Brand Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Brand Designer

Company: Kota

Location: Ireland

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: Brand Design / Marketing Operations

Date Posted: 2026-03-19

Experience Level: Entry-Level (0-2 years)

Remote Status: Fully Remote

🚀 Role Summary

• Spearhead the definition and evolution of Kota's visual brand identity across all digital and marketing touchpoints.

• Develop and execute high-impact brand experiences for web, product launches, social media, campaigns, and sales collateral.

• Translate complex strategic concepts and messaging into clear, compelling visual systems and narratives.

• Establish and maintain a consistent brand language encompassing layout, typography, imagery, motion, and tone of voice.

• Collaborate closely with marketing and product design teams to ensure cohesive brand expression and product experience alignment.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as an early-stage hire for Kota's brand function, offering significant ownership and the opportunity to shape the company's visual narrative. The emphasis on "shipping polished work using AI, no-code or low-code tools" suggests a need for efficiency and adaptability, common in fast-paced startup environments. The "0-2 years" experience level indicates a focus on foundational skills and potential for growth rather than extensive senior-level experience.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Define, evolve, and meticulously manage Kota’s visual identity across all brand touchpoints, ensuring brand consistency and impact.

• Design, prototype, and deliver polished brand experiences for various platforms including the company website, social media campaigns, product launch materials, sales enablement collateral, and other marketing initiatives.

• Translate strategic business objectives and messaging into visually compelling and easily digestible design solutions.

• Develop and implement a cohesive brand language that governs layout, typography, imagery, motion graphics, and overall tone of voice.

• Partner with the marketing team to produce effective, coherent, and on-brand assets that support go-to-market strategies.

• Work in tandem with product designers to foster a strong alignment between brand expression and the user experience of Kota's products and platforms.

• Contribute to the creation of scalable design systems, templates, and brand guidelines to facilitate efficient brand deployment across the organization.

• Elevate the overall aesthetic quality and brand perception of Kota across all internal and external communications.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of strategic brand development and hands-on execution. The emphasis on "shipping polished work using AI, no-code or low-code tools" implies that candidates should be adept at leveraging modern design technologies for rapid iteration and deployment, a key aspect of GTM support in a startup. The collaboration with product design and marketing underscores the cross-functional nature of this role within a Go-To-Market (GTM) context.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong foundation in Graphic Design, Visual Communications, or a related field is expected, demonstrated through a compelling portfolio.

Experience: 0-2 years of professional experience in brand design, graphic design, or a similar creative role, with a demonstrated ability to contribute to brand identity development and execution. Experience within a startup environment is highly preferred.

Required Skills:

• A robust portfolio showcasing thoughtful, high-quality brand design work across diverse digital surfaces.

• Exceptional visual craft, with a deep understanding of typography, composition, visual hierarchy, and art direction.

• Proven ability to build and maintain design systems, ensuring consistency and scalability beyond one-off assets.

• Proficiency in creating and shipping polished design work using modern tools, including AI-assisted design, no-code, and low-code platforms.

• Strong aesthetic judgment and a clear point of view, with the ability to discern when to push creative boundaries and when to simplify for clarity.

• Meticulous attention to detail, upholding a high standard for quality, consistency, and brand integrity.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience initiating and executing motion graphics, interactive design, or narrative-driven visual experiences, ideally without extensive engineering support.

• Familiarity with insurance or FinTech industry aesthetics and communication styles.

• Experience working with design tools that integrate with marketing automation platforms or CMS.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "0-2 years" experience level suggests that while foundational skills are critical, the ability to learn quickly, adapt to new tools (especially AI and no-code), and demonstrate strong visual judgment will be highly valued. The preference for startup experience and the "bonus" skill of motion/interactive design without engineering support points to a need for a versatile, self-starting individual capable of rapid, impactful execution in a lean environment.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A comprehensive portfolio that clearly articulates your design process and showcases your ability to develop and execute a brand identity.

• Examples of brand system design, demonstrating how you build consistent visual languages across various touchpoints (e.g., web, social, campaigns).

• Case studies detailing your role in translating strategic objectives into visual solutions, highlighting problem-solving and creative rationale.

• Demonstrations of your ability to ship polished work using modern tools, potentially including AI-assisted workflows or no-code/low-code platforms for web or campaign assets.

Process Documentation:

• Evidence of creating and adhering to brand guidelines or design systems to ensure consistency and scalability.

• Examples of how you've collaborated with marketing or product teams to align brand expression with strategic goals and user experience.

