Entry Level Principal Designer Jobs
New grad principal designer jobs open doors for recent graduates and entry level candidates with zero to two years of experience, where a strong portfolio or internship work can matter more than a long resume. Most openings mix on-site, remote, and hybrid settings across Retail, Technology & Software, and Consulting & Professional Services, with employers like Worley, Sagent, and Nordstrom hiring at this level now.
Find JobsOverview
Showing 5 of 7+ Entry Level Principal Designer jobs
Job Description
The ideal Principal Designer is a strong strategic and conceptual thinker who possesses a wide range of creative capabilities – including a solid background in multi-platform digital, print and environmental executions at scale, art direction, typography, identity and branding, packaging, print production, and environmental/store visual design.
Although this is an individual contributor role, the role will require being an inspirational and effective thought leader with other members of the team, and leading and mentoring junior team members.
Responsibilities
- Contribute to brand strategy and the role of creative in expressing and supporting it.
- Drive projects independently, developing and executing creative concepts that demonstrate vision, meeting business/marketing objectives and supporting the overall brand and creative strategies.
- Execute digital deliverables with a high degree of accuracy and efficiency, adapting master templates across channels and formats.
- Collaborate cross-functionally with marketing, brand, project management, and creative teams.
- Curiosity in researching and implementing emerging design tools and technologies — especially those that support automation and execution at scale.
Required Skills & Experience
- Expert-level proficiency in Figma, including component architecture, auto layout, variables, and shared library management.
- Expert-level proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign).
- Proven core design skills (typography, spatial relationships, systematic design development).
- Solid understanding of design systems and brand governance — how to work within them, maintain them, and advocate for their consistent use.
- Strong multi-platform digital design skills across web, email, social, and display formats.
- Proven ability to manage multiple concurrent deliverables with strong attention to detail and adherence to deadlines.
- Excellent communication skills and comfort working cross-functionally with marketing, brand, project management, and creative.
- Customer-centric mindset with data-informed design thinking.
- Curiosity in leveraging ai-powered design tools to accelerate design production workflows.
- Developing knowledge of possibilities with video editing and new media explorations, fashion styling, copywriting/editing, environmental design and other aspects of creative that collaborate closely with design/art direction.
- Never-ending curiosity; knowledge of and enthusiasm for fashion and the creative/intellectual universe that surrounds it.
To Apply
- Please attach your résumé and provide a link to your portfolio. Work samples that demonstrate template systems, design libraries, or scaled campaign executions are strongly encouraged.
Pay Range Details
The pay range(s) below has been provided in compliance with state specific laws. Pay ranges may be different for other locations.
Pay offers are dependent on the location, as well as job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.
We’ve got you covered…
Our employees are our most important asset and that’s reflected in our benefits. Nordstrom is proud to offer a variety of benefits to support employees and their families, including:
- Medical/Vision, Dental, Retirement and Paid Time Away
- Life Insurance and Disability
- Merchandise Discount and EAP Resources
A few more important points...
The job posting highlights the most critical responsibilities and requirements of the job. It’s not all-inclusive. There may be additional duties, responsibilities and qualifications for this job.
For Los Angeles or San Francisco applicants: Nordstrom is required to inform you that we conduct background checks after conditional offer and consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with legal requirements per Los Angeles, Cal. Muni. Code 189.04 and the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance. For additional state and location specific notices, please refer to the Legal Notices document within the FAQ section of the Nordstrom Careers site.
Applicants with disabilities who require assistance or accommodation should contact the nearest Nordstrom location, which can be identified at www.nordstrom.com.
Please be mindful that there may be legal notices and requirements related to this job posting that are specific to your state. Review the Career Site FAQ’s for relevant information and guidelines.
Current Nordstrom employees: To apply, log into Workday, click the Careers button and then click Find Jobs.
Nordstrom keeps job postings open for at least one day after the posting date.
© 2026 Nordstrom, Inc
Job Description
The ideal Principal Designer is a strong strategic and conceptual thinker who possesses a wide range of creative capabilities – including a solid background in multi-platform digital, print and environmental executions at scale, art direction, typography, identity and branding, packaging, print production, and environmental/store visual design.
Although this is an individual contributor role, the role will require being an inspirational and effective thought leader with other members of the team, and leading and mentoring junior team members.
Responsibilities
- Contribute to brand strategy and the role of creative in expressing and supporting it.
- Drive projects independently, developing and executing creative concepts that demonstrate vision, meeting business/marketing objectives and supporting the overall brand and creative strategies.
- Execute digital deliverables with a high degree of accuracy and efficiency, adapting master templates across channels and formats.
- Collaborate cross-functionally with marketing, brand, project management, and creative teams.
