Lead Designer Corporate Communications

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Lead Designer, Corporate Communications

Company: Workiva Inc.

Location: Denver, Colorado, United States (Remote)

Job Type: Full time

Category: Marketing Operations / Creative Operations

Date Posted: July 27, 2026

Experience Level: 8+ Years Professional Experience

Remote Status: Fully Remote (within the United States)

🚀 Role Summary

• This role is pivotal in shaping the visual narrative of Workiva's corporate identity, focusing on high-impact internal and external communications.

• It demands a blend of advanced design craft, strategic thinking, and creative leadership to elevate the company's brand presence across critical touchpoints.

• The position involves designing a broad spectrum of materials, from executive-level presentations and investor reports to internal newsletters and digital signage, ensuring brand consistency and strategic intent.

• The Lead Designer will be instrumental in building and maintaining scalable design systems and template libraries, fostering efficiency and quality across a high-visibility portfolio.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the job title is "Lead Designer, Corporate Communications," the responsibilities and required skills, particularly the focus on design systems, template libraries, and efficiency through AI, strongly align with a Creative Operations or Marketing Operations function within a larger creative team. The emphasis on stakeholder partnership with Corporate and Internal Comms teams, and the need to translate complex business narratives, further solidifies this operational aspect of the role.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• End-to-End Design Ownership: Lead the design and execution of a diverse range of corporate and internal communications assets, including all-hands presentations, email templates, digital signage, intranet content, print materials, sustainability reports, annual reports, quarterly board decks, and investor day materials.

• Creative Standard Setting: Establish and meticulously uphold the creative standard for all Corporate and Internal Communications design output, ensuring every asset reflects Workiva's brand with precision, sophistication, and strategic intent.

• Design System Development & Maintenance: Build, maintain, and evolve scalable design systems, comprehensive template libraries, and practical toolkits designed to ensure consistency, enhance efficiency, and guarantee high quality across all communication materials.

• Complex Data & Narrative Visualization: Translate intricate business narratives, financial data, and strategic messaging into clear, compelling, and visually sophisticated communications that resonate with executive and broad audiences.

• Cross-Functional Creative Collaboration: Partner closely with the Video & Motion Graphics team to brief, art direct, and ensure seamless visual cohesion for any video or animated assets integrated into corporate communications.

• Best Practice Advocacy: Champion best practices in design craft, digital accessibility, and impactful visual storytelling throughout the Creative team and relevant stakeholder groups.

• Senior Stakeholder Partnership: Serve as the primary creative partner to the Corporate and Internal Communications teams, cultivating a deep understanding of their editorial calendars, strategic priorities, and critical high-stakes moments.

• Executive-Level Deliverable Management: Work directly and confidently with senior executives and cross-functional stakeholders on highly visible and consequential deliverables, including board decks, investor presentations, and external reports.

• Project Intake & Prioritization: Independently manage project intake, prioritization, and workflow, effectively balancing rigorous quality standards with the dynamic pace and demands of a busy communications calendar.

• Mentorship & Feedback: Mentor and provide structured, constructive creative feedback to Senior and Mid-level Designers within the Creative team, actively contributing to their skill development and elevating the collective output quality.

• Cross-Team Design Reviews: Facilitate and actively contribute to cross-team design reviews, fostering an environment that elevates creative thinking and execution standards across the broader organization.

• Brand Consistency Champion: Act as the crucial connective tissue between Corporate and Internal Communications and the broader Creative and Brand teams, ensuring all work is consistent with and powerfully reinforces the company's external brand identity.

• Process & System Optimization: Champion continuous improvement across creative systems, tools, and processes, independently optimizing workflows and proactively staying ahead of emerging design trends and technologies.

• AI Integration for Creative Engine: Adopt and integrate AI-enhanced practices to transform the creative engine, leveraging generative tools to accelerate high-quality asset production, automating repetitive design and writing tasks, and utilizing performance metrics to drive data-informed decisions for maximum revenue impact.

