Senior Brand Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Brand Designer

Company: Cohere

Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada (Remote OK)

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Design / Marketing Operations

Date Posted: May 14, 2026

Experience Level: Mid-Senior Level (4-7 years)

Remote Status: Remote OK (US, Canada, UK, France)

🚀 Role Summary

• Spearhead the creation and execution of unique, original brand work across diverse platforms, including digital and physical campaigns, ensuring a cohesive and impactful brand identity.

• Drive end-to-end ownership of brand projects, meticulously maintaining visual consistency and brand integrity across all customer touchpoints.

• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, including marketing, product management, research, and engineering, to translate brand strategy into compelling visual narratives.

• Elevate the team's overall craft and quality through personal output, active collaboration, and the exploration of innovative design methodologies, including AI.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned within a high-growth AI company, indicating a need for a brand designer who can not only execute on established brand guidelines but also contribute to evolving the brand in a rapidly changing technological landscape. The emphasis on "scaling intelligence" suggests a need for brand design that communicates sophistication, innovation, and human-centricity. The role's focus is heavily on visual identity and campaign execution, aligning it with marketing operations functions that support Go-To-Market strategies.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Conceptualize and design original brand assets for digital campaigns, physical activations, website elements, marketing collateral, and internal communications, ensuring alignment with Cohere's mission and values.

• Develop and maintain comprehensive brand guidelines, ensuring consistency in typography, color palettes, imagery, and overall visual language across all brand touchpoints.

• Partner with marketing stakeholders to understand campaign objectives and translate them into visually compelling designs that resonate with target audiences and drive engagement.

• Collaborate with product teams to ensure brand consistency in product interfaces, marketing materials, and user experiences, fostering a unified brand perception.

• Proactively identify opportunities to enhance brand presence through innovative design solutions, including exploring and integrating emerging technologies like AI in visual content creation.

• Manage multiple design projects simultaneously, from initial brief and concept development through to final asset delivery, adhering to project timelines and quality standards.

• Contribute to the development of Cohere's brand studio, experimenting with new design tools and techniques to push creative boundaries and maintain a cutting-edge brand aesthetic.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of strategic brand development and hands-on execution. The emphasis on owning projects end-to-end and partnering with diverse teams suggests a need for strong project management and communication skills alongside design expertise. The explicit mention of "AI" in the context of image-making points to a forward-thinking approach to design, requiring adaptability and a willingness to experiment with new technologies.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: A Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design, Visual Communications, or a related field is typically expected, though equivalent practical experience will be strongly considered.

Experience: 4-7 years of dedicated experience in brand design, with a proven track record of creating impactful visual identities and campaigns. Experience within the technology sector or in fast-paced agency environments is highly valued.

Required Skills:

• Demonstrated expertise in brand design principles, visual identity systems, and brand strategy implementation.

• Exceptional typographic and layout skills, with a keen eye for detail and composition.

• Strong command of color theory and its application in brand development.

• Proficient in systems thinking, enabling the creation of scalable and consistent brand assets.

• Advanced proficiency in Figma and the Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign).

• Proven ability to deliver measurable impact through design work, supported by portfolio case studies.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience with motion design software (e.g., After Effects) and proficiency in creating animated graphics.

• Additional image-making competencies such as illustration or 3D modeling and rendering.

• Familiarity with AI-powered design tools and their application in creative workflows.

• Experience working in a fast-paced, high-growth technology company.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for "measurable impact" in the portfolio suggests that candidates should be prepared to articulate the business outcomes of their design work, a critical aspect for operations-focused roles that often tie creative efforts to Go-To-Market success metrics. The preference for tech or agency experience indicates a need for designers accustomed to high-volume, deadline-driven environments and a strong understanding of brand building in competitive markets.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A robust portfolio showcasing a minimum of 4-7 years of professional brand design work, with a clear emphasis on tech or agency experience.

• Detailed case studies demonstrating strong typographic and layout skills, effective use of color, and a cohesive approach to visual identity systems.

• Examples of problem-solving through design, illustrating how you've addressed specific brand challenges.

• Documentation of the measurable impact of your design work, including quantifiable results or key performance indicators achieved.

Process Documentation:

• Evidence of end-to-end project ownership, from initial concept and strategy to final execution and implementation.

• Examples of your workflow for collaborating with marketing, product, and engineering teams, highlighting communication and feedback loops.

• Documentation of how you translate brand strategy into actionable design deliverables and campaigns.

