INTERNAL ONLY - Brand/UI Design Lead

Note: This is an internal posting only. Any applicants who do not currently work at Focus Lab will not be considered.

Role location: Remote, USA

About the role:

We are looking for an experienced Brand/UI Designer to help lead our Design team. In this role, you’ll provide creative leadership on projects, guiding both clients and internal teams toward successful, strategic brand and UI outcomes. You’ll be responsible for shaping the visual direction of brands, ensuring design excellence, and mentoring other designers along the way.

This position is for someone who thrives in both creative execution and leadership. As a BUI Design Lead, you will not only expertly craft industry-leading brand identities and UI systems but also shape best practices, advocate for the client experience, contribute to team-wide process improvements, collaborate with other department leads, and mentor designers in their professional growth.

You can expect to:

Strive for Excellence:

• Lead enterprise and international branding/UI projects with high complexity and impact.
• Drive never-been-done-before projects and confidently work within extraordinary constraints.
• Own and guide end-to-end design processes, from conceptual exploration to final execution.
• Push creative boundaries while ensuring alignment with brand strategy and client goals.
• Consistently contribute to process and tool improvements that elevate our craft and workflow.
• Be a source of inspiration for the design team, sharing new ideas and tools.

Empathy in Action:

• Build strong, long-term relationships with clients, serving as a trusted creative guide.
• Mentor and develop other designers, fostering a culture of collaboration and shared growth.
• Lead difficult conversations with clients and internal teams, ensuring clarity, alignment, and forward momentum.

Lead with Courage:

• Confidently defend design rationale and recommendations in client discussions.
• Take initiative in driving improvements across design tools, processes, and standards.
• Create thought leadership through writing, speaking, or sharing industry insights.
• Communicate both praise and constructive performance feedback to direct reports to support their growth.

Assume the Best:

• Foster constructive critiques with both clients and teammates, ensuring alignment and progress.
• Navigate feedback with confidence and a problem-solving mindset.
• Drive cross-functional collaboration between design, strategy, writing, and project management teams.

All Over Ego:

• Serve as a role model for the design team, upholding high standards of craft, collaboration, curiosity, and integrity.
• Give and receive constructive critique with clients and teammates.
• Contribute to the betterment and evolution of Focus Lab culture and client experiences
• Guide newer team members in onboarding and skill development.

Own The Work:

• Lead client presentations, design reviews, and critique sessions, providing expert guidance and feedback.
• Help to ensure projects are delivered on time and at the highest level of craft.
• Assist in hiring and onboarding new design talent, strengthening our team.
• Help scope, forecast, and manage workload utilization, ensuring smooth project execution.

You should be comfortable working in:

• Adobe Suite (Illustrator, InDesign, and Photoshop)
• Figma

The right designer for this role has:

• Several years of experience in brand and UI design, with a strong track record of successfully leading large-scale, high-impact projects.
• Expert-level knowledge of branding and UI design and proven ability to build upon or create new processes.
• Proven ability to lead multiple enterprise-level projects, including high-risk, high-reward initiatives.
• Proven ability to mentor designers, provide thoughtful critique, and help shape team culture.
• Confidence in client leadership, including the ability to guide high-stakes discussions and decision-making.
• Understanding of EOS and how it guides our decision-making and priorities as an organization.
• Ability to lead and facilitate group discussion and guide a group to action (e.g. Design L10)
• A heart for leadership and to serve a team of world-class designers.
• Initiative, seeing what needs to be done, taking ownership to improve it, and making a plan to see it through.
• Ability to create thought leadership: actively contributing to how we think, work, and show up as an agency.
• An active and empathic listen-first mindset.
• A deep understanding of Focus Lab’s core values and how to model them in practice.
• A natural culture-keeper: you take ownership of the community you’re part of. You don’t wait for someone else to create the vibe, spark the laughter, or bridge the distance of remote work.
• Detail orientation. Include the word "mojo" somewhere in your application and earn yourself some bonus points.
• Comfort working within EST hours (9 AM-5 PM ET).
• Understanding that this role’s capacity will be one design project, managing up to three designers at a time, LMA (leadership) time, and internal and/or support projects as capacity allows.
• Understanding of the scope of Lead expectations, as outlined in Lattice Grow
• A role model for the team, including diligence in the small (but important) stuff: showing up to meetings on time, daily time tracking, submitting timesheets/Lattice on time, etc.

Interested? Cool. Here’s how to apply:

1. Tell us why you're excited about this opportunity and how your experience aligns.
2. Make sure your application materials demonstrate at least some of the experience and qualities listed above. You do not need to include a portfolio of design work.

Note* AI is a great tool that can help structure our thoughts, and we know it can provide complete responses to questions. For this application, we ask that your final submission be written in your own words and voice.

We understand that you may not check every single box – if you believe you'd be a great fit, we want you to apply!

What happens after you apply?

This job posting will close on Wednesday January 7th, at 5pm ET.

Our plan is to get through all the applications within a week after the job posting closes.Our goal is to conduct all interviews within one working week of the job closing, with lead onboarding to start immediately after (dependent on project availability).

What does the interview process look like?

• Two Zoom interviews to talk about your experience, discuss expectations of the role, and answer any remaining questions.

And as always, Kellie is available to you along the way, to answer any questions you may have and to be a source of support.

Benefits

We will cover the full benefits package further into the interview process, but the key benefits provided by Focus Lab are:

• Unlimited paid time off. You’ll be encouraged to take a minimum of 20 days outside of holidays and sick time.
• Health, dental, and vision insurance plans (medical covered at 100% for you 50% for your family dependents, dental covered at 50% for you and your family dependents) beginning first of the month following hire
• Life, disability, accident, critical illness, and cancer insurance plans
• Retirement plan beginning at your one-year anniversary
• Paid parental, adoption/caregiver leave
• Two weeks paid holiday rest at the end of the year

Be who you are with us.

We’re devoted to building an inclusive, supportive culture. That means we don’t discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, disability (physical or mental), sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, or parental status. We especially welcome people of color, women, and LGBTQIA2S+ to apply.

At Focus Lab and Odi, you’ll find an empathetic crew who checks their egos at the door. We aim to assume the best of each other, strive for excellence in all we do, lean into tough situations, and feel empowered to own our work. Sound like you? Super. We expect you’ll be successful here.