Lead Brand Designer (Design/Motion)

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Lead Brand Designer (Design/Motion)

Company: Culture Amp

Location: San Francisco, California, United States

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Marketing Operations / Brand Creative

Date Posted: 2026-08-20T16:30:07

Experience Level: 5-10 Years

Remote Status: Hybrid (Requires 2 days/week in office)

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive the evolution of Culture Amp's brand identity and creative output through innovative marketing campaigns and brand-building initiatives.

• Spearhead the integration and scaling of motion design and video production within the creative workflow, enhancing storytelling capabilities.

• Collaborate closely with cross-functional marketing teams to translate complex product visuals and ideas into compelling GTM (Go-To-Market) visualizations, motion graphics, and video deliverables.

• Leverage AI-assisted workflows and creative technologies to optimize design processes, templatize production, and improve overall creative efficiency.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned within the marketing practice, focusing on brand creative. While not a traditional "Revenue Operations" or "Sales Operations" role, it requires strong operational thinking for scaling creative production, managing workflows, and integrating with GTM strategies, making it highly relevant for operations professionals with a creative technology or marketing operations background. The emphasis on AI and scalable workflows indicates a strong need for process optimization and efficiency.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Lead the conceptualization, creative direction, and brand application for integrated and paid marketing campaigns, encompassing digital and physical applications.

• Develop and execute creative for campaign identities, editorial content, reports, social media assets, video, motion graphics, and experience design.

• Drive the systematic development and scaling of motion and video work to meet global and regional marketing needs.

• Partner with various marketing functions (growth, regional, product, brand marketing) to contribute to cross-functional planning and strategy discussions, ensuring creative alignment with business objectives.

• Art direct and provide clear, on-brand guidance to a diverse team of creative disciplines, including designers, illustrators, photographers, motion designers, and video editors.

• Present creative visions, concepts, and solutions to stakeholders, articulating the impact of design on solving business problems, rationalizing decisions, and incorporating feedback effectively.

• Facilitate creative workshops and ideation sessions, with a specific focus on developing and implementing AI-assisted workflows using tools like Claude, Weavy, Descript, and other emerging AI creative technologies.

• Share insights and contribute to the growth and development of the creative practice, including refining design systems guidelines as the company scales.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a need for strong project management, stakeholder management, and process ownership, which are core competencies in operations roles. The emphasis on "systemizing motion and video work at scale" and "AI-assisted workflows" points to a significant operations component in optimizing creative production pipelines.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong educational background in Graphic Design, Motion Graphics, Digital Media, or a related field is implied. Candidates are expected to demonstrate equivalent practical experience.

Experience: 7+ years of experience working as a designer within a marketing function (client-side) or equivalent agency experience. Experience in a fast-growth B2B business is highly desirable, indicating a need for adaptability and understanding of rapid scaling environments.

Required Skills:

• A robust portfolio showcasing strong strategic thinking, creative concept development, and execution for multi-channel marketing campaigns.

• Demonstrated expertise in motion design and video projects, including conceptualization, production, and editing.

• Ability to translate complex product visuals from static to GTM visualizations, effectively communicating intricate ideas through motion and video.

• Familiarity with UI/UX design principles to build animated screen interactions and bring product storytelling to life with motion.

• Proficiency in digital design and a keen interest in leveraging creative technology and innovation to optimize and scale design processes.

• Mastery over AI workflows for imagery, video, and motion design, including experience with tools like Claude, image/video generators, and node-based workflows.

• Experience collaborating with marketers to deliver growth results across digital marketing channels at scale, including adapting creative for global audiences and regional nuances.

• Strong creative problem-solving and critical thinking skills to connect and simplify complex ideas and evolving project requirements.

• Excellent judgment in decision-making, managing, and communicating trade-offs when collaborating with multiple stakeholders.

• Exceptional organizational and communication skills, with the ability to clearly articulate the 'why' behind creative decisions and lead discussions around process, explorations, and conclusions.

