Brand + Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Brand + Product Designer

Company: Sharing Excess

Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Creative & Media / Art & Design

Date Posted: January 14, 2026

Experience Level: Early to Mid-Career (2-5 years)

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the comprehensive brand design strategy and execution for Sharing Excess, ensuring a consistent and impactful visual identity across all touchpoints.

• Own and evolve the user experience and visual design of the critical SE Food Rescue App, collaborating with engineers to implement UI improvements and new features.

• Develop and maintain a robust design system that supports both brand consistency and product usability, serving as a foundational element for future design initiatives.

• Create high-quality, engaging marketing and communication assets to support fundraising, awareness campaigns, and overall organizational outreach.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a hybrid Brand and Product Designer, indicating a need for versatility. The emphasis on leading brand design and owning the app's design suggests a significant level of autonomy and strategic input, fitting an early to mid-career professional ready to take ownership. The reporting structure to the CTO implies a strong connection to the technology and product development side of the organization.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Spearhead all brand design initiatives, ensuring a cohesive, recognizable, and high-caliber creative output that aligns with Sharing Excess's mission and values.

• Manage the end-to-end design process for the SE Food Rescue App, from user interface (UI) enhancements to supporting the development of new product features in collaboration with the tech team.

• Drive the visual design evolution of sharingexcess.com, working closely with technical partners to translate design concepts into functional and aesthetically pleasing web experiences.

• Architect, build, and meticulously maintain a comprehensive design system to standardize brand elements and product components, promoting efficiency and consistency across all digital platforms.

• Produce a wide range of marketing assets, including social media graphics, campaign collateral, fundraising materials, and presentation decks, tailored to diverse stakeholder needs.

• Empower cross-functional teams by developing and distributing reusable design templates and brand resources, fostering a culture of design consistency and efficiency.

• Collaborate closely with engineers and key stakeholders to translate strategic objectives and user needs into intuitive, polished, and effective design solutions.

• Actively participate in weekly Tech team meetings, contributing insights and design expertise to ongoing product development cycles and strategic discussions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities clearly outline a dual focus on brand identity and product design. The emphasis on "leading" brand work and "managing" app design, coupled with "owning and evolving" the website's design, points to a role with significant responsibility and ownership. The creation of a design system is a key strategic output expected from this role.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is listed as required, a Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design, Interaction Design, Human-Computer Interaction, or a related field is typically expected for roles of this nature. Equivalent practical experience will also be considered.

Experience: 2-5 years of professional experience in design, with a strong emphasis on both brand identity and digital product design. This includes experience in fast-paced, high-growth environments.

Required Skills:

• Proven expertise in Brand Design, including visual identity development, brand guidelines, and creative asset creation.

• Demonstrated experience in Product Design, specifically for digital products or mobile applications, with a focus on UI/UX principles.

• Ability to conceptualize and produce compelling Marketing Content and Brand Assets for various channels.

• A robust Portfolio showcasing a diverse range of work in brand design, product/UI design, and marketing content creation.

• Deep proficiency in Figma, including advanced skills in building and managing Design Systems, components, and variant workflows.

• Working knowledge of the Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign).

• Strong Communication and Collaboration skills, essential for working effectively with cross-functional teams and stakeholders.

Preferred Skills:

• Background in UI/UX Design with a deeper understanding of user research methodologies and interaction design principles.

• Experience with UX Research and translating user insights into design solutions.

• Graphic Design experience that extends to both print and digital mediums.

• Familiarity with Web Development concepts, particularly with tools like Webflow, or a foundational understanding of HTML/CSS.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirements list highlights a blend of creative and technical design skills. The specific mention of Figma and design systems points to a modern, component-based design approach. The "It's Amazing If You Also Have" section suggests areas where candidates can differentiate themselves, particularly in UX research and web development familiarity, which are valuable for a tech-focused non-profit.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase a minimum of 2-3 distinct projects demonstrating comprehensive Brand Design work, including logo development, style guides, and campaign visuals.

• Include at least 1-2 projects detailing Product Design experience, specifically for digital applications or websites, highlighting UI/UX flows, wireframes, and high-fidelity mockups.

• Present examples of Marketing Content creation, such as social graphics, ad creatives, or collateral designed for campaigns or fundraising efforts.

• Demonstrate experience in building or contributing to a Design System, illustrating component libraries, usage guidelines, and the impact on consistency and efficiency.

Process Documentation:

• Ability to document design processes, from user research and ideation through to final design implementation and iteration.

• Experience in creating and maintaining design system documentation for easy adoption by development and marketing teams.

