Brand Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Brand Designer

Company: First Focus

Location: Christchurch, Canterbury Region, New Zealand

Job Type: Full-time

Category: Marketing & Design Operations

Date Posted: 2026-09-18

Experience Level: Mid-Level (2-5 years)

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Develop and execute brand design strategies to enhance visual communication for B2B marketing initiatives.

• Create compelling visual assets across a diverse range of materials including campaigns, presentations, reports, and digital content.

• Collaborate closely with marketing and internal stakeholders to translate complex information into clear, engaging, and on-brand designs.

• Leverage modern design tools, including generative AI, to explore creative concepts and refine them into polished, production-ready assets.

• Maintain and evolve brand consistency and visual identity across all company communications and touchpoints.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role focuses on the intersection of Brand Design and Marketing Operations, emphasizing the creation and execution of visual assets that support Go-To-Market (GTM) strategies. The emphasis on B2B audiences, presentation design, and the integration of AI tools points to a need for operational efficiency and strategic communication through design.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Design and produce visually engaging campaign assets, digital content, social media graphics, and website elements that align with B2B marketing objectives.

• Develop clear and persuasive sales presentations, proposals, and reports that effectively communicate complex information and value propositions.

• Create polished internal communications, brand materials, and event collateral to support company-wide initiatives and employee engagement.

• Build and refine reusable templates within PowerPoint and Word to ensure brand consistency and streamline content creation processes for various teams.

• Translate complex data, ideas, and copy into simplified visual narratives that enhance understanding and memorability, moving beyond mere aesthetic appeal.

• Collaborate effectively with internal stakeholders across Sales, Client Services, leadership, and other departments to understand communication needs and deliver impactful design solutions.

• Ensure the First Focus brand remains consistent, engaging, and recognizable across all platforms and communications as the business expands.

• Utilize generative AI tools to explore creative concepts and visual directions, integrating AI-generated elements into Adobe Creative Cloud for professional refinement and production.

• Manage multiple design projects simultaneously, prioritizing tasks to meet deadlines while maintaining high standards of quality and brand adherence.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a need for a designer who is not only creatively skilled but also operationally minded, capable of managing a high volume of diverse design requests, optimizing workflows through templating, and effectively collaborating with various business functions to support GTM efforts.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: No formal design qualification is strictly required; excellence in portfolio and practical skills are prioritized over academic credentials.

Experience: Approximately 3+ years of experience in B2B graphic design. In-house brand experience is strongly preferred, though agency and freelance backgrounds are considered if the quality of work demonstrates deep brand understanding.

Required Skills:

• Proven ability to create excellent branding, typography, layout, and visual communication demonstrated through a strong portfolio.

• High proficiency in Adobe Creative Cloud for creating polished, editable production assets.

• Strong design skills in Microsoft PowerPoint and Microsoft Word for template creation and content development.

• Experience designing for a B2B audience, with an understanding of professional yet engaging visual communication that avoids being "beige" or joyless.

• Ability to analyze copy, content, or ideas, identify key messages, simplify them, and determine the most effective visual communication strategy.

• Confidence in collaborating from briefs and established brand direction, asking clarifying questions to stakeholders.

• Demonstrated ability to work with internal stakeholders across various departments to understand communication goals and translate them into effective designs.

• Comfort and proficiency in using generative AI as part of a modern creative workflow for concept exploration and asset refinement. Preferred Skills:

• In-house brand experience, demonstrating an understanding of living with and evolving a brand over time.

• Experience in creating visually appealing and easily understandable long-form content like reports, ebooks, and guides.

• Familiarity with digital content creation for social media and websites.

• Ability to design event collateral and supporting campaign creative.

• Experience in creating and refining templates for internal communications.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on PowerPoint and Word design skills, combined with B2B experience and the operational aspect of template creation, suggests this role requires a practical designer who can support the day-to-day content needs of a growing business, rather than a purely conceptual or purely digital-focused designer. The preference for in-house experience underscores the need for long-term brand stewardship and integrated workflow understanding.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A required portfolio showcasing a strong foundation in branding, typography, layout, and visual communication.

