Senior Brand Designer I

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Brand Designer I
Company: Instacart
Location: Remote (ON, AB, BC, NS Only) - Canada
Job Type: Full-Time
Category: Marketing / Art & Design / Creative
Date Posted: October 13, 2025
Experience Level: 5-10 Years Professional Experience
Remote Status: Fully Remote

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive brand strategy and innovative design initiatives within Instacart's Creative Studio, a core component of the Marketing Department.
• Lead the development and execution of design systems for marketing campaigns, seasonal moments, and brand activations, ensuring visual consistency and strategic alignment.
• Collaborate closely with product design and copywriting teams to craft compelling brand touchpoints across all channels, including in-app experiences and external media.
• Champion a strong understanding of brand strategy and storytelling through design, translating complex ideas into impactful visual concepts.
• Foster a culture of iterative design, demonstrating both breadth of skill and deep craft in all creative output.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned within the Marketing Department's Creative Studio, suggesting a focus on brand storytelling and campaign execution rather than product-specific UI/UX design, although collaboration with product design is a key responsibility. The emphasis on "design systems for campaigns and activations" indicates a need for strategic thinking beyond individual assets, focusing on cohesive brand experiences.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Lead the conceptualization and execution of design systems for marketing campaigns, product launches, and seasonal initiatives, ensuring brand consistency and impact.
• Collaborate with copywriters and other creative team members to develop integrated campaigns that resonate with target audiences.
• Partner with the product design team to ensure brand guidelines are effectively translated into user-facing touchpoints within the Instacart application.
• Develop and maintain comprehensive brand guidelines for campaigns and activations, potentially directing the work of other designers, illustrators, and animators.
• Provide high-level design support across a variety of media, including digital, print, and in-app experiences, ensuring all creative output aligns with Instacart's strategic vision.
• Champion the brand's visual identity, ensuring all design elements (typography, color, layout, photography) are intentionally crafted and communicate the desired message.
• Actively seek and incorporate constructive feedback to refine designs and elevate creative quality.
• Utilize AI tools where applicable to enhance creative output and work efficiency.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of strategic brand leadership and hands-on design execution. The expectation to "develop design systems for campaigns and activations" points towards a need for a designer who can think holistically about brand experiences and manage creative projects from concept to completion, including potentially guiding junior talent or external resources.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design, Visual Communications, or a related creative field, OR a robust portfolio showcasing equivalent professional experience and creative expertise.

Experience:

• 5-8+ years of professional experience in brand design, with a significant focus on campaign development and brand system creation.
• Proven track record of developing and implementing design strategies that drive brand awareness and engagement.

Required Skills:

• Creativity & Conceptualization: Exceptional ability to generate original and effective visual concepts, with a strong understanding of storytelling through design.
• Brand Strategy Application: Deep knowledge of how brand strategy translates into compelling visual design across diverse platforms.
• Design Systems Development: Expertise in creating and managing design systems for campaigns, activations, and brand touchpoints.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Proven ability to work effectively with copywriters, product designers, marketing teams, and potentially external agencies or freelancers.
• Leadership & Mentorship: Demonstrated ability to guide design direction, potentially leading other designers, illustrators, and animators.
• Communication Skills: Excellent verbal and written communication, adept at articulating design rationale and presenting creative concepts.
• Time Management & Self-Management: Ability to multitask, prioritize, and manage projects independently with minimal supervision.
• Proficiency in Design Software: Expert-level command of Adobe Creative Cloud (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign), Figma, and Google Slides.
• Core Artistic Concepts: Strong foundation in typography, layout, color theory, composition, and photography.
• Multi-Platform Design: Experience designing for a range of media, including web, mobile (in-app), and print.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience leading on-set photo or video shoots.
• Familiarity with or openness to utilizing AI as a creative and work-multiplying tool.
• Understanding of User Experience (UX) and User Interface (UI) design principles as they relate to brand integration within digital products.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "About You" section emphasizes traits like curiosity, hunger, and a desire for constructive feedback, which are crucial for a senior role in a fast-paced, evolving company like Instacart. The inclusion of AI as a preferred skill signals the company's forward-thinking approach to creative tools.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A curated selection of 3-5 comprehensive case studies demonstrating end-to-end campaign design and brand system development.
• Projects should highlight your ability to translate brand strategy into impactful visual executions across multiple platforms (digital, in-app, print).
• Include examples of design systems created for campaigns or seasonal moments, showcasing your approach to visual consistency and scalability.
• Showcase your collaboration with copywriters and product designers, illustrating how you integrated brand elements into broader marketing efforts or app experiences.
• Quantifiable results or impact where possible (e.g., engagement metrics, brand recall improvements, successful campaign performance) to demonstrate ROI.

