Design Manager

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Design Manager

Company: Hammer Media

Location: Austin, Texas, United States

Job Type: Full-Time

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

Date Posted: May 09, 2026

Experience Level: Mid-Senior Level (5-8 Years Experience)

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the visual identity and design operations for a rapidly growing digital media company and its FinTech platform.

• Architect and manage a scalable design system, including Canva Brand Kits and self-service templates, to empower marketing and content teams.

• Drive the creation of high-converting marketing collateral, product UI elements, and brand assets across multiple channels.

• Establish design playbooks and best practices to ensure a consistent and impactful brand presence.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a "founding member" of the creative team, indicating a high degree of autonomy and responsibility for establishing foundational design processes and infrastructure. The emphasis on building a "scalable design engine" and enabling "high velocity" execution suggests a strong focus on operational efficiency within the creative function.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Collaborate with senior marketing and content strategists to conceptualize and execute multi-channel marketing campaigns, ensuring visual coherence and strategic alignment.

• Design and maintain comprehensive Canva Brand Kits and user-friendly "self-service" templates to enable Social Media Managers and Paid Media Managers to produce assets efficiently and accurately.

• Lead the end-to-end creation of all marketing collateral, including performance-driven advertisements, engaging email designs, and professional sales decks for both Hammer Media and the Dollarwise platform.

• Support the Dollarwise product team by designing intuitive in-app visuals, custom iconography, and clear financial education illustrations that enhance user experience and understanding.

• Develop and document official Design Playbooks and Rules of Engagement, setting the standard for visual consistency and quality across all company output, embodying the "founding" visual identity.

• Execute basic video editing and motion graphics for social media clips and advertisements, optimizing production workflows and reducing reliance on external vendors.

• Manage third-party design vendors and overflow contractors, ensuring all external creative deliverables adhere to established internal design systems and brand guidelines.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibility for "Authoring the official Design Playbooks and Rules of Engagement" is a critical component for establishing design governance and scalability, directly impacting operational efficiency and brand consistency. The expectation to handle "basic video editing and motion graphics" indicates a need for a versatile designer capable of streamlining production workflows.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

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

Experience: 5-8 years of proven experience in visual design, creative management, or a related role, preferably within a fast-paced startup or agency environment with a focus on digital media or FinTech.

Required Skills:

• Figma Mastery: Expert proficiency in Figma for creating high-fidelity designs, prototyping, and collaborating on product development.

• Canva for Teams Expertise: Advanced ability to build, manage, and lock down complex brand systems and templates within Canva Teams.

• Visual Design Principles: Strong understanding of typography, color theory, layout, and composition for digital and marketing applications.

• Brand System Development: Proven ability to architect and maintain consistent brand identities and design systems across various platforms and assets.

• Marketing Collateral Creation: Experience designing high-converting ads, email campaigns, social media assets, and sales presentations.

• Founding Mindset: Demonstrated ability to build design functions from the ground up, balancing strategic vision with hands-on execution.

• AI Creative Tool Proficiency: Experience leveraging AI tools such as PhotoAI, ElevenLabs, or similar for creative augmentation and efficiency gains.

Preferred Skills:

• UI/UX Design principles and application.

• Basic video editing and motion graphics capabilities (e.g., Adobe After Effects, Premiere Pro).

• Experience managing freelance designers or small creative teams.

• Understanding of FinTech product design nuances.

• Familiarity with A/B testing principles for creative assets.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit requirement for "Founding Mindset" suggests the company is looking for someone proactive, adaptable, and capable of establishing processes and standards in a less structured environment. Proficiency in both Figma and Canva for Teams indicates a need for a designer who can handle both high-fidelity product design and scalable template creation for marketing teams.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Demonstrate a strong portfolio showcasing a range of visual design projects, with a clear emphasis on digital marketing assets and brand development.

• Include case studies that highlight the successful creation and implementation of scalable design systems, such as Canva Brand Kits or Figma component libraries, and their impact on team efficiency.

