Head of Design

Scaling.com
Full_time

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Head of Design Company: Scaling.com Location: United States Job Type: FULL_TIME Category: Creative & Design / Marketing Leadership Date Posted: December 10, 2025 Experience Level: 2-5 years (Mid-Senior Level) Remote Status: Fully Remote

🚀 Role Summary

  • Lead the creative direction and visual identity for a rapidly scaling company focused on empowering top CEOs and founders.
  • Drive brand development by establishing and enforcing design systems, guidelines, and premium visual standards.
  • Execute hands-on design for high-impact marketing initiatives, including static ads, landing pages, and web experiences.
  • Collaborate closely with executive leadership to translate business objectives into compelling visual narratives.
  • Build and scale a design function, demonstrating leadership potential within an early-stage, high-growth startup.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the input specifies "Head of Design," the experience level (2-5 years) and emphasis on hands-on execution suggest a role more akin to a Senior Designer or Design Lead who will grow into a full Head of Design as the company scales, rather than an executive overseeing a large established team. The emphasis on building from the ground up and wearing multiple hats reinforces this.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

  • Brand Guardianship: Own, protect, and evolve the Scaling.com brand's visual identity, ensuring consistency and premium quality across all touchpoints.
  • Creative Strategy Development: Collaborate with the Executive Producer to define and implement the overall creative direction, aligning with Dr. Benjamin Hardy's frameworks and company mission.
  • Design System Implementation: Establish, document, and maintain scalable design systems, style guides, and best practices to ensure cohesive and efficient creative output.
  • Performance Creative Design: Design and optimize high-converting static advertisements for paid channels (Meta, YouTube, etc.), leveraging marketing instincts to drive clicks and conversions.
  • Web & Funnel Design: Build and design engaging, high-performance landing pages, sales funnels, and web experiences that align with direct response marketing principles.
  • Content Art Direction: Provide art direction for motion graphics and video content, ensuring visual quality and brand alignment.
  • Asset Creation: Produce miscellaneous creative assets, including presentations, marketing collateral, social media graphics, and internal materials.
  • UI/UX Support: Contribute to UI/UX design needs as they arise, ensuring a seamless user experience across digital platforms.
  • Team Growth Planning: Lay the groundwork for building and scaling a design team, identifying future needs and potential talent.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities heavily lean into direct response marketing and performance creative, which is a specific niche within design. The "Head of Design" title is more about ownership and strategic input at this early stage, with a significant hands-on component.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

  • While no specific degree is mandated, a Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design, Visual Communications, Marketing, or a related field is often preferred for leadership roles. Equivalent practical experience will be strongly considered.

Experience:

  • 2-5 years of progressive experience in graphic design, with a strong emphasis on digital marketing, brand development, and performance creative.
  • Proven experience in a startup or fast-paced environment, demonstrating adaptability and a proactive approach to building from scratch.

Required Skills:

  • Portfolio Mastery: A robust portfolio showcasing a diverse range of work, including high-converting static ads, comprehensive brand identity projects, and effective web/funnel designs.
  • Software Proficiency: Expert-level skills in Figma and the Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects, Premiere Pro, etc.).
  • Editorial & Premium Aesthetic: A keen editorial eye and a deep understanding of what constitutes premium, sophisticated design, not just functional execution.
  • Marketing Acumen: Strong marketing instincts with a demonstrated ability to understand and execute designs that drive clicks, conversions, and achieve measurable results.
  • Versatility: Ability to seamlessly transition between diverse design tasks, from ad creative to detailed web page design and art direction.
  • Collaborative Spirit: Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to articulate strong opinions constructively and collaborate openly with stakeholders.
  • Funnel Builder Experience: Hands-on experience with GoHighLevel or similar funnel and page-building platforms.
  • UI/UX Fundamentals: Solid understanding and practical experience in UI/UX design principles.
  • Direct Response Expertise: Familiarity with direct response marketing strategies and performance creative best practices.

Preferred Skills:

  • Experience building or scaling a design function or team.
  • Background in motion graphics or video production.
  • Experience with A/B testing creative assets.
  • Understanding of organizational psychology or business scaling frameworks.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "2-5 years" experience level combined with "Head of Design" title is a common startup dynamic where the role is about ownership and potential growth. Emphasizing "building from the ground up" and "wearing multiple hats" is crucial for candidates to understand the scope.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

  • Demonstrated Performance: Case studies clearly illustrating how your design decisions directly contributed to measurable marketing outcomes (e.g., increased conversion rates, click-through rates, lead generation).
  • Brand Evolution: Examples of brand identity development, including logos, style guides, and application across various marketing materials, showcasing consistency and strategic thinking.
  • Web & Funnel Design: Detailed walkthroughs of landing pages and sales funnels you've designed, highlighting user flow, conversion optimization strategies, and overall effectiveness.
  • Static Ad Campaigns: A collection of static ad creative designed for platforms like Meta and YouTube, demonstrating an understanding of platform best practices and persuasive design.
  • System Thinking: Evidence of creating or adhering to design systems, style guides, or best practices that ensure scalability and brand integrity.