• Capacity to articulate design choices and their rationale, supporting the development of new features and brand initiatives.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a design role, a portfolio is paramount. The emphasis here is on demonstrating breadth (brand, product, marketing) and depth (design systems, process). The ability to document processes is crucial for a role that needs to empower other teams and maintain consistency.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $70,000 - $90,000 annually, determined by location and candidate experience.

Benefits:

• Unlimited Paid Time Off (PTO): Offers flexibility and encourages work-life balance.

• Fully Covered Health Benefits: Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance with 100% premium coverage by the company.

• 401(k) with Company Match: Provides financial planning support for long-term savings.

• 6-8 Week Paid Family Leave: Supports employees during significant life events.

• Flexible Work-From-Home Schedule: Allows for a hybrid work model, balancing in-office collaboration with remote flexibility.

• Employee Stipends:

  • Wellness Stipend: For health and fitness expenses, promoting employee well-being.
  • Technology Coverage: Reimbursement for cell phone and internet expenses, supporting remote work capabilities.

• Professional Development Support: Encourages continuous learning and skill enhancement.

• Onsite Team Retreats & Gatherings: Fosters team cohesion and collaboration.

• Company Merch: A perk to build team spirit and brand advocacy.

Working Hours: The role implies a standard full-time workload, likely around 40 hours per week, with flexibility offered through the hybrid work schedule.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is competitive for an early to mid-career designer in a major metropolitan area like Philadelphia. The benefits package is exceptionally strong, particularly the fully covered health insurance and generous paid family leave, indicating a company that invests heavily in employee well-being. The unlimited PTO and flexible WFH schedule align with a modern, employee-centric work environment.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Food & Beverage / Social Services / Technology. Sharing Excess operates at the intersection of logistics, technology, and social impact, leveraging innovative solutions to combat food waste and hunger.

Company Size: While not explicitly stated, the description of operating "across the country" and moving "2 million pounds of food every week" suggests a rapidly growing organization with a significant operational footprint, likely in the small to medium-sized business (SMB) category, with potential for rapid scaling. The mention of a "high-growth startup" mentality further supports this.

Founded: The company started as a "student startup," implying a relatively recent founding, likely within the last 5-10 years, characterized by agility and rapid evolution.

Team Structure:

• The Brand + Product Designer reports directly to the CTO, indicating a strong integration with the technology and product development teams.

• This role has no direct reports, positioning it as an individual contributor role focused on execution and design leadership within its domain.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Design: Leveraging data from the SE Tech Team (Analysts) to inform product design decisions and measure the impact of design changes.

• Agile Product Development: Participating in weekly Tech team meetings suggests an agile approach to product development, with iterative design and feedback loops.

• Brand Consistency: A core focus on maintaining brand integrity across all communications and digital platforms, supported by a central design system.

• Startup Mentality: Operating with speed, creativity, and a high degree of ownership, typical of high-growth organizations.

Company Website: http://sharingexcess.com

📝 Enhancement Note: The culture is described as fast-paced, mission-driven, and entrepreneurial. The hybrid nature of the role and the strong emphasis on collaboration with tech, marketing, and operations teams suggest a dynamic and integrated work environment. The company's rapid growth and significant impact (food rescue) are central to its identity and appeal.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as an early to mid-career Individual Contributor with significant design leadership responsibilities within its domain. The expectation to "lead brand design," "own and evolve" product interfaces, and "build and maintain a design system" indicates a level of autonomy and strategic contribution beyond junior roles. It's a foundational position for a designer looking to shape the visual and product identity of a growing organization.

Reporting Structure: Reporting to the CTO provides direct exposure to technology strategy and product vision. Close collaboration with the Head of Marketing, Chief Impact Officer, and COO ensures a holistic understanding of organizational goals and cross-functional alignment.

Operations Impact: The designer's work directly impacts the organization's ability to communicate its mission effectively, engage users with its digital platforms (app and website), and support fundraising efforts. High-quality brand and product design are critical for building trust, driving adoption, and scaling the organization's impact.

Growth Opportunities:

• Design Leadership: Potential to grow into a Senior Designer or Design Lead role as the organization scales, potentially managing junior designers or specialized design functions.

• Product Strategy Influence: Deeper involvement in product roadmap discussions and strategic design planning as familiarity with the organization's technology and user base grows.

• Specialization: Opportunity to develop deeper expertise in either brand strategy or product design, depending on career interests and organizational needs.

• Cross-Functional Expertise: Gaining valuable experience working across marketing, operations, and technology, fostering a well-rounded understanding of a growing non-profit's ecosystem.