• Specific examples demonstrating how complex information and B2B content have been simplified and communicated effectively through design.

• Case studies or examples illustrating the creation of polished, editable production assets using Adobe Creative Cloud.

• Demonstrations of strong design skills within Microsoft PowerPoint and Word, including template creation or highly polished presentations.

• Examples of how generative AI was used to explore concepts or imagery, and how that output was refined into professional, production-ready design work. Process Documentation:

• Evidence of a systematic approach to design, from brief interpretation and concept development through to final asset delivery.

• Examples of workflow optimization, such as the creation and use of templates in PowerPoint and Word to ensure brand consistency and efficiency.

• Documentation or case studies showing collaboration with stakeholders to gather requirements and iterate on designs based on feedback.

• Clear articulation of the design process, especially in how complex information was analyzed and translated into visually digestible formats.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio is critical and should explicitly showcase the ability to manage brand consistency, work with B2B content, utilize key software proficiently, and integrate AI tools into a practical design workflow. Demonstrating process and efficiency, particularly with templating, will be key.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: While a specific salary range is not provided, for a Brand Designer with 2-5 years of experience in Christchurch, New Zealand, a competitive annual salary would typically range from NZD $65,000 to $90,000. This estimate considers the cost of living in Christchurch, the demand for skilled designers, and the specific requirements of the role, including B2B experience and AI proficiency.

Benefits:

• Competitive salary package.

• KiwiSaver contributions.

• Hybrid working arrangement offering genuine work-life balance.

• Access to Uprise, providing confidential 1:1 coaching with qualified psychologists and counselors.

• "Never Stop Growing" commitment, including 10 paid training days annually and support for certification.

• Access to regular internal learning sessions and an extensive learning library.

• FastTrack mentoring program to support professional development.

• Employee and client referral bonuses.

• Regular social events fostering a supportive team culture.

Working Hours: Approximately 40 hours per week, with a hybrid arrangement that supports genuine work-life balance.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary estimate is based on general market data for graphic design roles in New Zealand, adjusted for location and experience. The benefits package is comprehensive and emphasizes professional development and employee well-being, which are attractive to mid-career professionals.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Managed Technology Services Provider. First Focus supports mid-sized organizations in managing, securing, and optimizing their technology. This B2B context is crucial for understanding the design challenges.

Company Size: Established in 2003, First Focus has grown into one of Australia and New Zealand's leading providers, suggesting a medium-to-large enterprise size with established processes but still agile enough for growth.

Founded: 2003. This indicates a company with a solid history and proven track record in the technology services sector.

Team Structure:

• The Brand Designer will join the Marketing team in New Zealand.

• Collaboration is expected across various departments including Sales, Client Services, and leadership, indicating a matrixed or project-based collaboration model.

• The Marketing team is responsible for brand management, campaigns, digital content, sales collateral, presentations, reports, and events. Methodology:

• Data-Driven Insights: While not explicitly stated for design, the company's nature as a technology service provider implies an underlying appreciation for data and measurable outcomes, which can translate to design effectiveness.

• Process Optimization: The emphasis on templates and efficiency in design suggests a focus on optimizing workflows.

• Continuous Improvement: The "Never Stop Growing" commitment and "Live Curiously" value point to a culture that encourages learning, innovation, and challenging the status quo.

Company Website: https://www.firstfocus.com.au/about-us/

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's B2B focus in managed technology services is key. Design for this sector requires professionalism, clarity, and a deep understanding of business needs, often translating complex technical solutions into accessible visual narratives. The "Live Curiously" value suggests an openness to creative approaches that break away from generic B2B design tropes.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Mid-Level Brand Designer. This role is positioned to contribute significantly to the brand's visual output and requires a degree of autonomy in executing designs and managing projects. It's a step beyond junior roles, demanding independent problem-solving and a solid understanding of design principles and application.