Process Documentation:

  • Ability to articulate your design process, from initial concept and research to execution, iteration, and final delivery.
  • Documentation of how you approach A/B testing creative assets to optimize performance.
  • Examples of how you establish and maintain design guidelines to ensure consistency across a growing brand.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a design role with a "Head of" title in a startup, the portfolio is paramount. It needs to demonstrate not just aesthetic skill but also marketing effectiveness and the ability to build and scale. The emphasis should be on results and strategic thinking.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

  • Based on the location (United States), experience level (2-5 years), and the "Head of Design" title in a startup context, a competitive salary range is estimated between $95,000 - $130,000 annually. This range accounts for the hands-on nature of the role, the need for performance-driven creative, and the potential for significant growth.

Benefits:

  • Paid Time Off: Includes vacation days, sick leave, and public holidays, providing essential work-life balance.
  • Training & Development: Opportunities for professional growth, skill enhancement, and staying current with design and marketing trends.
  • Work From Home: Fully remote work arrangement, offering flexibility and the ability to work from any location within the United States.
  • Equity Potential: While not explicitly stated, early-stage startups often offer equity options as part of the compensation package, reflecting the significant impact and growth potential of the role.

Working Hours:

  • Standard full-time hours are expected, likely around 40 hours per week. However, the startup environment may require flexibility and dedication, especially during critical project phases or launches. The remote nature allows for potential flexibility in daily scheduling.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary is an estimate based on US market rates for a remote Senior Designer/Design Lead role with significant responsibilities, considering the company's focus and stage. Benefits are directly extracted from the provided data.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Education Technology / Business Coaching / Entrepreneurship Development. Scaling.com operates within the high-growth sector of business development and executive coaching, leveraging frameworks from organizational psychology and best-selling author Dr. Benjamin Hardy. Company Size: Early-stage startup. This implies a dynamic, fast-paced environment where individuals wear multiple hats and have direct impact. As the company scales, the design function will grow. Founded: The company is built upon the frameworks of Dr. Benjamin Hardy, a prominent figure in business and psychology. While a specific founding date for Scaling.com isn't provided, its foundation is tied to established, influential content and methodologies.

Team Structure:

  • Lean & Agile: Expect a small, highly motivated core team where cross-functional collaboration is essential.
  • Founder-Led: Likely reporting directly to executive leadership (e.g., CEO, Executive Producer), with significant autonomy.
  • Collaborative Focus: Close partnership with the Executive Producer and potentially marketing or content teams to translate strategic goals into visual assets.

Methodology:

  • Framework-Driven: Operations and creative output are guided by established frameworks (e.g., Dr. Hardy's Scaling Framework).
  • Data-Informed Creativity: While creative direction is key, performance metrics and conversion data will heavily influence design decisions, particularly for marketing assets.
  • Iterative Design: A startup approach that involves rapid prototyping, testing, and refinement based on feedback and performance data.

Company Website: scaling.com Company Slogan: (Not explicitly provided, but implied to be focused on "building companies that scale," "10x impact," and "transforming growth.")

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture is heavily influenced by its founder's methodologies, emphasizing high performance, scaling, and transformation. The "startup" nature means a dynamic, hands-on environment rather than a traditional corporate structure.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as a foundational leadership opportunity within the design function. While labeled "Head of Design," it starts with significant hands-on contribution and evolves into team building and strategic oversight. It represents a mid-to-senior level designer ready to take ownership and shape a department. Reporting Structure: The Head of Design will likely report directly to the Executive Producer or another senior executive, indicating high visibility and direct influence on company strategy. Operations Impact: The design function is critical to Scaling.com's mission. This role will directly impact brand perception, marketing effectiveness, and the ability to convert leads into clients, thereby playing a pivotal role in the company's growth trajectory and revenue generation.

Growth Opportunities:

  • Leadership Development: Opportunity to build and lead a design team from its inception, developing management and strategic planning skills.
  • Strategic Influence: Shape the visual identity and creative direction of an industry-defining brand, gaining extensive experience in brand strategy and execution.
  • Skill Expansion: Deepen expertise in performance creative, funnel design, and potentially broader marketing strategy, driven by the company's focus on scaling.
  • Entrepreneurial Experience: Gain invaluable experience in a high-growth startup environment, understanding all facets of building and scaling a business.