• Case studies that illustrate your process for exploring and integrating new tools and methods, particularly AI, into creative workflows.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a brand design role within an operations-focused framework, the portfolio should emphasize not just aesthetic quality but also the process behind the design. This includes how designs were conceived, developed, iterated upon, and implemented to achieve specific business objectives. Demonstrating an understanding of brand as a system that supports Go-To-Market efforts is crucial.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on industry benchmarks for a Senior Brand Designer with 4-7 years of experience in a major tech hub like Toronto, and considering the company's stage and funding, the estimated salary range for this role in Toronto is CAD $90,000 - $130,000 annually. This estimate accounts for the competitive nature of the AI industry and the specialized skills required.

Benefits:

• Open and Inclusive Culture: A work environment that values diversity, collaboration, and mutual respect.

• Cutting-Edge AI Work: Opportunity to work closely with a team at the forefront of AI research and development.

• Food & Wellness: Weekly lunch stipend, in-office lunches, and snacks to support daily well-being.

• Comprehensive Health Coverage: Full health and dental benefits, including a dedicated budget for mental health support.

• Family Support: 100% Parental Leave top-up for up to 6 months, supporting new parents.

• Personal Enrichment: A dedicated budget for personal growth, arts, culture, fitness, and workspace improvement.

• Flexible Work Arrangement: Remote-flexible work policy, with physical office locations in Toronto, New York, San Francisco, London, and Paris, plus a co-working stipend.

• Generous Vacation: 6 weeks (30 working days) of paid vacation annually, promoting work-life balance.

Working Hours: A standard full-time work week of approximately 40 hours is expected, with flexibility often afforded to remote employees to manage their schedules effectively, provided project deadlines and collaboration needs are met.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is an estimate based on available market data for Senior Brand Designers in Toronto and similar tech roles. Cohere is a well-funded AI company, which typically commands competitive compensation. The benefits package is extensive, reflecting a strong emphasis on employee well-being, professional development, and work-life balance, which are attractive to operations professionals seeking stability and support.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Artificial Intelligence (AI) research and deployment, specifically focusing on large language models (LLMs) and generative AI solutions for developers and enterprises. Cohere is at the forefront of making AI capabilities accessible and scalable.

Company Size: Cohere is a rapidly growing, well-funded startup, likely comprising several hundred employees with ambitions for significant expansion. This size suggests a dynamic environment where individuals can have a substantial impact.

Founded: Cohere was founded in 2019, positioning it as a relatively young but established player in the burgeoning AI landscape. Its founding by prominent AI researchers lends significant credibility and a strong research-driven ethos.

Team Structure:

• The Brand Design team likely operates within the broader Marketing or Go-To-Market (GTM) function, collaborating closely with Brand Marketing, Content, Product Marketing, and potentially Product Design.

• Reporting structure would typically be to a Brand Design Lead, Director of Marketing, or VP of Marketing, depending on the team's size and organizational hierarchy.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Brand Insights: Utilizing market research, user feedback, and performance analytics to inform brand strategy and design decisions.

• Agile Creative Process: Employing iterative design cycles, rapid prototyping, and continuous feedback loops to adapt to evolving project requirements and market trends.

• Automation & Efficiency: Exploring and implementing tools and technologies, including AI, to streamline creative workflows and enhance design output efficiency.

Company Website: https://cohere.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture is described as fast-paced, hard-working, and customer-obsessed, which is typical of successful tech startups. The emphasis on "scaling intelligence to serve humanity" suggests a mission-driven environment. For a designer, this means contributing to a brand that communicates innovation, trust, and significant technological advancement. The diversity of perspectives is highlighted as a requirement for great products, indicating an inclusive and collaborative atmosphere.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a Senior Brand Designer role, indicating a mid-to-senior level position focused on leading design execution and contributing to brand strategy. It requires a high degree of autonomy and a proven ability to deliver complex projects independently.

Reporting Structure: The Senior Brand Designer will likely report to a Brand Design Manager or Director of Marketing. They will work closely with peers in marketing, product, and engineering.

Operations Impact: The brand designer's impact is critical for Cohere's Go-To-Market strategy. By creating compelling visual narratives and maintaining brand integrity, they directly influence brand perception, customer engagement, lead generation, and ultimately, revenue. Strong brand design supports marketing campaigns, product launches, and investor relations, all of which are vital for business growth.

Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization: Deepen expertise in specific areas like AI-driven design, motion graphics, or brand systems development.

• Leadership: Progress into a Brand Design Lead or Manager role, overseeing a team and strategic brand initiatives.

• Cross-Functional Exposure: Gain experience working on diverse projects across product design, marketing campaigns, and internal communications, broadening skill sets.

• Industry Influence: Contribute to shaping the visual identity of a leading AI company, building a strong personal brand and reputation within the tech and design communities.