• Present examples of high-converting ad creatives, email campaign designs, and sales decks, detailing the strategic thinking and design choices that led to measurable results.

• Showcase experience in product design, including UI elements, iconography, and illustrations, particularly those related to financial education or digital platforms.

Process Documentation:

• Examples of workflow diagrams or process maps illustrating how design requests are managed, prioritized, and executed within a team or organization.

• Documentation of how design systems (e.g., Figma components, Canva templates) are created, maintained, and disseminated to empower non-design stakeholders.

• Case studies detailing the implementation of new design processes or tools and their measurable impact on efficiency, quality, or speed of execution.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "scalable design engine," "Canva Brand Kits," and "self-service templates" means candidates should prepare portfolio examples that explicitly demonstrate their ability to create repeatable design solutions and empower others. Highlighting efficiency gains and measurable results from these systems will be crucial.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on industry benchmarks for a Design Manager with 5-8 years of experience in a high-growth tech/media company in Austin, Texas, the estimated salary range is $95,000 - $130,000 annually. This range accounts for the candidate's experience level, the founding nature of the role, and the cost of living in Austin.

Benefits:

• Relocation Assistance: Comprehensive package to support candidates relocating to Austin.

• Awesome Office & Team: Access to a well-equipped East Austin office with a stocked snack bar and catered lunches.

• Unlimited PTO: Flexible Paid Time Off policy, emphasizing trust and results.

• Health & Wealth: 100% employer-covered health, dental, and vision insurance for employees.

• 401(k) with Company Match: Retirement savings plan with employer contributions.

• Lunch Stipend: Additional financial support for meals.

• Quarterly Team-building Activities: Regular company-sponsored events for team bonding and morale.

• Pet-friendly Office: Welcoming environment for employees' pets.

Working Hours: Standard full-time hours, estimated at 40 hours per week. The company culture emphasizes flexibility with Unlimited PTO, suggesting a focus on output and results rather than strict hour tracking, though core hours for collaboration will be expected.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary estimate is derived from current market data for Design Manager roles in Austin, TX, considering the specified experience level (5-8 years) and the responsibilities outlined. The "founding member" aspect and the company's rapid growth trajectory justify positioning within the mid-to-upper end of this range. Compensation packages for such roles often include performance bonuses or equity, which are not explicitly mentioned but could be a point of inquiry.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Digital Media / FinTech. Hammer Media operates at the intersection of digital media production and financial technology, leveraging popular content to drive engagement and build a comprehensive financial literacy platform (Dollarwise). This dual focus requires a blend of creative storytelling and practical, user-centric design.

Company Size: The description implies a rapidly growing startup environment. While exact numbers aren't provided, the mention of "founding member," "VP of Marketing," and building infrastructure from the ground up suggests a team that is likely between 20-75 employees, with ambitions for significant scaling.

Founded: Hammer Media was founded approximately three years ago, indicated by the rapid growth to "over 3 million subscribers and 3 billion views." This suggests a dynamic, agile, and relatively young company culture focused on innovation and rapid iteration.

Team Structure:

• The Design Manager will report directly to the VP of Marketing, signifying a senior position within the marketing department.

• The role involves close collaboration with a Senior Copyeditor and a Creative Strategist, forming a core creative unit.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Creativity: The company's success is built on viral content and its transformation into practical tools, suggesting a data-informed approach to creative strategy and asset performance.

• Scalable Operations: A primary objective is to build a "scalable design engine" and "streamlined asset libraries," indicating a focus on process optimization and efficiency to support high-velocity content production.

• Agile Execution: The "high-energy, collaborative, and focused on radical accountability" culture, coupled with the need for rapid asset creation, points to an agile and iterative approach to design and marketing.

Company Website: [Hammer Media Website URL - Not provided, but accessible via organization_url]

📝 Enhancement Note: The "founding member" aspect is crucial. This implies the need for someone comfortable with ambiguity, proactive in defining processes, and capable of shaping the company's visual future. The close ties to both a media brand and a FinTech product mean the designer must adapt their approach to suit different audiences and objectives.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned at a mid-to-senior management level. As a "founding member" of the creative team, the Design Manager is expected to establish and lead the design function. This involves strategic planning, process development, team enablement, and hands-on execution. It's a critical role that bridges high-level brand strategy with tactical asset creation.

