Principal Designer

Meredith Operations Corporation; Town of Liberty (NY); Hybrid; USD 130,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Paid time off

401K match

Parental leave

Job summary

People Inc. in New York seeks a Principal Designer to shape the company’s most visible work—from events and brand identity to investor materials and experiential spaces.

You’ll frame problems, set direction, and stay hands-on while leading designers and external partners. You’ll collaborate with senior leadership, mentor rising designers, and drive high‑impact work across brand, corporate communications, print, digital, and events.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in design or equivalent experience.
• 10+ years of professional design experience across multiple disciplines.
• Experience presenting to senior executives and leading cross-functional teams.
• Broad expertise across brand, corporate communications, print, digital, and experiential design.

Responsibilities

• Lead high-visibility work from problem definition through final execution.
• Direct designers, agencies, and partners; mentor designers and emerging leaders.

Skills

Design leadership

Creative direction

Brand & corporate design

Presentation to executives

Mentorship

Education

Bachelor's degree in design

Tools

Adobe Creative Cloud

Figma

AI tools (Claude Codex Google AI Studio)

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:

• 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 it
• The 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

It is the policy of People Inc. to provide equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. In addition, the Company will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities. Accommodation requests can be made by emailing [e-mail].

The Company participates in the federal E-Verify program to confirm the identity and employment authorization of all newly hired employees. For further information about the E-Verify program, please click here: https://www.e-verify.gov/employees

Salary: New York: $130,000 - $150,000

The pay range above represents the anticipated low and high end of the pay range for this position and may change in the future. Actual pay may vary and may be above or below the range based on various factors including but not limited to work location, experience, and performance. The range listed is just one component of People Inc's total compensation package for employees. Other compensation may include annual bonuses, and short- and long-term incentives.

• medical, dental, vision, prescription drug coverage, unlimited paid time off (PTO), adoption or surrogate assistance, donation matching, tuition reimbursement, basic life insurance, basic accidental death & dismemberment, supplemental life insurance, supplemental accident insurance, commuter benefits, short term and long term disability, health savings and flexible spending accounts, family care benefits, a generous 401K savings plan with a company match program, 10-12 paid holidays annually, and generous paid parental leave (birthing and non-birthing parents), all of which may vary depending on the specific nature of your employment with People Inc. and your work location.
• We also offer voluntary benefits such as pet insurance, accident, critical and hospital indemnity health insurance coverage, life and disability insurance.

#NMG# People Inc. is America’s largest digital and print publisher. Our 40+ iconic and fast-growing brands harness the best intent-driven content, the fastest sites, and the fewest ads to help nearly 200 million people every month, including 95 percent of US women, make decisions, take action, and find inspiration. People Inc. brands include PEOPLE, Better Homes & Gardens, Verywell, FOOD & WINE, The Spruce, Allrecipes, Byrdie, REAL SIMPLE, Investopedia, Southern Living and more.