Designer, Commercial (Remote)

About Us
The Athletic is a digital sports media company that brings true sports fans closer to the athletes, teams and leagues that captivate their attention. We serve a multi-faceted audience that craves a richer connection and understanding with immersive storytelling and a like-minded community of fans. Founded in 2016 and with major operational hubs in San Francisco, Los Angeles, London and Melbourne, we empower a truly global team of more than 600 creators and cover more than 250 professional sports and collegiate teams across the United States, Canada and the UK. Our newsroom has produced thousands of in-depth reports along with more than 120 podcasts and other forms of premium content. Put simply, The Athletic is at the center of a sports fan’s universe.

About the Role
As a Commercial Designer, you'll be at the forefront, in shaping visually compelling and strategically impactful designs that appeal to both brands and the Athletic users. Collaborative and forward-thinking, you'll drive innovation by integrating insights from experience, technology, user research, and business considerations. You will take ownership of complex design projects, mentor junior designers, and uphold design excellence. With a passion for creating standout designs, you will leverage your expertise in advertising, marketing, motion design, and front-end development to elevate The Athletic's commercial design approach.
The ideal candidate would be in the mid level of their career.
This role is 100% remote for candidates currently residing in the US or Canada.

Responsibilities

• Pitch and present ideas to both internal and external stakeholders, effectively communicating and selling innovative design concepts.
• Develop visually striking and engaging designs that captivate brands and users, ensuring high-impact advertising materials.
• Work with multiple cross-functional teams, supporting the Director Of Commercial Design, and partnering with the wider Commercial team, Product Managers, and Engineers to take concepts from ideation to execution.
• Understand the competitive environment and stay updated on user experiences, particularly within sports media and journalism.
• Create user flows, storyboards, wireframes, prototypes, and production-ready design deliverables.
• Utilize motion design skills to develop dynamic and interactive visuals that bring campaigns and digital experiences to life.
• Collaborate with engineers to ensure design quality and consistency across user interfaces, with experience in front-end development and website-building tools like Webflow being a plus.
• Support high-level product strategy by asking relevant questions and addressing essential internal and external user needs.
• Mentor team members, providing constructive feedback on design thinking and problem framing to stimulate meaningful discussions and solutions.
• Set the appropriate context for specific problem spaces, aligning stakeholders and articulating success criteria before addressing potential solutions.
• Generate and lead ideation sessions to address complex design challenges and deliver sophisticated and elegant product design solutions.
• Utilize diverse perspectives when ideating, incorporating insights from experience, technology, user research, and business considerations.
• Synthesize intricate ideation solutions into concise articulations of user needs and corresponding solutions, ensuring alignment with business and user objectives.
• ••Demonstrate self-direction, organization, and attention to detail, committed to precision and excellence.

Requirements

• 4+ years of experience in digital design, with a focus on commercial, advertising, and marketing projects.
• Proven experience creating exciting, standout designs that attract both brands and users.
• Proficiency in design tools such as Figma, Adobe Creative Suite, and prototyping tools.
• Experience in motion design, with the ability to create engaging animations and interactive visuals.
• Knowledge of front-end development and website-building tools like Webflow is a strong advantage.
• Strong understanding of user experience principles and the ability to create designs that enhance engagement and meet business goals.
• Experience working cross-functionally with product managers, engineers, and other designers.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to pitch and present design concepts to a variety of stakeholders.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Experience mentoring junior designers and providing constructive feedback.
• Passion for innovation and pushing creative boundaries in commercial product design.

The annual base salary range for this role is $70,000.00 - $80,000.00 U