📝 Enhancement Note: The scope of responsibilities indicates a senior-level role with significant strategic and operational impact. The emphasis on "setting the creative standard," "building scalable design systems," and "adopting AI-enhanced practices" highlights the operational and process-oriented nature of this design leadership position, moving beyond pure execution to systemization and efficiency. The mention of "revenue impact" explicitly links design operations to business outcomes.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• Undergraduate degree in Graphic Design, Visual Communications, or a related field.

• Equivalent combination of relevant career experience and expertise will also be considered. Experience:

• 8+ years of professional design experience, with a robust portfolio showcasing strong craft across a variety of formats.

• Demonstrated experience in designing presentations, editorial content, report design, and corporate communications is highly desirable.

• Proven experience designing high-stakes, executive-level materials such as board decks, investor presentations, annual reports, or sustainability reports.

• Experience working at a company of significant scale (2,000+ employees), where the importance of design systems and operational rigor is well-understood.

• Experience within a B2B SaaS or technology environment is preferred.

• Background in brand design or visual identity systems is a plus.

• Experience mentoring designers or leading creative reviews is a significant advantage. Required Skills:

• Expert Proficiency in Design Software: Master-level command of Figma (including advanced use of component libraries, auto-layout, and prototyping features) and the Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop).

• Visual Storytelling & Data Visualization: Exceptional ability to translate complex business narratives, financial data, and strategic messaging into clear, compelling, and visually sophisticated communications.

• Design Systems & Template Development: Proven ability to build, maintain, and scale comprehensive design systems, template libraries, and toolkits to ensure brand consistency and operational efficiency.

• Stakeholder Management & Communication: Confident and effective communication of design rationale and creative strategy to senior, non-design stakeholders, including executives. Ability to manage competing priorities and operate autonomously.

Preferred Skills:

• AI & Generative Design Tools: Familiarity with and ability to leverage AI-enhanced practices and generative tools to accelerate asset production and automate tasks.

• Corporate & Internal Comms Platforms: Familiarity with internal or corporate communications platforms such as Staffbase, Simpplr, Confluence, or similar systems.

• Brand Design & Visual Identity: Strong foundation in brand design principles and visual identity systems.

• Motion Graphics & Video Art Direction: Ability to collaborate with and art direct motion graphics and video teams for cohesive asset creation.

• Accessibility Standards: Championing and implementing best practices in digital accessibility within design output.

• Remote Work Autonomy: Highly self-directed with a proven ability to operate effectively and autonomously in a fully remote environment.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on Figma, Adobe Creative Suite, design systems, and AI integration points to a role deeply embedded in modern design operations. The requirement for 8+ years of experience, coupled with mentorship and executive-level stakeholder management, positions this as a senior, lead-level position with significant responsibility. The preference for experience in larger companies and B2B SaaS/tech environments suggests a need for understanding complex organizational structures and business models.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Demonstrated Craftsmanship: A portfolio showcasing exceptional design quality across a range of formats, with a clear emphasis on presentations, editorial design, and corporate communications.

• Executive-Level Deliverables: Specific examples of high-stakes, executive-level materials designed, such as board decks, investor presentations, annual reports, or sustainability reports, highlighting strategic intent and clarity.

• Design System or Template Library Examples: Evidence of building, maintaining, or significantly contributing to scalable design systems, component libraries, or comprehensive template libraries that drive consistency and efficiency.

• Process Optimization & Efficiency: Case studies or project examples that illustrate how design processes were optimized, including the use of templates, AI tools, or workflow improvements, to achieve measurable efficiency gains or revenue impact.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Design & Optimization: Ability to document and articulate current design workflows for corporate communications and propose optimized versions that incorporate best practices, new tools (like AI), and increased efficiency.

• Template Implementation & Automation: Clear examples of how templates and design systems have been implemented and utilized to automate repetitive design tasks, ensuring brand consistency and reducing production time.