• Documentation or case studies showing how you’ve leveraged tools (including AI, no-code, low-code) to accelerate design processes and delivery.

• Examples of iterative design, showing how you refine concepts based on feedback and performance metrics.

📝 Enhancement Note: For an entry-level to junior role, the portfolio should emphasize process and potential as much as finished products. The emphasis on "shipping polished work using AI, no-code or low-code tools" means candidates should be prepared to discuss their workflow and how they leverage these technologies efficiently. Demonstrating an understanding of how their brand work supports broader GTM objectives will be crucial.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on industry benchmarks for Brand Designers with 0-2 years of experience in Ireland, a competitive salary range is estimated to be between €30,000 - €45,000 annually. This range accounts for the cost of living in Ireland and the typical compensation for entry-level creative roles in tech startups.

Benefits:

• Health Insurance contribution managed through Kota.

• Access to a Workplace Pension scheme with matched contributions up to 5% by Kota.

• Work From Home (WFH) stipend to support home office setup and ongoing needs.

• Group Life Assurance provided via Kota.

• Generous Paid Time Off (PTO) policy, encouraging a healthy work-life balance.

• Annual, company-wide offsite events for team building and strategic alignment.

Working Hours: The role typically requires 40 hours per week, aligning with standard full-time employment. Flexibility may be available, common in remote, startup environments, allowing for effective workflow management.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary estimate is derived from recent industry salary reports for Ireland and similar tech startup roles, adjusted for the specified experience level. The benefits listed are directly from the job description and are presented to highlight the comprehensive package offered by Kota, particularly those managed through their own platform, which is a unique selling point.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: FinTech / InsurTech. Kota operates within the financial technology and insurance technology sectors, focusing on modernizing employee benefits. This industry is characterized by rapid innovation, data-driven decision-making, and a strong emphasis on user experience and security.

Company Size: Kota is a growing startup, likely in the Seed to Series A/B funding stage, indicating a dynamic and evolving environment with a relatively small but growing team. This size means individuals have significant impact and opportunity for direct contribution to company growth.

Founded: Founded in 2022, Kota is a relatively young company, which implies a culture that is still actively being shaped. This offers a unique opportunity for early employees to influence processes, culture, and the company's trajectory.

Team Structure:

• The design team is currently comprised of product designers. This Brand Designer will be the first dedicated hire for the Brand team, working closely with existing product designers.

• The role will report into a design lead or potentially a Head of Marketing/Growth, depending on the current organizational structure.

Methodology:

• Data-driven decision-making is implied through the company's focus on technology and innovation within the FinTech space.

• Agile methodologies are likely employed for product development and marketing initiatives, requiring flexibility and rapid iteration.

• A strong emphasis on user-centric design and customer experience, particularly in translating complex insurance and retirement concepts into accessible benefits.

Company Website: https://www.kota.io/

📝 Enhancement Note: The context of Kota being a young, well-funded startup in the InsurTech space is crucial. This means the Brand Designer will be instrumental in defining and scaling the brand's visual identity from an early stage. The "Craft-Driven Culture" and "Raise the Bar" values suggest an environment that prioritizes quality and continuous improvement, which is essential for building a strong brand in a competitive market.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This Brand Designer role is positioned at an entry-level to junior capacity (0-2 years). It's a foundational role within the nascent Brand team, offering significant scope for growth as Kota scales. The emphasis is on developing core brand design skills and contributing directly to the company's visual narrative.

Reporting Structure: The Brand Designer will likely report to a senior member of the design or marketing team (e.g., Design Lead, Head of Marketing). They will work closely with existing product designers, forming the core of the design function. This structure provides mentorship opportunities while allowing for direct contribution to key initiatives.

Operations Impact: While not a direct "Revenue Operations" role, the Brand Designer's impact is critical for Go-To-Market (GTM) success. A strong, consistent brand identity directly influences brand perception, customer acquisition, lead generation, and overall market positioning. The visual assets created will support marketing campaigns, sales enablement, and product adoption, all of which drive revenue.

Growth Opportunities:

• Brand Leadership: As Kota grows, this role has the potential to evolve into a Brand Lead or Art Director position, managing a team and defining the long-term brand strategy.

• Skill Specialization: Opportunities to deepen expertise in specific areas like motion design, interactive experiences, or digital campaign strategy, especially with the "bonus" skills mentioned.

