Marketing Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Marketing Designer

Company: Vals AI

Location: San Francisco, California, United States

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: Marketing Operations / Creative Design

Date Posted: 2026-09-17

Experience Level: Entry to Mid-Level (0-2 years implied)

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• This role focuses on transforming complex data into compelling visual narratives for marketing campaigns, reports, and social media content, leveraging a fast-paced, iterative design approach.

• You will be instrumental in shaping and extending Vals AI's brand identity across all public-facing touchpoints, including digital platforms, social media, and physical merchandise.

• The position requires close collaboration with marketing and engineering teams to translate technical and data-heavy information into easily digestible and engaging visual assets.

• A key aspect of this role involves continuous testing and refinement of visual assets to optimize engagement and conversion rates, driven by performance metrics.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the job title is "Marketing Designer," the description heavily emphasizes data visualization and translating complex information, suggesting a strong overlap with Marketing Operations and GTM enablement functions. The iterative, data-driven approach points towards a need for analytical thinking beyond pure aesthetics. The "0-2 years" implied experience level suggests a role suitable for early-career professionals eager to learn and grow within a high-impact startup.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Produce high-quality graphics and videos for various marketing collateral, including benchmark reports, model reports, announcements, social media posts, and email campaigns.

• Develop and execute A/B tests on visual assets (graphics and videos) to identify and implement design variations that enhance user engagement and conversion rates.

• Translate intricate data points and lengthy content into concise, shareable, and platform-optimized visual assets, ensuring clarity and impact.

• Collaborate cross-functionally with marketing and engineering teams to conceptualize and execute creative strategies for visual storytelling and campaign development.

• Evolve, maintain, and extend Vals AI's established visual identity and brand guidelines across all marketing channels and touchpoints.

• Create and manage a comprehensive marketing asset library, ensuring organized accessibility for all relevant stakeholders.

• Design company merchandise and develop branding elements for corporate events and conferences.

• Maintain a rapid, iterative workflow, focusing on shipping designs quickly, measuring their performance, and refining them based on data-driven insights.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of creative design execution and performance-driven marketing. The emphasis on "shipping, measuring, refining" indicates a strong connection to GTM strategy and a need for designers who can think analytically about their work's impact.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: No specific degree is mandated; portfolio quality is prioritized over formal education.

Experience: Open to all experience levels, from new graduates to seasoned professionals, with a focus on demonstrable skills through a portfolio.

Required Skills:

• Portfolio: A robust portfolio showcasing strong capabilities in informative graphics, data visualization, and video/motion design is essential.

• Design Software Proficiency: Expert-level proficiency in Figma (or comparable design tools) is required.

• Video & Motion Graphics: Familiarity with basic video editing and motion graphics tools such as After Effects, Premiere Pro, or similar is necessary.

• Design Fundamentals: Strong understanding and application of typography, layout design, and visual hierarchy principles.

• Communication: Excellent communication skills, with the ability to articulate and defend design decisions by linking them to specific business or engagement outcomes.

• Iterative Workflow: Experience or aptitude for a fast-paced, iterative design process focused on testing, measurement, and refinement.

Preferred Skills:

• AI Tool Familiarity: Experience or comfort with AI tools for potential coding-adjacent tasks in design.

• Brand Design: Proven experience in developing and cultivating brand identities.

• Industry Interest: Interest or prior experience in the Artificial Intelligence (AI) and AI evaluation domain.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on portfolio quality over formal education aligns with many modern tech companies, particularly in creative and design roles. The requirement for clear communication of design decisions ties into the need for designers to act as strategic partners within the GTM function, not just executors.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Data Visualization Excellence: Showcase projects that effectively translate complex datasets into clear, compelling, and aesthetically pleasing visualizations.

• Motion & Video Storytelling: Include examples of motion graphics or video content that effectively communicate a narrative or explain a concept.

• Brand Consistency: Demonstrate an ability to maintain and evolve a cohesive brand identity across diverse marketing materials.

• Iterative Design Case Studies: Present projects that illustrate a process of testing variations, gathering feedback, and iterating to improve performance (e.g., engagement, conversion).

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Design & Optimization: While not explicitly stated as a deliverable, the ability to work within and contribute to an optimized, iterative design workflow is crucial. Candidates should be prepared to discuss how they approach design processes.

• Implementation & Automation: Familiarity with how designs are implemented across various platforms and any potential for leveraging tools or simple scripts to streamline asset creation or distribution.

• Measurement & Analysis: Demonstrate an understanding of how to track the performance of design assets and use that data to inform future creative decisions.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a "Marketing Designer" role with a strong data visualization component, a portfolio demonstrating the ability to quantify the impact of design is highly valuable. This means showing how design choices led to measurable improvements in engagement or conversion, aligning with operations and GTM metrics.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $100,000 - $170,000 USD per year.

