OluKai Graphic Designer - AI Creative & Performance Ads

Roark; Irvine (CA); On-site; USD 75,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Complimentary chef-prepared meals

Generous product gift program

Medical, Dental, Vision insurance

401k with employer match

15 Days of PTO plus additional unique benefits

Job summary

Roark is seeking a Brand Designer to merge design and AI technology. This in-office hybrid role in Irvine, CA, requires expertise in generating creative advertising solutions with AI tools, collaborating closely with a dynamic creative team.

The ideal candidate will have extensive graphic design experience, with a strong understanding of photography and design fundamentals. The company fosters a culture of creativity and offers a competitive salary range and generous benefits.

Qualifications

• 6+ years of graphic design experience, with a focus on digital ads and performance marketing.
• Hands-on proficiency with AI creative tools like Adobe’s AI suite and generative platforms.
• Experience in a studio photography setting applied to the AI process.

Responsibilities

• Generate imagery for paid social and digital ads using AI tools.
• Apply photography art direction sensibilities to AI-generated work.
• Collaborate with the team to produce assets for campaigns.

Skills

Graphic design experience

AI creative tools proficiency

Photography art direction

Strong design fundamentals

Comfort in fast-paced environments

Knowledge of lifestyle brands

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience

Tools

Figma

Adobe Creative Suite

Job description

Who We Are

At OluKai, we build premium products for the ocean lifestyle. Our footwear is created using the highest quality materials and crafted into beautiful, functional and incredibly comfortable designs that reflect the spirit of the ocean lifestyle we all enjoy. We are committed to creating quality products for our customers while leaving the smallest footprint possible on the planet. Our company philosophy is to be environmentally responsible as manufacturers and to pledge OluKai to actively support and work for a clean environment and a better quality of life. Our customers and staff embody the connection that exists between people and the ocean, it is our Culture. We want to build a team of individuals who embrace this culture, and have a passion for providing premium products and service to our customers.

About the Role

We’re looking for a Brand Designer, Generative and Performance who is as fluent in prompts as they are in pixels — someone who sees AI not as a shortcut, but as a medium.

This is a newly created position at the intersection of design craft and emerging technology. As our AI Creative Designer, you’ll own the production of paid and performance advertising creative — replacing the traditional cycle of concepting, prop-shopping, and on-set photography with AI-generated imagery and motion content that’s faster, more flexible, and just as on-brand.

You won’t just use AI tools — you’ll be our resident expert on them. You’ll watch what’s emerging, bring recommendations to the team, and help us stay ahead of what’s possible. This role reports to our Content Studio Manager and works closely with the Art Director of Brand Content on campaign and GTM creative — while also serving as an AI resource for the entire 10-person creative team.

What You’ll Do (Responsibilities)

• Generate product and lifestyle imagery for paid social and digital ads using AI tools — concepting, prompting, and art directing outputs to match brand standards across both still and motion formats.
• Apply strong photography art direction sensibility to AI-generated work — making intentional decisions about camera angle, composition, lens character, lighting, depth of field, film aesthetic, and scene direction to achieve results that feel considered, not generated.
• Produce AI-assisted video and motion creative for paid placements — short‑form content that meets the pace and format demands of performance channels.
• Manually set and finalize type treatments on ad layouts, ensuring strong hierarchy and readability across placements.
• Adapt and resize creative for multiple ad formats and ratios (1:1, 4:5, 9:16, etc.), leveraging AI tools where possible to accelerate that work.
• Collaborate with the Art Director of Brand Content to produce AI‑generated assets for GTM launches and campaign‑specific work — ensuring consistency with broader brand creative direction.
• Serve as the creative team’s primary scout for new AI tools, workflows, and capabilities — regularly bringing vetted recommendations and POVs to leadership.
• Identify and propose opportunities to use AI to reduce friction across the broader creative team’s workflow — not just your own.
• Partner with the performance marketing team to understand creative requirements, testing priorities, and results — using that data to inform future creative decisions.

What We’re Looking For (Requirements and Qualifications)

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.
• 6+ years of graphic design experience, with a portfolio that includes digital advertising, social creative, or performance marketing work.
• 2+ prior experience on or alongside a studio photography team (you’ve been on set, understand the language, and know what it takes to produce great product imagery) - and know how to apply it to the AI process.
• Hands‑on, working proficiency with AI creative tools — including but not limited to Claude, Adobe’s AI suite (Photoshop Generative Fill, Firefly, etc.), Higgsfield, NanoBanana, Vizcom, and similar platforms for both image and video generation. Actual fluency, not just curiosity.
• A solid grounding in photography art direction — you understand camera angles and framing, composition, set and prop direction, lens selection, lighting setups, and film/analog aesthetics. You know how to describe a great shot, even when you’re not on set.
• Strong design fundamentals — particularly in typography, composition, and color. You’ll be art directing AI outputs, not just accepting them.
• Proficiency in Figma, Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign) for layout, retouching, and type work.
• A genuine enthusiasm for tracking what’s new in AI — you follow the space closely, form opinions, and share them proactively.
• Comfort working in a fast‑paced, volume‑driven environment where speed and quality both matter.
• An appreciation for lifestyle brands, footwear, or fashion — understanding the aesthetics of the space matters here.

BONUS POINTS

• Prior experience in a performance or growth creative role, where you were designing to test hypotheses, not just aesthetics.
• Gen‑AI certifications
• Experience automating through Figma
• Experience with AI video generation tools for motion content and short‑form ads.

Location & Office Structure

This is an in‑office hybrid position, mandatory 4 days per week in office in Irvine, CA with the option to work from home 1 day per week. Subject to change without notice as per company guidelines.

Compensation

The salary range for this position is $75,000 to $90,000 plus opportunity for annual bonus; salary is based on the experience that you bring to the position.

Benefits and Perks

• Complimentary chef prepared breakfast and lunch provided Monday - Thursday
• Generous product gift program and all brand discounts
• Company bonus program
• 5 year and 10 year Anniversary gifts to Hawaii and other desirable destinations
• Medical, Dental, Vision insurance in accordance with plan guidelines
• Company paid life insurance
• 401k with employer match in accordance with plan guidelines
• 15 Days of PTO plus one additional day of PTO every year on your anniversary and 3 Floating Holidays per year
• Paid beach and giveback days, biannual team building events and other in person celebrations
• Work with talented and great people who share a love of the ocean lifestyle
• OluKai is a Certified B Corporation with paid company service days
• Dog friendly office

Equal Opportunity Employer Statement

Archipelago Companies values a diverse, inclusive, and entrepreneurial workforce and culture, and we provide equal employment opportunity for all applicants and employees. All qualified applicants for employment will be considered without regard to an individual’s race, color, sex, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, physical or mental disability, medical condition, family care status, marital status, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, genetic information, military or veteran status, or any other basis protected by federal, state or local laws. If you are unable to submit your application because of incompatible assistive technology or a disability, please contact us at [e-mail]. Archipelago will reasonably accommodate qualified individuals with disabilities to the extent required by applicable law.