About Focus Lab
Focus Lab stands as a strategic brand agency currently seeking its next exceptional team member. Operating as an international, fully remote collective, the agency is composed of thoughtful and creative professionals who are deeply committed to collaborating with companies that strive to do good. With a refined blend of expertise and genuine care for people, Focus Lab dedicates its work to unlocking potential—within its team as well as among its clients.
The agency approaches every challenge with a structured, intentional, and process-driven mindset, ensuring that each solution is both purposeful and impactful. Craft remains the hallmark of Focus Lab’s identity, while camaraderie forms the heart of its culture.
Focus Lab is seeking an experienced Brand/UI Designer with a minimum of four years’ professional design experience to join its creative team. The role requires availability between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM Eastern Time. International contractors are welcome to apply; however, a minimum overlap of six working hours within this core timeframe is essential to ensure effective collaboration. While the agency allows flexibility regarding exact start and finish times, consistent presence during core working hours remains a key requirement.
Job Overview
The successful candidate will serve as a dedicated visual specialist with a comprehensive grasp of the branding process and its connection to strategic communication. This individual will lead visual identity and website initiatives at Focus Lab, collaborating closely with brand strategists, writers, project managers, and interactive writers.
The role involves producing original, industry-leading creative outputs while ensuring that brand and UI visuals align with the established strategy and fulfil the project’s visual objectives. Although project requirements may differ from client to client, the core goal remains consistent: understanding the challenges to be addressed, identifying differentiating factors, capturing the brand’s essence, and translating it effectively through visual storytelling.
Additionally, the selected candidate will join a close-knit, supportive community of designers at Focus Lab, participating in collaborative sessions, design critiques, and various team-focused interactions aimed at continual creative growth.
Please note: this role does not include UX design responsibilities. A portfolio demonstrating brand and UI design expertise is required.
Core Responsibilities
Commitment to Excellence
- Lead brand and UI design engagements for diverse B2B clients.
- Develop strategically grounded brand identity and UI systems that advance client brand positioning from inception to execution.
- Maintain awareness of current trends, methodologies, and tools within brand and UI design.
Practising Empathy
- Establish meaningful working relationships with both clients and internal teams to support the creation and delivery of impactful visual solutions.
Courage in Leadership
- Present and advocate for design decisions with authority, confidence, and strategic clarity to key client stakeholders.
- Facilitate weekly client sessions during the visual phases of assigned projects.
Confidence with Humility
- Approach emerging challenges with curiosity and openness.
- Navigate internal and client feedback constructively and decisively.
Collaboration Over Ego
- Offer and receive constructive critique with professionalism.
- Partner with internal and client teams across research, analysis, and brand language development to deliver successful visual outcomes.
- Contribute positively to the culture, process evolution, and overall experience within Focus Lab.
Ownership and Accountability
- Work independently, managing weekly workflows to ensure consistent and timely delivery.
- Demonstrate proactive initiative, guiding clients towards optimal solutions rather than following directive design.
- Maintain professionalism in subtleties such as punctuality and file organisation.
Technical Comfort & Tools
- Confident use of Figma.
- Proficiency in Adobe Illustrator, InDesign, and Photoshop.
- Familiarity with AI-based productivity platforms (e.g., ChatGPT).
- Practical use of AI creative tools for ideation, exploration, and execution.
AI Transparency
The organisation embraces AI as part of contemporary design methodology. If portfolio work includes AI-assisted elements, applicants are encouraged to specify where AI contributed—whether in concept development, research, workflow process, or final execution. There is no prescribed method; transparency and curiosity are the priorities.
Skills & Requirements
- A strong track record of leading visual design initiatives for major, national-level clientele.
- A portfolio that clearly reflects comprehensive brand identity systems (beyond logo development) as well as UI design and UI kits for large-scale organisations.
- A genuine curiosity and willingness to explore clients’ industries, structures, and strategic goals in depth.
- An enthusiasm for collaborating with and learning from strategists, writers, project managers, and fellow designers.
- The assurance and capability to confidently guide stakeholders through visual design decisions, maintaining trusted leadership throughout the process.
- An attentive, empathetic, and listen-first approach to communication.
- Self-driven initiative, including the ability to identify needs proactively and execute effective solutions.
- Strong attention to detail (candidates who include the word “Applebees” in their application will receive additional recognition).
- Alignment with Focus Lab’s fundamental values.
- Refined soft skills, including humility, drive, and interpersonal awareness.
- Availability to operate within Eastern Standard Time collaboration hours (team sessions held between 9AM–5PM ET).
- Excellent command of written and spoken English.
Please Note
The organisation welcomes applications from both U.S.-based professionals and international contractors. U.S. applicants may be required to provide documentation confirming their legal authorisation to work. Individuals residing outside the United States will be engaged in an independent contractor capacity. All candidates must demonstrate strong proficiency in written and spoken English.
Benefits
A comprehensive benefits overview will be provided later in the interview process. However, the primary benefits offered by Focus Lab include:
- Unlimited paid time off, with an encouraged minimum of 20 days annually, excluding sick leave and public holidays.
- Health, dental, and vision insurance, effective from the first day of the month following the start date (medical coverage at 100% for the employee and 50% for dependants; dental coverage at 50% for both employee and dependants).
- Life, disability, accident, critical illness, and cancer insurance plans.
- Retirement plan eligibility beginning after one year of employment.
- Paid parental, adoption, and caregiver leave.
- Two weeks of paid end-of-year holiday leave.
Important Note
Individuals engaged as international independent contractors will not receive traditional employee benefits, including health insurance or retirement provisions. Such contractors are responsible for their own insurance, tax obligations, and benefits management. Although formal paid time off is not provided for independent contractors, competitive compensation is offered, along with the potential for performance-based perks or bonuses. Flexible scheduling is also supported to enco
How to Apply
Applicants are invited to provide a brief summary introducing themselves, outlining what excites them about the opportunity, why they believe they would be a strong addition to Focus Lab, two to three relevant past projects, and how they envision their future contribution to the team. Application materials should clearly reflect the relevant experience and attributes noted throughout the posting.
Formal qualifications are not a requirement. Several team members are self-taught, and the organisation is primarily seeking a visually driven thinker and empathetic communicator whose passion for design extends beyond self-expression.
It is understood that not every candidate will meet every listed criterion. If the role feels aligned and the applicant can demonstrate a strong fit, they are encouraged to submit their materials.
Post-Application Timeline
The application window will close on Monday, 15 December at 12:00 PM EST. All submissions will be reviewed following the closing date, with interviews expected to begin in the first week of January and a planned start date set for February.
Please note that the team will be offline for the holiday period after the end-of-year roundtable on Friday, 19 December, returning on Monday, 5 January. No communication will occur during this break; responses will resume in the new year as part of Focus Lab’s commitment to meaningful time off.
Interview Stages
- An introductory conversation with People Operations to discuss interest and to address initial queries.
- A video interview with a Director or Founder focusing on professional background and organisational culture.
- A video interview with the Creative Director to further review portfolio work and collaborative approach.
Be Yourself Here
Focus Lab is committed to fostering an inclusive and supportive working environment. The organisation does not engage in discrimination on the grounds of race, religion, colour, national origin, physical or mental disability, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, or parental status. Applications are particularly welcomed from women, people of colour, and LGBTQIA2S+ individuals.
The company culture is rooted in empathy and professionalism, with team members encouraged to set aside ego, assume positive intent, pursue excellence, embrace challenges, and take ownership of their contributions. Candidates who share these values are likely to thrive within the Focus Lab community.