Principal Designer

Job Title

Principal Designer

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

Pay Range

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. In addition, People Inc. provides to employees (and their eligible family members) a variety of benefits, including 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.