Temporary Social Designer

The Forbes Editorial Art Team sits at the intersection of journalism and digital innovation, shaping the visual identity of success and influence that define the cultural conversation. From the split-second hook of a short-form social story to the prestige of our global franchises like 30 Under 30 and the Billionaires List, we turn data and reporting into compelling digital narratives. Our designers collaborate across the newsroom, product, and live event teams to tell holistic, platform-first stories that meet our audience exactly where they are. We are 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.

Note: An online portfolio demonstrating a proven success in social-first storytelling is required for consideration.

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.

The Ideal Candidate

• 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.

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

Forbes has estimated the compensation range set forth above in good faith.  The compensation range is what we believe we will offer, and ultimately pay, a successful candidate.  In determining this range, we consider the experience, level of education (if applicable to the role), knowledge, skills, and abilities required to be had by a successful candidate as well as the budget and the company’s pay rates, generally. This said, we may have to make changes to our compensation estimates and job descriptions from time to time and we expressly reserve the right to do so.  Should we make any such changes, this advertisement will be revised to reflect such revisions.  We encourage you to occasionally re-visit this advertisement to ensure that you are abreast of any changes.  Thank you for your interest in joining Forbes!

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