• A growth mindset with a drive to continuously experiment with new ideas, develop, and improve skills.

• Experience working with and guiding creative agency partnerships to deliver complex creative projects end-to-end.

• A passion for mentoring designers and growing design capability within a team. Preferred Skills:

• Familiarity with code-based visual/motion design (HTML, CSS, Lottie files).

• Experience with project management and marketing operations tooling such as Asana and Canva for template management.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirements emphasize a blend of creative talent and operational acumen. The need for "systemizing," "scaling," "optimizing," and "AI workflows" directly aligns with operations principles. A candidate who can demonstrate process improvement within creative production would be highly valued.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A comprehensive portfolio demonstrating strong strategic thinking and creative concept development for multi-channel marketing campaigns.

• Specific examples of well-crafted motion and video projects, showcasing technical skill and storytelling ability.

• Case studies illustrating the translation of complex product visuals into marketable motion and video deliverables, detailing the process and outcomes.

• Evidence of UI/UX integration within motion design, such as animated screen interactions or product storytelling sequences.

• Demonstrations of how AI workflows were utilized to optimize creative processes, scale production, or improve efficiency in past projects.

• Examples of creative development for global audiences, highlighting adaptability and consideration for regional nuances. Process Documentation:

• Showcase a structured approach to creative problem-solving, detailing how complex ideas were simplified and project requirements were managed.

• Provide examples of how trade-offs were managed and decisions were communicated effectively with multiple stakeholders in past projects.

• Illustrate the ability to articulate the 'why' behind creative processes, explorations, and conclusions through clear communication and presentation.

• If applicable, provide examples of how creative workshops or ideation sessions were facilitated, potentially including the application of AI tools.

📝 Enhancement Note: For operations professionals, this section translates to demonstrating a robust understanding of process design, workflow management, and system implementation within a creative context. The portfolio should highlight the candidate's ability to operationalize creative output, not just execute it.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $130,000 - $160,000 USD per year (Estimated Base Salary)

Benefits:

• Equity through Employee Share Option Program.

• Comprehensive learning programs and coaching for professional development.

• Quarterly refresh days and an extended end-of-year break for work-life balance.

• Monthly allowance to support wellbeing and lifestyle.

• Inclusive parental leave from day one.

• Provision of a MacBook and a budget for home workspace setup.

• Five annual social impact days for community involvement.

• Medical insurance coverage for the employee and their family (for US & UK employees).

Working Hours: 40 hours per week (Standard Full-Time) with a hybrid work arrangement requiring an average of 2 days per week in the San Francisco office.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is based on the provided US base salary range. The benefits package is extensive, reflecting a company culture that values employee wellbeing and professional growth, which can be attractive to operations professionals seeking a supportive work environment. The hybrid nature of the role with specific office days is a key consideration for work-life integration.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Software / HR Technology / Employee Experience Platforms. Culture Amp operates in the rapidly growing HR Tech space, providing solutions that impact employee engagement, performance, and development. This context means the brand must resonate with both HR professionals and employees, requiring sophisticated creative strategies.

Company Size: Large (Likely 500-1000+ employees, based on global presence and funding). A larger company size suggests established processes but also potential for significant impact and growth within its operational structures.

Founded: Culture Amp was founded with a mission to create a better world of work, emphasizing people science and data. This foundational principle likely permeates its operations and creative output, valuing data-driven decision-making and employee-centricity.

Team Structure:

• The Creative Studio is a small but integral part of the Marketing practice, indicating a focused, high-impact team.

• This role will be part of a highly cross-functional marketing team, requiring close collaboration with Growth, Regional, Product, and Brand Marketing departments.

• The Lead Brand Designer will likely report to a Creative Director or Head of Marketing, with direct influence on brand direction and creative output. Methodology:

• Data-driven decision-making is core to Culture Amp's product and likely influences its marketing and creative strategies.