Reporting Structure: The Design Manager reports directly to the VP of Marketing. This indicates a direct line of influence on marketing strategy and significant visibility within the senior leadership team. They will also collaborate closely with other marketing team members and product teams.

Operations Impact: The Design Manager's impact is directly tied to enabling the marketing and content teams to execute at "high velocity" and create "high-converting assets." This translates into measurable business outcomes such as increased engagement, lead generation, user acquisition for Dollarwise, and overall brand growth. By building efficient design systems, they directly contribute to the company's ability to scale its content production and marketing efforts cost-effectively.

Growth Opportunities:

• Team Expansion: As the company grows, there will be opportunities to build and lead a dedicated design team, potentially hiring junior designers, illustrators, or motion graphic specialists.

• Strategic Influence: The role offers significant influence in shaping the visual direction and brand identity of both Hammer Media and Dollarwise, potentially expanding into broader brand strategy roles.

• Skill Development: Opportunity to deepen expertise in FinTech product design, advanced AI creative tools, and scaling design operations in a fast-paced environment.

• Leadership Path: Potential to move into a Creative Director role or Head of Design as the company matures and its creative needs evolve.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "founding member" title implies significant opportunity for growth and impact. Candidates should be prepared to discuss how they would structure a design department, implement scalable processes, and measure the success of their initiatives. This role is not just about execution but also about building the function itself.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The company emphasizes an in-office work environment: "We are an in-office team in East Austin because we believe the best ideas happen when we’re in the same room." This suggests a strong preference for face-to-face collaboration, brainstorming, and team cohesion.

Office Location(s): East Austin, Texas. This location is known for its vibrant tech and creative scene, offering a dynamic and energetic work environment. Specific office details like accessibility or amenities are implied through the benefits (stocked snack bar, catered lunches).

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The in-office requirement highlights a culture that values spontaneous interaction, team synergy, and direct communication.

• Tools & Technology: While not exhaustive, the role's requirements point to a tech-forward environment, with expected proficiency in Figma, Canva, and AI creative tools. The company likely provides necessary hardware and software licenses.

• Team Interaction: The Design Manager will be a central figure, interacting daily with marketing colleagues, content creators, and product teams, fostering a highly integrated workflow. The pet-friendly aspect also adds to a relaxed yet productive atmosphere.

Work Schedule: While a standard 40-hour work week is implied for a full-time role, the "Unlimited PTO" policy suggests a results-oriented culture. This means flexibility in daily hours may be possible, provided core collaboration needs and project deadlines are met. The emphasis on "radical accountability" means performance and delivery are paramount.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "in-office" requirement is a significant point. Candidates who thrive on in-person collaboration and team energy will be a good fit. The East Austin location adds to the appeal for those seeking a dynamic urban work experience.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your resume and portfolio to assess relevant experience, design skills (Figma, Canva), and foundational capabilities.

• Hiring Manager Interview: A discussion with the VP of

Marketing to delve into your experience, strategic thinking, leadership potential, and understanding of building design systems from scratch.

• Portfolio Presentation & Case Study: You will likely be asked to present a curated selection of your work, focusing on 1-2 key projects that demonstrate your ability to:

  • Architect and implement scalable design systems (e.g., Canva Brand Kits, Figma libraries).
  • Create high-converting marketing assets and explain the strategic rationale.
  • Collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams (marketing, product).
  • Leverage AI tools to enhance creative output.

• Team/Culture Fit Interview: Potentially meet with other key stakeholders (e.g., Creative Strategist, Social Media Manager) to assess collaboration style and cultural alignment with Hammer Media's high-energy, accountable environment.

• Final Interview/Offer: Discussion of terms, compensation, and role expectations.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Focus on Impact: Prioritize projects that demonstrate measurable results (e.g., increased conversion rates, improved engagement, enhanced team efficiency). Quantify your achievements whenever possible.

