Graphic Designer Job at Equator Coffees in San Anselmo

POSITION : Graphic Designer

CLASSIFICATION :

Part-time (non-exempt)

REPORTS TO : VP of Marketing

START DATE : 12 / 1 / 2025

About Equator

In 1995, Equator Founders Helen Russell and Brooke McDonnell began their values-driven path, roasting coffee in a Marin County, CA garage. Possessing an obsessive commitment to green coffee sourcing and unparalleled roasting expertise, Helen and Brooke have committed over 30 years to sustainable and fair trade coffee practices all in the name of creating a remarkable coffee experience for consumers. Today, Equator Coffees is a retail and wholesale coffee roaster and coffee farm owner with twelve retail cafés throughout California—from Marin County to San Francisco to Oakland to Los Angeles and beyond. Throughout the years, Equator Coffees has spearheaded industry-leading sourcing and roasting practices, and has forged progressive partnerships with Michelin-starred chefs, specialty grocers, tech campuses, and more. Women-owned, LGBTQ-founded, and an early adopter of Fair Trade certification, Equator Coffees is the first California coffee roaster to achieve B Corp Certification.

Position Summary

Equator Coffees is seeking a highly skilled, detail-driven Graphic Designer to bring our brand to life across every touchpoint—from packaging to digital campaigns. In this hands-on, high-impact role, you’ll be the go-to person for design delivery, bringing projects to life through craft, precision, and reliability. You’ll own your workflow from intake to final production, helping streamline the creative process and reduce friction for the broader Equator team.

This role bridges strategy and execution : you’ll translate each project into polished, usable assets that connect with audiences online, in stores, and on the shelf. You balance creativity with executional excellence—comfortable building dielines one day and designing a performance-driven ad the next. You’re collaborative, organized, and proactive, with an eye for aesthetics, systems, and storytelling. Above all, you’re passionate about design that makes an impact and believe that thoughtful visuals can move people, products, and purpose forward.

Key Responsibilities

Creative Campaign Design : Develop compelling visuals for marketing and product campaigns (web, landing pages, email).

Brand Consistency : Champion and evolve a unified visual identity across all channels.

Packaging Production : Translate approved designs into print-ready dielines and mechanicals.

Asset Library Management : Build and maintain a scalable asset system (templates, renders, design frameworks).

Stakeholder Collaboration : Work closely with marketing leads, copywriters, and channel owners; present work to leadership and iterate based on feedback.

Production Oversight : Lead packaging approvals, troubleshoot challenges, and ensure final deliverables meet standards.

Workflow & File Management : Maintain organized design files, naming conventions, and shared libraries so assets are scalable and repeatable.

Vendor & Partner Coordination : Liaise with printers, packaging vendors, photographers, or freelancers as needed.

Process Improvement : Suggest ways to speed up production (e.g., reusable templates, automation, Figma libraries).

Quality Control : Own the final look / feel before assets go live, ensuring brand standards are upheld.

Qualifications and Requirements

3-5 years of experience in brand and digital design, ideally within CPG / food & beverage.

Strong online portfolio showcasing work across digital (web, email, landing pages), print, and packaging.

Demonstrated experience in consumer-facing marketing design.

Experience working with marketing teams on performance-focused creative (ads, emails, landing pages), not just brand pieces.

Ability to create high-quality, production-ready designs and assets across digital and physical touchpoints.

Expertise in packaging design and production workflows, including dieline adaptation, mechanical files, and print-ready execution.

Proven ability to manage multiple projects in a fast-paced environment with tight deadlines.

Analytical curiosity : Willingness to look at performance metrics to inform design decisions (e.g., which visuals actually drive clicks / conversions).

Advanced proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign).

Fluency in Figma for component-based and modular design systems.

Strong color management expertise, including Pantone matching.

Experience overseeing print production : pre-press, vendor communication, proof reviews, and press checks.

Preferred Skills, Knowledge & Abilities

“Do‑er” mindset : Comfortable being hands‑on and prolific, not just ideating.

Reliability under pressure : Can juggle deadlines and still maintain polish.

Detail‑driven : Strong eye for typography, spacing, color accuracy, and print precision. Pixel‑perfect work in both digital and print assets.

Bias toward execution—driven to bring ideas to life quickly and effectively.

Business impact awareness : Understands that design isn’t just decoration — it’s about conversion, storytelling, and product sell‑through.

Collaborative but independent : Confident working solo, while also welcoming feedback and iteration.

Comfort with ambiguity and ability to work autonomously.

Strategic and efficient design sensibility—knowing when to polish vs. prototype quickly.

Great communicator who can articulate design decisions clearly across teams.

A passion for bringing beauty and simplicity to complex ideas.

Bonus if you have…

Background in photography or video editing.

Comfort with 3D pack renders and visualization tools.

Experience working with high-volume production environments.

Knowledge of consumer insights‑driven design (creating work that connects with customers on an intuitive, emotional level).

Experience with innovation or commercialization teams in CPG.

Basic motion graphics skills (After Effects, or similar) for lightweight video / social assets.

Knowledge or experience in specialty coffee.

Compensation & Benefits

Competitive hourly wage, commensurate with experience

Commuter Benefits – pre‑tax parking and transit options

Employee Assistance Program (EAP) – physical and mental health, financial, and legal coaching available at no cost

Free mental health app subscription

Employee discounts on merchandise, brewing gear, and at all Equator cafés

Continuing coffee education classes and professional development opportunities

Complimentary coffee (of course!)

We’d love it if you used the video answer feature for our screening questions. It’s a great way for us to get a better sense of your experience and how comfortable you are talking about it. Plus, it helps us see your personality and passion for the role!

Equator Coffees is an equal‑opportunity employer. All aspects of employment including the decision to hire, promote, and discharge will be based on competence, performance, and business needs. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability or any other applicable legally protected characteristics.

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