• Impactful Portfolio Building: Contributing to a mission-driven organization and developing high-visibility projects (app, website, national campaigns) that significantly enhance a professional portfolio.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers significant growth potential for a designer who thrives in a startup environment. The opportunity to build foundational design systems and influence brand and product direction from an early stage is a key differentiator for career development.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is advertised as "Remote or Hybrid," offering flexibility. Given the location in Philadelphia, it suggests potential for an office presence in that area, but the company explicitly supports remote or hybrid arrangements.

Office Location(s): Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Specifics about office facilities or co-working arrangements for hybrid employees are not detailed but can be inferred to be in the Philadelphia area.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The role requires close collaboration with engineers, marketing, and leadership, necessitating effective communication tools and potentially scheduled in-office days for hybrid employees.

• Technology & Tools: Access to industry-standard design software (Figma, Adobe Creative Suite) is expected. The company also uses Webflow for its website, suggesting a modern tech stack.

• Team Interaction: Opportunities for interaction will occur through regular team meetings (Tech team), cross-functional project collaborations, and potential onsite retreats/gatherings.

Work Schedule: A standard full-time schedule is implied, with flexibility offered through the hybrid work-from-home option. This allows for structured workdays while accommodating personal needs and promoting a healthy work-life balance.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid nature of the role is a significant perk, offering flexibility. The emphasis on collaboration suggests that even for remote employees, active engagement through digital channels will be crucial.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Review of resume and portfolio to assess alignment with required skills and experience.

• Portfolio Presentation & Discussion: Candidates will likely be asked to present their portfolio, walking through key projects, design process, and decision-making rationale. This is a critical stage for evaluating design thinking and communication skills.

• Skills Assessment/Challenge: Potentially a design challenge or case study focused on brand application or a product design problem relevant to Sharing Excess's mission.

• Team/Stakeholder Interviews: Interviews with the CTO, Head of Marketing, and potentially other key team members to assess cultural fit, collaboration style, and strategic thinking.

• Final Interview: Likely with senior leadership to discuss overall fit and alignment with organizational goals.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 3-5 of your strongest projects that best represent your brand design, product design, and marketing asset creation capabilities. Ensure variety and impact.

• Showcase Process: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your role, your design process (research, ideation, iteration), key challenges, and the final outcomes/impact. Use visuals effectively.

• Highlight Design System Work: If you have experience building or contributing to design systems, dedicate specific slides or sections to illustrate your understanding of component-based design and its benefits.

• Demonstrate Brand Application: For brand projects, show how your designs translate across different mediums and marketing materials.

• Quantify Impact: Where possible, include metrics or qualitative feedback that demonstrate the success of your designs (e.g., increased engagement, improved conversion rates, positive user feedback).

• Tailor to Sharing Excess: Consider how your work aligns with a mission-driven organization and the specific needs outlined in the job description (e.g., app design, website, marketing collateral).

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Mission: Familiarize yourself thoroughly with Sharing Excess's mission, its operations, and its target audience.

• Brand Consistency: Practice applying a given brand identity to various assets or scenarios.

• Product Thinking: Be prepared to discuss user-centered design principles and how you would approach a specific product feature or UI improvement for their app.

• Problem-Solving: Anticipate problems related to food waste, logistics, or community engagement and how design can offer solutions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio is the central piece of the application for this role. Candidates should prepare to not just show their work but to articulate the strategic thinking and process behind it. The interview process will likely focus on assessing both design craft and the ability to operate within a fast-paced, mission-driven environment.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: The core tool for UI/UX design, prototyping, and design system management. Proficiency expected for building and maintaining component libraries and design workflows.

• Adobe Creative Suite: Essential for graphic design, photo editing, and creating marketing assets. Specific applications like Photoshop, Illustrator, and potentially InDesign will be utilized.

Analytics & Reporting:

CRM & Automation:

• Not directly applicable to the designer's core toolset, but understanding how design assets are used in marketing automation or CRM contexts (e.g., email templates) could be a plus.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of Figma and Adobe Creative Suite is critical. Candidates should be prepared to discuss their experience with these tools in detail, especially regarding design system implementation within Figma.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Mission-Driven: A deep commitment to Saving Food and Feeding Communities is paramount. All design work should align with and amplify this core mission.

• Excellence & High Standards: The organization operates "like a high-growth startup" and seeks individuals who can "deliver with excellence" and "raise the bar." This implies a drive for quality and continuous improvement in all aspects, including design.

• Creativity & Innovation: The role requires creative problem-solving and the ability to "think creatively" to bring the brand to life and design intuitive product experiences.

• Collaboration & Ownership: A strong emphasis on working together across departments while taking individual responsibility for design outcomes.