Reporting Structure: The Brand Designer will report to the Marketing team, likely under a Marketing Manager or similar lead. They will collaborate closely with various stakeholders across different business functions, requiring strong communication and interpersonal skills to navigate internal client relationships effectively.

Operations Impact: The Brand Designer's work directly impacts the company's external perception and internal communication effectiveness. By creating clear, engaging, and on-brand assets, they contribute to:

• Sales Enablement: Designing presentations and collateral that support sales efforts and improve conversion rates.

• Brand Equity: Ensuring a consistent and professional brand image that builds trust and recognition in the B2B technology market.

• Marketing Campaign Effectiveness: Creating assets that capture attention and convey messages clearly, enhancing campaign performance.

• Internal Engagement: Producing communications that inform and engage employees, fostering a cohesive company culture.

• Operational Efficiency: Developing templates and standardized assets that streamline content creation across the organization.

Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization: Deepening expertise in B2B brand strategy, presentation design, or AI-assisted design workflows.

• Leadership: Potential to lead design projects, mentor junior designers (if the team grows), or become a subject matter expert in visual communication for the company.

• Skill Development: Access to 10 paid training days per year, certification support, internal learning sessions, and an extensive learning library will allow for continuous skill enhancement in areas like advanced design techniques, new software, or AI integration.

• Cross-Functional Exposure: Working with diverse teams offers exposure to different business functions and strategic objectives, broadening understanding of the company's operations.

• Mentorship: The FastTrack mentoring program provides structured guidance for career progression.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role offers a good platform for a designer to grow within a stable B2B technology company, focusing on practical application of design for business objectives. The emphasis on template creation and stakeholder collaboration provides opportunities to develop operational design skills.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid work environment. This suggests a blend of remote work and in-office presence, offering flexibility.

Office Location(s): Christchurch, Canterbury Region, New Zealand. Specific office details are not provided, but the location implies a professional workspace within a key New Zealand city.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The role requires close collaboration with the Marketing team and internal stakeholders, suggesting an open and communicative workspace when in the office.

• Tools and Technology: Access to Adobe Creative Cloud, PowerPoint, Word, and generative AI tools is provided, indicating a well-equipped design environment.

• Team Interaction: Opportunities for in-person brainstorming, feedback sessions, and team building when working from the office, complementing remote collaboration.

Work Schedule: The standard 40-hour work week is complemented by hybrid flexibility, allowing for effective management of design projects and personal work-life balance, which is crucial for sustained creative output and operational efficiency.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model is a key feature, balancing the need for focused individual work (potentially remote) with collaborative sessions and team integration (in-office). This setup is common in modern operations and design roles, aiming to optimize productivity and employee satisfaction.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Review of CV and, critically, the portfolio. The focus will be on visual thinking, design craft, and B2B relevance.

• Portfolio Review & Discussion: An in-depth discussion of portfolio pieces, focusing on the design process, problem-solving, stakeholder collaboration, and the effective use of AI. Expect to discuss how complex information was simplified and how B2B audiences were engaged.

• Skills Assessment: Potential practical exercise or case study. This might involve a design challenge related to a B2B scenario, requiring the candidate to demonstrate their ability to create clear, on-brand assets quickly, possibly involving PowerPoint or Word template design.

• Team/Stakeholder Interviews: Meetings with marketing team members and potentially other internal stakeholders to assess cultural fit, collaboration style, and ability to communicate design rationale effectively.

• Final Evaluation: Assessment of overall fit, skills, and alignment with company values and brand objectives.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select projects that best showcase your branding, typography, layout, and visual communication skills, especially those with a B2B focus.

• Showcase Process: For each project, explain your thought process, the brief, your problem-solving approach, how you simplified complex information, and the final outcome. Highlight any AI integration and refinement.

• Demonstrate Software Proficiency: Include examples that clearly utilize Adobe Creative Cloud, and crucially, demonstrate strong design work within PowerPoint and Word.

