Senior Designer, Digital & Paid Media

Crate and Barrel; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 95,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

Crate and Barrel is seeking a Senior Designer, Digital & Paid Media to craft designs for digital ads, social content, and display banners. You will work on-site at our Chicago Photo Studio, collaborating with brand marketing to align visuals with performance data and brand standards.

You'll mentor designers, optimize assets for multiple platforms, and integrate Generative AI tools to accelerate production while maintaining high-quality creative output.

Qualifications

• 5 years of professional visual design experience within retail/agency environments.
• Strong typography, layout, and visual storytelling aligned to brand identity.
• Experience with digital and social platforms, ads, banners, and motion.
• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Cloud and motion graphics workflows.
• Ability to collaborate cross-functionally with brand teams and external partners.

Responsibilities

• Design for digital ads, performance channels, organic social, and banners.
• Ensure creative assets meet platform specifications and best practices.
• Mentor designers and oversee project workflows for quality and consistency.
• Collaborate daily with internal teams and brand leads to deliver content on schedule.
• Integrate Generative AI tools into workflows to accelerate production.
• Translate performance data into agile creative pivots and variations.
• Manage multiple design initiatives in a fast-paced environment.

Skills

Digital design

Typography

Layout

Video editing

Motion design

Project management

Communication

Gen AI tools

Collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design

Tools

Adobe CC Suite

Google Workspace

Asana

HTML

Job description

The Senior Designer, Digital & Paid Media serves as a key visual storyteller, partnering with brand marketing to create designs for digital ads, performance channels, organic social platforms, and display banners. Collaborating with cross‑functional teams, the role connects creative concepts with performance data to deliver engaging designs across digital touchpoints.

This is an on‑site position based out of our Photo Studio location in Chicago, IL.

A day in the life as Senior Designer, Digital & Paid Media...

• Hands‑on Design & Execution: Executes complex creative projects across digital channels under the direction of leadership, focusing on paid/organic social ads, web banners, and digital display creative

• Creative Concept & Storytelling: Creates elevated design solutions that visually convey complex concepts, brand narratives, and marketing messages using strong typography, layout, video, and motion graphics

• Mentorship & Creative Oversight: Mentors designers, guiding them on conceptual thinking and execution while overseeing project workflows to ensure creative quality and consistency

• Platform Optimization & Best Practices: Ensures all creative assets adhere to platform specifications, best practices, and technical requirements across channels including Meta, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, and Google display networks.

• Cross‑Functional Collaboration: Builds strong cross‑functional relationships and interacts daily with internal teams, brand leads, and external partners to deliver high‑impact digital content on schedule

• Brand Integrity Alignment: Partners with design leads to ensure new digital campaigns maintain and elevate brand identity standards across all touchpoints

• AI Innovation & Workflow Integration: Embraces and integrates Generative AI tools and streamlined post‑production workflows to accelerate asset variation, brainstorming, and production efficiency without compromising brand quality

• Performance‑Driven Iteration: Participates in hindsighting sessions to review performance metrics and creative data, translating insights into agile creative pivots and optimized asset variations

• Project & Timeline Management: Manages multiple design initiatives simultaneously in a fast‑paced environment, meeting tight deadlines and maintaining quick turnaround

What you'll bring to the table...

• Experienced in designing for digital and social platforms with a deep understanding of channel‑specific best practices and algorithmic mechanics

• Extensive knowledge in graphic design, digital composition, and visual storytelling that bridges business goals with customer needs

• High level of proficiency in typography, layout, video editing, and motion design/animation

• Detail‑oriented with a keen eye for aesthetic quality, brand consistency, and visual hierarchy

• Strong organizational, time management, and project management skills with the ability to manage multiple deliverables under tight turnarounds

• Informed on emerging digital media trends, platform updates, and Gen AI design tools

• Strong communication skills with the ability to clearly articulate design concepts and complex technical considerations to team members and business partners

• Knowledge of or passion for the home design, interior design, and lifestyle spaces

• Proactive, adaptable, and solutions‑oriented mindset with the ability to collaborate effectively in a high‑volume team environment

We'd love to hear from you if you have...

• Must provide a link to portfolio with samples of strong typography, animation/motion graphics, high‑performing paid social creative, and multi‑platform digital campaigns

• 5 years of professional visual design experience within an agency or in‑house retail/E‑commerce creative department

• Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design (Marketing/Communication Studies is a plus)

• Experience with animation, motion graphics, and video editing.

• Experience with web display banners and HTML/Generative AI workflow integration is a strong plus

• High proficiency in Adobe CC Suite (Photoshop, After Effects, Illustrator, InDesign, Premiere Pro), as well as Google Workspace and project management tools (e.g., Asana)

• Comprehensive knowledge of Meta (Instagram/Facebook), TikTok, Pinterest, and YouTube