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Lead Production Designer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

FastSigns

Production Designer

Irvine, CA · On-site

$25 - $32/hr

As we hire a second designer down the road, become the lead. * Breadth into production Cross-train on the CNC and laser cutter so you can take a job from concept to finished sign without handoffs. As ...

Creative Cove Inc.

Production Designer

Fairhaven, MA · Hybrid

Our Greater Boston area is looking for a Production Designer with strong Figma skills for an ... Art Lead to blow out campaigns in social/paid media, etc. * Delivers multiple projects in a fast ...

FuseGlobal

Production Designer (Mac)

Saint Louis, MO

$56.70/hr

As a critical and central member of the team, you are able to work successfully with the creative team, your project manager and the lead senior production designer. Creatives here are talented ...

FuseGlobal

Production Designer (Mac)

Saint Louis, MO

$56.70/hr

As a critical and central member of the team, you are able to work successfully with the creative team, your project manager and the lead senior production designer. Creatives here are talented ...

Rev Designs

Graphic Designer - Production

Las Cruces, NM · On-site

$17.50 - $21.75/hr

... Lead Designer on brand packages, including layout, asset prep, and mockups • Maintain organized file structures, naming conventions, and production standards • Coordinate with the production and ...

Leapfrog Brands

Packaging Production Designer

Chicago, IL · On-site

$65K - $75K/yr

About the Role The Packaging Production Designer owns end-to-end packaging execution across the ... Lead packaging optimization efforts, including material selection, structural improvements, cost ...

Sandbar

Lead Product Designer

New York, NY · On-site

$165K - $230K/yr

Design @ Sandbar About We're looking for a Lead Product Designer for Stream, a new conversational interface. This role touches every aspect of our end-user experience-including UI/UX, multimodal ...

Cloud Software Group

Lead Product Designer

Raleigh, NC · On-site

As a Lead Product Designer , you are creating experiences and crafting the details in our products that help transform the way people work. You lead by example, you are curious, doing the work and ...

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Lead Production Designer information

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How much do lead production designer jobs pay per hour?

As of Jul 23, 2026, the average hourly pay for lead production designer in the United States is $22.47, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $18.03 and $24.76 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is the highest paid designer job?

The highest paid design roles are often executive-level positions such as Creative Director or Design Director, with salaries exceeding $150,000 annually. Senior roles in specialized fields like UX/UI design, product design, or design consulting can also command high compensation, especially with extensive experience and leadership responsibilities.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Lead Production Designer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Lead Production Designer, you need expertise in visual design, layout principles, and project management, often supported by a degree in graphic design or a related field. Proficiency in industry-standard software such as Adobe Creative Suite, Sketch, Figma, and familiarity with production workflows is essential. Strong leadership, collaboration, and communication skills set top candidates apart in guiding creative teams and stakeholders. These abilities ensure the delivery of cohesive, high-quality visual outputs that meet client objectives and deadlines.

What is the difference between Lead Production Designer vs Production Designer?

AspectLead Production DesignerProduction Designer
CredentialsTypically requires a bachelor’s degree in design, art, or related field; extensive experience in production designSame educational background; entry to mid-level experience in production design
Work EnvironmentLeads design teams, collaborates with directors and producers, oversees project executionExecutes design tasks, supports the lead, and implements visual concepts
Industry UsageCommonly used in film, television, and theater productionUsed across similar industries, often as an entry or mid-level role

The Lead Production Designer oversees the entire production design process, managing teams and ensuring visual consistency. The Production Designer focuses on executing design elements under the lead's guidance. Both roles require similar credentials, but the lead position involves more leadership and project management responsibilities.

What is a lead production designer?

A lead production designer is responsible for overseeing the visual aspects of a production, such as film, television, or theater, ensuring that the design aligns with the director's vision. They coordinate with set designers, art directors, and other creative team members, often using tools like CAD and Photoshop, and typically require experience in design and strong leadership skills.

How does a Lead Production Designer typically collaborate with other departments during a project?

A Lead Production Designer works closely with directors, producers, art directors, and construction teams to bring visual concepts to life. They frequently attend meetings with key stakeholders to align the design vision with the overall project goals and ensure that sets, props, and visual elements are feasible within budget and timeline constraints. Strong communication and leadership skills are essential, as the Lead Production Designer often oversees a team of artists and craftsmen while coordinating with costume, lighting, and camera departments to achieve cohesive visual storytelling.

What is the salary of a production designer?

The salary of a production designer typically ranges from $50,000 to $120,000 annually, depending on experience, location, and industry. Senior production designers or those working on major projects can earn higher salaries, often supplemented with benefits and bonuses.

What are Lead Production Designers?

Lead Production Designers are responsible for overseeing the overall visual look and feel of film, television, theater, or commercial productions. They collaborate closely with directors and producers to create and implement the design vision, which includes sets, locations, graphics, props, lighting, and costumes. Their role involves managing a team of designers and artists, ensuring that all visual elements align with the project's creative direction, budget, and schedule. Lead Production Designers play a key role in making sure the final product visually supports the story and enhances the audience's experience.

How much do lead designers make in the US?