• Impact-Focused: Design decisions should be geared towards maximizing the organization's positive impact on food insecurity and waste.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: The designer will work closely with engineers, marketing, operations, and leadership, requiring strong interpersonal skills and the ability to translate needs between different functional areas.

• Feedback & Iteration: A willingness to receive and incorporate feedback is essential, given the fast-paced startup environment and the iterative nature of design.

• Proactive Communication: Given the hybrid/remote aspect, clear and proactive communication through digital channels will be key to successful collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The culture is a blend of startup agility, mission-driven purpose, and a focus on high performance. Designers who are passionate about the cause and can thrive in a dynamic, collaborative setting will be a strong fit.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Brand & Product: Effectively integrating a strong brand identity with user-centric product design for both the app and website.

• Rapid Growth Environment: Adapting design practices and systems to keep pace with the organization's rapid scaling and evolving needs.

• Resource Constraints: As a non-profit, potentially working with limited resources, requiring creative problem-solving and efficient design execution.

• Cross-Functional Alignment: Ensuring design vision aligns with diverse stakeholder priorities and technical capabilities.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Design System Maturity: Opportunity to build and mature a design system from its foundational stages, gaining significant expertise.

• Product Strategy Involvement: Deeper engagement in product roadmap and feature development, expanding strategic design capabilities.

• Brand Evolution: Playing a key role in shaping and evolving the visual identity of a rapidly growing national organization.

• Cross-Disciplinary Learning: Gaining exposure to technology, marketing, operations, and impact measurement within a mission-driven context.

• Professional Development Support: Access to resources for skill enhancement, potentially including courses, workshops, or conference attendance.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are typical for a designer in a growing organization, offering significant opportunities for professional growth and skill development. The chance to build foundational systems is a major draw for ambitious designers.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "How would you approach building a design system from scratch for an organization like Sharing Excess?" (Focus on process, component strategy, and collaboration with engineering).

• "Describe a time you had to balance competing stakeholder needs in a design project. How did you reach a resolution?" (Assess collaboration and problem-solving).

• "Imagine we want to design a new feature for the SE Food Rescue App to increase volunteer engagement. What would be your initial design process?" (Evaluate product thinking, user-centered approach, and problem-solving).

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What excites you most about Sharing Excess's mission and how do you see your design work contributing to it?" (Gauge passion and alignment).

• "Describe your experience working in a fast-paced, startup-like environment. How do you adapt to change and ambiguity?" (Assess cultural fit and adaptability).

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Start with Impact: Begin by highlighting 1-2 of your most impactful projects that directly relate to brand and product design.

• Tell a Story: For each project, guide the interviewer through the problem, your process, your role, key decisions, and the results. Use visuals to support your narrative.

• Showcase Design System Thinking: Clearly explain your approach to building or using design systems, demonstrating your understanding of modular design and scalability.

• Connect to Sharing Excess: Explicitly draw parallels between your past work and the needs of Sharing Excess, showing how your skills can directly benefit the organization.

• Be Ready for Technical Questions: Anticipate questions about your proficiency in Figma, Adobe Suite, and any familiarity with web development tools.

Challenge Preparation:

• Brand Application Exercise: Be ready to take the existing Sharing Excess brand guidelines (or a provided brief) and create a sample social media graphic or a simple marketing asset.

• UI/UX Problem: You might be given a scenario for the app (e.g., improving a specific user flow) and asked to sketch out wireframes or a high-level concept.

• Design System Component: You could be asked to design a new interactive component for a design system based on defined requirements.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating both design craft and strategic thinking, with a clear emphasis on how the candidate's skills can directly contribute to Sharing Excess's mission and growth. The portfolio presentation is a critical opportunity to showcase this.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Brand + Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Sharing Excess's careers page.

• Portfolio Customization: Ensure your portfolio prominently features projects demonstrating strong brand design, product design (app/web UI/UX), and marketing asset creation. Tailor your project descriptions to highlight your process, problem-solving, and impact, especially relating to design systems and cross-functional collaboration.

• Resume Optimization: Update your resume to emphasize keywords and responsibilities from the job description, such as "Brand Design," "Product Design," "Figma," "Design Systems," "UI/UX," and "Marketing Content." Quantify achievements wherever possible.

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design process, presenting your portfolio confidently, and preparing responses to potential strategy, behavioral, and company-culture questions. Research Sharing Excess's mission and recent work.

• Company Research: Thoroughly understand Sharing Excess's mission, values, and recent initiatives. Be prepared to discuss how your design philosophy aligns with their goal of saving food and feeding communities.

⚠️ 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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