• Performance Measurement & Iteration: Demonstrating how design output has been measured (e.g., engagement, clarity, impact on specific business goals) and how insights from performance data have informed iterative improvements to design processes and assets.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a lead design role focused on corporate communications and operations, the portfolio is critical. It must not only showcase aesthetic quality but also strategic thinking, operational efficiency, and the ability to manage complex projects and stakeholders. The emphasis on design systems, AI integration, and measurable impact (revenue impact) indicates a need for portfolio pieces that demonstrate a mature, process-driven approach to design.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $133,000 - $214,000 USD per year

Explanation of Range: This salary range is competitive for a Lead Designer role with extensive experience (8+ years), specialized skills in corporate communications design, and leadership responsibilities, particularly within the US tech/SaaS sector. The upper end reflects the strategic impact, executive-level interaction, and potential for AI-driven creative engine transformation.

Benefits:

• Discretionary Bonus: A performance-based bonus, typically paid annually, reflecting individual and company success.

• Restricted Stock Units (RSUs): Equity grants awarded at the time of hire, aligning employee success with Workiva's long-term growth and stock performance.

• 401(k) Match: A company match on retirement savings contributions, bolstering long-term financial security.

• Comprehensive Employee Benefits Package: Includes health, dental, vision insurance, paid time off, and other benefits designed to support employee well-being and work-life balance.

Working Hours:

• Standard full-time hours are expected, likely around 40 hours per week.

• The role is designed for a fully remote environment, offering flexibility in managing work hours to accommodate project deadlines and personal needs, provided reliable internet access and consistent availability.

• Occasional adjustments to working hours may be required to accommodate urgent project needs or cross-time zone collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is broad, reflecting the diverse factors influencing compensation within a large organization, including location (even within a remote US context), specific skill sets, depth of experience, and negotiation. The inclusion of equity (RSUs) and a discretionary bonus signifies a role with significant upside potential tied to company performance.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Software, specifically a platform for finance, risk, and sustainability reporting and compliance. Workiva's platform aims to unify these critical business functions on a single, secure foundation, providing data confidence and enabling faster, more precise decision-making.

Company Size: Workiva operates at a significant scale, with over 2,000 employees. This size implies a structured environment with established processes, cross-functional teams, and opportunities for both specialization and broad impact.

Founded: Workiva was founded in 2008. This indicates a company that has moved beyond its startup phase and established itself in the market, likely with mature operational frameworks and a clear vision for its platform's evolution.

Team Structure:

• Creative Team within Marketing: This role sits within the broader Creative team, which is part of the Marketing organization. This placement suggests a close alignment with marketing objectives and brand strategy.

• Dedicated Partner to Corporate & Internal Comms: The Lead Designer functions as the primary creative partner specifically for the Corporate and Internal Communications teams, indicating a specialized, high-touch service model.

• Reporting Hierarchy: While not explicitly stated, a Lead Designer typically reports to a Creative Director, Head of Design, or a Senior Marketing leader. They are also responsible for mentoring and providing feedback to other designers.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Extensive collaboration is expected with Corporate Comms, Internal Comms, Brand teams, Video & Motion Graphics, and potentially Finance, Risk, and Sustainability teams to understand their needs and translate complex information.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Design: The role emphasizes using performance metrics and AI-driven insights to inform design decisions and optimize creative output for maximum revenue impact.

• Scalable Systems & Efficiency: A core focus is on building and maintaining scalable design systems, template libraries, and toolkits to ensure consistency and improve workflow efficiency.

• Strategic Narrative Translation: Translating complex business narratives, financial data, and strategic messaging into clear, compelling visual communications is a key methodological approach.

• AI Integration: Proactive adoption of AI-enhanced practices to accelerate asset production and automate repetitive tasks.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: Workiva's focus on complex compliance and reporting for large organizations means that the design output for Corporate Communications must be exceptionally precise, trustworthy, and professional. The company's scale suggests a need for robust operational processes and adherence to brand guidelines. The integration of AI is a forward-thinking aspect that will appeal to operations-minded professionals.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a senior-level, "Lead" position within the Creative Operations function, specifically focused on Corporate Communications. It represents a significant step beyond a standard Designer role, requiring strategic leadership, mentorship capabilities, and ownership of high-impact projects. It signifies a transition from individual contributor execution to guiding creative output and processes.