Explanation of Range: This range is competitive for a Marketing Designer role in San Francisco, CA, accommodating varying levels of experience from entry-level to mid-career professionals, as indicated by the job description's openness to all experience levels. San Francisco commands a high cost of living, influencing salary benchmarks.

Benefits:

• Competitive Salary: Financial compensation aligned with industry standards.

• Meaningful Equity: Opportunity to own a stake in the company's growth and success.

• Relocation Support: Assistance for candidates moving to San Francisco.

• Transportation Support: Aid for commuting within the San Francisco area.

• Health & Dental Insurance: Comprehensive medical and dental coverage.

• Provided Meals: Lunch and dinner are provided daily, reducing daily expenses and fostering a communal work environment.

• Unlimited PTO: Flexible paid time off policy, promoting work-life balance.

Working Hours: Implied full-time, 5 days a week, in-person in the San Francisco office. The specific daily hours are not detailed but are assumed to align with standard business operations (e.g., 8-9 hours per day).

📝 Enhancement Note: The provided salary range is broad, reflecting the company's stated openness to various experience levels. Candidates should prepare to negotiate based on their specific portfolio, experience, and demonstrated ability to drive measurable results, especially in data visualization and iterative design. The on-site requirement and provided meals suggest a strong emphasis on in-person collaboration and company culture.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Artificial Intelligence (AI) and AI Evaluation Platforms. Vals AI is developing solutions at the intersection of AI research and practical application, particularly in evaluating AI models.

Company Size: Small to Medium-sized (implied by "talent-dense team," "small team," and recent Series A funding). This size suggests high impact opportunities for individuals and a fast-paced, agile environment.

Founded: Founded by individuals with strong academic (Stanford NLP evaluation research) and industry (NVIDIA, Meta, Microsoft, Palantir, Jane Street, Snorkel) backgrounds. This indicates a foundation built on deep technical expertise and a drive for innovation.

Team Structure:

• Founding Team Expertise: Comprised of experienced professionals with significant academic citations and prior work at leading tech firms and quantitative trading companies.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: Emphasizes close collaboration between marketing, design, and engineering teams, requiring designers to integrate seamlessly with technical and strategic functions.

• Talent-Dense Environment: Operates with a focus on hiring highly skilled individuals who can work autonomously and drive initiatives.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Iteration: A core operational philosophy is to "ship, measure, refine," indicating a strong reliance on data analytics to guide product and marketing decisions.

• AI Evaluation Focus: The company's mission revolves around evaluating AI models, suggesting a culture that values rigor, accuracy, and continuous improvement in complex technical domains.

• Agile Development: The rapid pace of the AI landscape and the mention of "high speed of execution" imply an agile and adaptable operational framework.

Company Website: https://www.vals.ai/home

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture is clearly defined by its "What We're Looking For" section: learning velocity, ownership, intensity, and a solution-oriented mindset. This is crucial for operations professionals to understand, as it dictates how work is approached and how individuals are expected to contribute. The strong technical and academic background of the founding team suggests a culture that values deep problem-solving and evidence-based decision-making.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as an Entry to Mid-Level Marketing Designer (0-2 years implied). It offers significant ownership and the chance to shape brand image from the ground up, presenting a unique opportunity for rapid professional development.

Reporting Structure: While not explicitly stated, the role involves close collaboration with marketing and engineering. It's likely the designer will report to a Marketing Lead or Creative Director, with direct interaction with senior team members and potentially founders.

Operations Impact: The designer's work will directly influence brand perception, campaign effectiveness, and lead generation through compelling visual storytelling and data-driven design. Success in this role translates directly to measurable improvements in marketing KPIs, impacting overall Go-To-Market (GTM) strategy and revenue enablement.

Growth Opportunities:

• Skill Specialization: Deepen expertise in data visualization, motion graphics, and brand development within the AI sector.

• Career Advancement: Potential to grow into a Senior Marketing Designer, Art Director, or Head of Design role as the company scales.

• Cross-functional Learning: Gain exposure to AI evaluation methodologies, marketing strategy, and product development through close collaboration with engineering and marketing experts.

• Leadership Potential: Develop ownership and strategic thinking skills that can lead to leadership opportunities within the marketing or creative functions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "0-2 years" experience level combined with "significant ownership" and "title flexibility" suggests that successful candidates could be promoted quickly if they demonstrate high performance and initiative. This is a key growth opportunity for ambitious early-career professionals in design and operations-adjacent roles.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Full-time, in-person at their San Francisco office. This indicates a preference for a collaborative, on-site work environment conducive to spontaneous ideation and team cohesion.

