Associate Production Designer (Contractor)

About KiwiCo:

KiwiCo is an innovative eCommerce company dedicated to sparking creativity and curiosity in kids (and kids at heart!). Through both online and offline materials, we provide fun and engaging ways for kids to explore, create, and learn. Our primary offering is a subscription service where we deliver "whoa awesome," hands-on projects to kids. We also manage an eCommerce storefront and a content platform to inspire and educate. We take great pride and ownership in the products we build and in the community of parents and kids we serve.

Our office is located in Mountain View, CA within walking distance to the Caltrain station. This position follows a hybrid work schedule, with 3-4 office days per week (depending on your team) and the remainder of the week working remotely.

About the Job:

The Associate Production Designer assists our sourcing, graphic design and product design teams in creating and delivering print-ready files across our product lines in a fast-paced and collaborative work environment. This role is remote eligible with occasional in-office visits.

Role and Responsibilities:

• Quickly, accurately and efficiently execute complex page compositions and corrections on printed product collateral using Adobe Creative Suite, especially InDesign and Illustrator.
• Execute print-ready files for simple graphics applied to our products such as product labels and kitting boxes.
• Create final mechanical files for production with stellar attention to detail.
• Demonstrate ownership of formatting, naming conventions, preparation of files for final delivery and file proofing.
• Implement the product design, editorial and graphic designer’s requests and revisions.
• Demonstrate a strong understanding of design guidelines and process and look for opportunities to increase efficiency.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure projects are completed on time and in line with design specifications.
• Own and maintain a comprehensive library of design assets for reusable, systematic designs.
• Provide support on additional design and production tasks.
• Perform simple illustration editing and photo retouching tasks.

Required Qualifications:

• 2+ years of experience as a Production Designer, Graphic Designer or similar role
• BA in Graphic Design or related field
• Outstanding portfolio of work
• Proficiency in the latest macOS and iOS platforms
• High-level proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite, especially InDesign and Illustrator - expert level a plus!
• Obsessively detail-oriented - able to manage all the details and meet a high bar for accuracy and quality
• Ability to adhere to brand guidelines, maintaining consistency and accuracy across a multitude of projects
• Broad operating range - you think strategically and have an impeccable eye for detail with a strong sense of visual hierarchy, typography, layout
• Hands-on, “get things done” mentality
• Self-starter with the ability to prioritize in a fast-paced environment and meet changing deadlines and priorities on simultaneous projects
• Resourceful and flexible - able to operate in a fast-paced environment and meet deadlines on multiple simultaneous projects
• Comfortable handling broad responsibilities on a small, nimble team
• Collaborative - able to contribute to a cross-functional team while maintaining open communication and feedback

Bonus:

• Experience in editorial content production
• High level photo retouching skills

The starting pay range for this position is between $30 and $38 per hour. However, the final hourly rate offered may differ based on several factors, including job-related knowledge, skills, experience, market conditions, and business needs. If you’re passionate about delivering innovative, delightful, and enriching products and experiences for kids, we’d love to hear from you!

Diversity KiwiCo is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Individuals seeking employment at KiwiCo are considered without regard to race, ethnicity, color, age, sex, religion, national origin, ancestry, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, physical or mental disability, marital status, veteran or military status, or any other legally protected category.