Graphic Designer at Behindthechair.com Inc

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Graphic Designer

Company: Behindthechair.com Inc

Location: Lombard, IL, US

Job Type: Full Time

Category: Marketing Operations / Creative Operations

Date Posted: 2026-09-16

Experience Level: Mid-Level (2-5 years)

Remote Status: Remote OK

🚀 Role Summary

Design and execute visually compelling creative assets for social media platforms, digital advertising campaigns, and email marketing initiatives to support global beauty brands.
Collaborate closely with Social Media, Paid Media, and Account Management teams to translate campaign objectives into engaging visual content that resonates with a professional beauty audience.
Develop brand-aligned creative for influencer marketing programs, including bespoke beauty box designs and promotional materials for leading haircare brands.
Contribute to the visual identity of client campaigns through the creation of print collateral, product packaging concepts, event branding, and logo design.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the job title is "Graphic Designer," the description emphasizes collaboration with "Operations & The BTC Show" reporting and the need to support "Social & Advertising Teams." This suggests a role that bridges creative execution with operational efficiency and cross-functional team alignment, aligning it with a Marketing Operations or Creative Operations function, particularly in a fast-paced digital media environment. The remote aspect, coupled with a salary range typical for mid-level professionals, indicates a focus on attracting skilled individuals who can work autonomously and deliver high-quality results within a distributed team structure.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

Conceptualize and design a wide range of digital assets, including organic and paid social media graphics for platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, ensuring brand consistency and platform optimization.
Develop high-converting email campaign designs and potentially build them using relevant email marketing platforms, focusing on clear calls-to-action and modern aesthetic appeal.
Create impactful digital ad creatives and paid social content for client activations, adhering to specifications and strategic direction from the Paid Media Manager.
Design influencer box kits for product sampling campaigns, ensuring visually appealing and on-brand presentation for brands such as Redken, Matrix, Paul Mitchell, and Olaplex.
Produce print collateral, event branding elements, and logos, demonstrating versatility across both digital and traditional design mediums.
Translate creative briefs and campaign strategies into visually engaging designs that effectively communicate brand messaging to hairdressers worldwide.
Maintain a strong understanding of current design trends in the beauty and digital marketing space to ensure creative output remains fresh and relevant.
Collaborate effectively with internal stakeholders, including the Social Media Associate, Paid Media Manager, account managers, editorial team, and CEO/Founder, to ensure cohesive project execution.
Manage and prioritize multiple design projects simultaneously, ensuring timely delivery of assets for both social and advertising teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a need for an operations-minded designer who can manage multiple client demands and internal team requests. The emphasis on "high-converting email campaigns" and "paid social creative" points to a need for designs that are not just aesthetically pleasing but also drive measurable business outcomes, a key characteristic of operations-focused roles.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.

Experience: 3–5 years of professional experience in digital and print graphic design, with a strong portfolio showcasing relevant work.

Required Skills:

Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite: Expert-level skills in Illustrator, InDesign, and Photoshop are essential for creating high-quality digital and print assets.
Digital Design Expertise: Proven experience designing for social media platforms (Instagram, Facebook, TikTok), digital banner ads, and paid social campaigns.
Email Campaign Design: Ability to design visually appealing and effective email marketing creatives, with an understanding of best practices for engagement.
Typography, Branding, and Layout: Strong conceptual thinking with a keen eye for typography, brand consistency, and effective layout composition.
Print Design Capabilities: Experience in designing for print materials, event branding, and potentially product packaging.
Basic HTML/CSS: Fundamental knowledge for web and email design implementation, ensuring designs translate correctly across digital platforms.
Organization and Time Management: Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects, prioritize tasks, and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
Communication Skills: Excellent verbal and written communication skills for effective collaboration with cross-functional teams and stakeholders.
Problem-Solving: Ability to interpret creative briefs and translate them into effective visual solutions.