📝 Enhancement Note: In an operations context, career growth for a designer often involves not just creative leadership but also a deeper understanding of how design impacts business metrics. This role offers opportunities to develop skills in areas like brand ROI, campaign effectiveness measurement, and cross-functional alignment, preparing them for leadership roles that bridge creative vision with business strategy.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Cohere offers a "Remote-flexible" work environment. This means employees can choose to work remotely, from one of their physical offices (Toronto, New York, San Francisco, London, Paris), or utilize a co-working stipend.

Office Location(s): Physical offices are available in Toronto, New York, San Francisco, London, and Paris. The role is open to candidates in the US and Canada, and potentially other listed regions.

Workspace Context:

• Remote Work: The remote-flexible policy allows for significant autonomy in setting up a personal workspace, emphasizing productivity and well-being. A co-working stipend further supports this flexibility.

• Collaborative Spaces: When opting to work from an office, employees can expect modern, collaborative workspaces designed to foster teamwork and innovation.

• Tools & Technology: Access to industry-standard design software (Figma, Adobe Creative Suite) and potentially specialized AI design tools will be provided or supported.

Work Schedule: While generally aligned with a standard 40-hour work week, the remote-flexible nature allows for some degree of schedule adaptation to accommodate personal needs and optimize productivity, provided that collaboration with teams across different time zones is managed effectively.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "remote-flexible" model is a key aspect of Cohere's work environment. For operations professionals, this suggests a need for strong self-discipline, excellent asynchronous communication skills, and the ability to manage projects and collaborate effectively across dispersed teams and time zones. The availability of physical offices provides options for those who prefer in-person collaboration.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your resume and portfolio to assess alignment with the role requirements.

• Portfolio Presentation: A dedicated session where you will present your portfolio, discussing key projects, your design process, and the impact of your work. Be prepared to articulate your approach to brand strategy, visual identity, and problem-solving.

• Skills Assessment: Potential exercise or discussion focused on your proficiency with design tools (Figma, Adobe Creative Suite) and your understanding of brand systems.

• Cross-Functional Interviews: Meetings with marketing, product, or engineering team members to evaluate collaboration style, communication skills, and cultural fit.

• Hiring Manager Interview: A final discussion with the hiring manager to delve deeper into your experience, career aspirations, and suitability for the Senior Brand Designer role and Cohere's culture.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 4-6 of your strongest projects that best showcase your skills in brand design, visual identity, typography, layout, and systems thinking. Prioritize projects with demonstrable impact.

• Tell a Story: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your role, your design process (ideation, iteration, tools used), the solution, and the measurable outcomes. Quantify impact whenever possible.

• Showcase Process: Include work-in-progress shots, sketches, mood boards, and rationale behind your design decisions to illustrate your thinking and problem-solving approach.

• Highlight Systems Thinking: Include examples of brand guidelines, style guides, or how you've applied a consistent brand system across multiple touchpoints.

• Demonstrate Tool Proficiency: Clearly indicate the tools used for each project, especially Figma and Adobe Creative Suite.

Challenge Preparation:

• Brand System Exercise: Be prepared for a potential design challenge that involves either critiquing an existing brand system or developing elements of a new one based on a brief. Focus on strategic thinking and visual consistency.

• AI Integration Discussion: Anticipate questions about how you've used or would use AI in design, your thoughts on its role in the creative process, and how to maintain brand integrity with AI-generated assets.

• Stakeholder Collaboration Scenario: Practice articulating how you would collaborate with non-design stakeholders (e.g., product managers, engineers) to gather requirements, present designs, and incorporate feedback effectively.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on a portfolio presentation and potential design challenges highlights the practical, execution-oriented nature of this role. Candidates should prepare to not only show their work but also explain the strategic thinking and process behind it, demonstrating how their design expertise contributes to business objectives.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Essential for collaborative design, prototyping, and creating scalable design systems. Proficiency expected for UI design, component creation, and team collaboration.

• Adobe Creative Suite: Critical for advanced image manipulation, illustration, layout, and final asset preparation. This includes Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign.

• Prototyping Tools: Beyond Figma, experience with other prototyping tools may be beneficial for demonstrating user flows and interactive elements.

Analytics & Reporting:

CRM & Automation:

Emerging Technologies:

• AI Design Tools: Familiarity with AI-powered image generation tools (e.g., Midjourney, DALL-E, Stable Diffusion) and AI-assisted design workflows is increasingly relevant and seen as a plus.

📝 Enhancement Note: The core tools listed are standard for brand designers. The inclusion of "AI" in the context of image-making and the potential for understanding analytics or marketing automation tools suggests that Cohere values designers who are aware of and can leverage technology to enhance their creative output and demonstrate its business value.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Mission-Driven: A strong commitment to Cohere's mission of "scaling intelligence to serve humanity," influencing design decisions to reflect innovation, positive impact, and accessibility.

