Designer, Strategy (Arlington, VA)

At Stout, we’re dedicated to exceeding expectations in all we do – we call it Relentless Excellence ®. Both our client service and culture are second to none, stemming from our firmwide embrace of our core values: Positive and Team-Oriented, Accountable, Committed, Relationship-Focused, Super-Responsive, and being Great communicators. Sound like a place you can grow and succeed? Read on to learn more about an exciting opportunity to join our team.

Impact You’ll Make

Stout is seeking a highly motivated Designer to join our Strategic Design team within the Strategy group. This team plays a pivotal role in the development of client deliverables (primarily in PowerPoint) and maintaining the integrity of Stout’s brand identity. The right candidate must be a proactive problem-solver, possess innovative corporate design skills, and thrive in a collaborative, fast-paced environment. This individual will work closely with fellow designers, consulting teams, leadership, and the Director of Business Development to provide visually stunning, compelling data visualization and design solutions for internal and external stakeholders.

What You’ll Do

Strategic Design is integral to Stout’s success as a firm. As a Designer on the Strategy team, you will play a critical role in shaping how we communicate insights and strategies to clients. You will leverage your expertise in PowerPoint design to create thought-provoking deliverables that elevate the firm’s work. More specifically, you will:

• Collaborate directly with client engagement teams to design clear, compelling, and visually consistent PowerPoint presentations and deliverables

• Manage multiple concurrent projects across client work, as well as internal communication and/or go-to-market collateral as needed

• Contribute to project management workflows that ensure load balancing and encourage team effectiveness and efficiency

• Play a key role in the adherence to brand and style guides

• Pitch creative ideas that enhance projects and build our brand

• Uphold ongoing quality assurance standards to ensure brand professionalism

• Positively contribute to the dynamic, high-achieving atmosphere of the firm

What You’ll Bring

Over the last two decades, Stout’s Strategy team has assembled an intellectually curious, eclectic, and motivated team of peers, resulting in a vibrant office environment that is fast-paced, collaborative, and entertaining. Our team is fanatical about client service and personal accountability. We value individual contribution, creativity, teamwork, and humor. Additional qualifications include:

• Bachelors required; design, communications, or similar curriculum preferred

• Minimum of 1-year professional experience, potentially including internship experience in a relevant role

• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office, especially PowerPoint, and the Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator)

• Strong ability to conceptualize and visualize complex research data and strategy concepts with a high degree of self-direction

• Understanding of typography, illustration, composition, and color theory

• Comfort leveraging and experimenting with technology platforms, including AI-enabled tools

• Familiarity with UI and UX design principles

• Must be a team player who thrives in a collaborative environment

• Must be comfortable engaging in a quick-turn iterative process with project leads, balancing strong design aesthetics and tight deadlines

• Experience in professional services environments (strongly preferred)

• Fluency in English (written and verbal)

• Must be eligible to work in the US, without employer sponsorship, at the time of hire and in the future

Candidates invited to interview may be asked to complete a short design assessment.

How You’ll Thrive

Success in this role is driven by both technical capability and a collaborative, adaptable mindset.

• Adapt effectively to evolving client needs, priorities, and timelines, while maintaining strong time and portfolio management

• Approach complex, ambiguous problems with structure, creativity, and analytical rigor

• Collaborate effectively and thoughtfully with teammates and engagement leaders while valuing diverse perspectives

• Effectively synthesize complex analyses, processes and concepts into comprehensible visualizations and written work-products

• Embody Stout’s core values by being team-oriented, accountable, relationship-focused, responsive, and an effective communicator

• Demonstrate a commitment to delivering Relentless Excellence® in both client service and internal collaboration

Please submit your current resume along with your design portfolio and relevant project examples/website to be considered for this opportunity.

Why Stout?
At Stout, we offer a comprehensive Total Rewards program with competitive compensation, benefits, and wellness options tailored to support employees at every stage of life.
We foster a culture of inclusion and respect, embracing diverse perspectives and experiences to drive innovation and success. Our leadership is committed to inclusion and belonging across the organization and in the communities we serve.
We invest in professional growth through ongoing training, mentorship, employee resource groups, and clear performance feedback, ensuring our employees are supported in achieving their career goals.
Stout provides flexible work schedules and a discretionary time off policy to promote work-life balance and help employees lead fulfilling lives.
Learn more about our benefits and commitment to your success.

https://www.stout.com/en/careers/benefits

The specific statements shown in each section of this description are not intended to be all-inclusive. They represent typical elements and criteria necessary to successfully perform the job.

Stout is an Equal Employment Opportunity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment on the basis of valid job requirements, qualifications and merit without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by applicable local, state or federal law. 

Stout is required by applicable state and local laws to include a reasonable estimate of the compensation range for this role. The range for this role considers several factors including but not limited to prior work and industry experience, education level, and unique skills. The disclosed range estimate has not been adjusted for any applicable geographic differential associated with the location at which the position may be filled. It is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their role and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case.

A reasonable estimate of the current range is $74,000.00 - $135,000.00 Annual. This role is also anticipated to be eligible to participate in an annual bonus plan. Information about benefits can be found here - https://www.stout.com/en/careers/benefits.