Preferred Skills:

UX/UI Design Tools: Experience with Figma, Sketch, or similar tools for potential UI/UX considerations in digital assets.
Email Marketing Platforms: Familiarity with platforms like Klaviyo, Mailchimp, or HubSpot for designing and potentially deploying email campaigns.
Canva Proficiency: Experience with Canva for rapid content creation or collaboration with less design-intensive team members.
Dreamweaver: Experience with Adobe Dreamweaver for web design and development tasks.
Adobe Express: Proficiency in Adobe Express for quick social media asset creation and content generation.
Passion for Beauty Industry: A genuine interest in beauty, hair care, and the professional salon industry.

📝 Enhancement Note: The inclusion of "Adobe Express" and "Dreamweaver" alongside core Adobe Suite tools, and the preference for "Figma, Sketch," "Canva," and specific email platforms, suggests an expectation for a designer who is not only a creative talent but also technically versatile and efficient, capable of leveraging various tools to streamline workflow and output.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

Demonstrated Versatility: Showcase a range of work across social media graphics, digital ads, email campaigns, print collateral, and branding elements.
Brand Consistency Case Studies: Include examples of how you've maintained brand integrity across multiple assets and platforms for different clients or internal campaigns.
Campaign Effectiveness Examples: Highlight designs that demonstrate a clear understanding of campaign objectives and contributed to measurable results (e.g., high engagement rates, click-through rates, conversions).
Process Documentation: Briefly describe your design process for a typical project, from brief to final asset delivery, emphasizing how you ensure quality and efficiency.

Process Documentation:

Design Workflow: Outline your typical workflow for receiving a design request, developing concepts, iterating based on feedback, and delivering final assets.
Collaboration Integration: Explain how you integrate feedback from multiple stakeholders (e.g., Social Media Associate, Paid Media Manager, Sr. Manager of Operations) into your design process.
Asset Management: Describe your approach to organizing and managing design files for easy retrieval and future use.
Tool Utilization: Provide examples of how you leverage specific design tools (Adobe Creative Suite, Figma, etc.) to optimize your workflow and output quality.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a role supporting both social and advertising teams, a portfolio should ideally demonstrate an understanding of performance-driven design. This means showcasing not just aesthetics but also how design choices contribute to campaign goals, a crucial aspect for operations-focused creative roles.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $55,000 - $70,000 annually.

Explanation: This range is based on the provided salary data and is typical for a mid-level Graphic Designer with 3-5 years of experience in the US market, particularly in a remote role that requires specialized skills in digital and print design for marketing and advertising. The final compensation will be determined by the candidate's specific experience, qualifications, and alignment with the role's requirements.

Benefits:

Comprehensive Health Options: Competitive Health, Dental, and Vision insurance plans are available to eligible employees, providing essential medical coverage.
Retirement Savings: Access to retirement benefits with a company match option, supporting long-term financial planning for eligible employees.
Paid Time Off: Generous Paid Vacation and Paid Holidays are provided, ensuring work-life balance and opportunities for rest and rejuvenation.
Remote Work Flexibility: Fully remote position, offering the flexibility to work from home and eliminating the need for daily commutes.
Collaborative Environment: Opportunity to work within a creative, entrepreneurial, and supportive team culture.

Working Hours: Standard full-time working hours are expected, likely around 40 hours per week, with flexibility inherent in a remote role. The ability to manage workload and meet deadlines across different teams will be key.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range provided is directly from the job posting. The benefits listed are standard for full-time roles and are detailed as per the original description. The mention of "options available to eligible employees" for health and retirement benefits is noted.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Media & Digital Publishing (specifically focused on the Professional Beauty Industry).

Company Size: The LinkedIn data indicates a company size of 51-200 employees, suggesting a dynamic and growing organization with established processes but still retaining an agile and entrepreneurial spirit.

Founded: Founded in 2000, Behindthechair.com has over two decades of experience and a strong reputation as the leading online destination for salon professionals. This longevity signifies stability and deep industry expertise.

Team Structure:

Cross-Functional Collaboration: The role is a shared resource, necessitating close collaboration with Social Media, Paid Media, Advertising, and Editorial teams.
Reporting Lines: Reports to the Sr. Manager of Operations & The BTC Show, with creative direction and vision influenced by the CEO and Founder, Mary Rector. This structure implies a blend of operational oversight and strong creative leadership.
Specialized Teams: The company operates specialized teams for social media, paid media, and editorial content, requiring the Graphic Designer to integrate into various project workflows.

