Lead Thumbnail Designer

LEAD THUMBNAIL DESIGNER | REMOTETo Apply: https://righteous-chestnut-b59.notion.site/2a1353fd5db581a2a72ef5a9d4919a8b?pvs=105ROLE:As the Lead Thumbnail Designer at Knwn Local, you'll build and develop a team of 5-10+ thumbnail designers who create scroll-stopping visuals that drive channel growth for America's top real estate leaders. This is a player-coach leadership role where you'll spend 60-80% of your time managing, mentoring, and building systems, and 20-40% hands-on designing complex projects.You'll own design quality standards, team development, and creative operations across the agency, partnering closely with Pod Managers, Creative Director, and leadership on strategic initiatives. Your success is measured not by how many thumbnails you design, but by how well your team performs, grows, and delivers results that drive client success.This role is perfect for someone who loves developing designers as much as designing itself - someone who gets energized by building systems, coaching talent, and multiplying impact through others. If you want to stay purely hands-on without management responsibilities, this isn't the right fit.Apply now: https://righteous-chestnut-b59.notion.site/2a1353fd5db581a2a72ef5a9d4919a8b?pvs=105RESPONSIBILITIES:Team Leadership & Development (50-70% of role)Directly manage 5-8 thumbnail designers conducting weekly 1-on-1s focused on skill development and performanceLead bi-weekly team design reviews with constructive feedback and best practice sharingBuild comprehensive onboarding programs and training materials for new designer hiresCreate career development pathways with clear promotion criteria for design team membersConduct performance reviews and manage accountability through the Clarify Instrument Coach Decide frameworkHandle hiring (writing JDs, screening portfolios, conducting interviews, making offers)Build 2-5+ year relationships with designers through proactive retention and engagement strategiesConduct skip-level meetings with junior designers to assess team health and identify early warning signsCreative Excellence & Standards (20-30% of role)Design 15-30 high-impact thumbnails per month for VIP clients and complex projectsOwn and evolve agency-wide creative quality standards, brand guidelines, and style guidesEstablish QA processes that maintain 90%+ first-approval rate across all designersLead A/B testing strategy and performance analysis across the entire client portfolioServe as final creative approval for all thumbnails before client deliveryDrive creative innovation through monthly experimentation initiatives and "Good Flops"Create and maintain design team's template library and asset management systemsStrategic Collaboration & Systems (10-20% of role)Partner with Pod Managers on client strategy and creative direction for key accountsPresent creative strategy and performance insights in Monthly Client Strategy Calls with clientsCollaborate with executive leadership on agency-wide creative vision and initiativesBuild scalable workflows, capacity planning, and resource allocation systemsCreate performance dashboards tracking team metrics (CTR, approval rates, turnaround times)Document best practices, SOPs, and knowledge base for the design functionContribute to quarterly planning, annual strategy summits, and company OKRsREQUIREMENTS:Leadership & Design Experience6+ years of professional design experience with 2+ years managing creative teamsProven track record leading, developing, and scaling design teams of 5+ peopleMinimum 3+ years creating high-performing YouTube thumbnails with proven CTR resultsExperience hiring designers, conducting performance reviews, and managing accountabilityPortfolio showcasing thumbnails that contributed to channel growth (include CTR data)Comfortable with difficult conversations (performance issues, firing, conflict resolution)Technical & Strategic SkillsExpert-level proficiency in Photoshop, Illustrator, and Figma (portfolio required)Deep understanding of YouTube algorithms, CTR optimization, and viewer psychologyData-driven approach with ability to interpret analytics and translate into design strategyExperience with A/B testing methodologies, performance analysis, and optimizationStrong presentation skills for client-facing strategy calls and executive meetingsUnderstanding of creative team economics (capacity planning, resourcing, budgeting)Communication & Cultural LeadershipExceptional written and verbal communication for feedback, presentations, and documentationDemonstrated ability to give feedback that accelerates growth and elevates work qualityExtreme Ownership - Takes full accountability for team results; never blames or makes excusesBeyond Excellence - Sets impossibly high standards and inspires team to exceed themProactive Curiosity - Anticipates problems, asks better questions, and stays ahead of needsMission Focus - Obsesses about client success and team development over personal recognitionRESULTS:Team PerformanceYour design team consistently maintains 90%+ first-approval rate across all designersDesigner retention rate exceeds 85% annually with clear development and career progressionNew designers productive at 80% capacity within 30-60 days through your training systems100% of direct reports show measurable skill improvement quarter-over-quarterTeam operates at 80-90% capacity utilization - productive output without burnoutQuality & ImpactZero client escalations due to design quality issues or missed deadlines from your teamAgency-wide thumbnail CTR averages 5-10% (significantly above platform benchmarks)95%+ on-time delivery rate across your entire team's project portfolioDesign workflows, templates, and style guides documented and adopted agency-wideYour team generates innovative thumbnail strategies that drive agency-wide adoptionStrategic LeadershipDesign function viewed as strategic partner by Pod Managers and leadershipSuccessfully contribute to client strategy with design insights that drive performanceClient satisfaction scores remain >4.5/5 for design quality and communicationAt least 1-2 designers promoted or advancement-ready annually due to your mentorshipLeadership views design as a strategic differentiator, not just an execution functionCOMPENSATION & GROWTH:Salary & BenefitsStarting Range: $42,000 - $72,000 USD/year depending on experience and team size managedFully RemoteFlexible Time Off policy & Company Wide Holiday Breaks (we trust you to manage your time and energy)Professional development budget for courses, plugins, and creative toolsLeadership development programAccess to industry-leading tools, plugins, and AI-assisted editing softwareClear career progression with transparent promotion criteriaPerformance Metrics You'll OwnTeam Performance: Design Quality Score, First-Approval Rate (90%+), CTR performanceTeam Development: Skill progression, promotion readiness, retention rate (85%+)Operational Excellence: Capacity utilization (80-90%), on-time delivery (95%+)Strategic Impact: Innovation initiatives, process improvements, client satisfaction (>4.5/5)LOCATION:100% Remote WHO WE ARE:Knwn Local helps America's top real estate leaders (ranked by Wall Street Journal Real Trends) attract more clients and grow their brands through strategic YouTube presence. Our clients manage $30M-$300M+ real estate teams and brokerages.We're scaling from 55+ to 200+ channels with the mission of helping agents dominate their local markets through long-form video content that builds trust and authority.Our Core Values: Extreme Ownership, Beyond Excellence, Proactive Curiosity, Mission FocusMAKE SURE YOU'RE COMFORTABLE WITH:Remote team leadership (building culture and managing performance without in-person oversight)Rigorous hiring process including portfolio review, leadership case study, design test, and interviews90-day paid trial period with clear success metrics and transparent evaluationPlayer-coach expectations (10-30% IC work even as you grow the team)High-growth environment (processes evolve, priorities shift, resilience required)Accountability culture (measured on results with clear metrics and transparent feedback)TO APPLY:If you're ready to build a world-class design team and multiply your creative impact 10x by developing others, please submit: https://righteous-chestnut-b59.notion.site/2a1353fd5db581a2a72ef5a9d4919a8b?pvs=105FYI we primarily look at those who apply using the above sitePay 42k - 72k+ USD a year