Fast Facts
Top Hat is seeking a strategic and hands-on Design Lead to oversee brand expression, mentor the design team, and manage creative workflows. This role emphasizes innovation through AI tools, collaboration across teams, and producing high-quality design work.
Responsibilities: Lead creative direction for marketing and brand initiatives, manage project pipelines, mentor designers, and ensure consistent brand identity across channels.
Skills: 7+ years of design experience, leadership and mentoring skills, strong organizational and communication skills, proficiency with AI-powered design tools.
Qualifications: Strong portfolio in brand and visual design, experience in managing cross-functional projects, and a passion for brand development.
Location: Remote first work environment with a headquarters in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Compensation: Not provided by employer. Typical compensation ranges for this position are between CAD 90,000 - CAD 130,000.
Top Hat is looking for a creative Design Lead to shape, elevate, and oversee the full expression of our brand across every channel. This role is both strategic and hands-on: you’ll set the creative direction, mentor the design function, shape design workflows, and collaborate across teams, all while producing polished, high-impact work yourself.
We’re looking for someone who thrives at the intersection of vision and execution, equally comfortable guiding brand identity at the big-picture level and rolling up their sleeves to deliver exceptional design. You’ll embrace AI-powered tools, experimenting with new technologies to streamline workflows, push creative boundaries and uncover fresh ways to bring ideas to life!
What You’ll Do:
- Provide creative direction and mentorship to the design function, setting performance standards and fostering a culture of excellence
- Lead creative direction across all marketing and brand initiatives, ensuring consistency and alignment with company strategy
- Strategically plan, prioritize, and manage the creative project pipeline, ensuring high-quality, on-time execution of all creative assets and campaigns
- Conceptualize and design assets for digital, social platforms, sales enablement, events and more
- Own and project manage creative workflows, timelines, and deliverables, ensuring high-quality, on-time execution
- Collaborate cross-functionally with Marketing, Web Development, Product, Engineering, and Revenue teams to translate business needs into compelling creative solutions
- Explore and apply AI-powered creative tools to elevate design output and workflows.
- Provide art direction and feedback to freelancers and partners
- Champion the brand voice and visual identity, ensuring consistency across all channels and touchpoints
- Stay current on design trends, AI-powered tools, and best practices to continually raise the creative bar
What We’re Looking For:
- 7+ years of professional design experience
- Proven experience in a leadership capacity (managing, mentoring, or providing art direction to designers, freelancers, or direct reports)
- Strong portfolio showcasing excellence in brand, marketing, and visual design across multiple mediums
- Proven ability to set creative direction while remaining hands-on in execution
- Experience using AI-powered design or creative tools and an interest in experimenting with new technologies to enhance creative output
- Strong organizational skills with experience managing creative workflows and timelines
- Demonstrated experience in strategically managing complex, cross-functional projects with defined timelines and deliverables
- Excellent communication skills and the ability to collaborate with diverse stakeholders
- A passion for building and evolving brands that connect with audiences
Why team members love working at Top Hat:
- A noble mission that creates meaningful, fulfilling work
- A team that cares deeply for customers and for each other
- Flexible, remote first work environment
- Professional learning and development for all role levels
- An awesome and welcoming Toronto HQ
- Competitive health benefits that start on day one
- A management team focused on performance, growth, engagement and connection
- Our winning strategy and market potential
- Innovative PTO policy with lots of time and space for self-care
- Passionate customers that believe in us—and what we do
- A chance to work with new tech like generative AI—and see the customer impact
