Principal Designer (New York)
peopleNew York (NY)
Principal Designer (New York)
Posted today
peopleNew York (NY)
SENIORITY
Manager
About the role
Job Title Principal Designer
Job Description
About The Position:
People Inc. is looking for a Principal Designer to take on some of the company's most varied, visible, and important work. You'll work directly with the Chief Communications Officer and Chief Design Officer on the work that most visibly represents People Inc.: our events, our brand identity, our sites, what we put in front of investors, and the spaces we work in. Much of it has no precedent, so not every project starts with a defined brief. You'll frame the problem, set the creative direction, and decide what the work should become. From there, you'll lead designers and outside partners project by project while staying hands-on. This is a role for someone highly experienced and influential who still loves making the work. In-office Expectations: This position is hybrid in-office, with the ability to work remotely for up to 2 days per week.
About The Team:
_______________________________________________________________________________The Design Group at People Inc. brings together multiple teams supporting Revenue Design, Brand & Editorial Design, Product & UX Design, Design Systems, Creative Operations, Transactional Creative, and Events.
This role will work across corporate, brand, communications, and experiential design, partnering closely with senior leadership and designers across the organization.
About The Positions Contributions:
- Weight %Accountabilities, Actions and Expected Measurable Results
- Corporate, Brand & Communications Design ›› 70%Lead high-visibility work from problem definition through final execution, including:
- People Inc. Villa at Cannes, People Talks, Dinner with People, and Brand Showcases
- People Inc. and People Incorporated sites, corporate and brand identity, and presentation systems
- Investor Relations materials, including earnings decks, campaigns, and employee communications
- Office and experiential design, video walls, sizzle reels, and other motion-led experiences
Work directly with senior leadership and cross-functional partners to establish creative direction, present work, make decisions, and maintain a high standard of craft.
Creative Direction, Mentorship & Design Development ›› 30%Define loosely defined problems and develop clear creative approaches before execution.
Direct designers, agencies, and creative partners project by project; provide feedback, run creative reviews, and mentor designers and emerging leaders.
Introduce new tools and approaches, including AI, when they improve the quality or efficiency of the work.
Remain accountable for the quality of the result without requiring an ongoing people-management structure.
The Role's Minimum Qualifications and Job Requirements:
Education:
Bachelor's degree preferred in design, graphic design, visual communication, or related field, and/or equivalent experience.
Experience: 10+ years of professional design experience
A strong portfolio demonstrating refined taste and sound creative judgment across multiple disciplines and formats A track record of turning loosely defined problems into clear creative direction and finished work A history of delivering high-impact design work to a high creative standard Experience working directly with senior executives and public-facing leaders, with the confidence to present, explain, and evolve work with them The ability to lead complex projects and direct designers, agencies, and creative partners Broad expertise across brand, corporate communications, print, digital, presentation, experiential, environmental, and campaign design Specific Knowledge, Skills, Certifications and Abilities: A clear point of view about design and the ability to argue for itThe ability to move fluidly between concept, direction, and hands-on design Advanced proficiency in Adobe Creative Cloud and Figma Experience using AI and emerging design tools, including Claude, Codex, Google AI Studio, and others, in ways that improve the quality or speed of the work and workflow Working knowledge of motion and video workflows, and the ability to help direct it. The ability to work independently and bring the right people into the work A collaborative, direct, and low-ego approach, with the confidence to challenge an idea when there's a better one
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