• Showcase System Building: Dedicate sections to projects where you built or significantly improved design systems, brand guidelines, or template libraries. Explain the process, challenges, and outcomes clearly.

• Highlight Versatility: Include examples of diverse projects: marketing collateral (ads, emails), UI/product design, branding, and any motion graphics or video editing work.

• Explain Your Process: For each project, articulate your problem-solving approach, design decisions, and how you collaborated with stakeholders.

• Tailor to the Role: Emphasize your experience with Figma, Canva for Teams, and AI creative tools. Showcase how you've enabled non-designers to create assets.

Challenge Preparation:

• Be prepared for a potential design challenge that might involve creating a set of social media assets or a concept for a marketing campaign based on a brief.

• Practice articulating your design strategy and rationale concisely. Focus on how your design decisions support business objectives (e.g., conversion, brand awareness).

• Think about how you would approach building a design playbook or a set of Canva templates for a company like Hammer Media, considering their dual focus on media and FinTech.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "scalable design engine," "Canva Brand Kits," and "self-service templates" means candidates should prepare portfolio examples that explicitly demonstrate their ability to create repeatable design solutions and empower others. Highlighting efficiency gains and measurable results from these systems will be crucial. The "founding member" aspect means demonstrating initiative and a proactive approach to process creation will be highly valued.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Essential for high-fidelity design, prototyping, and collaborative product design. Proficiency in component libraries, auto layout, and team collaboration features is expected.

• Canva for Teams: Critical for building and managing brand kits and "self-service" templates to empower marketing and content teams for rapid asset creation.

• Design & Prototyping Software: Proficiency is expected in industry-standard tools beyond Figma, potentially including Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator) for asset creation and manipulation.

Analytics & Reporting:

CRM & Automation:

AI & Emerging Technologies:

• AI Creative Tools: Experience with tools like PhotoAI (for image generation/editing), ElevenLabs (for voice generation, though less directly applicable to design), or other AI-powered design assistants is a requirement, indicating a forward-thinking approach to creative production.

📝 Enhancement Note: The specific mention of Figma and Canva for Teams, alongside AI creative tools, highlights the company's focus on modern, efficient, and collaborative design workflows. Candidates should be ready to discuss their experience and strategic use of these technologies.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Radical Accountability: A core value emphasizing ownership of tasks, results, and communication. Expect to be held responsible for your deliverables and to proactively communicate progress and challenges.

• High-Energy & Collaborative: The company fosters an environment where individuals are enthusiastic, engaged, and work together effectively. This extends to the in-office policy, valuing in-person synergy.

• Founding Mindset: Embracing the opportunity to build and shape processes, systems, and the company's visual identity from the ground up. This requires initiative, adaptability, and a willingness to tackle ambiguous challenges.

• Efficiency & Velocity: A strong focus on enabling high-speed execution through scalable design systems and streamlined workflows to meet the demands of a rapidly growing digital media brand.

• Data-Informed Creativity: While creative vision is key, decisions are likely informed by performance data and user feedback to ensure assets are effective and impactful.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: The Design Manager will work closely with marketing, content, and product teams, requiring strong communication and partnership skills to align on objectives and deliverables.

• Process-Oriented: A culture that values establishing clear processes, playbooks, and guidelines to ensure consistency and enable efficient collaboration, especially for non-designers using templates.

• Feedback Exchange: An open environment where feedback is encouraged and utilized for continuous improvement of creative output and operational processes.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "founding mindset" and "radical accountability" are key cultural indicators. Candidates should demonstrate an ability to take initiative, drive projects forward independently, and be transparent about their work and its outcomes.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Building from Scratch: Establishing design systems, playbooks, and efficient workflows in a rapidly growing company without pre-existing structures will require significant initiative and strategic planning.

• Balancing Speed and Quality: Maintaining high-quality design standards while enabling the "high velocity" execution needed for a fast-paced digital media environment.

