Brand Design Partner | pdf.net

About pdf.net

pdf.net is one of Variant Group’s bootstrapped SaaS products. It’s a fast-moving, fully remote team building tools like resume.co, contracts.net, and more. pdf.net is an online PDF editor used by thousands of people worldwide, and the company is now building a dedicated acquisition engine around it, from search intent and landing pages to onboarding and paywall moments. They’re looking for a conversion-obsessed product designer with a high visual bar who loves shipping fast, learning from data, and iterating until the funnel performs.

What You'll Be Responsible For

• Own brand direction for pdf.net: set the direction and keep it consistent across touchpoints.

• Lead brand deliverables end-to-end (illustrations, ad creative, social assets, onboarding visuals, brand materials).

• Build a repeatable production pipeline: bring your trusted specialists (illustration, motion, graphic design) and art-direct the work.

• Write and refine briefs and scripts, especially for motion reels and product videos.

• Keep the quality bar high: review work, give clear feedback, and iterate quickly.

• Collaborate with the core stakeholders: work closely with the Head of Design and Head of Marketing on priorities and rollout.

• Stay proactive: spot what feels off-brand (or what could be stronger) and bring ideas before anyone asks.

What You'll Need to Succeed

• Direction-setting mindset: you’re a direction-setter, not just a strong executor.

• Conduct, don’t grind: you’re comfortable running production through your network rather than making every asset yourself.

• SaaS + startup context: you understand how the brand shows up in product-led growth.

• Craft bar: your taste is sharp, and your quality standard is concrete (typography, spacing, hierarchy, details).

• Communication style: you communicate clearly and collaborate well; you don’t force ideas through, you find the highest-value path together.

• Proactivity: you spot opportunities and bring them to the team without being asked.

• AI as leverage: you use AI as a real tool in your workflow, and you expect the same efficiency from the specialists you bring in.

• Creative direction: you can direct motion and product reels even if you don’t animate yourself (you can write a script, set the bar, and tell great from mediocre).

Huge Plus If You Have

• You already run a small “studio-like” setup: a repeatable pipeline, trusted collaborators, and a proven way of shipping consistently high-quality work.

• Strong illustration-driven brand work (Notion-like warmth and clarity).

• A great eye for product-style motion reels and product videos (you can set the bar and direct it).

• Experience working with early-stage SaaS teams where speed and taste both matter.

What You'll Win

• A long-term partnership, not one-off tasks.

• Strong influence: you’ll shape how pdf.net looks, feels, and communicates.

• A team that values craft over volume and clarity over “creative metaphysics.”

• Direct collaboration with the Head of Design and Head of Marketing.

• Flexibility on the working format (retainer, packages, hourly). They’ll adapt to what makes sense for how you operate.

• A clear trajectory: start as an outsource partner, and if it’s a great match, there’s a real path to going in-house.

What's Great About This Role

This role is for someone who wants to truly own a brand, not just decorate it. You’ll be treated like a partner. You’ll have the space to set direction, build a production engine, and push the brand forward proactively. You’ll work with a fast-moving, remote team that cares about quality and taste, and you’ll get to create a lot of visible work (illustrations, creative, motion, and product storytelling) with a clear aesthetic bar (think Notion / Claude / Browser Company, not loud “growth marketing” chaos). If it goes really well, there’s also a natural next step into a full-time seat, but the starting point is simple: let’s work together, ship real things, and see if it clicks.