• Cross-Functional Expertise: Gaining exposure to marketing strategy, product design, and startup growth dynamics, providing a broad understanding of GTM operations.

• System Development: Contributing to and eventually leading the development of scalable design systems and brand guidelines.

📝 Enhancement Note: This analysis frames the Brand Designer role within a GTM context, highlighting its indirect but significant contribution to revenue. The growth opportunities are mapped against typical startup trajectories for creative roles, emphasizing the potential for advancement and specialization within a scaling organization.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is explicitly stated as "TELECOMMUTE," meaning it is fully remote. This offers flexibility and the ability to work from anywhere within Ireland.

Office Location(s): While fully remote, the requirement to be based in Ireland (specifically the "Europe/Dublin" timezone derived) suggests that the company may have a primary operational hub or legal presence there, and may conduct occasional in-person events (like the annual offsite).

Workspace Context:

• Remote Autonomy: The work environment is designed for individuals who can self-manage and be productive remotely. This requires strong organizational skills and discipline.

• Digital Collaboration: Expect extensive use of digital collaboration tools (e.g., Slack, Figma, project management software) for communication, design reviews, and team alignment.

• Technology Access: The WFH stipend is provided to ensure employees have the necessary equipment and a conducive home office setup to perform their duties effectively.

Work Schedule: A standard 40-hour work week is expected, with potential for flexibility in how those hours are structured, common in remote tech roles. Adherence to the European/Irish time zone is likely important for team collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The fully remote nature of this role in Ireland is a key feature. The "Workspace Context" is tailored to highlight the expectations and resources available for a remote employee, emphasizing self-management and digital collaboration as core components of the work environment.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Review of application materials, focusing on resume and portfolio relevance.

• Portfolio Review & Discussion: A deep dive into the candidate's portfolio, discussing specific projects, design choices, and their process. This is where the emphasis on "shipping polished work using AI, no-code or low-code tools" will be assessed.

• Skills-Based Assessment: Potentially a design challenge or exercise to evaluate practical skills, visual craft, and problem-solving abilities in a simulated scenario.

• Cross-Functional Interviews: Meetings with marketing and product design team members to assess collaboration style, communication skills, and cultural fit.

• Final Round: Discussion with senior leadership to assess strategic thinking, ownership, and alignment with Kota's values.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Showcase Process: Clearly articulate your design journey for each project – the problem, your approach, the tools used (especially AI, no-code/low-code), your rationale, and the outcome.

• Highlight Brand Systems: Demonstrate your ability to create cohesive visual identities and design systems, not just isolated assets.

• Quantify Impact (if possible): While challenging for brand design, try to connect your work to business objectives or user engagement metrics where applicable. For example, how did a campaign design contribute to awareness or lead generation?

• Tailor to Kota: Ensure your portfolio examples align with Kota's industry (InsurTech) and brand aesthetic. Show you understand their mission and target audience.

• Prepare for "Ship Right": Be ready to discuss how you ensure quality and consistency when working with faster, potentially less traditional design tools.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand Kota's Brand: Research Kota's current brand identity, messaging, and target audience.

• Prepare for "System Thinking": Be ready to discuss how you would approach building or evolving a brand system for a company like Kota.

• Leverage AI/No-Code: If a challenge involves rapid asset creation, be prepared to discuss how you would leverage AI or no-code tools to meet deadlines efficiently without sacrificing quality.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Application & Portfolio Review Process" section is designed to give candidates a strategic advantage by anticipating interview stages and providing actionable advice. The emphasis on specific tools and methodologies mentioned in the job description (AI, no-code, shipping polished work) is integrated into the preparation tips.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design Software: Proficiency in industry-standard design tools such as Figma (highly probable given its prevalence in collaborative design environments), Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects for motion graphics).

• Prototyping Tools: Tools for creating interactive prototypes, potentially integrated within Figma or standalone like InVision.

• AI Design Tools: Familiarity with AI-powered design assistants or platforms for generating concepts, assets, or streamlining workflows.

• No-code/Low-code Platforms: Experience with platforms like Webflow, Canva (for certain asset types), or similar tools that enable rapid web and asset creation without extensive coding.

Analytics & Reporting:

CRM & Automation:

• Basic understanding of how brand assets are utilized within marketing automation platforms (e.g., HubSpot, Marketo) or CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce) for campaign execution.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section details the likely technology stack based on the job description's requirements for brand design, web experience, and the specific mention of AI, no-code, and low-code tools. It focuses on tools relevant to a Brand Designer in a startup environment supporting GTM initiatives.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Have Integrity: Uphold ethical standards in design and communication, ensuring brand messaging is honest and aligned with Kota's mission.