• Empowering Non-Designers: Successfully creating user-friendly templates and guidelines that allow marketing and social media teams to produce on-brand assets independently.

• Integrating Media & FinTech Aesthetics: Harmonizing the visual identity across a content-focused media brand and a functional financial platform, ensuring both appeal and trustworthiness.

• Managing Overflow Creatives: Effectively overseeing and providing direction to external vendors to ensure consistency and adherence to internal brand standards.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Design Operations Leadership: Gaining hands-on experience in building and scaling a design function within a dynamic startup.

• Product Design Exposure: Deepening understanding of UI/UX principles and their application within a FinTech context.

• AI Tool Mastery: Becoming an expert in leveraging emerging AI technologies to enhance creative workflows and output.

• Strategic Brand Development: Playing a key role in shaping the visual narrative and brand identity for a rapidly expanding media and FinTech company.

• Cross-Functional Expertise: Developing a strong understanding of marketing analytics, paid media strategy, and product development cycles.

📝 Enhancement Note: Candidates should be prepared to discuss how they would tackle these challenges, demonstrating problem-solving skills and a proactive approach. Highlighting past experiences in similar "build-it-from-the-ground-up" scenarios will be advantageous.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe your experience building a design system or brand guidelines from scratch. What were the key components, challenges, and outcomes?"

• "How would you approach creating a library of 'self-service' Canva templates to empower a social media manager? What considerations would you prioritize?"

• "Walk us through a marketing campaign where your design work directly contributed to measurable business results (e.g., conversion rates, engagement). What was your process and what metrics did you focus on?"

• "How do you balance the need for creative innovation with the demand for rapid asset production in a fast-paced environment?"

Company & Culture Questions:

• "Based on our company description, what do you see as the biggest design challenges and opportunities for Hammer Media and Dollarwise?"

• "How do you embody a 'founding mindset' in your work? Can you provide an example?"

• "How do you handle constructive feedback on your designs, especially in a collaborative, high-accountability environment?"

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure for Impact: Begin with a brief overview of your role and the company context for each project.

• Focus on Process & Problem-Solving: For each case study, clearly articulate the problem you were solving, your design process, key decisions, and the tools you used (especially Figma, Canva, AI).

• Quantify Results: Whenever possible, present metrics demonstrating the success of your designs (e.g., conversion uplift, engagement increase, efficiency gains).

• Highlight System Building: Dedicate specific slides or sections to showcase your experience with creating scalable design systems, brand kits, and templates, emphasizing how they empowered others.

• Showcase Versatility: Ensure your presentation includes a range of work demonstrating your skills in marketing collateral, UI design, and any motion graphics or video editing.

• Be Prepared for Deep Dives: Anticipate questions about your design choices, technical execution, and how you collaborated with stakeholders.

📝 Enhancement Note: Candidates should prepare to speak extensively about their experience with Figma, Canva for Teams, and AI tools. The ability to demonstrate how they've built scalable design infrastructure and empowered non-designers will be a key differentiator. Preparing specific examples that align with Hammer Media's dual focus (media and FinTech) will be highly beneficial.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Design Manager position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Workable.

• Resume Optimization: Tailor your resume to highlight your 5-8 years of experience in visual design and creative management, specifically emphasizing your expertise in Figma, Canva for Teams, and AI creative tools. Use keywords from the job description, such as "scalable design engine," "brand kits," "high-converting assets," and "founding mindset."

• Portfolio Curation: Prepare a robust portfolio that showcases your proficiency in digital marketing collateral, UI design, and brand system development. Ensure it includes specific examples of building scalable templates and design infrastructure, with clear metrics on impact and efficiency gains.

• Prepare for Case Studies: Be ready to present 1-2 in-depth case studies during the interview process that demonstrate your ability to solve design challenges, collaborate effectively, and deliver measurable results, particularly focusing on how you've enabled other teams through design systems.

• Company Research: Familiarize yourself with Hammer Media's brands (Hammer Media, Dollarwise) and their content. Understand their target audience and the FinTech landscape to articulate your vision for their visual identity and design strategy.

⚠️ 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.