Job description

Who we are Picogrid is a leading venture-backed defense technology company founded to bridge the decades-long gap between modern technology and the critical demands of national security. Today, we're building the essential infrastructure to unify sensors, autonomy, and operators with our technology deployed in active operations around the world. Our mission is to deliver an operational advantage to secure the United States and its allies. ABOUT THE ROLE At Picogrid, design is shared infrastructure that shapes how the entire company shows up. As the company scales, we're growing our graphic identity and building systems that put our standards directly into teammates' hands. As Visual Designer, you will apply and extend Picogrid's brand across presentations, technical diagrams, documents, hardware, and merchandise. Working closely with the Design Lead, who sets brand direction, you will help standardize brand visuals, apply them to new surfaces, and build the tools that make them easy to reproduce. You will partner with Marketing, Engineering,, and Business Development and have real ownership over brand applications and the workflows behind them. You will be expected to make informed decisions and find creative ways to support quality at speed. This role is ideal for a designer with strong graphic design fundamentals, who enjoys building visual identities, working in multiple mediums and is already experimenting seriously with AI-assisted production. WHAT YOU’LL DO - Create elegant, clear graphics and communication across physical and digital surfaces - Develop and extend the brand system - work with the Design Lead to formalize and document brand standards, then apply them to new surfaces as the company grows - Develop templates for presentations, product graphics and documentation - Turn standards into tools that allow non-design teammates to produce high quality output - Build AI-assisted brand workflows - create and maintain custom instructions, skills, prompt libraries, and generation pipelines that encode our standards where teammates already work - Scale recurring production - Drive adoption across the company - find where teams produce off-brand work, give them a faster on-brand path, and train them on the tools - Contribute to high-profile brand and marketing campaigns - Maintain the foundation - organize the brand asset library and keep tools and templates current as the brand evolves WHO YOU ARE - Your graphic design and typography fundamentals are strong, and your portfolio shows it - You think in systems. When you design one asset, you're already sketching the template, tool, or workflow that produces the next hundred. - You make informed decisions and explain them clearly. You push back constructively when work doesn't meet the standard. - You earn trust across functions. Engineers, marketers, and business development leads adopt what you build because it makes their work easier. - You pair craft with pragmatism. You care about the details, and you ship tools people actually use - You build with AI, not just use it. You've written the instructions, wired the pipeline, or scripted the template that made the output better and faster. BASIC QUALIFICATIONS - 3–5 years of professional experience in graphic design, brand design, or visual communication - A portfolio that demonstrates strong graphic design and typography, including systems work: identity systems, template suites, or reusable tools - Proficiency in Figma, Adobe Creative Suite, or other modern design tools - Hands-on experience building with generative AI - custom instructions or skills, generation pipelines, automated templates, or code-based design tools - Excellent written and verbal communication; able to explain design decisions and train teammates on new tools - U.S. Person status required for access to ITAR-controlled environments PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS - Experience with industrial design, print, or hardware - Experience writing or formatting technical documentation or user guides - Experience designing data visualization or technical diagrams - Prior experience at a startup, defense technology company, or other fast-paced technical environment - Interest in defense, robotics, aerospace, or technically complex systems - Degree in Graphic Design, Visual Communication, Industrial Design, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience WHY THIS ROLE EXISTS Picogrid is at an exciting stage where one designer cannot personally touch every piece of work. We are producing more visual assets than ever and setting the foundations for the materials produced across the company. This is where the visual designer comes in: someone equally capable of craft and systems thinking. The right person will help shape how Picogrid shows up to customers, partners, and operators as it scales. COMPENSATION & BENEFITS - Base salary range: $120,000- $160,000 per year. Base salary is just one part of your total compensation package at Picogrid. - Significant stock options with a high potential upside as an early-stage company - 401(k) with employer matching - Health coverage for you and your family (medical, dental, and vision insurance) - Relocation assistance provided (if applicable) - Unlimited PTO (two-week minimum) and 11 paid holidays per year - Paid parental leave for both parents - Lunch provided when working in-office and a fully stocked kitchenette - Free EV charging at the HQ - Unique office in El Segundo, CA stocked with quality coffee, snacks, and craft beer EXPORT CONTROL REQUIREMENTS To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. #LI-DNP Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy Picogrid is committed to providing a professional work environment free from discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. We are an equal opportunity employer and make all employment decisions based on merit, qualifications, and business needs.

Requirements

Must-haves

This role is ideal for a designer with strong graphic design fundamentals, who enjoys building visual identities, working in multiple mediums and is already experimenting seriously with AI-assisted production.
Create elegant, clear graphics and communication across physical and digital surfaces
Develop and extend the brand system - work with the Design Lead to formalize and document brand standards, then apply them to new surfaces as the company grows
Develop templates for presentations, product graphics and documentation
Turn standards into tools that allow non-design teammates to produce high quality output
Build AI-assisted brand workflows - create and maintain custom instructions, skills, prompt libraries, and generation pipelines that encode our standards where teammates already work
Scale recurring production
Drive adoption across the company - find where teams produce off-brand work, give them a faster on-brand path, and train them on the tools
Contribute to high-profile brand and marketing campaigns
Maintain the foundation - organize the brand asset library and keep tools and templates current as the brand evolves
Your graphic design and typography fundamentals are strong, and your portfolio shows it
You think in systems. When you design one asset, you're already sketching the template, tool, or workflow that produces the next hundred.
You make informed decisions and explain them clearly. You push back constructively when work doesn't meet the standard.
You earn trust across functions. Engineers, marketers, and business development leads adopt what you build because it makes their work easier.
You pair craft with pragmatism. You care about the details, and you ship tools people actually use
You build with AI, not just use it. You've written the instructions, wired the pipeline, or scripted the template that made the output better and faster.
3–5 years of professional experience in graphic design, brand design, or visual communication
A portfolio that demonstrates strong graphic design and typography, including systems work: identity systems, template suites, or reusable tools

Nice-to-haves

Experience with industrial design, print, or hardware
Experience writing or formatting technical documentation or user guides
Experience designing data visualization or technical diagrams
Prior experience at a startup, defense technology company, or other fast-paced technical environment
Interest in defense, robotics, aerospace, or technically complex systems
Degree in Graphic Design, Visual Communication, Industrial Design, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience

Application prep

Use the role’s language and application details while tailoring your materials.

Keywords to mirror

aifigma

Platform: ashby
Effort: quick

Benefits

Benefits detected in the listing.

Dental

Vision

401(K)

Pto

Parental Leave