📝 Enhancement Note: The growth trajectory is significant, moving from a hands-on contributor to a leader building and managing a design team, all within a rapidly scaling organization. This is a key selling point for ambitious designers.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Fully Remote. This role offers the flexibility to work from any location within the United States. Office Location(s): United States (Remote)

Workspace Context:

  • Autonomous Environment: Expect a high degree of autonomy and self-direction, typical of a remote startup role.
  • Digital Collaboration Tools: Reliance on digital platforms for communication, project management, and design collaboration (e.g., Slack, Figma, project management software).
  • Cross-Functional Interaction: Regular collaboration with non-design teams, requiring strong communication skills to articulate design rationale and requirements.

Work Schedule:

  • While full-time (approx. 40 hours/week) is expected, the remote nature offers potential for flexible scheduling. However, candidates should be prepared for periods of high intensity and responsiveness, especially given the startup context and focus on driving performance.

📝 Enhancement Note: The remote aspect is a primary feature, requiring self-discipline and strong digital communication skills. The "startup" nature implies a dynamic and potentially demanding work schedule at times.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

  • Initial Application Review: Screening of resumes and portfolios for relevant experience, skills, and alignment with the company's needs.
  • Cover Letter Assessment: Evaluation of responses to the specific questions, assessing career journey, design thinking behind successful campaigns, and enthusiasm for a startup environment.
  • Portfolio Deep Dive: A detailed review and discussion of portfolio pieces, focusing on design rationale, problem-solving, and measurable results. Expect to walk through specific case studies.
  • Skills Assessment/Design Challenge: Potentially a small, focused design challenge or a discussion around hypothetical scenarios to assess problem-solving skills, creative approach, and tool proficiency.
  • Culture Fit & Executive Interviews: Conversations with key leadership to assess alignment with company values, communication style, and long-term vision.

Portfolio Review Tips:

  • Highlight Performance: For each relevant piece (ads, landing pages), clearly articulate the objective, your strategic approach, the creative decisions made, and the quantifiable results achieved. Use metrics (CTR, conversion rates, ROI) wherever possible.
  • Showcase Brand Thinking: Include examples of how you've developed or adhered to brand guidelines. Demonstrate an understanding of how design contributes to overall brand perception and premium positioning.
  • Explain Your Process: Be prepared to discuss your design process from start to finish for a few key projects. Detail how you approach problem-solving, iteration, and collaboration.
  • Tailor to Scaling.com: Emphasize work that aligns with direct response marketing, funnel design, and creating sophisticated, high-converting assets. Show versatility by including examples of static ads, web design, and potentially collateral.
  • Tell a Story: Frame your portfolio pieces as case studies with a clear narrative: problem, solution, and outcome.

Challenge Preparation:

  • Direct Response Focus: If a challenge is given, anticipate tasks related to designing an ad, a landing page section, or a short marketing asset that aims to drive a specific action.
  • Figma/Adobe Proficiency: Be ready to demonstrate your skills in Figma and the Adobe Creative Suite, potentially in real-time or by presenting work created within a timeframe.
  • Strategic Rationale: For any design output, be prepared to defend your creative choices with marketing logic and an understanding of the target audience.

📝 Enhancement Note: The application process emphasizes a specific type of portfolio and requires thoughtful answers to qualitative questions. Candidates must demonstrate both creative skill and a strong understanding of marketing performance.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

  • Figma: Essential for collaborative UI/UX design, wireframing, prototyping, and creating design systems.
  • Adobe Creative Suite: Critical for advanced graphic design, photo editing, illustration, and motion graphics (Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects, Premiere Pro).
  • GoHighLevel (or similar): Experience with funnel builders and CRM platforms is required for designing and implementing web experiences and marketing automation.

Analytics & Reporting:

  • Familiarity with analytics platforms (e.g., Google Analytics, Meta Ads Manager) to understand creative performance and inform design iterations.
  • Ability to interpret performance data to justify design decisions and optimize future creative.

CRM & Automation:

  • While not the primary focus, an understanding of how design assets integrate with CRM systems and marketing automation workflows is beneficial.
  • Experience with platforms like GoHighLevel implies a need to understand their functionality and how design impacts user journeys within these systems.

📝 Enhancement Note: The tool stack is heavily focused on design creation and marketing execution platforms. Proficiency in Figma and Adobe Suite is non-negotiable, with specific experience in funnel builders being a key requirement.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

  • Excellence & Premium Quality: A commitment to producing work that is sophisticated, elevated, and industry-leading, reflecting the company's positioning.
  • Performance-Driven: A focus on design that not only looks good but also achieves measurable business objectives, particularly conversions and lead generation.
  • Innovation & Growth: Embracing new ideas, pushing creative boundaries, and a proactive approach to learning and development within a scaling environment.
  • Autonomy & Ownership: Taking initiative, managing projects independently, and owning outcomes with a sense of responsibility.
  • Collaboration & Openness: Willingness to share ideas, receive feedback constructively, and work effectively with diverse team members.