• Process optimization and efficiency are key, especially with the focus on scaling creative production and leveraging AI.

• Cross-functional collaboration is essential for aligning creative efforts with broader GTM strategies and business goals.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: Understanding Culture Amp's mission and industry is crucial for a brand designer. The emphasis on "people science" and "employee experience" suggests a data-informed, human-centered approach to branding. For operations roles, this means aligning with a culture that values impact, data, and continuous improvement.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Lead Designer. This level signifies a senior individual contributor role with significant responsibility for driving creative strategy, execution, and team development. It implies a need for strategic thinking, problem-solving, and the ability to influence stakeholders.

Reporting Structure: The role reports into the Creative Studio within the Marketing practice. This structure allows for close collaboration with marketing leaders and cross-functional teams, providing visibility into broader business objectives and GTM strategies.

Operations Impact: The Lead Brand Designer's work will directly impact Culture Amp's brand perception, marketing campaign effectiveness, and overall GTM success. By scaling creative production and enhancing storytelling, this role contributes to lead generation, customer acquisition, and brand awareness.

Growth Opportunities:

• Operations Skill Advancement: Opportunity to deepen expertise in operationalizing creative workflows, implementing AI tools for efficiency, and managing cross-functional creative projects at scale.

• Leadership Development: Potential to grow into a Creative Director role or lead larger creative initiatives, mentoring junior designers and shaping the future of Culture Amp's brand.

• Industry Influence: Contribute to setting new standards for brand and marketing design systems, particularly in motion and video, potentially influencing industry best practices for creative technology and AI integration.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers a unique opportunity for a creative professional to apply operational thinking to a creative domain. Growth prospects lie in both deepening creative expertise and developing leadership and operational management skills within a fast-paced tech environment.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The company emphasizes the power of IRL (In Real Life) collaboration, indicating a preference for in-office work to foster connection, pace, and culture. However, it operates on a hybrid model.

Office Location(s): San Francisco, California, United States. This location is a major tech hub, offering opportunities for networking and exposure to industry trends.

Workspace Context:

• A hybrid work environment averaging 2 days per week in the San Francisco office, fostering a balance between focused remote work and collaborative in-person interaction.

• The workspace is designed to foster connection and collaboration, likely featuring modern office amenities and collaborative zones.

• Access to essential creative tools and technology, including Figma, Adobe Creative Suite, and AI-assisted design tools, will be integral to the daily workflow.

Work Schedule: Standard full-time hours (40 hours/week) with a hybrid arrangement, allowing for flexibility in managing personal schedules while ensuring team collaboration and in-office presence.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model with a specific office day requirement is crucial for operations professionals to consider for their work-life integration and team collaboration strategies.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your resume and portfolio to assess qualifications and alignment with the role's creative and operational demands.

• Creative & Operational Assessment: Interviews focusing on strategic thinking, concept development, motion/video expertise, and your approach to scaling creative production using AI and efficient workflows. Expect questions about how you manage projects, stakeholders, and trade-offs.

• Portfolio Presentation: A dedicated session to present your portfolio, highlighting specific case studies that demonstrate your strategic thinking, execution, and operational approach to creative challenges. Be prepared to discuss your process, decision-making, and the impact of your work.

• Team & Culture Fit: Interviews with potential team members and cross-functional stakeholders to assess collaboration style, communication skills, and cultural alignment with Culture Amp's values.

• Final Interview: Potentially with senior leadership to discuss overall vision, leadership potential, and strategic contribution.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select projects that best showcase your blend of brand design, motion/video expertise, strategic thinking, and operational efficiency. Prioritize case studies that demonstrate how you scaled creative efforts or improved processes.

• Highlight Process & Impact: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your strategic approach, the creative process (including any AI or workflow optimizations), and the measurable outcomes or business impact. Quantify results whenever possible.

