Junior Designer

Brink is privileged to work on some of the world’s most interesting and important challenges with partners ranging from globally recognised institutions like UCL, FCDO, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and University of Cambridge, to small grassroots innovators across Africa, S. Asia and the Middle East. Together, we’re able to push the boundaries of what’s possible and imagine new futures, using design to support bold new thinking and ambitions to make lasting change.

We’re looking for a Junior Designer to use their skills to deliver outputs across a diverse range of programmes, using design to supercharge the impact teams are creating in the world.

You’ll get the opportunity to apply your design skills to all the programmes that Brink works on, as well as the individual ventures within them, and receive mentoring from Brink’s senior Designer, as well as other leads commissioning your skills across our work.

In particular you’ll work closely with our Storytelling practice team who continuously explore how design can support Brink’s work to tell compelling stories which inspire change. Together you’ll continue to explore and experiment with how design can be used as a tool for impact within storytelling and beyond.

At Brink designers work on a range of projects. You could be creating infographics to communicate evidence in an accessible way, using partner brand guidelines to create compelling social media content, designing a website which tells the human stories behind our projects, or designing the odd t-shirt for an event.

We operate on an internal creative studio model, where briefs for design will come in from across the organisation. It’s likely that no two days are the same, and you’ll hone your skills based on the opportunities we’re spotting across Brink’s portfolio. We’re looking for someone who’s excited to hone their skills in this way and who enjoys that variety of projects.

Regardless of where you are now, or where you’ve been before, if you’re a designer who is looking to use their skills to make a positive dent in the world, then we want to hear from you.

What we’re looking for

• You’re likely a Graphic Design graduate with a couple of years experience in internships or design roles within organisations or studios, with a good understanding of what an organisation values and needs from a designer.
• Your skills include editorial design, working with brand guidelines, formatting and UX in particular, and would love to see evidence of (or interest to learn more about) animation, video editing and HTML/CSS coding, or any other design-related skills (go on, surprise us!)
• You’ll be fluent in Adobe CC including Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator and possibly AfterEffects, Figma, Premiere Pro and FinalCut, but won’t shy away from a Google Slides deck should this be the most appropriate way of communicating for the job.
• You are eager to learn not only technical skills related to their craft, but also the ways of being we know are intrinsic to being part of a functioning and motivated team. You will be working with non-designers on a daily basis, understanding and defining their needs and developing design briefs with them. We need you to actively make a connection between people and sometimes quite complex ideas, with the goal of mobilising real world action.
• You hold high standards for design excellence, noticing the things that non-designers don’t, but you also understand when to embrace the most pragmatic solution. Projects will require attention to detail on both creative briefs and everyday jobs (such as formatting documents).

We also look for these interpersonal skills (being a ‘Brinkster’)

• Growth mindset: keen and eager to experiment and learn, comfortable with not knowing all the answers yet and happy to let stuff go when it doesn’t quite hit the mark
• Is ‘interoperable’: quickly establishes rapport with all kinds of people
• Enjoys ‘making others shine': Brink is a low-ego zone that thrives on making our colleagues, clients and collaborators shine
• Self-starter, proactive, can 'get on with it', has a sense of agency and a point of view
• Global outlook: understands the global nature of our work and relishes the challenge of designing for such a broad range of audiences

In addition to your annual salary you’ll have access to extra things to support you to be your best self, in and out of the office.

🐙 A role that isn’t available for anyone else and shaped around you and your interests

🏖 ‘Take what you need’ annual leave

🐣 16 weeks full pay parental leave

🧠 Dedicated coaching and therapy for your mental health and wellbeing from platform partner Oliva

🎒 Brink retreats and away days

📚 Kindle with unlimited books

🎓 Generous training budget

🏡 Workspace expense budget for working from home

🚴‍♀️ Access to a cycle to work scheme (if in UK)

How we work:

• A team of around 30 (and growing) that genuinely enjoy spending time together, online and in person where possible
• Remote-first approach
• If based in the UK, you can work outside of the UK for a maximum of 100 days within the tax year. If based elsewhere, local tax laws regarding working abroad apply.
• Flexible working hours; you take ownership over how you get your work done
• Dedicated learning time at our ‘Dojo Days’
• Certain set days over the year where we require the team to be together in real life. This is usually for around one week in mid January and for another week in mid July. It may also include travel and overnight stays.