Reporting Structure: The Lead Designer will likely report to a Director or VP of Creative/Marketing. They will work closely with Directors and VPs in Corporate Communications and Internal Communications, acting as their primary design liaison. They will also mentor and guide other Senior and Mid-level Designers within the Creative team.

Operations Impact: The role has a direct and significant impact on how Workiva presents itself externally to investors, regulatory bodies, and the market, and internally to its employees. High-quality, strategically aligned communications are crucial for investor confidence, employee engagement, brand reputation, and ultimately, revenue generation and retention. By improving design efficiency and effectiveness through systems and AI, the role contributes to cost savings and faster go-to-market for critical communications.

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership Advancement: Potential to grow into a Creative Director role, managing larger teams and broader creative strategies, or specializing further in areas like Brand Design Leadership or Design Operations Management.

• Skill Specialization: Deepen expertise in areas like executive presentation design, advanced data visualization, AI-driven creative workflows, or building/scaling complex design systems.

• Cross-Functional Influence: Develop stronger strategic partnerships across departments, potentially leading initiatives that bridge design, communications, and business strategy.

• Industry Recognition: Contribute to high-profile corporate communications that could gain industry recognition, enhancing personal and company brand.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Lead" title implies a pathway to further leadership. The emphasis on AI and process improvement suggests opportunities to shape the future of creative operations within Workiva. This role is ideal for someone looking to leverage design skills in a strategic, operational, and impactful capacity within a growing enterprise software company.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Workiva supports a "work best where you work best" philosophy, offering flexibility between office-based work and fully remote work. For this specific role, it is designated as fully remote within the United States.

Office Location(s): While the role is remote, Workiva has physical offices, including one in Denver, Colorado. However, for this position, the primary work environment is remote, requiring reliable internet access.

Workspace Context:

• Remote Collaboration Hub: The work environment is primarily digital and collaborative via online tools. This requires strong communication skills and comfort with virtual interaction.

• Advanced Digital Toolset: Access to and proficiency with industry-leading design and collaboration tools (Figma, Adobe Creative Suite, AI tools, communication platforms) is essential.

• Cross-Functional Interaction: Frequent interaction with various internal teams (Corporate Comms, Internal Comms, Brand, Video/Motion Graphics) necessitates strong interpersonal skills and the ability to navigate different team dynamics virtually.

• Focus on Output & Impact: The remote setting emphasizes results-driven work, where performance is measured by the quality and impact of deliverables rather than physical presence.

Work Schedule:

• Standard full-time working hours (approximately 40 hours per week).

• Flexibility is provided to manage work hours effectively, especially critical for remote employees to maintain work-life balance and meet project demands.

• Occasional travel (up to 10%) is required for internal meetings or external engagements, which may necessitate temporary adjustments to the remote work schedule.

📝 Enhancement Note: The fully remote nature of this role within the US requires a high degree of self-discipline and proactive communication. The emphasis on reliable internet and the need for flexibility in working hours are key considerations for remote operations professionals.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

1. Initial Screening: A review of your application, resume, and portfolio by the Talent Acquisition team to assess basic qualifications and alignment with the role's core requirements.

2. Hiring Manager Interview: A conversation with the hiring manager to delve deeper into your experience, design philosophy, leadership style, and how you approach complex design challenges and stakeholder management. This is where you'll discuss your portfolio in detail.

3. Design Challenge/Case Study: You may be asked to complete a design exercise or present a detailed case study from your portfolio. This could involve analyzing a communication challenge, proposing a design solution, and articulating your process, rationale, and expected impact.

4. Cross-Functional/Team Interviews: Meetings with key stakeholders from Corporate Communications, Internal Communications, and potentially other members of the Creative team. This assesses your ability to collaborate,