Office Location(s): San Francisco, California. Specific details on office amenities or accessibility are not provided, but the location implies a dynamic urban setting typical for tech startups.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Hub: The in-person requirement suggests a workspace designed to foster interaction, team meetings, and shared creative sessions.

• Tool & Technology Access: The company offers "strong technical support, tools, and resources for high-quality design work," implying access to necessary hardware and software.

• Team Interaction: Frequent opportunities for direct interaction with marketing, engineering, and potentially founding team members, facilitating rapid feedback loops and knowledge sharing.

Work Schedule: Full-time, 5 days a week, in-person. While specific daily hours aren't listed, the mention of "lunch and dinner provided" suggests a workday that may extend beyond typical hours, fostering a dedicated and integrated team atmosphere.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on a full-time, in-person role in San Francisco, coupled with provided meals, points to a startup culture that values deep immersion, team bonding, and high levels of collaboration. This environment is ideal for individuals who thrive on close-knit team dynamics and direct communication.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Review of resume and portfolio to assess foundational skills and alignment with role requirements.

• Portfolio Deep Dive: A dedicated session to discuss specific projects, design decisions, and the applicant's thought process behind their work, particularly focusing on data visualization and iterative design.

• Skills Assessment/Challenge: Potentially a design challenge or case study presentation to evaluate practical application of skills, problem-solving abilities, and communication. This might involve translating a complex data set into a visual asset.

• Team/Culture Fit Interviews: Meetings with marketing, engineering, and potentially leadership to assess collaboration style, alignment with company values (learning velocity, ownership, intensity), and cultural fit.

• Final Evaluation: Discussion of salary expectations, equity, and role responsibilities, potentially with founders or senior leadership.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Showcase Data Visualization: Highlight projects where you've successfully translated complex data into clear, engaging visuals. Explain the data, the challenge, and your design solution.

• Illustrate Iterative Process: Include case studies that demonstrate how you tested different design options, measured results (even hypothetical ones if real data is unavailable), and refined your work based on those insights.

• Explain Design Rationale: Be prepared to articulate why you made specific design choices, linking them to user understanding, engagement goals, or brand objectives.

• Demonstrate Tool Proficiency: Ensure your portfolio clearly shows your command of Figma and familiarity with video/motion tools.

• Tailor to Vals AI: Research Vals AI's current marketing materials and brand aesthetic. If possible, subtly tailor your presentation to show how your skills can enhance their existing visual language.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Data: If given a data challenge, focus on understanding the dataset's core message and identifying the most critical insights to convey visually.

• Focus on Clarity & Impact: Prioritize making the information digestible and impactful for the target audience.

• Articulate Your Process: Be ready to explain your design steps, tool choices, and how you would iterate based on feedback.

• Practice Presentation: Rehearse presenting your work concisely and confidently, anticipating questions about your methodology and outcomes.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "portfolio quality matters more than school or degree" and the need to "explain design decisions in terms of the outcome they're driving" means candidates must be prepared to deeply discuss their portfolio. This is where they can demonstrate their understanding of marketing operations and GTM objectives.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: The core design tool for creating graphics, interfaces, and potentially prototypes. High proficiency is mandatory.

• Video Editing & Motion Graphics Software: Tools like After Effects, Premiere Pro, or similar are required for producing video content and animated assets.

• Adobe Creative Suite (implied): Likely includes Photoshop and Illustrator for image manipulation and vector graphics creation, complementing Figma.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Web Analytics Platforms (e.g., Google Analytics, Amplitude): While not directly used for design creation, understanding how to access and interpret data from these platforms will be crucial for measuring the performance of design assets.

• Social Media Analytics: Familiarity with analytics dashboards within platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, etc., to track engagement metrics for social posts.

• Dashboarding Tools (e.g., Tableau, Looker - less likely for designer): May be used by marketing/operations teams to present overall campaign performance, and the designer should understand how their work contributes to these dashboards.

CRM & Automation:

• Email Marketing Platforms (e.g., Mailchimp, HubSpot): Designs will be implemented in email campaigns, so understanding basic email design best practices and platform constraints is beneficial.

• Marketing Automation Platforms (e.g., HubSpot, Marketo - less direct): Designers may need to understand how assets are integrated into automated workflows.

• Content Management Systems (CMS) (e.g., WordPress): Designs will likely be implemented on the company website, requiring an understanding of web design principles and CMS integration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicitly mentioned tools are Figma and basic video editing software. However, for a role focused on driving engagement and conversion, familiarity with how designs are measured and implemented across web, social, and email platforms is critical. This bridges the gap between pure design and marketing operations.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Learning Velocity: A commitment to rapid learning and skill acquisition, essential in the fast-evolving AI and design fields. Expect to be challenged to learn new tools and techniques quickly.