• Demonstrate AI Integration: Include examples where AI tools were used to enhance efficiency, generate concepts, or scale production. Explain your methodology and the benefits realized.

• Storytelling is Key: Frame your portfolio as a narrative of your problem-solving abilities and your capacity to drive impactful creative outcomes. Explain the 'why' behind your design choices and process decisions.

• Showcase Scalability: Specifically highlight projects where you developed scalable solutions, templates, or systems for motion and video production.

Challenge Preparation:

• Be prepared for potential creative challenges or hypothetical scenarios that assess your ability to solve complex problems under pressure, integrate AI, and communicate your approach effectively.

• Practice articulating your design process, decision-making rationale, and how you would implement scalable creative solutions within a fast-paced GTM environment.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section is tailored to help a candidate understand how to present their operational skills within a creative context during the application process. The emphasis is on demonstrating process, scalability, and strategic thinking, which are critical for operations roles.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: High proficiency required for UI/UX design, prototyping, and collaborative design workflows.

• Adobe Creative Suite: Mastery expected across:

  • Premiere Pro: For video editing and post-production.
  • After Effects: For motion graphics, animation, and visual effects.
  • Illustrator: For vector graphics, logos, and illustrations.
  • InDesign: For layout design, editorial content, and reports.
  • Photoshop: For image editing, manipulation, and digital asset creation.

• AI-Assisted Tools: Essential for this role, including:

  • Claude: For content generation, scriptwriting, or idea exploration.
  • Image and Video Generators: For concept visualization, asset creation, and rapid prototyping.
  • Node-based workflows: For complex imagery and motion graphics manipulation.
  • Weavy, Descript: For video editing, transcription, and audio/video manipulation.

Analytics & Reporting: While not explicitly listed as a primary tool, familiarity with analytics tools used in marketing (e.g., Google Analytics, platform-specific ad managers) would be beneficial to understand campaign performance and inform creative strategy.

CRM & Automation: Familiarity with marketing operations tooling such as Asana (project management) and potentially CRM systems to understand how creative assets integrate into broader marketing automation workflows.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section details the critical technology stack. For operations professionals, understanding how these tools integrate and how they can be leveraged for process optimization and automation is key. The focus on AI tools is particularly relevant for future-proofing skills.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Progress over Perfection: Embraces an iterative approach, valuing initiative and adaptability in a dynamic environment with tight deadlines. This aligns with operations' need for agility.

• Curious Innovator: Driven by continuous learning, experimentation with new ideas, and skill development, reflecting a proactive approach to problem-solving and efficiency.

• Team Player: A willingness to contribute across all tasks, regardless of scope, fostering a collaborative and supportive environment essential for cross-functional operations.

• Data-Driven: While not explicitly stated for this role, Culture Amp's overall ethos as an employee experience platform implies a data-informed approach to decision-making, which should extend to creative strategy and performance measurement.

Collaboration Style:

• Highly Collaborative: Encourages bringing diverse groups together to bring new ideas to life, emphasizing strong communication and partnership across disciplines.

• Cross-Functional Integration: Expected to partner closely with marketing functions, integrating creative efforts with broader GTM strategies and business objectives.

• Mentorship & Growth: A culture that values sharing knowledge, developing design capability, and fostering continuous learning and improvement within the team.

📝 Enhancement Note: Understanding Culture Amp's values is crucial for assessing cultural fit. For operations professionals, the emphasis on "progress over perfection" and "curious innovator" suggests an environment that embraces change and continuous improvement, which is ideal for operational roles focused on optimization.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Scaling Creative Production: Developing and implementing systems to efficiently produce a high volume of motion and video assets for global and regional markets. This requires robust process design and workflow management.

• Integrating AI Workflows: Mastering and scaling the use of AI tools within creative processes to enhance efficiency, explore new creative avenues, and templatize production, while managing potential complexities and learning curves.

