Full-time/Part-time – Utrecht, NL

We’re looking for a Design Principal with a focus on visual design, concept, brand and identity. You will work closely with the current Design Principal (UX) to lead the design team, evolve our design practice, and assist in delivering award-winning work.

Join our team

CLEVER°FRANKE is an enthusiastic, multidisciplinary team of 40+ people with 15 different nationalities from across the world. We are visual designers, data designers, interaction designers, developers, project managers, data analysts, and others. All with a passion for what we do. We are curious about the world around us and apply the same curiosity to our work and projects.

The work we create as a studio is diverse and centers around data and complexity. It ranges from visual identities with data (as with Eurovision ), data-driven storytelling (as with Voices from the Frontlines ), to digital platform design and development (as with Globalance Bank ). In all our work we aim to provide new perspectives on complex data and topics, while merging form and function into cohesive unique experiences.

As Design Principal, your primary responsibilities are to ensure the delivery of excellent work and to evolve our design practice to ensure we remain a pioneering studio. This is done through design direction on our client projects, collaboration on proposals and pitches, and internal projects. You bring ideas to projects, and together with the team, you shape the brief and challenge the team and client to think beyond the initial ask.

Our Design team consists of about 20 designers and design leads with different backgrounds and specialties. Your role will involve collaborating with other principals, design leads, and team members to share knowledge and expertise, and innovate in visual design across the organization.

As one of our design leaders, you will play a role in sharing our vision with the world. For example, by giving presentations at events and conferences, supporting our PR efforts, and maintaining relations within the design community.

Additionally, you will oversee the wellbeing and development of team members, ensuring they develop their talents and tracking their progress towards development goals. You are able to motivate the team and help them to overcome challenges. In effect, you are a role model for the (design) team.

What you bring

As Design Principal, you will bring over 10 years of experience in visual design, graphic design, typography, and motion design. You have a strong understanding of visual design principles, trends, and history, along with the ability to develop and align our design signature within the organization. You are capable of adapting the design process and style to meet client needs while staying true to the studio's vision and signature.

In and across projects, you are an important point of connection with our clients. You have the experience and interest to connect with clients and to take a commercial perspective when exploring creative opportunities for projects. Such as bringing our creative vision to the client while aligning with their needs. This also includes leading work on project pitches and supporting PR work. You’ll need to sell clients on our creative vision, building and steering the project's strategic direction with confidence. This means translating visual design concepts into language that clicks with clients, helping them trust our approach while keeping their business goals upfront on what we deliver.

When collaborating with others and providing design direction, you can clearly articulate ideas, align others with your design and project vision, while remaining open to input from both clients and team members. Your communication skills are excellent, with the ability to adapt your style to different audiences as needed.

Given your responsibility for the well-being and growth of designers, you have proven experience in leading and developing teams, with a focus on motivating team members and supporting their growth. As Design Principal, you are, effectively, a role model for the team, so we expect you to have the social skills and awareness that make you effective and supported in this.

You take a proactive approach to identifying and addressing challenges, with a track record of implementing innovative solutions and process improvements. Additionally, you are able to balance a focus on individual projects with an understanding of the studio's overall goals, including a solid grasp of business operations and the ability to propose solutions that align with company objectives.

Fluency in spoken and written English is essential, as it is the primary language used in our studio.

You’re welcome at CLEVER°FRANKE regardless of your appearance, identity or background. It’s not a place you have to ‘fit in’ but somewhere everyone can feel themselves and be their best to do their best.

Studies suggest that women and underrepresented groups tend to hesitate to apply for a job if their CV isn’t a perfect fit. Here, we look for talent and potential – not just formal experience and expertise. So if you like the role and think you could be awesome at it, go ahead and apply.

We'll give you

Full-time/part-time role (32–40 hours per week);

A competitive salary, based on your background and experience;

Support from a friendly, passionate, down-to-earth team;

A personal development budget of €1000 per year for trainings tailored to your personal and professional growth;

A personal development coach and time to explore your interests;

A personal wellbeing budget of €250 per year (purchase a bike, fitness or yoga membership);

Two extra holidays per calendar year, because we all have events in our life that we need time for (weddings, celebrating religious or cultural events);

Hybrid working from our studio or home (at least 2 days per week in the studio);

A healthy, abundant lunch every day in the studio;

Paid train expenses from your home to the studio;

A collective pension plan;

A MacBook and all the peripherals you need;

Inspiring team events; such as our annual team prototyping day, team trainings, sport events and conference visits.

We’ll support you

We find it important that you grow and challenge yourself and we want to ensure that you are supported in this. That’s why we offer:

Training courses: tailored to your experience level and needs, personal development planning, and feedback sessions.

HR coach: who will help you with your professional and personal development.

CLEVER°FRANKE Development week: about 3 times a year, we organize a week where the entire studio fully focuses on personal and professional growth, outside of client projects.

CLEVER°FRANKE Prototype Day: a day full of creativity, innovation, learning, and working with colleagues in a hands-on environment.

Would you like to join us?
with your CV and portfolio , and some questions we’ll ask to get to know you a little better.

Please note that for this position we are looking for someone who has EU working permit. The position is based in The Netherlands.

If you successfully pass through our screening, we’ll invite you to the interview process, which entails three further conversations to ensure you get to know our culture and the role better, and to identify whether there is a fit from both sides.

Questions?

Please contact Amelia Monteiro Fouché for more information about this job opening at amelia@cleverfranke.com.

Acquisition based on this job opening is not appreciated.