[Hiring] Junior Product Illustrator @Hadley Designs

Role Description

As our Junior Product Illustrator, your one job is to turn the Chief Creative Officer's vision into finished, on-style product art, so Hadley Designs launches new products faster and our creative capacity is multiplied, not capped by a single set of hands. The CCO sets the tone, the style, and the strategy; you carry the hands-on execution, creating new artwork, completing sets in an established style, and building each concept out to production-ready. This is a deliberately early-career seat for someone with real illustration talent who wants to keep growing that craft. You will not be expected to arrive as a seasoned art director. You will be expected to draw well, learn our style quickly, take direction cleanly, and finish the last mile of the creative so the CCO can stay focused on setting direction rather than executing it.

Key Responsibilities

• Original Illustration & Artwork:
  • Create new artwork and complete sets in Hadley Designs' established style across our product lines.
  • Draw and illustrate original elements like characters, motifs, patterns, and scenes that fit our cute, kid-friendly aesthetic.
• Product Design Execution:
  • Turn the CCO's concepts and creative direction into finished, production-ready product designs.
  • Carry a design from initial handoff through final build-out without kicking work back up the chain.
• Creative Production Support:
  • Own the execution offload (variations, building out a design across a full set, and file prep) that frees the CCO's hands.
  • Prepare print and production files to spec, and build mockups and product previews for listings.
• Style Consistency:
  • Keep every piece on-style and on-brand across the full product set.
  • Maintain the living style-reference so the look stays consistent as the catalog grows.
  • As-needed: occasional ad-ops support (A+ content, storefront updates, CMYK ad images) and revisions on existing product lines. This is secondary support, not the core of the role.

How Success Is Measured

• First-pass approval rate: the share of deliverables the CCO accepts with no major rework. This is how we measure "on-style" objectively.
• New original art created: the volume of original artwork generated to feed the product pipeline.
• Sets / SKUs completed: finished design sets shipped per month. The speed lever.
• On-time delivery: the share of assigned pieces delivered by the agreed deadline.
• Framework-to-finish independence: the share of projects carried from CCO handoff to production-ready without kicking work back up.

Qualifications

• A portfolio of original illustration work that shows a cute, playful, kid-friendly or product-design sensibility.
• Working proficiency in Adobe Illustrator for native illustration (not just file handling or layout).
• Ability to match and extend an existing art style, completing a set so new pieces sit naturally alongside the originals.
• Strong ability to take written and verbal creative direction and turn it into finished work.
• Reliability on deadlines while managing several pieces at once.

Nice-to-haves

• Experience preparing print / production files to spec.
• Familiarity with the children's, educational, or consumer-product space.
• Comfort with lightweight project tools (Notion, ClickUp) and file organization.

Benefits

• Impact: Your work will directly impact how families experience learning through the Hadley Designs brand.
• Culture: Join a passionate, mission-driven team that values trust, creativity, and collaboration.
• Flexibility: Enjoy the freedom of a remote role with flexible working hours.
• Growth: Learn directly from our Chief Creative Officer and build a portfolio of shipped, real-world product work.
• Remote-first work environment.
• Paid time off and holidays.
• Access to learning resources and professional development.
• Free access to Hadley Designs products.
• Regular interaction with leadership, including the CEO and CCO.
• Stability from a decade as a family-founded, mission-driven brand.

Apply Today

If you're ready to make a meaningful impact in a growing company that's shaping the future of learning, apply now to join the Hadley Designs team as our Junior Product Illustrator. Help us create a lasting impact on families, educators, and children worldwide.

P.S: If you don't hear from us within four weeks of your application, please consider that as our decision to move forward with other candidates, but we truly appreciate your interest in Hadley Designs.