• Quantify Impact: If possible, include metrics or feedback on how your designs improved communication, engagement, or supported business objectives.

• Brand Stewardship: Emphasize work that shows an understanding of brand consistency and how to evolve a brand creatively within defined parameters.

Challenge Preparation:

• B2B Scenario Focus: Prepare for potential design challenges that mimic real-world B2B marketing scenarios – e.g., designing a slide for a sales presentation, creating a graphic for a report, or proposing a campaign concept.

• Efficiency & Templating: Be ready to demonstrate how you would create an efficient, on-brand template in PowerPoint or Word for a specific purpose.

• AI Integration: Practice articulating how you would use AI to explore concepts and then refine them into professional assets.

• Communication Clarity: Prepare to explain your design choices clearly and concisely, focusing on how they serve the business objective and resonate with the target audience.

📝 Enhancement Note: The application process heavily emphasizes the portfolio, which must demonstrate practical skills, B2B relevance, and a strategic approach to visual communication. The inclusion of AI and proficiency in standard business software (PowerPoint, Word) are key differentiators.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Adobe Creative Cloud: Essential for creating polished, editable production assets. Specific applications likely include Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign.

• Microsoft PowerPoint: Critical for designing sales presentations, internal communications, and creating reusable templates. High proficiency is required.

• Microsoft Word: Important for designing reports, ebooks, guides, and creating templates for long-form content. Strong design skills are needed.

• Generative AI Tools: Comfort and proficiency in using AI tools for concept exploration, imagery generation, and creative direction. The specific tools are less important than the ability to leverage them effectively.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not a primary focus for this role, an understanding of how design impacts engagement metrics (e.g., click-through rates for digital assets, engagement on social media graphics) is beneficial. Familiarity with basic analytics dashboards may be useful for understanding content performance. CRM & Automation:

• Not directly a responsibility, but an awareness of how marketing assets are deployed within CRM or marketing automation platforms could be advantageous for understanding the broader context of their work.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in Adobe Creative Cloud, PowerPoint, and Word are non-negotiable. The integration of generative AI into the design workflow is a forward-looking requirement, emphasizing a modern and efficient approach to creative production.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Live Curiously: Encourages asking "why," exploring better ways of doing things, and challenging obvious solutions. This applies directly to design, promoting creative and innovative approaches beyond standard templates.

• Smart People Doing Good Work: Emphasizes competence, professionalism, and delivering high-quality results. For a designer, this means crafting visually effective and strategically sound communications.

• Collaborating Properly: Highlights the importance of teamwork, clear communication, and working effectively with others across departments.

• Continuing to Get Better: Reflects a commitment to continuous learning and professional development, aligning with the company's training and growth initiatives.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Expected to work closely with Marketing, Sales, Client Services, and leadership, requiring strong interpersonal skills and the ability to translate diverse needs into cohesive visual outputs.

• Feedback Exchange: A culture that welcomes good ideas and encourages feedback, suggesting an iterative design process where constructive criticism is valued.

• Knowledge Sharing: Regular internal learning sessions and access to a learning library promote a culture of shared learning and development within the team.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Live Curiously" value is particularly relevant for a designer, suggesting the company values creativity and a proactive approach to problem-solving, rather than just executing instructions. This implies an environment where designers can influence creative direction within brand guidelines.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing B2B Professionalism with Engagement: Creating designs that are professional and credible for a B2B technology audience while also being engaging and breaking through generic industry aesthetics.

• Managing Diverse Project Types: Handling a broad mix of design requests from campaigns and digital assets to complex reports and presentations requires strong organizational and prioritization skills.

• Integrating AI Effectively: Learning to use generative AI as a tool to enhance creativity and efficiency without compromising design quality or brand integrity.

• Stakeholder Management: Navigating varied feedback and requirements from different internal stakeholders to deliver designs that meet multiple objectives.