Lead production designers in the US typically earn between $70,000 and $120,000 annually, depending on experience, industry, and location. Senior roles with extensive skills in design software and project management can command higher salaries.
More about Lead Production Designer jobs
What job categories do people searching Lead Production Designer jobs look for? The top searched job categories for Lead Production Designer jobs are:
Lead Production Designer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Lead Production Designer job openings in the United States as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 88% Full Time, 7% Part Time, 1% Temporary, and 4% Contract. Highlights an 88% Physical, 6% Hybrid, and 6% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $46,737 per year, or $22.5 per hour.
Production Designer

Production Designer

FastSigns

Irvine, CA • On-site

$25 - $32/hr

Full-time

Retirement, PTO

Posted 3 days ago

Job description

Benefits:
  • 401(k)
  • 401(k) matching
  • Paid time off
  • Training & development

Production Designer
We're an independently owned FASTSIGNS franchise in Irvine. Locally run, tight-knit, and growing. The team: one outside sales rep, a store manager, a production crew, and one graphic designer. That designer seat is the one this posting is for, and it's the seat the rest of the shop revolves around. Without good art, nothing gets printed, cut, or installed. You will not be one of twelve designers shipping into a queue. You'll be the designer. What you build today goes out the door this week and shows up on a building, a vehicle, a tradeshow booth, or a storefront soon after.
We make signs, vehicle graphics, banners, wall and window graphics, ADA and wayfinding, dimensional letters, and decals. Basically anything visual a local business needs. Customers range from single retail jobs to multi-location rollouts.
What you'll actually do day to day
Design and prepress (most of your time)
  • Build new artwork from customer briefs, rough sketches, or "make it look like this."
  • Take customer-supplied art (often a low-res JPG of a logo from 2009) and rebuild or clean it up so it actually prints.
  • Prep production-ready files: outline fonts, embed images, scale at output size, set bleeds, color-manage for our output devices.
  • Maintain the customer logo and art library so we're not rebuilding the same files every order.
  • Inspect every job before it goes to output: right material, right device settings, right size, right colors.

Running print and cut production
  • Operate the roll-to-roll printer: color management, media loading, RIP and print queue, quality checks. That list grows as the shop grows. A desktop UV printer, a flatbed, and a second roll-to-roll are on the roadmap, and you'll be trained on and running those too.
  • Operate the vinyl plotter: set up cut paths, load rolls, run cuts, weed, mask, and hand off (or apply, depending on the job).

File prep for other equipment (you won't run these)
  • Prep files for the CNC router: clean vectors, proper tool paths, accounting for kerf, tabs, and material. The operator depends on you sending files that don't waste material or burn time.
  • Prep files for the laser cutter: correct line weights and colors for cut vs. score vs. raster. Same idea. The operator's day goes well or badly based on your file.

Light hands-on production
  • Laminate prints when the job calls for it.
  • Mount printed vinyl or paper to substrate (foam board, ACM, coroplast, etc.).
  • Help out with applications and finishing when production is slammed and you're between design jobs.

Customer-facing when needed
  • Occasionally hop on a quick call or email thread with a customer to clarify direction before you burn hours going down the wrong path.

What we're looking for
  • Real proficiency in Adobe Illustrator (the workhorse), Photoshop, and InDesign. Not "I took a class once." We mean sit-down-and-work proficiency.
  • 2+ years of design experience. Sign, print, or production background is a big plus. We'll also consider strong designers from adjacent fields if you're willing to learn the production side fast.
  • Solid file hygiene. Layered, named, organized. We have to come back to your files months later, and so does the next designer we hire.
  • Comfort with print production realities: bleeds, color profiles, vector vs. raster, why a 72dpi logo is a problem.
  • Willingness to get up from the desk. This is not a pure-design seat. You'll be on your feet part of the day, running equipment and working with materials alongside the design work.
  • Ability to prioritize across 10 to 20 active jobs without dropping balls.
  • High school diploma or equivalent. Formal design training is great but not required if you can do the work.

Growth
Because of how the team is structured, growth here looks like whatever you're good at and want to do more of. Two real paths, and you pick:
  • Depth in design Take on the harder, more creative jobs. Own brand work for repeat customers. As we hire a second designer down the road, become the lead.
  • Breadth into production Cross-train on the CNC and laser cutter so you can take a job from concept to finished sign without handoffs. As we add equipment, become the person who knows every machine in the shop.

We'll figure out which path fits as we get to know you. Either one is real.
The basics
  • Full-time, on-site at our Irvine shop.
  • Monday through Friday, daytime hours.
  • Paid time off, 401(k) with match, and competitive pay. Happy to discuss specifics when we talk.

How to apply
Send a resume and a portfolio (link or PDF). Portfolio matters more than the resume, so show us actual work. If you've done sign or print production, put that up front.
Compensation: $25.00 - $32.00 per hour
At FASTSIGNS, every day is unique and presents exciting opportunities, including new ways to use your talent and grow your skills. We have a large network of independently owned locations - both locally and internationally - who offer competitive pay and ongoing training opportunities.
Are you ready to plan for your future? Discover your next career. Make your statement.
Learn more by exploring the positions offered by FASTSIGNS centers.
This franchise is independently owned and operated by a franchisee. Your application will go directly to the franchisee, and all hiring decisions will be made by the management of this franchisee. All inquiries about employment at this franchisee should be made directly to the franchise location, and not to FASTSIGNS Corporate.

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