Process Documentation:

• For each case study, clearly articulate your design process, from initial brief and research to concept development, iteration, and final execution.
• Detail how you approached developing design systems, including principles, components, and usage guidelines.
• Explain your methodology for ensuring brand consistency and alignment with strategic objectives across all touchpoints.
• Describe how you collaborated with cross-functional teams and incorporated feedback to refine your work.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a senior brand design role, the portfolio is paramount. It should not just showcase final assets but the strategic thinking, process, and collaborative approach behind them. The emphasis on "design systems for campaigns and activations" means candidates should prepare to discuss how they build scalable visual frameworks rather than just individual ads.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $144,000 - $160,000 CAD per year (for candidates based in Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, or Nova Scotia).

Benefits:

• New Hire Equity Grant: An opportunity to receive company stock as part of your initial compensation package.
• Annual Refresh Grants: Potential for ongoing equity awards to reward performance and continued contribution.
• Comprehensive Health Benefits: (Details not specified, but typically includes medical, dental, vision insurance).
• Paid Time Off: (Details not specified, but standard for full-time roles).
• Flexible Work Environment: Instacart's "Flex First" policy allows employees to choose where they work best (home, office, coffee shop).
• Community Events: Regular in-person events to foster connection and build community among remote employees.
• Professional Development: Opportunities to learn and grow within the organization.

Working Hours: The standard full-time work week is 40 hours. The "Flex First" policy offers flexibility in structuring these hours, allowing employees to work from various locations while staying connected.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range provided is for Canadian-based candidates. The mention of "highly market-competitive compensation and benefits" suggests that while the listed range is specific to Canada, similar competitive packages would be offered in other locations if applicable. Equity grants are a significant component of the total compensation.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: E-commerce / Grocery Delivery / Technology. Instacart operates at the intersection of retail and technology, transforming the way people shop for groceries and household essentials. Company Size: Large; Instacart has a significant global presence and a substantial employee base, indicating a structured environment with opportunities for growth and impact. Founded: Instacart was founded in 2012, giving it a decade of experience and established market presence, while still retaining a dynamic, growth-oriented culture.

Team Structure:

• Creative Studio: This role sits within the Creative Studio, which functions as an in-house agency within the Marketing Department.
• Reporting Structure: Reports directly to the Senior Group Creative Lead, indicating a clear line of leadership and strategic direction.
• Cross-functional Collaboration: Works closely with the product design team, copywriters, and other marketing stakeholders to ensure cohesive brand experiences.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Creativity: While creative in nature, the role emphasizes aligning design with strategic vision and likely leverages data to inform creative decisions and measure impact.
• Iterative Design Process: The role encourages an iterative approach, valuing continuous improvement and refinement of creative work.
• Brand Consistency: A core methodology is ensuring visual consistency across all marketing funnels and channels.
• Agile Marketing: Given the dynamic nature of the industry, a flexible and agile approach to campaign development and execution is likely.

Company Website: https://www.instacart.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: Instacart's mission to "share love through food" suggests a culture that values community, connection, and making essential services accessible. The "Flex First" approach indicates a trust-based culture that prioritizes employee well-being and autonomy.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Senior Individual Contributor (IC). This role is for an experienced professional who can operate independently, lead projects, and contribute strategically, but is not necessarily a people management role (unless directing other designers).

Reporting Structure: Reports to a Senior Group Creative Lead, indicating a pathway to more senior creative leadership roles within the Marketing department.

Operations Impact: The Senior Brand Designer plays a crucial role in shaping Instacart's public image and customer perception. Their work directly influences brand recognition, campaign effectiveness, and the overall user experience within the app, ultimately contributing to customer acquisition, retention, and market differentiation.

Growth Opportunities:

• Creative Leadership: Potential to advance to Group Creative Lead or Art Director roles, managing larger teams and more significant creative initiatives.
• Specialization: Opportunity to deepen expertise in specific areas such as campaign strategy, brand identity systems, or motion graphics.
• Cross-Disciplinary Exposure: Exposure to product design, marketing strategy, and business development can broaden skill sets and career options.
• Mentorship: Opportunity to mentor junior designers and contribute to the growth of the Creative Studio.
• Industry Recognition: The "best-in-class award-winning marketing" aspiration suggests opportunities to contribute to work that gains industry acclaim.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "breadth as well as craft" suggests that growth involves not only deepening design skills but also broadening understanding of marketing strategy, product integration, and potentially leadership.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Fully Remote. Instacart embraces a "Flex First" model, allowing employees to work from home, a co-working space, or any location where they can be productive.

