Lead Designer at BFA (Bankable Frontier Associates)

As Lead Designer at BFA Global, you will be expected to:

• Leverage your understanding of digital marketing, work with the team to ideate on novel and creative approaches to visually present information and better reach individual target audiences (inclusive of donors, NGOs, investors, startup founders, research firms, corporates and more)
• Leveraging your understanding of UI/UX best practices and research, regularly recommend improvements to our content and projects, and advise Catalyst Fund portfolio companies during design and marketing sprints as needed.

Specifically, your role will include:

Graphic design, UI/UX, and product design

• Own, update and enforce visual guidelines across all internal and external touchpoints to ensure consistent brand aesthetic
• Own and manage design-based website updates, collaborating with external suppliers as needed
• Own and lead all graphic design requirements, which may include:
  • Reports
  • Digital toolkits
  • Social media graphics
  • Social media text-based videos
  • Infographics
  • Printed event material (banners, one-pagers, etc.)
  • Image/photography library
  • Minimal video graphic work
  • Decks
• As part of marketing + communications support offering for our portfolio companies, work with the Strategic Marketing Lead to lead design sprints with companies, as determined necessary by individual Project Leads. This may include:
  • Branding revamps
  • Website front-end build or recommendations
  • Product design and UX/UI improvements
  • Creating design management systems
  • Deck redesign
  • Light-touch collateral design (one-pagers, banners, pitch decks, social media visuals)
• Work with team members to determine UI/UX or design needs within other venture-building projects as needed. Execute project-based design activities and/or hire freelance/external talent as needed.

Qualifications & Requirements:

Successful applicants will have many of the following qualities:

• Bachelor’s degree in design or a related field
• 5+ years’ experience as an Art Director or Designer with a strong digital focus
• A demonstrated ability to tell stories visually
• UX/ UI experience across web and mobile
• Product design experience is strongly preferred
• A proven ability to identify target audiences and devise cross-channel engagement strategies that educate, engage, motivate, and influence
• Demonstrated ability to create and enforce consistent visual brand
• Excellent ability to create and manage content (web, e-newsletters, social media, print, etc.).
• A fluent English-language speaker with excellent written, presentation, and verbal communication skills, as well as a proven ability to communicate clearly and effectively, even in stressful situations
• A proven ability to work in a fast-paced, startup environment, with strong attention to detail for all tasks, large and small
• A good eye for visual branding and graphic representation.
• Unrelenting persistence and drive to achieve excellence in execution.

Successful candidates will also:

• Have the ability to work with remote teams, where collaboration tools such as Slack and video calls are used frequently.
• Be creative, proactive, enthusiastic, and willing to take risks and confidently lead initiatives.
• Possess strong project management skills, with the ability to prioritize and adapt to rapidly changing needs.
• Be a strong team player who is open to feedback and other perspectives.
• Be willing and available to travel 20% of the time for project work as needed.
• Understanding emerging markets and designing for low-connectivity contexts, preferably in Africa.
• French language skills a plus but not required