Methodology:

Data-Driven Creativity: While creative in nature, the role emphasizes designing "high-converting email campaigns" and "paid social creative," suggesting an approach that blends aesthetic appeal with performance metrics.
Agile Design Process: The need to "juggle multiple projects across two teams" and meet deadlines points to an agile workflow, likely involving iterative feedback loops and efficient asset production.
Brand Empowerment: The company's mission is to "make the lives of hairdressers better," indicating a focus on creating valuable content and tools that empower their audience.

Company Website: https://workforcenow.adp.com/mascsr/default/mdf/recruitment/recruitment.html?cid=5eb1536a-c570-47de-b730-37ffd7084ad9

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's deep roots in the beauty industry and its significant social media presence (millions of followers) indicate a fast-paced, visually driven environment. The "female-owned, female-led" aspect suggests a potentially inclusive and supportive culture. The operations reporting line for a creative role is a key differentiator.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role represents a mid-level position within a creative function, embedded within an operational structure. It's an opportunity for a designer to gain experience in a cross-functional, high-impact environment, working on campaigns for major brands.

Reporting Structure: The Graphic Designer reports to the Sr. Manager of Operations, which is unique for a creative role. This suggests a focus on process, efficiency, and strategic alignment of creative output with business goals, rather than pure artistic freedom. Collaboration is also directed by the CEO/Founder on vision.

Operations Impact: The Graphic Designer's work directly impacts the effectiveness of social media engagement, advertising campaign performance, and brand perception for global beauty clients. By creating compelling visuals, they contribute to lead generation, brand awareness, and client satisfaction, all critical operational outcomes.

Growth Opportunities:

Specialization in Digital Marketing Design: Deepen expertise in designing for social media, paid advertising, and email marketing, becoming a go-to resource for high-performance creative.
Cross-Functional Skill Development: Gain exposure to operations management, project management, and client account management through close collaboration with various teams.
Brand Strategy Exposure: Work directly with leadership on creative vision and strategy for major beauty brands, potentially leading to roles with more strategic creative input.
Portfolio Expansion: Build a robust portfolio with diverse projects for globally recognized brands, enhancing future career prospects in creative or operations roles.
Industry Expertise: Develop specialized knowledge within the dynamic professional beauty industry.

📝 Enhancement Note: The reporting structure to Operations is a significant factor. It suggests that growth might lean towards operationalizing creative processes, managing creative workflows efficiently, or even transitioning into a Creative Operations Manager role in the future, rather than solely advancing up a traditional design hierarchy.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: This is a fully remote position, offering the flexibility to work from home. The company also notes potential travel to BTC events a few times a year, indicating opportunities for in-person collaboration and networking.

Office Location(s): While the job is listed in Lombard, IL, the "Remote OK" status suggests candidates from across the United States may be considered. The company has a strong online presence and community, implying a digital-first work culture.

Workspace Context:

Digital Collaboration: Expect to utilize various digital collaboration tools (e.g., Slack, project management software) for communication and workflow management.
Creative Tools Access: Access to essential design software (Adobe Creative Suite) is a prerequisite, with potential for other collaborative design tools.
Team Interaction: While remote, regular interaction with the Sr. Manager of Operations, Social Media Associate, Paid Media Manager, and other team members is expected through virtual meetings and project discussions.

Work Schedule: This is a full-time role, likely requiring a commitment of approximately 40 hours per week. While remote, adherence to project deadlines and availability for team collaboration during core business hours will be important. The dynamic nature of social media and advertising may occasionally require responsiveness outside of standard hours.

