio walkthrough.

• Research Wantable: Thoroughly understand Wantable's brand, target audience, business model, and current marketing efforts. Prepare thoughtful questions about the role, team, and company culture.

⚠️ 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.