Office Location(s): While the role is remote, Instacart has offices in various locations. This role is specifically open to candidates in Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, and Nova Scotia, Canada. Remote employees are encouraged to participate in regular in-person events to foster connection.

Workspace Context:

• Flexibility: The environment is built around flexibility, trusting employees to manage their work and location.
• Collaborative Tools: Expectation to utilize digital collaboration tools (e.g., Figma, Slack, Google Workspace) to stay connected and work effectively with remote teams.
• Team Interaction: While remote, the company actively facilitates team building and community through scheduled events and digital communication channels.

Work Schedule: While the core work hours are 40 per week, the "Flex First" approach allows for flexibility in daily scheduling, accommodating different working styles and personal needs, as long as collaboration and deadlines are met.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Flex First" model is a key differentiator. Candidates should be comfortable with remote work and proactive in maintaining connections and communication within a distributed team.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Likely a review of your resume and portfolio to assess qualifications and creative fit.
• Creative Assessment/Portfolio Review: A deeper dive into your portfolio, focusing on 3-5 key case studies. Expect questions about your design process, strategic thinking, collaboration, and problem-solving skills. Preparation for presenting your work and articulating the "why" behind your design choices is crucial.
• Cross-Functional Interviews: Interviews with the Senior Group Creative Lead, members of the brand team, and potentially product designers to assess collaboration style, communication skills, and cultural alignment.
• Hiring Manager/Lead Interview: A final discussion to assess overall fit, strategic alignment, and potential for growth within the team.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select projects that best demonstrate your ability to develop campaign design systems and integrate brand strategy across platforms. Prioritize quality over quantity.
• Tell a Story: For each case study, frame it as a narrative: the challenge, your approach, the solution, and the outcome. Emphasize your thought process and decision-making.
• Highlight Collaboration: Clearly show how you worked with copywriters, product designers, and other stakeholders.
• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, include metrics or results that demonstrate the effectiveness of your designs.
• Be Prepared to Discuss: Anticipate questions about your software proficiency, creative inspirations, how you handle feedback, and your understanding of Instacart's brand.

Challenge Preparation:

• Instacart may present a design challenge or a hypothetical scenario related to brand campaign development.
• Focus on demonstrating your ability to quickly grasp a brief, ideate creatively, and articulate your strategic approach.
• Show how you would apply Instacart's brand guidelines or develop new ones for a specific initiative.
• Practice presenting your ideas concisely and persuasively, as if you were presenting to the Senior Group Creative Lead.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the role's emphasis on brand strategy and campaign systems, expect interview questions to probe your understanding of how design impacts business objectives and customer perception. Be ready to defend your design choices with strategic reasoning.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Design Tools:

• Adobe Creative Cloud: Essential for professional graphic design, including Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign.
• Figma: Critical for collaborative design, prototyping, and building design systems, especially for digital and in-app touchpoints.
• Google Slides: Used for presentations, concept articulation, and potentially for developing campaign slide decks.

Collaboration & Communication:

• Slack: For day-to-day team communication and quick collaboration.
• Asana/Jira (or similar): Potentially used for project management and tracking campaign progress.
• Google Workspace: For document creation, sharing, and collaboration.

Creative Augmentation:

• AI Design Tools: Preferred or open to using AI tools (e.g., Midjourney, DALL-E, Adobe Firefly) to enhance creative output, generate concepts, or speed up asset creation.

Analytics & Reporting (for understanding impact):

• While not a direct tool for this role, an understanding of how design impacts metrics tracked by analytics tools (e.g., Google Analytics, Amplitude) would be beneficial.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in Figma is increasingly essential for collaborative design environments, especially for roles involving digital product integration or scalable design systems. Familiarity with AI creative tools is a forward-looking requirement.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Customer Obsession: A drive to understand and serve the needs of Instacart's diverse customer base.
• Bias for Action: A proactive approach to problem-solving and execution, embracing a fast-paced environment.
• Integrity: Upholding high ethical standards in all creative and professional dealings.
• Collaboration: Valuing teamwork and cross-functional partnerships to achieve shared goals.
• Innovation: Encouraging new ideas and embracing new technologies (like AI) to drive creative excellence and efficiency.
• Inclusivity: Creating a welcoming and equitable environment for all employees and customers.

