Brand Designer

Common Sense Media is dedicated to improving the lives of kids and families by providing the trustworthy information, education, and independent voice they need to thrive. Our ratings, research, and resources reach more than 150 million users worldwide and 1.4 million educators every year. Learn more at commonsense.org.

Job Overview:

The Brand Designer will be a creative force on our Brand team, bringing both strategic thinking and design excellence to expand our visual identity into new territories. This role requires a versatile designer who thrives in a nimble, test-and-learn environment, helping us reach a new generation of families through fresh, innovative design approaches. You'll partner with the Head of Design to rapidly prototype ideas, thoughtfully use new technologies to scale our impact, and bring new energy to our 20-year-old organization. From experiential activations to merchandise, data visualizations to social-first content, you'll pioneer how our brand shows up in unexplored channels. This position offers the opportunity to shape how our mission comes to life visually while maintaining the rigor needed for consistent, high-quality production.

Location: San Francisco, California

Reports To: Head of Design

Salary: $85,600–$101,650 per year

Type: Full-time, exempt

What You'll Do:

We're a nimble design team that supports a broader organization dedicated to helping families and teachers navigate an ever-evolving media landscape. In this role, you'll have the freedom to try new things and have an outsize impact on the brand of the organization. We believe in leveraging cutting-edge tools—including AI—to amplify our nonprofit's impact. If you're excited about bringing fresh perspectives to an established organization and excited to help drive our brand to better support a new generation of kids, we'd love to have you.

As a creative and strategic design partner, the Brand Designer will push our visual boundaries while ensuring excellent execution across both established and emerging channels.

In addition, this person will:

• Partner with the Head of Design to evolve our visual language and expand our design toolkit.
• Lead creative exploration for new brand applications including swag, environmental graphics, experiential activations, and emerging digital platforms.
• Design innovative social media content that resonates with younger, diverse family audiences while maintaining brand integrity.
• Set standards for how our brand is expressed across channels and platforms, including our website and social media properties.
• Design and produce high-impact print materials including annual reports, research publications, and marketing collateral.
• Create compelling infographics and data visualizations that make complex research accessible and shareable.
• Conceptualize and execute experiential design elements for events, convenings, and conferences.
• Design merchandise and branded materials that families actually want to use and share.

This person should be comfortable with:

• Building design systems that enable creative flexibility while maintaining consistency.
• Leading creative brainstorms and contributing strategic thinking to campaign development.
• Rapidly prototyping and testing design concepts, gathering feedback and iterating quickly to find what resonates.
• Experimenting with emerging design trends and technologies to keep our brand fresh and relevant.
• Actively seeking and incorporating feedback from stakeholders and audiences to improve design solutions.
• Ensuring that all creative work is inclusive, accessible, and represents our diverse communities.

What We're Looking For:

• 4 to 6 years of experience in brand design, with a portfolio showing both creative innovation and production excellence.
• Demonstrated ability to think strategically about design and its role in reaching new audiences.
• Strong portfolio featuring work across multiple mediums including digital, print, environmental, and experiential design.
• Expertise in data visualization and infographic design, with examples of how you've made complex information engaging.
• Knowledge of current design trends, especially those resonating with younger audiences, and understanding of platform-specific best practices.
• Expert-level proficiency in Figma (auto layout, variables, design system architecture).
• Advanced proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite and Google Workspace.
• Experience with or enthusiasm for AI-powered design tools (Gemini, Dall-E, Adobe Firefly) and willingness to explore new technologies.
• Thrives in fast-paced, iterative environments, with comfort in rapid prototyping and testing approaches.
• Proven ability to facilitate cross-functional collaboration in Figma, conducting design reviews with stakeholders directly in the tool.
• Strong conceptual thinking skills, with the ability to articulate design decisions and exceptional openness to feedback.
• Excitement about bringing fresh energy and modern approaches to an established nonprofit organization, and passion for using design to create positive social impact.
• Ability to manage multiple projects while maintaining space for creative exploration.
• Understanding of accessibility standards and inclusive design practices.
• Experience in education, family-focused, or youth-oriented sectors is a plus.
• Bachelor's degree in graphic design, visual communications, or related field (or equivalent experience).

Our Benefits:

• The chance to work with talented, passionate professionals.
• A great health and welfare benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, and a matching 401(k).
• An organization that offers work/life balance.
• The opportunity to really make a difference in the lives of kids and families!

Common Sense Media provides equal employment opportunities to all qualified individuals and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy, age, national origin, physical or mental disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or any other protected classification or characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.

Common Sense Media will also consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records. However, job offers are made on the condition that the applicant subsequently passes a criminal background check. If the background check indicates a prior criminal conviction, we will conduct an individualized assessment to determine whether the conviction should result in denial of employment. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider employment for qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.