• Ownership: Taking proactive responsibility for projects and outcomes, demonstrating initiative to identify needs and drive solutions without constant direction.

• Intensity: A high-energy, focused approach to work, reflecting the competitive and fast-paced nature of the AI startup landscape.

• Solution-Oriented Mindset: A proactive, problem-solving attitude, focusing on crafting effective solutions rather than dwelling on challenges or obstacles.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: A culture that values performance metrics and uses data to inform creative choices and optimize outcomes.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Close working relationships with marketing and engineering are paramount. Designers are expected to be active participants in GTM strategy discussions.

• Iterative Feedback Loops: Openness to frequent feedback, testing, and refinement of designs. This implies a culture where constructive criticism is welcomed and used for improvement.

• Knowledge Sharing: The "talent-dense" environment suggests a culture where team members share insights and best practices to elevate the collective output.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's stated values (learning velocity, ownership, intensity, solution-oriented) are critical for operations roles. They indicate a high-performance environment where individuals are expected to be proactive, adaptable, and results-driven. Understanding these values is key to cultural fit.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Translating Complexity: The primary challenge will be consistently translating highly technical and data-intensive information into simple, engaging visual narratives that resonate with a broad audience.

• Rapid Iteration & Testing: Maintaining a high pace of design output while ensuring quality and brand consistency, coupled with the need to quickly test and refine based on performance data.

• Evolving Brand Identity: As a growing startup, the brand identity may still be evolving. The designer will need to be adaptable and contribute to shaping this identity effectively.

• Balancing Aesthetics and Performance: Ensuring that visually appealing designs also meet specific engagement and conversion goals, requiring a blend of artistic skill and analytical thinking.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Specialized Design Skills: Deepen expertise in cutting-edge data visualization techniques and advanced motion graphics within the AI domain.

• GTM Strategy Insight: Gain a comprehensive understanding of Go-To-Market strategies, campaign planning, and performance marketing through close collaboration with the marketing team.

• AI Industry Knowledge: Develop a strong understanding of the AI landscape, model evaluations, and the specific technical challenges Vals AI addresses.

• Leadership & Ownership: Opportunities to take on significant project ownership and potentially lead design initiatives as the company grows.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are inherent to high-growth tech startups and roles that bridge creative and operational functions. Recognizing these challenges and framing them as opportunities for growth and skill development is key for candidates.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you translated complex data into a simple, effective visual. What was the data, what was your approach, and what was the outcome?" (Focus on process, clarity, and impact.)

• "How do you approach testing and iterating on designs to improve engagement or conversion? Can you give an example?" (Highlight your understanding of data-driven design and performance metrics.)

• "Imagine we have a new benchmark report on AI model performance. How would you approach designing the key visuals for social media and our website to maximize reach and understanding?" (Demonstrate strategic thinking and platform awareness.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Vals AI and the AI evaluation space?" (Show research and genuine interest.)

• "How do you embody our core values of learning velocity, ownership, and intensity in your work?" (Prepare specific examples from your experience.)

• "How do you handle constructive criticism or feedback on your designs?" (Assess your openness to iteration and collaboration.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each project, clearly state the problem, your role, your process, the solution, and the quantifiable results or impact.

• Emphasize Data Visualization: Dedicate significant time to showcasing your best data visualization projects. Explain the data source, the insights you highlighted, and why your visual approach was effective.

• Showcase Iteration: If possible, present a project where you iterated on designs. Show different versions and explain the rationale behind the changes and improvements.

• Articulate ROI: For any campaign or asset that had a measurable outcome (e.g., increased click-through rates, engagement), clearly state the ROI or performance uplift achieved.

• Be Ready for Live Design: Be prepared for a potential live design exercise where you might be asked to sketch out ideas or refine a concept based on a prompt.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating not just design skills, but also an understanding of marketing operations principles like ROI, engagement metrics, and data-driven decision-making. The ability to connect design choices to business outcomes is paramount.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Marketing Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Ashby.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 3-5 of your strongest projects that best showcase your data visualization, motion graphics, and iterative design capabilities. Ensure each project has a clear narrative explaining the challenge, your solution, and the impact.

• Tailor Your Resume: Highlight keywords and responsibilities from the job description that align with your experience, focusing on data visualization, Figma, video editing, and collaborative design. Quantify achievements where possible.

• Prepare Your Presentation: Practice walking through your portfolio, focusing on explaining your design process, rationale, and any measurable outcomes. Be ready to discuss how your skills can directly benefit Vals AI's GTM efforts.

• Research Vals AI: Understand their mission, current marketing efforts, and the AI evaluation space. This will help you tailor your responses and demonstrate genuine interest during interviews.

⚠️ 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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