Design Manager

Hard Problems; New York (NY); On-site; USD 120,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Benefits package

Job summary

The Design Manager at Council on Foreign Relations will oversee high-quality design across digital products, print publications, and brand touchpoints. Reporting to the Director of Design, this hands-on role demands craft, on-brand execution, and leadership in fast-moving projects.

The position is full-time and on-site in CFR's New York City office, with anchor days Tue–Thu. A senior designer with 7+ years, a strong portfolio, and expert Figma skills is expected, along with experience developing

Qualifications

• At least 7 years of design experience across brand, digital, and print surfaces.
• A portfolio showing both executional craft and the ability to shape design direction across a range of deliverables.
• Expert Figma proficiency, including component architecture, variables and tokens, shared libraries, and design system documentation.
• Demonstrated experience designing and producing high-quality print materials, with expertise in typography, layout, and print production.
• Demonstrated experience building, maintaining, or scaling brand standards, style guides, or a design system at an organizational scale.
• Experience collaborating with freelance illustrators, designers, and other contractors on production workflows.
• Strong communication and presentation skills, with the ability to articulate design rationale clearly across disciplines and stakeholder groups.
• A bachelor's degree in Graphic Design, Visual Communications, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
• Experience in publishing, media, journalism, or mission-driven organizations is preferred; experience designing for both editorial and digital product contexts is a plus; an interest in global affairs is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Produce high-quality design work across digital products, branding, editorial features, print publications, and organizational campaigns.
• Support the Creative Director in reviewing work across seniority levels and providing actionable design and production feedback.
• Take direct design ownership of complex or high-visibility initiatives where senior creative judgment is required.
• Partner with freelance illustrators, graphic designers, and other contractors on briefing, reviewing deliverables, and maintaining quality and brand consistency.
• Maintain and evolve CFR's design documentation so it is usable by staff, consultants, and creative partners throughout the organization.
• Develop templates and reusable patterns across digital and print surfaces to reduce rework and enable consistent output at scale.
• Partner with cross-functional teams across Digital, Editorial, Programs, and Communications to ensure design work meets and matures brand standards.

Skills

Figma proficiency

Brand design

Design systems

Print typography

Communication skills

Portfolio

Freelance collaboration

Presentation skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design or Visual Communications

Tools

Figma

Job description

# Design ManagerCouncil on Foreign Relations, New York, USAGood govNonprofit## Why this work mattersCFR helps government officials, journalists, educators, and the public better understand the world and U.S. foreign policy choices through research, analysis, and expert dialogue.View the full listing and apply →Listed 13 Oct 2026Applications are handled by Council on Foreign Relations, not by Hard Problems.## About the roleThe Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) is a nonpartisan, independent national membership organization, think tank, educator, and publisher founded in 1921. Its mission is to inform U.S. engagement with the world. CFR publishes Foreign Affairs magazine, runs cfr.org as a trusted source of international analysis, and develops programming to expand the foreign policy talent pipeline. The Design Team sits within the Digital organization and is responsible for visual language, design systems, and user experience across CFR's digital properties (including cfr.org, education.cfr.org, and Think Global Health) as well as a growing portfolio of print products.### The roleThe Design Manager reports to the Director of Design and is a hands-on creative position. It is responsible for producing high-quality design work across digital products, print publications, and brand touchpoints, and for maintaining CFR's brand and quality standards across every deliverable. The role is well suited to an experienced designer who thrives on executing polished, on-brand work at high volume and with a high level of craft. This is a full-time, on-site position based in CFR's New York City office, required at least 4 days per week (Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays are institutional anchor days when all staff must be on-site).### What you would do* Produce high-quality design work across digital products, branding, editorial features, print publications, and organizational campaigns.* Support the Creative Director in reviewing work across seniority levels and providing actionable design and production feedback.* Take direct design ownership of complex or high-visibility initiatives where senior creative judgment is required.* Partner with freelance illustrators, graphic designers, and other contractors on briefing, reviewing deliverables, and maintaining quality and brand consistency.* Maintain and evolve CFR's design documentation so it is usable by staff, consultants, and creative partners throughout the organization.* Develop templates and reusable patterns across digital and print surfaces to reduce rework and enable consistent output at scale.* Partner with cross-functional teams across Digital, Editorial, Programs, and Communications to ensure design work meets and matures brand standards.### What they are looking for* At least 7 years of design experience across brand, digital, and print surfaces, with demonstrated senior-level creative ownership.* A portfolio showing both executional craft and the ability to shape design direction across a range of deliverables.* Expert Figma proficiency, including component architecture, variables and tokens, shared libraries, and design system documentation.* Demonstrated experience designing and producing high-quality print materials, with expertise in typography, layout, and print production.* Demonstrated experience building, maintaining, or scaling brand standards, style guides, or a design system at an organizational scale.* Experience collaborating with freelance illustrators, designers, and other contractors on production workflows.* Strong communication and presentation skills, with the ability to articulate design rationale clearly across disciplines and stakeholder groups.* A bachelor's degree in Graphic Design, Visual Communications, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.* Experience in publishing, media, journalism, or mission-driven organizations is preferred; experience designing for both editorial and digital product contexts is a plus; an interest in global affairs is a plus.### Working arrangementsThis role is based full-time in CFR's New York City office. Staff are required on-site at least 4 days per week, with Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays designated as institutional anchor days. CFR's remote working schedule is subject to change.### Pay and benefitsThe full-time annual compensation range for this position is $120,000 - $140,000, depending on experience. CFR also provides an outstanding benefits package.