Full-Time

Associate Design Director

Posted on 9/11/2025

Barkley

Barkley

501-1,000 employees

Full-service marketing agency delivering brand campaigns

No salary listed

Kansas City, MO, USA

In Person

Category
UI/UX & Design (2)
,
Required Skills
Interaction Design
Adobe Photoshop
Requirements
  • 5+ years related experience
  • A strong portfolio/body of work is required for consideration
  • Has the ability to think beyond static executions to address motion design, interaction design, and experience design
  • Has a strong ability to prioritize work and manage own time based on short and long-term needs
  • Understanding of core design principles such as visual hierarchies, readability and legibility, color theory, typography and neutral space
  • Strong knowledge of fundamental design tools, including but not limited to Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, and Acrobat
  • Comfortable presenting and articulating work to design teams and clients
  • Ability to lead a project within a design team working with other designers and writers
Responsibilities
  • Brings a depth and breadth of design and communication experience, along with intimate client knowledge and dynamic client relationships
  • Can engage with clients at a highly strategic level with a solid understanding of client industries beyond pure design and communication
  • Works hand-in-hand with account and strategy leads to enrich the work and client relationships
  • Acts as the conceptual leader on projects within his/her design column
  • Contributes to the strategic development of projects and promotes 'Capital D' thinking among the team
  • Guides the creative product of BarkleyOKRP in such a way as to add to its reputation and establish/secure its credentials as a leading expert/voice in the field of brand experience through all facets of design
  • Leads specific accounts and client relationships from a design perspective, managing high-level client presentations and day-to-day deliverables
  • Reviews work from team members and steers efforts toward successful, novel and award-worthy output
  • Fosters collaboration and maintains positive morale within his/her design column
  • Has a working understanding of creative disciplines related to design, including art direction, storytelling, experience design, copy, interactive design and motion design – and nurtures these abilities among team members
  • Actively trains, mentors and manages junior and mid level designers and writers, and lends guidance and support to senior team members
  • Leverages new technologies, channels and communication platforms in the service of innovation
  • Has a strong ability to prioritize work and manage resources across engagements based on short and long-term needs

Barkley is a full-service marketing and advertising agency serving sectors such as consumer goods, finance, healthcare, hospitality, and travel. It offers services including advertising, communications, product innovation, media strategy, talent management, experience design, digital platform optimization, influencer activations, and creative campaign development, combining brand-building with performance marketing. Using deep consumer insights, Barkley designs campaigns and experiences and executes them across channels—from creative development to media planning, digital optimization, and influencer programs—while supporting product innovation to keep campaigns relevant. Its goal is to help brands connect with modern consumers, launch new products, drive engagement, and improve performance across marketing channels.

Company Size

501-1,000

Company Stage

M&A

Total Funding

$5.1M

Headquarters

Kansas City, Missouri

Founded

1964

Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • Adlucent acquisition adds performance marketing via Ashwani Dhar.
  • MissionOne Media scales creative-media integration for clients.
  • Smiths Agency bolsters food-beverage expertise with Premier Protein.

What critics are saying

  • Adlucent integration fails, causing talent exodus in 12 months.
  • OKRP merger triggers key creatives to join Wieden+Kennedy.
  • Holding companies like Publicis acquire BarkleyOKRP in 24 months.

What makes Barkley unique

  • BarkleyOKRP ranks seventh-largest independent U.S. advertising agency.
  • Proprietary Whole Brand Thinking uncovers clients' core purpose.
  • Big Indie model blends large-scale resources with independent soul.

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Benefits

Health Insurance

Life Insurance

Unlimited Paid Time Off

401(k) Retirement Plan

Company News

MarTech Cube
May 3rd, 2024
BarkleyOKRP acquires Performance Media and MarTech Company Adlucent

BarkleyOKRP, one of the largest full-service independent marketing firms in the U.S., announced today the acquisition of Adlucent, from Advantage Solutions.

The Business Journals
May 3rd, 2024
Austin marketing firm Adlucent acquired by BarkleyOKRP

Adlucent CEO Ashwani Dhar will join the BarkleyOKRP executive team as chief performance officer.

Adweek
Apr 23rd, 2024
BarkleyOKRP Selected by Hormel Foods' Applegate Brand as AOR

BarkleyOKRP will launch initial campaign efforts for Applegate this summer.

Adweek
Mar 6th, 2024
Barkley and OKRP Are Merging to Become BarkleyOKRP

The two agencies now form one of the biggest independent shops.

The Business Journals
Oct 16th, 2023
Chicago firm invests in advertising agency Barkley

Barkley has landed an investor that takes a long-term approach, sticking with companies through "good times and bad."

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