1-Year Maternity Leave Contract

Toronto, ON

underdog studio ltd is a Toronto-based creative studio that believes strong design comes from curiosity, collaboration, and thoughtful execution. We work across brand, campaign, digital, print, and other visual communications, partnering closely with clients to create work that is clear, distinctive, and well crafted.

We’re looking for an Intermediate Graphic Designer to join our team for a one-year maternity leave contract. This is a great opportunity for a versatile designer who is confident taking projects from concept through production, enjoys working collaboratively, and brings strong visual thinking to a range of creative challenges.

THE ROLE

As an Intermediate Graphic Designer, you’ll work closely with our creative team to develop and execute thoughtful design solutions across a variety of client projects. You’ll contribute ideas during the concept stage, develop design systems and assets, prepare polished presentations, and carry work through to final production.

You should be comfortable balancing multiple projects, working within established brand systems when required, and knowing when to push the work in a fresh direction. You’ll have a strong eye for typography, layout, colour, image-making, and detail, along with the ability to clearly communicate the thinking behind your design decisions.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

- Develop creative concepts and visual directions for a range of client projects.
- Design across brand identity, campaigns, presentations, social and digital content, print collateral, and other marketing communications.




- Translate creative direction and strategic thinking into compelling visual work.
- Work within existing brand guidelines while identifying opportunities to evolve or elevate the design.
- Build thoughtful layouts, typography systems, graphic assets, and visual compositions.
- Prepare creative presentations, mockups, and design rationale for internal and client reviews.
- Collaborate with creative directors, designers, strategists, writers, developers, photographers, illustrators, and other partners as needed.
- Incorporate feedback thoughtfully while maintaining the integrity of the creative idea.
- Manage multiple projects and deadlines while maintaining a high level of craft and attention to detail.
- Prepare accurate, production-ready files for print and digital applications.
- Participate actively in critiques, brainstorms, and studio discussions.
- Help maintain a collaborative, supportive, and creatively ambitious studio environment.

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR

- Approximately 3–5 years of professional graphic design experience, ideally within a design studio, branding agency, advertising agency, or similar creative setting.
- A strong portfolio demonstrating excellent typography, layout, visual identity, and concept development.




- Strong working knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite, particularly Illustrator, InDesign, and Photoshop.
- Experience with Figma and designing for digital environments is an asset.
- Strong understanding of both print and digital production.
- Ability to take a project from an initial brief through concept development, refinement, and final execution.
- Excellent attention to detail and a high standard of craft.
- Solid organizational and time-management skills.
- Ability to manage multiple assignments and shifting priorities in a studio environment.
- Comfortable presenting ideas and explaining creative decisions.
- Collaborative, open to feedback, and able to work independently when needed.
- Curious, resourceful, and genuinely interested in design, culture, and visual communication.

NICE TO HAVE

- Experience in any of the following would be an added bonus:
- Motion design or animation.
- Illustration or image-making.
- Art direction for photography.
- Basic video editing.
- Web or UI design.
- Experience developing brand guidelines or larger visual identity systems.

DETAILS

This is a full-time, one-year maternity leave contract based in Toronto, Ontario. (Remote)

Contract term: 12 months

HOW TO APPLY

Please send us your resume and portfolio, along with a short introduction telling us a little about yourself, your experience, and why you’re interested in joining underdog studio. We’re most interested in seeing work that demonstrates your thinking as well as your finished design. Applications submitted without a portfolio will not be considered.

📌 Intermediate Designer - ottawa
🏢 Underdog
📍 Ottawa