Design Manager jobs in California

ABOUT US

Peak Design makes radical, meticulously-engineered gear for detail-obsessed people. Our backpacks, travel bags, camera gear, and phone accessories are used dang-near everywhere. If you’ve visited Machu Picchu, Tokyo, or an REI store in the last 10 years, you’ve been within ogling distance of a Peak Design product.

Alongside our award-winning gear is a brand that truly reflects who we are as people—passionate about design, deeply caring about our environmental and social impact, unafraid to speak up, radically transparent, and generally down to clown. Whether we’re explaining a product, running a sale, launching a nonprofit, sponsoring a film, or razzing the biggest company on Earth, we do it with our trademark honesty, warmth, and wit. Through our products and our brand, we aim to create delight, and leave this world better than how we found it.

ABOUT THE JOB

In this role, you will manage a roster of talented graphic designers on our close-knit Brand Team and help us to grow that designer team and our broader Brand Team over time. Our ideal candidate is someone who loves to lead other creatives through projects, leaning on both strong managerial skills and an accomplished background in graphic design. Along with our Head of Brand, Art Director, and Senior Designers, you will help determine creative strategy in a number of areas of the business including packaging, retail experiences, web experiences, direct mail, Amazon channel, email/SMS, social strategy, collaborations with other brands, and wholesale tools. While this job is primarily about the managing of other creatives, there will also be opportunities to take on individual contributor work and the execution of some design tasks as well.

• Manage the creative execution and design of projects and the output/workflow of 4 designers.
• Work closely with Senior Designers on the Brand Team to determine strategy for branding and visual communication at Peak Design.
• Work closely with the Head of Brand and Project Managers to turn strategy and goals into executable projects.
• Work with the Product Team and Sustainability Team to translate their stories into elements of the Peak Design brand.
• Shape and steer the Peak Design brand, one of the most dynamic and respected in the worlds of photography, outdoors, and travel.

• 5 years working as a graphic designer/branding creative.
• 2 years of experience managing creatives.
• Absolutely, positively obsessed with details.
• Absolutely, positively obsessed with building brand.
• Phenomenal communicator, both written and verbally.
• Power user of Adobe Creative Suite and Figma.
• Experience using project management software like Asana.
• Based in the San Francisco Bay Area or Austin metro, and able/willing to be in-office at least one day a week.

WHAT WE OFFER

- 100% covered employee premiums for medical, dental, and vision insurance

- Health Savings Account (HSA) and Flexible Spending Account (FSA) options

- Life/AD&D, long-term disability, and short-term disability coverage

- Generous mental health and fertility health reimbursement options

- 401(k) plan with employer matching

- Unlimited PTO policy, 12 paid company holidays, and flexible work schedules

- 100% paid parental leave

- Peak Design product and exclusive industry discounts

- Monthly cell phone reimbursement

- Pre-tax commuter benefits

- Annual career development stipend

- Charitable donation program with employer matching

- Quarterly onsite or offsite collaboration weeks with the whole Peak Design team

WHY US?

Thanks to the folks at Outside Magazine, we can tell you that Peak Design is an objectively great place to work. Why? We provide opportunities to go deep in your craft, work both autonomously and collaboratively, drive your professional growth, and recharge with flexible Fridays and unlimited paid time off -- the saucy list of perks and benefits goes on. So, how do we maintain this exquisite way of working while also pulling off an exceptionally thoughtful brand and product line? A close-knit culture that values transparency, community, trust, and questioning the status quo.

Many employees find the way we run our business to be radically different from what they’ve experienced elsewhere. You might call it the opposite of micromanagement: employees are often expected to set their own priorities and roadmaps for their areas of the business. Who thrives here? Self-starters. Question-askers. People who make their own to-do lists. Folks who can do a little bit of everything. People who aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty with nitty-gritty details in order to see a vision through.

If you prefer to work in a more traditional corporate environment, Peak Design might not be the place for you. But if you’re pickin’ up what we’re putting down, we look forward to hearing from you!

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION & BELONGING

At Peak Design we believe a diverse team is an innovative team and something worth celebrating. A range of perspectives and backgrounds creates a stronger and more creative work environment (not to mention more fun). We’re committed to equality and inclusivity across race, gender, age, religion, identity, and experience.

Some candidates may see a long list of job requirements and feel discouraged because they don’t match every single bullet point – we strongly encourage you to apply anyway! If what we do resonates with you, and you feel excited and able to contribute, we’re equally stoked for the opportunity to engage with you.

ACCOMODATIONS

Peak Design provides reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities in the job application and interview process (including if you have any difficulty using our online system). If you need such an accommodation, please complete the application form below.