• Care Deeply: Focus on the details of brand expression, going the extra mile to create experiences that resonate with customers and reflect the company's commitment to quality.

• Own Your Ship: Take full responsibility for brand design initiatives from concept to execution, proactively identifying and solving problems, and driving projects forward.

• Raise the Bar: Continuously strive for excellence in visual design and brand storytelling, pushing creative boundaries and elevating the company's aesthetic standards.

• Play to Win: Embrace a proactive, results-oriented mindset, contributing to Kota's growth by creating a strong, competitive brand presence.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Expect to work closely with marketing and product design, requiring clear communication and a collaborative approach to ensure brand consistency across all touchpoints.

• Iterative Feedback: A culture that values iterative design, where feedback is actively sought, given constructively, and incorporated to refine creative output.

• Proactive Communication: Essential for a remote role, this involves keeping stakeholders informed, sharing progress, and seeking input proactively.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Team Culture & Values" section directly incorporates Kota's stated values and translates them into actionable expectations for a Brand Designer, emphasizing how these values apply to the creative and collaborative aspects of the role within a remote, startup setting.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Establishing a New Brand Identity: As the first dedicated brand hire, defining and scaling a cohesive visual identity for a young company requires strategic vision and strong execution.

• Balancing Speed and Quality: The startup environment demands rapid iteration and delivery ("Design Fast, Ship Right"), which can be challenging when maintaining a high bar for brand quality and consistency.

• Cross-functional Alignment: Ensuring brand consistency across product design, marketing campaigns, and sales collateral requires effective communication and negotiation with various stakeholders.

• Remote Collaboration: Effectively collaborating and maintaining strong relationships within a fully remote team requires proactive communication and strong self-management skills.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Brand Strategy Development: Opportunity to contribute significantly to Kota's overall brand strategy and visual language.

• Tool Proficiency: Gaining hands-on experience with cutting-edge AI, no-code, and low-code design tools.

• Startup Ecosystem Exposure: Deep understanding of how brand and design function within a fast-paced, high-growth startup environment.

• Mentorship: Potential for mentorship from experienced product designers and marketing leaders within Kota.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section identifies potential hurdles and growth avenues specific to the Brand Designer role at Kota, framing challenges as opportunities for skill development and career advancement within the company's unique context.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe your process for developing a brand identity from scratch or evolving an existing one. How would you approach this for a company like Kota?" (Focus on research, strategy, visual exploration, system building, and iteration.)

• "How do you balance rapid design execution with maintaining a high standard of quality, especially when using tools like AI or no-code platforms?" (Prepare to discuss your workflow, quality checks, and how you ensure "shipping right.")

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What excites you about Kota's mission to reimagine insurance and retirement benefits?" (Show genuine interest and understanding of the company's purpose.)

• "How do you embody our value of 'Raise the Bar' in your design work?" (Provide specific examples of how you push for excellence.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Start with the "Why": For each project, clearly articulate the strategic objective or problem you were solving.

• Showcase Your Process: Detail your steps, including research, ideation, tool usage (especially AI/no-code), and iterations.

• Highlight System Thinking: Emphasize how you built a consistent visual language, not just isolated assets.

• Demonstrate Craftsmanship: Speak to your choices in typography, color, composition, and imagery.

• Explain Outcomes: Discuss the results or impact of your work, even if qualitative.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section provides concrete, actionable advice for preparing for the interview process, directly referencing the specific requirements and values mentioned in the job description to help candidates tailor their responses effectively.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Brand Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Ashby.

• Portfolio Customization: Ensure your portfolio prominently features examples of brand identity development, digital campaign design, and your experience with AI, no-code, or low-code tools. Tailor the presentation to highlight how your skills align with Kota's mission and industry.

• Resume Optimization: Highlight relevant experience in brand design, visual communication, and any experience within startup or FinTech environments. Use keywords from the job description such as "visual identity," "brand language," "web design," "campaigns," and "AI/no-code tools."

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design process and rationale for key projects. Be ready to discuss specific examples of how you've "shipped polished work" and contributed to a "craft-driven culture."

• Company Research: Thoroughly research Kota's products, mission, values, and current brand presence. Understand their position in the InsurTech market to demonstrate genuine interest and a strategic understanding during interviews.

⚠️ 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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