- Curiosity in researching and implementing emerging design tools and technologies — especially those that support automation and execution at scale.
Required Skills & Experience
- Expert-level proficiency in Figma, including component architecture, auto layout, variables, and shared library management.
- Expert-level proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign).
- Proven core design skills (typography, spatial relationships, systematic design development).
- Solid understanding of design systems and brand governance — how to work within them, maintain them, and advocate for their consistent use.
- Strong multi-platform digital design skills across web, email, social, and display formats.
- Proven ability to manage multiple concurrent deliverables with strong attention to detail and adherence to deadlines.
- Excellent communication skills and comfort working cross-functionally with marketing, brand, project management, and creative.
- Customer-centric mindset with data-informed design thinking.
- Curiosity in leveraging ai-powered design tools to accelerate design production workflows.
- Developing knowledge of possibilities with video editing and new media explorations, fashion styling, copywriting/editing, environmental design and other aspects of creative that collaborate closely with design/art direction.
- Never-ending curiosity; knowledge of and enthusiasm for fashion and the creative/intellectual universe that surrounds it.
To Apply
- Please attach your résumé and provide a link to your portfolio. Work samples that demonstrate template systems, design libraries, or scaled campaign executions are strongly encouraged.
Pay Range Details
The pay range(s) below has been provided in compliance with state specific laws. Pay ranges may be different for other locations.
Pay offers are dependent on the location, as well as job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.
We’ve got you covered…
Our employees are our most important asset and that’s reflected in our benefits. Nordstrom is proud to offer a variety of benefits to support employees and their families, including:
- Medical/Vision, Dental, Retirement and Paid Time Away
- Life Insurance and Disability
- Merchandise Discount and EAP Resources
A few more important points...
The job posting highlights the most critical responsibilities and requirements of the job. It’s not all-inclusive. There may be additional duties, responsibilities and qualifications for this job.
For Los Angeles or San Francisco applicants: Nordstrom is required to inform you that we conduct background checks after conditional offer and consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with legal requirements per Los Angeles, Cal. Muni. Code 189.04 and the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance. For additional state and location specific notices, please refer to the Legal Notices document within the FAQ section of the Nordstrom Careers site.
Applicants with disabilities who require assistance or accommodation should contact the nearest Nordstrom location, which can be identified at www.nordstrom.com.
Please be mindful that there may be legal notices and requirements related to this job posting that are specific to your state. Review the Career Site FAQ’s for relevant information and guidelines.
Current Nordstrom employees: To apply, log into Workday, click the Careers button and then click Find Jobs.
Nordstrom keeps job postings open for at least one day after the posting date.
© 2026 Nordstrom, Inc
See All 7 Entry Level Principal Designer Jobs
Find roles that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find JobsEntry Level Principal Designer Job Market
Who's Hiring
- Worley2
- Sagent1
- Nordstrom1
- Walgreens1
- Northrop Grumman1
Top Industries Hiring
- Retail2
- Technology & Software2
- Consulting & Professional Services2
Entry Level Principal Designer Jobs: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get an entry level principal designer job?
At the entry level, a well-organized portfolio carries the most weight with hiring teams. Include student projects, internship work, freelance pieces, or personal concept work that shows your design thinking and process, not just final visuals. Employers at this stage look for candidates who can articulate decisions, collaborate cross-functionally, and demonstrate fluency with tools like Figma or Adobe Creative Suite. Tailoring your portfolio to the industry you are applying in gives you a real edge.
Which companies hire entry level principal designers?
Companies hiring entry level principal designers right now include Worley, Sagent, and Nordstrom, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of July 2026. Hiring at this level covers a wide range of organizations, from startups building out their first design function to larger enterprises with structured associate or junior designer programs that feed into senior pipelines.
Are there remote entry level principal designer jobs?
Yes, though fully remote roles are more common at mid and senior levels. About 100% of entry level principal designer openings are remote or hybrid as of July 2026, meaning many new candidates still have access to flexible arrangements. Hybrid roles are especially common at companies that want junior designers in the office part of the week for mentorship and collaboration.
Are these new grad principal designer jobs?
Yes, these listings include new grad, recent graduate, and junior principal designer roles. A posting is new-grad friendly when it welcomes zero to two years of experience, accepts internship or academic project work in place of full-time history, or explicitly asks for a portfolio rather than a long resume. Searching for terms like junior designer or new grad alongside principal designer helps surface the most accessible openings at this stage.
Which industries hire the most entry level principal designers?
Entry Level principal designer roles concentrate in Retail, Technology & Software, and Consulting & Professional Services, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of July 2026. These sectors tend to invest heavily in design at all levels because product quality, brand identity, and user experience directly affect their competitive position, creating consistent demand for emerging designers who can grow with a team.