Temporary Social Designer

About the Role

Forbes is looking for a Social Designer with a visual journalism mindset, someone who can distill complex power dynamics and business trends into high-impact digital content. Reporting to the Design Director and embedded daily with the Social Strategy team, you will translate Forbes' deep-dive reporting into thumb-stopping visual narratives. The ideal candidate is a conceptual thinker who doesn't just follow trends but anticipates them, leveraging emerging AI tools and design best practices to keep the Forbes brand at the forefront of the feed.

Responsibilities

• Shortform Visual Content Creation: Design narrative-driven graphics, data visualizations and photo-centric stories for social-first features and Forbes major franchises (e.g., 30 Under 30).
• Animation and Motion Design: Transform static editorial assets into high-impact animations for social feeds, ranging from data visualizations and kinetic typography to list reveals and video covers.
• Platform Optimization: Translate long-form web content into platform-specific formats (Instagram, TikTok, X, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.), ensuring all assets meet technical specs, safe zones, and aspect ratio requirements.
• Iterative Design: Use social performance metrics and engagement data to refine visual formats and experiment with new storytelling techniques.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with design, photo, video, editorial and social strategy teams to ensure a "social-first" approach to editorial packages.
• AI & Tool Integration: Drive production efficiencies by integrating AI and specialized Figma plugins into your daily workflow to accelerate visual ideation and output.
• Brand Quality Control: Maintain rigorous alignment with Forbes' visual identity and brand guidelines across high-volume daily output.

Qualifications

• Experience: BA/BFA in Design with 2–4 years of digital design experience, preferably at a media or editorial publishing company.
• Social Expertise: Proven track record of designing successful social-first campaigns for editorial content. Deep understanding of social media trends and platform algorithms.
• Technical Skills: Fluent in Figma, Figma Buzz, Canva and Adobe Creative Suite including Adobe After Effects and Premiere. Comfortable utilizing third-party data visualization platforms such as Flourish, Infogram and Mapbox.
• AI Literacy: Comfortable using generative AI tools like Gemini, ChatGPT, Claude, Midjourney and Adobe Firefly, with the ability to proactively navigate new AI platforms as they emerge.
• Visual Storytelling: Advanced knowledge of editorial storytelling and a sophisticated sense of composition, typography and digital-first design.
• Soft Skills: Excellent organization with the ability to multitask in a fast-paced breaking news environment. This role requires daily communication and rapid response coordination to react effectively to the day's news cycle.
• Industry Knowledge: Passion for staying current on design trends and technology, sharing findings to facilitate new ways of problem-solving.
• Portfolio: A portfolio that demonstrates an eye for social-first storytelling, excellent taste and a keen sense of what performs well on different digital platforms. An online portfolio is required for consideration.

Pay

The hourly rate for this role is $25.00 - $45.00.