📝 Enhancement Note: The remote nature of the role, combined with occasional travel for events, offers a blended work environment. Candidates should be comfortable with self-management and digital communication tools, while also being open to in-person engagement when required.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

Initial Screening: Likely a review of your resume and portfolio to assess qualifications and creative capabilities.
Creative Assessment: A portfolio review session where you'll present your work, discuss your design process, and explain how your designs align with campaign objectives. Be prepared to articulate your creative thinking and problem-solving approach.
Skills-Based Challenge: Potentially a design exercise or case study related to social media, digital ads, or email campaigns for a beauty brand. Focus on demonstrating your ability to meet specific creative briefs and operational requirements.
Team/Manager Interviews: Meetings with the Sr. Manager of Operations and potentially other team members (e.g., Social Media Associate, Paid Media Manager) to evaluate your collaboration style, communication skills, and cultural fit.
Final Interview: Likely with leadership (e.g., CEO/Founder Mary Rector) to discuss creative vision, strategic alignment, and overall suitability for the role and company culture.

Portfolio Review Tips:

Curate Strategically: Select 3-5 of your strongest projects that best represent the skills required for this role (social, digital ads, email, branding).
Showcase Process: For each project, briefly explain the brief, your design process, the tools used, and the outcome or impact of your design. Highlight how you collaborated with others.
Quantify Results: If possible, include metrics or results related to your designs (e.g., engagement rates, conversion lifts). This demonstrates an operations-minded approach.
Tailor to Beauty: If you have experience in the beauty or lifestyle industry, ensure those pieces are prominently featured.
Technical Skills: Be ready to discuss your proficiency with Adobe Creative Suite and any other relevant software mentioned in the job description.

Challenge Preparation:

Understand the Audience: Research Behindthechair.com's brand, their target audience (hairdressers), and the types of brands they work with (global haircare).
Focus on Objectives: For any hypothetical design challenge, focus on how your design will meet the specific campaign goals (e.g., drive clicks, increase brand awareness, promote a new product).
Efficiency: Demonstrate an understanding of efficient design practices, especially if the challenge involves creating multiple assets or working within tight constraints.
Articulate Rationale: Be prepared to clearly explain the reasoning behind your design choices and how they support the brand and objectives.

📝 Enhancement Note: The reporting structure to Operations suggests that interviewers will be looking not just for creative talent, but also for an understanding of how design contributes to business objectives and efficient workflows. Emphasizing process and results in your portfolio and during interviews will be critical.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

Adobe Creative Suite: Essential proficiency in Illustrator, InDesign, and Photoshop for all design tasks.
Adobe Express: Preferred for quick social content creation and asset generation.
Dreamweaver: Potentially used for web design and development aspects.
Figma/Sketch: Preferred for UX/UI design considerations and collaborative design workflows.

Analytics & Reporting:

While not a primary design tool, familiarity with how design impacts analytics (e.g., click-through rates on ads, engagement on social posts) is crucial. Understanding basic reporting from social media or ad platforms may be beneficial. CRM & Automation:
Email Marketing Platforms: Familiarity with Klaviyo, Mailchimp, or HubSpot is a bonus, indicating potential involvement in email campaign design and deployment processes.
Canva: A bonus skill, often used for broader team content creation and quick design tasks.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on specific Adobe tools, coupled with the "bonus" skills in Figma, Canva, and email platforms, indicates a need for a designer who is adaptable and proficient across a range of industry-standard and emerging creative technologies, supporting efficient content production.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

Efficiency & Effectiveness: The role's reporting structure to Operations suggests a strong emphasis on delivering high-quality creative assets efficiently and ensuring they achieve desired business outcomes.
Collaboration & Communication: A core value, as the designer is a shared resource needing to work seamlessly with multiple teams and stakeholders.
Data-Driven Approach: While creative, the focus on "high-converting" and "effective" design implies an understanding that creative output should be measurable and contribute to performance metrics.
Passion for Beauty: A stated value, indicating that a genuine interest in the beauty industry and its community is important for cultural fit.
Entrepreneurial Spirit: The company's description highlights an entrepreneurial environment, suggesting a culture that values innovation, proactivity, and ownership.

Collaboration Style:

Cross-Functional Integration: Expect a highly collaborative environment where designers work closely with marketing, social media, and advertising professionals.
Feedback-Oriented: The need to incorporate direction from multiple sources (Sr. Manager of Operations, CEO, team leads) implies a culture where constructive feedback is regularly exchanged.
Proactive Contribution: As a remote team member supporting multiple functions, an initiative to identify design needs and propose solutions will likely be valued.
Visual Storytelling: The company's strong presence in beauty media suggests a culture that values compelling visual narratives and brand storytelling.

