Designer I (Contract)

About Us

Powered by one of the largest global newsrooms in sports media, The Athletic brings sports fans the most comprehensive stories about the teams, sports and athletes they love. The Athletic’s newsroom of 500+ full-time staff delivers in-depth coverage of hundreds of professional and college teams across more than 47 North American markets and all 20 football clubs in the English Premier League, as well as many Championship clubs.

About the Role

The Athletic seeks a highly proactive Designer to join our growing commercial design team. As a Designer, you will play a central role partnering with world class consumer brands to deliver branded content and innovative interactive experiences on our site and app. You will also help execute those experiences and see them through to final delivery.

There’s ample opportunity here for a multifaceted designer that thrives in a blue-sky environment, and can balance thinking and making, and wishes to help define our company’s principles around sponsor-centric initiatives.

This role is 100% remote for candidates currently residing in the United States or Canada.

This is a contract to cover for a team member on leave and will end on 2/7/2026.

Responsibilities

• Create clear, visually engaging designs for campaigns, pitch decks, social media, marketing assets, and digital experiences.
• Work collaboratively with senior designers and the wider commercial team to bring partnership ideas to life.
• Translate creative briefs and strategic goals into thoughtful design solutions that appeal to brands and readers.
• Apply consistent visual styles, typography, and layouts that align with The Athletic’s brand.
• Support design projects from concept to final delivery, receiving feedback and iterating with care.
• Assist with preparing presentations and mockups for internal and external stakeholders.
• Contribute to the design of digital experiences, including basic prototyping and interactive visuals.
• ••Stay curious and engaged with trends in sports media, digital advertising, and design.

Requirements

• 2 - 3 years of relevant design experience. 
• Experience with collaboration and working on cross-functional teams.
• An outstanding portfolio which showcases a variety of bold, intuitive designs.
• Experience developing great user experiences.
• A keen eye for detail and a willingness to learn and take feedback constructively.
• Proficiency in design tools like Figma and Adobe Creative Suite 
• Interest or basic experience in motion design or tools like After Effects is a plus.
• Ability to manage multiple projects, meet deadlines, and communicate clearly with teammates.
• Interest in sports, digital media, or advertising is a strong bonus.
• ••Motivation to grow as a designer and contribute to a collaborative, high-performing team.

The annual base salary range for this role is $67,000.00 - $70,000.00 USD. The total compensation offered for this position may vary based on factors such as education, experience, skills, and location. It may also include non-cash rewards and benefits. The base salary range is subject to change and may be modified in the future.

The Athletic offers unique perks and benefits to all full-time employees based on their country of residence. Our comprehensive US benefits package includes:

- Highly competitive, employer-contributed medical, dental, vision, basic life and disability insurance plans.

- Savings accounts for medical, wellness, and childcare expenses.

- 401k retirement savings plan and employer match.

- Paid time off including paid sick leave, 12 paid holidays, 15 days of accrued vacation to start, and up to 20 weeks of Paid Parental Leave.

For international candidates: Our global benefits packages offer similar benefits and perks, competitive to the local market.