We’re hiring: Graphic Designer

Salad was founded on the principles of beautiful design. It’s what we’ve strived to deliver and be known for in our 24 years of business. And we’re now excited to welcome some fresh new talent into our studio.

About the role

This is a role for a designer who is as comfortable with typography and layout as they are with component-based design systems. You’ll know what makes a brand sing, and you’ll understand the importance of applying that consistently across every touchpoint, from identity to interface. We’re looking for someone who can elevate concepts through thoughtful refinement and strategic decision making, who’s open to exploring new tools, techniques and visual approaches.

We’re not precious about titles. You might be a midweight ready to step up, or a senior looking for a new challenge. Either way, you’ll need to be hands-on, collaborative, and creatively ambitious. You’ll be comfortable presenting work directly to clients and gathering and acting on feedback from stakeholders. 

You’ll be working directly with our Head of Design, Strategy & Creative Director, collaborating deeply with the development team and working closely with client services on everything from early-stage concepting to final production.

We’re a deliberately small team, so we’re looking for someone who wants to contribute beyond the edges of a traditional job description. Someone who will bring fresh ideas, challenge our thinking, and get stuck in wherever needed.

You’ll be working on:

You’ll be expected to contribute across a broad range of brand and digital projects, from concept to delivery. That means everything from helping shape creative direction, developing brand systems and assets, crafting thoughtful UI components, and designing intuitive and engaging user experiences. You’ll also have opportunities to input on naming, messaging and storytelling as part of broader strategic projects.

A day at Salad might consist of:

• UX and UI for websites and digital platforms, in close collaboration with our developers
• Brand identity projects, from initial concepts through to full brand systems and guidelines
• Design implementation across print and digital, ensuring consistent and high-quality execution
• Rolling out campaign and/or social assets, or helping update a client’s Canva brand kit
• Proposals, pitches, and internal creative thinking to help shape what Salad makes next

You’ll need:

• A solid grounding in graphic design with a portfolio that shows both creativity and rigour
• An appreciation for the power of brand, and how it comes to life through design
• Strong digital design skills, with proven experience in UI and an understanding of UX and accessibility best practices
• Deep knowledge of design from both a creative and technical perspective to ensure seamless collaboration between design and development teams
• The ability to think strategically, contribute ideas, and communicate your thinking clearly
• The ability to present your work and rationale confidently, both internally to the team and externally to clients
• Confidence with Adobe and Figma, but happy to explore the latest tools of the trade. Bonus points if you’ve used Squarespace or similar, and Canva, although we are aware that there are other tools out there
• A collaborative, proactive and open mindset. You’ll be expected to own your work but not go it alone

Who this might suit:

This role could suit an established senior looking for more influence and variety, or a middleweight with an undeniable creative spark, a sharp eye and the hunger to grow into a senior role. Someone who loves the craft of design but also wants to be part of strategic conversations, and someone who believes great work happens when people respect and push each other.

We don’t work with jerks, and we don’t want to be one of those agencies where people burn out. We work hard, look out for each other, and care deeply about what we do.

Employee ownership and our future vision 

Since April 2021, Salad has been employee-owned. This means that ownership of the company is held in an Employee Ownership Trust for the benefit of the employees. 

Beyond your core role as designer, we’re looking forward to welcoming you to our Salad family and, after one year, you’ll become a beneficiary of the Employee Ownership Trust. 

We cannot overstate the importance of ‘team’ in Salad, and we’re looking forward to the inputs you’ll bring to our open and democratic culture. This includes quarterly all-agency vision days where we collectively discuss topics such as goal setting, finances and culture.

Ultimately, this role is an opportunity to come in and help us develop and be part of defining where we’re going as a business. We hope you’ll consider this your new home and stay for a long time. We think there are a lot of great things we can do together.

Other stuff you’ll probably want to know

• We see this as a full-time position, but would consider a case for 4 days a week.
• Our hours are Monday to Friday, 8.30 am – 5.30 pm
• We have an office on Poole Quay in Dorset, and whilst at this current time we’re predominantly remote, this is likely to change in the future, with more time spent in the office. We currently spend 1-2 days a week in the office, although we would expect this to increase for the first few months following your start date.
• Holiday allowance of 20 days, increasing by a day a year up until 25 days + bank holidays
• Additional time off between Christmas and New Year 
• Additional day off for your birthday
• Death in Service policy x 2 salary 
• Regular team events
• EOT beneficiary payments after 1 year of service

How to apply

If you like the sound of this, you can apply via email at jobs@saladcreative.com 

Please include your CV and/or a link to your LinkedIn profile along with your portfolio and an introduction explaining why you think you’d be the perfect fit.

P.S. No offence, but no agencies please.