• Maintaining Brand Consistency Across Growth: Ensuring the brand remains cohesive and recognizable as the company expands and its communication needs diversify.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Operations Skill Advancement: Developing expertise in creating and managing design systems, templates, and efficient content production workflows for a B2B environment.

• Industry Conference & Certification: Opportunities to attend relevant industry events or pursue certifications related to design, branding, or AI in creative fields.

• Mentorship & Leadership: Participation in the FastTrack mentoring program and the potential to grow into a lead design role within the marketing team.

• AI & Creative Exploration: Dedicated time and resources to explore and integrate cutting-edge AI design tools and methodologies into the creative process.

• Cross-functional Learning: Gaining a deeper understanding of sales enablement, marketing strategy, and technology services through collaboration with other departments.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are typical for a designer in a growing B2B company, requiring adaptability and a strategic mindset. The growth opportunities are robust, offering a clear path for skill development and career progression within the organization, particularly in operationalizing design processes.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe your process for taking a complex piece of B2B content and translating it into a clear, engaging visual presentation. Walk us through a specific example from your portfolio." (Focus on simplification, stakeholder collaboration, and output clarity.)

• "How do you approach maintaining brand consistency across a wide range of assets, from social media graphics to detailed reports, especially when using templates?" (Highlight templating, brand guidelines, and systematic approach.)

• "Explain your experience with generative AI in a design context. How do you leverage it for exploration, and what steps do you take to refine AI outputs into professional, editable assets?" (Emphasize intelligent use, craft, and professional refinement.)

• "Imagine we need a new template for our sales proposals. What would be your initial steps, what information would you seek from stakeholders, and how would you ensure it's both effective and on-brand?" (Assess problem-solving, stakeholder engagement, and operational design thinking.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "How does the 'Live Curiously' value resonate with your approach to design?" (Prepare examples of challenging the norm or exploring new creative avenues.)

• "Based on what you know about First Focus, how would you approach designing for our B2B technology audience to make it engaging without sacrificing professionalism?" (Demonstrate understanding of the industry and target audience.)

• "Describe a time you collaborated with non-design stakeholders to achieve a design outcome. What challenges did you face, and how did you overcome them?" (Assess collaboration and communication skills.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each project, clearly articulate the brief, your role, the problem you solved, your creative process (including AI usage if applicable), the solution, and the outcome/impact.

• Highlight B2B Relevance: Select projects that specifically demonstrate your ability to design for a B2B context, showing an understanding of professional audiences and business objectives.

• Showcase Software Skills: Be ready to discuss your proficiency with Adobe Creative Cloud, and critically, demonstrate strong design examples within PowerPoint and Word.

• Emphasize Efficiency: If you have examples of creating templates, reusable assets, or optimizing workflows, be sure to highlight these to showcase your operational design capabilities.

• AI Integration Story: Clearly explain your workflow when using AI, from prompt engineering to final polished output, demonstrating a thoughtful and skilled integration.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating not just creative talent, but also a strategic, operational, and collaborative approach to design within a B2B context, with a clear understanding of how to leverage modern tools like AI and standard business software effectively.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Brand Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided Workable link.

• Curate and customize your portfolio to specifically highlight your B2B design experience, proficiency in Adobe Creative Cloud, PowerPoint, and Word, and any examples of AI integration. Ensure it demonstrates your ability to simplify complex information visually.

• Optimize your resume to clearly articulate your years of experience, key skills (branding, typography, layout, B2B design, AI), and any relevant achievements, using keywords from the job description.

• Prepare for your portfolio presentation by practicing how you will walk through your selected projects, explaining your process, design rationale, and any quantifiable impact. Rehearse your answers to common interview questions regarding B2B design, AI usage, and collaboration.

• Research First Focus thoroughly. Understand their services, target market, company values (especially "Live Curiously"), and their existing brand presence. This will help you tailor your application and demonstrate your genuine interest and understanding of their operational needs.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.

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