Collaboration Style:

  • Cross-Functional Partnership: Working closely with executive producers, marketing strategists, and potentially content creators to align visual output with business goals.
  • Feedback-Oriented: A culture that encourages constructive feedback to refine designs and improve performance.
  • Transparent Communication: Openly sharing design rationale, progress, and potential challenges.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture values high performance, a premium aesthetic, and a data-driven approach to creative. The ability to collaborate effectively in a remote, fast-paced startup setting is key.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

  • Building from Scratch: Establishing a design function, including systems and processes, in an early-stage startup requires significant initiative and strategic thinking.
  • Balancing Creative Vision with Performance Demands: The need to maintain a premium brand aesthetic while simultaneously optimizing designs for high conversion rates can be a delicate balance.
  • Rapid Pace & Evolving Needs: The dynamic nature of a startup means priorities can shift quickly, requiring adaptability and the ability to pivot design efforts efficiently.
  • Remote Collaboration: Effectively communicating and collaborating on creative projects in a fully remote setting, ensuring alignment and feedback loops are robust.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

  • Deep Dive into Performance Marketing: Gain extensive hands-on experience and insights into direct response marketing, conversion rate optimization (CRO), and performance creative strategies.
  • Brand Building at Scale: Play a pivotal role in shaping and scaling a brand identity for an industry-defining company.
  • Leadership Foundation: Develop foundational leadership skills by building and potentially managing a design team from the ground up.
  • Industry Framework Mastery: Become deeply familiar with advanced business scaling frameworks and apply them visually.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are inherent to a startup environment, offering significant growth opportunities for ambitious individuals willing to embrace them.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

  • "Walk us through your design career...": Prepare a concise narrative highlighting key milestones, the evolution of your skills, and the types of projects you've excelled in, emphasizing your journey towards performance-driven design and leadership.
  • "Pick an ad or landing page you created that performed well...": Select a strong case study. Clearly articulate the client/objective, your strategic thinking behind the creative decisions (colors, copy, layout, calls-to-action), and the specific metrics that demonstrate its success. Be ready to discuss alternatives you considered and why you chose your final approach.
  • "What excites you about joining a fast-moving startup at this stage?": Connect your passion for building, innovation, and impact with the specific opportunity at Scaling.com. Highlight your comfort with ambiguity and your desire to contribute significantly.

Company & Culture Questions:

  • Research Dr. Benjamin Hardy's work and the Scaling Framework. Understand the company's mission to help CEOs and founders scale their impact.
  • Be prepared to discuss how your design philosophy aligns with creating "premium, elevated, sophisticated" content.
  • Discuss your preferred collaboration methods in a remote setting and how you ensure alignment with non-design stakeholders.

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

  • Curate Selectively: Choose 3-5 of your strongest, most relevant projects that showcase your range (ads, web, brand).
  • Focus on Impact: For each project, clearly state the objective, your role, the problem you were solving, your creative process, and the quantifiable results. Use a consistent format for each case study.
  • Articulate Rationale: Be ready to verbally walk through your design choices, explaining the "why" behind every element, especially concerning conversion optimization and brand consistency.
  • Demonstrate Tool Proficiency: Be prepared to discuss specific techniques or features you utilized in Figma or Adobe Creative Suite for these projects.
  • Showcase Versatility: Ensure your selected pieces demonstrate your ability to work across different formats and mediums as required by the role.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating a combination of creative skill, marketing acumen, and a proactive, growth-oriented mindset suitable for a startup.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Head of Design position:

  • Visit the provided Workable job link and submit your application.
  • Tailor Your Cover Letter: Directly address the three specific questions asked. Provide thoughtful, detailed answers that showcase your career journey, your strategic thinking behind successful campaigns, and your genuine enthusiasm for this unique startup opportunity.
  • Curate Your Portfolio: Ensure your portfolio prominently features high-converting static ads, comprehensive brand/identity projects, and effective web/funnel design samples. Structure it as a series of case studies highlighting objectives, strategies, and measurable results.
  • Optimize Your Resume: Highlight keywords from the job description (e.g., "Creative Direction," "Brand Development," "High-Converting Ads," "Figma," "Adobe Creative Suite," "Startup Environment," "Direct Response Marketing"). Quantify achievements wherever possible.
  • Prepare Your Portfolio Walkthrough: Practice articulating the story and impact of your key portfolio pieces, focusing on your design process, strategic decisions, and the resulting business outcomes.

⚠️ 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.

Application Requirements

Candidates should have a strong portfolio demonstrating a range of design work and proficiency in Figma and Adobe Creative Suite. They should possess an editorial eye, marketing instincts, and experience with UI/UX design and direct response marketing.