• Craftsmanship & Quality: An obsession with detail, polish, and high-quality execution in all aspects of design work.

• Collaboration & Inclusivity: A belief in the power of diverse perspectives and a collaborative approach to problem-solving, fostering an open and respectful work environment.

• Speed & Agility: The ability to move fast, iterate rapidly, and adapt to the dynamic pace of the AI industry.

• Customer Focus: Designing with the end-user and customer needs at the forefront, ensuring brand communications are clear, relevant, and impactful.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Partnership: Actively seeking out and building strong working relationships with marketing, product, engineering, and research teams to ensure brand alignment and cohesive execution.

• Open Feedback Culture: Willingness to give and receive constructive feedback to continuously improve design work and team processes.

• Knowledge Sharing: Proactively sharing insights, learnings, and best practices regarding design trends, tools, and brand strategy with colleagues.

• Experimentation: An open mind towards exploring new creative approaches, tools (including AI), and methodologies to push the boundaries of brand expression.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on values like "craftsmanship," "collaboration," and "speed" are indicative of a high-performing, results-oriented team. For a designer, understanding these values means aligning their work style and communication to support these principles, ensuring their contributions fit seamlessly into the company's operational ethos.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Rapidly Evolving AI Landscape: Keeping brand design relevant and impactful amidst fast-paced technological advancements in AI requires continuous learning and adaptation.

• Balancing Innovation and Consistency: Developing cutting-edge brand expressions while ensuring strict adherence to brand guidelines and maintaining visual integrity across all touchpoints.

• Cross-Functional Alignment: Navigating diverse stakeholder needs and feedback from technical and non-technical teams to achieve cohesive brand outcomes.

• Remote Collaboration: Effectively collaborating and maintaining strong team connections in a remote-flexible environment, ensuring seamless communication and project execution.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• AI Design Exploration: Opportunities to experiment with and integrate emerging AI tools into the creative process, becoming a leader in AI-assisted brand design.

• Brand Strategy Development: Involvement in shaping and refining Cohere's brand strategy, contributing to its long-term vision and market positioning.

• Mentorship: Potential for mentorship from senior design leaders or GTM strategists, fostering professional growth and leadership skills.

• Industry Engagement: Opportunities to attend industry conferences, workshops, or pursue certifications related to brand design, AI, and marketing technology.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are common in fast-growing tech companies, especially in the AI sector. The growth opportunities focus on developing specialized skills in AI design and strategic brand thinking, which are highly valuable in today's market and critical for long-term career progression within operations and GTM functions.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to translate complex technical concepts into a clear and compelling brand message. What was your process?" (Focus on strategic simplification and audience understanding.)

• "How do you approach building and maintaining brand consistency across numerous digital and physical touchpoints for a rapidly growing company?" (Highlight systems thinking, guidelines, and collaboration.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "Based on your research, how do you see your design philosophy aligning with Cohere's mission to 'scale intelligence to serve humanity'?" (Connect your values and approach to the company's core purpose.)

• "How would you contribute to Cohere's culture of 'craft and polish' as a Senior Brand Designer?" (Showcase your commitment to quality and attention to detail.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each project, clearly outline the problem statement, your specific role and responsibilities, your design process (ideation, iteration, tools), the final solution, and the quantifiable results or impact achieved.

• Emphasize Strategic Thinking: Go beyond aesthetics to explain why you made certain design decisions and how they support business objectives. Connect your work to brand strategy and customer engagement.

• Showcase Systems Thinking: Clearly demonstrate how your designs form part of a larger, consistent brand system.

• Prepare for Q&A: Anticipate questions about your process, tools, challenges, and how you handle feedback. Be ready to discuss your experience with AI in design.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation for this role should focus on demonstrating not only design skill but also strategic thinking, problem-solving abilities, and an understanding of how design contributes to business goals within a fast-paced tech environment. The ability to articulate the impact of design work is crucial for operations-aligned roles.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior Brand Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Ashby.

• Portfolio Customization: Tailor your portfolio to highlight projects demonstrating expertise in brand identity systems, typography, layout, and measurable impact, with a preference for tech or agency experience.

• Resume Optimization: Ensure your resume clearly outlines your 4-7 years of relevant experience, specific tool proficiencies (Figma, Adobe Creative Suite), and any experience with AI or motion design. Use keywords relevant to brand design and marketing operations.

• Prepare Your Narrative: Practice articulating your design process, decision-making rationale, and the business outcomes of your past projects. Be ready to discuss your approach to brand strategy and collaboration.

• Company Research: Understand Cohere's mission, products, and current brand presence. Research their existing marketing campaigns and visual identity to inform your application and interview discussions.

⚠️ 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.