• Balancing Static and Motion Design: Effectively managing diverse creative demands, from static campaign assets to complex motion graphics and video, requiring strong organizational and prioritization skills.

• Cross-Functional Alignment: Ensuring creative output consistently aligns with evolving marketing strategies, product messaging, and business objectives across multiple departments.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• AI & Creative Technology: Deepen expertise in cutting-edge AI tools and creative technologies for design and motion production, staying at the forefront of industry innovation.

• Strategic Brand Development: Gain experience in shaping and evolving a global brand's identity, particularly in the dynamic HR Tech sector.

• Leadership & Mentorship: Develop leadership skills through mentoring junior designers and guiding creative agency partnerships, potentially leading to broader team or project leadership.

• Process Optimization: Apply operational thinking to refine and optimize creative workflows, contributing to the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the marketing practice.

📝 Enhancement Note: These challenges and opportunities are highly relevant to operations professionals. The role demands not just creative execution but also a strategic, operational approach to problem-solving and process improvement, offering significant growth potential in both creative and operational domains.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to scale creative production for a multi-channel marketing campaign. What processes did you implement, and what were the results?" (Focus on process, scalability, and GTM alignment).

• "How would you approach integrating AI tools into a motion design workflow to improve efficiency and creative output? Provide specific examples of tools and methodologies you would consider." (Focus on AI integration and operational efficiency).

• "Walk us through a complex creative project you led from concept to completion. How did you manage stakeholders, communicate trade-offs, and ensure alignment with business objectives?" (Focus on stakeholder management, decision-making, and strategic impact). Company & Culture Questions:

• "How do you see your role contributing to Culture Amp's mission of creating a better world of work through design and creative storytelling?" (Focus on mission alignment and impact).

• "Describe your experience working in a hybrid environment. How do you ensure effective collaboration and maintain team connection when working remotely and in the office?" (Focus on collaboration and work environment adaptability).

• "How do you stay current with design trends, creative technologies, and AI advancements, and how do you incorporate this learning into your work?" (Focus on growth mindset and innovation). Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure for Impact: Organize your portfolio to clearly demonstrate your strategic thinking, creative concept development, and execution. Use case studies that highlight your ability to translate complex ideas into compelling visuals, motion, and video.

• Emphasize Process & Operations: For each project, detail your problem-solving approach, the steps you took, any systems or workflows you developed or improved, and the quantifiable results achieved. Specifically, highlight instances where you used AI or optimized processes for efficiency.

• Tell a Story: Guide the interviewer through your work, explaining the 'why' behind your decisions and showcasing your ability to communicate complex ideas and justify your rationale.

• Showcase Scalability: Present examples where you've developed scalable creative solutions, templates, or systems that can be replicated and adapted.

• Be Ready for Technical Deep Dives: Be prepared to discuss your proficiency with Figma, Adobe Creative Suite, and your practical experience with AI-assisted tools.

📝 Enhancement Note: This preparation guide focuses on framing a creative candidate's experience through an operational lens, emphasizing process, strategy, and measurable impact, which is essential for operations-focused roles.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Lead Brand Designer position:

• Submit your application through the Culture Amp careers portal via the provided link.

• Customize Your Resume: Tailor your resume to highlight your experience in brand design, motion graphics, video editing, AI workflow integration, process optimization, and cross-functional collaboration within marketing and GTM contexts. Use keywords from the job description.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Ensure your portfolio prominently features multi-channel campaign examples, motion/video projects, case studies demonstrating strategic thinking and problem-solving, and specific examples of AI tool application and workflow optimization.

• Prepare Your Presentation: Practice presenting your portfolio, focusing on articulating your process, the strategic 'why' behind your creative decisions, the operational improvements you've implemented, and the measurable impact of your work.

• Research Culture Amp: Understand their mission, values, products, and recent marketing campaigns. Consider how your creative and operational skills can best contribute to their goals, particularly in scaling creative output and leveraging new technologies.

⚠️ 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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