📝 Enhancement Note: The blend of creative and operational reporting suggests a culture that values both artistic talent and the ability to execute strategically and efficiently within defined processes.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

Balancing Multiple Demands: Juggling creative requests and priorities from both the Social and Advertising teams, potentially with competing deadlines.
Maintaining Brand Consistency: Ensuring a cohesive visual identity across diverse campaigns and for various global brands, each with its own specific guidelines.
Translating Strategy into Visuals: Effectively interpreting marketing objectives and client needs into compelling designs that drive engagement and conversions.
Remote Collaboration: Navigating communication and project management effectively within a remote team environment, ensuring clarity and alignment.
Staying Current: Keeping up with rapidly evolving design trends, social media platform updates, and beauty industry aesthetics.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

Advanced Design Skills: Opportunities to refine skills in areas like motion graphics, UI/UX design, or advanced email template building.
Marketing Operations Integration: Gain deeper insight into marketing campaign strategy, performance metrics, and operational workflows by working closely with the Sr. Manager of Operations.
Brand Management: Develop a nuanced understanding of brand strategy and client relationship management through work with global beauty brands.
Industry Immersion: Become an expert in the professional beauty industry's visual language and marketing trends.
Portfolio Enhancement: Build a strong portfolio with impactful work for well-known brands, increasing future career mobility.

📝 Enhancement Note: The primary challenge will likely be managing the operational aspects of design requests from multiple teams while maintaining creative excellence, making it an excellent opportunity for growth in both creative execution and operational efficiency.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

"Describe a time you had to balance competing design priorities from different teams. How did you manage your workload and ensure all stakeholders were satisfied?" (Focus on prioritization, communication, and operational workflow.)
"How do you approach designing for a brand you're not intimately familiar with, especially in a competitive industry like beauty?" (Highlight research skills, brand guideline adherence, and concept development.)
"Walk us through your process for designing a high-converting email campaign or a successful social media ad. What elements are crucial for effectiveness?" (Emphasize conversion-focused design principles, A/B testing understanding, and call-to-action strategy.) Company & Culture Questions:
"What interests you most about Behindthechair.com and the beauty industry?" (Show genuine passion and research into the company's mission and community.)
"How do you envision your role contributing to our mission of empowering hairdressers?" (Connect your design skills to the company's core purpose.)
"Describe your ideal remote work environment and how you maintain productivity and collaboration when working from home." (Address self-management, communication tools, and team integration.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:
Tell a Story: For each project, explain the challenge, your creative solution, and the results. Focus on the "why" behind your design decisions.
Highlight Process: Briefly walk through your workflow, emphasizing how you incorporated feedback and ensured brand consistency.
Showcase Versatility: Present a range of work that demonstrates your ability to design for social, digital ads, email, and print.
Quantify Impact: If possible, use data or metrics to illustrate the effectiveness of your designs.
Be Prepared for Technical Questions: Discuss your proficiency with Adobe Creative Suite and any other tools mentioned.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the reporting structure to Operations, interviewers will likely probe your understanding of how design impacts business goals, your ability to manage workflows efficiently, and your collaborative approach. Prepare to discuss your process and results with an operational lens.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Graphic Designer position:

Submit your application through the provided ADP recruitment link.
Tailor Your Resume: Highlight experience in digital and print design, proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite, and any relevant experience with social media, digital ads, or email campaigns. Quantify achievements where possible.
Curate Your Portfolio: Select 3-5 strong projects that showcase your versatility across social media, digital ads, email, and branding. Ensure it demonstrates your design process and, ideally, positive results.
Prepare Your Narrative: Be ready to discuss your design philosophy, your process for handling multiple projects, and your understanding of the beauty industry and its audience.
Research Behindthechair.com: Familiarize yourself with their website, social media presence, and the brands they work with to understand their aesthetic and target audience.

⚠️ 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.

Graphic Designer