Collaboration Style:

• Integrated Team: Works closely with product design, copywriting, and broader marketing teams, fostering a cohesive approach to brand communication.
• Feedback-Rich Environment: Values constructive feedback as a means to elevate creative work and personal growth.
• Remote-First Communication: Emphasizes clear, proactive, and digital-first communication to ensure alignment across a distributed team.
• Shared Vision: Focuses on aligning individual creative contributions towards a common strategic objective and brand vision.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Flex First" policy implies a culture built on trust, autonomy, and accountability. The emphasis on community events suggests a commitment to maintaining human connection despite remote work.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Maintaining Brand Consistency: Ensuring a cohesive brand identity across a vast array of campaigns, platforms, and evolving product features in a high-growth environment.
• Balancing Creativity with Business Needs: Translating strategic objectives and performance metrics into innovative yet effective design solutions.
• Working in a Remote-First Environment: Proactively managing communication, collaboration, and visibility across distributed teams.
• Adapting to Rapid Technological Change: Integrating new tools like AI into the creative workflow while maintaining high standards of craft and originality.
• Influencing Cross-Functional Stakeholders: Effectively advocating for design decisions and educating partners on brand strategy and best practices.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Design System Training: Deepening expertise in building and scaling complex design systems for large organizations.
• AI in Creative Workflows: Exploring and mastering AI tools for concept generation, asset creation, and workflow optimization.
• Brand Strategy Workshops: Enhancing strategic thinking and understanding of market dynamics through internal or external training.
• Leadership Development: Opportunities to mentor junior designers and potentially lead project teams.
• Industry Conferences & Webinars: Staying abreast of the latest trends in branding, design, and marketing technologies.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are typical for senior roles in dynamic tech companies. They offer significant opportunities for professional development and skill enhancement.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you developed a design system for a major campaign. What was your process, and what were the key challenges?" (Focus on your methodology, collaboration, and ability to create scalable assets.)
• "How do you ensure brand consistency across multiple marketing channels and touchpoints, especially when collaborating with different teams?" (Highlight your understanding of brand guidelines and communication strategies.)
• "Instacart is known for its convenience. How would you visually communicate this core value in a new campaign targeting busy families?" (Demonstrate your ability to translate brand attributes into creative concepts.)
• "Tell me about a time you received difficult feedback on a design. How did you handle it, and what was the outcome?" (Showcase your resilience, openness to feedback, and problem-solving approach.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What excites you about Instacart's mission and brand?" (Research Instacart's values, recent campaigns, and market position.)
• "How do you see yourself contributing to Instacart's 'Flex First' work environment?" (Emphasize your self-management skills, communication strategies for remote work, and collaborative spirit.)
• "How do you stay updated on design trends and new technologies like AI?" (Mention specific resources, tools, or practices you employ.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each case study, start with the objective, dive into your strategic approach and design process, showcase key visuals and iterations, and conclude with the results and your learnings.
• Focus on the "Why": Be prepared to articulate the strategic rationale behind every design decision – color choices, typography, layout, imagery.
• Showcase Collaboration: Clearly indicate where and how you collaborated with copywriters, product designers, or other stakeholders.
• Demonstrate System Thinking: For campaign design systems, explain how you ensured scalability, flexibility, and consistency.
• Be Concise and Engaging: Aim for clarity and impact in your presentation, allowing time for Q&A.

📝 Enhancement Note: Expect a strong focus on how your design thinking aligns with Instacart's business goals and customer-centric approach. Be ready to discuss your portfolio with strategic depth, not just aesthetic appreciation.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior Brand Designer position:

• Submit your application through the Instacart careers portal, ensuring your resume and portfolio are up-to-date and tailored to this role.
• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 3-5 of your strongest campaign design system case studies. Ensure they clearly demonstrate your strategic thinking, creative process, and ability to deliver impactful visual solutions across multiple platforms.
• Tailor Your Resume: Highlight your 5-8+ years of experience in brand design, emphasizing skills in campaign development, design systems, cross-functional collaboration, and proficiency in Adobe Creative Cloud and Figma. Use keywords from the job description.
• Prepare Your Presentation: Practice walking through your portfolio case studies, focusing on articulating the "why" behind your design decisions, your collaborative process, and any measurable impact. Be ready to discuss how you'd approach designing for Instacart.
• Research Instacart: Familiarize yourself with Instacart's brand, its current marketing efforts, its mission, and its "Flex First" culture. Understand their target audiences and competitive landscape.

⚠️ 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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