Brand Designer (Partnerships)

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Brand Designer (Partnerships)

Company: Lyka

Location: Alexandria, Council of the City of Sydney, Australia

Job Type: Full-time

Category: Marketing Operations / Brand & Creative Operations

Date Posted: May 18, 2026

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

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• This role is crucial for developing and executing visual brand strategies within Lyka's Partnerships Marketing team, focusing on the Vet and Dog Partnerships channel.

• The Brand Designer will be responsible for translating brand vision into tangible design assets for events, partner activations, and in-clinic experiences, ensuring a cohesive and impactful brand presence.

• This position requires a blend of creative design expertise, production management, and strong collaboration skills to deliver high-quality visual communications that drive partnership success.

• The role will contribute to Lyka's mission of transforming pet health through strategic visual storytelling and brand consistency across all partnership touchpoints.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the title is "Brand Designer," the focus on "Partnerships," "event activations," "clinic environments," and "print collateral" strongly suggests a role that bridges creative brand execution with the operational demands of marketing partnerships. This implies a need for understanding how design supports Go-To-Market (GTM) strategies and partner enablement from an operational perspective.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Design and art-direct comprehensive event activations, trade shows, vet clinic environments, pop-ups, and experiential moments, from initial concept and spatial layout through to final execution and rollout.

• Produce a wide range of high-quality print collateral, including detailed brochures, essential in-clinic materials, comprehensive partner toolkits, impactful signage, branded merchandise, and event-specific signage.

• Deliver compelling creative output for Lyka’s Vet and Dog Partnerships channel, ensuring bold, considered, and consistently on-brand design across spatial, event, print, and digital touchpoints.

• Manage the entire print production lifecycle, from initial brief and supplier liaison to quoting, rigorous pre-press checks, meticulous proofing, and final quality control, ensuring seamless delivery.

• Collaborate closely with the Partnerships Marketing team and Senior Design Lead to translate fast-moving briefs into creatively compelling and commercially effective design solutions that align with GTM objectives.

• Actively contribute to the evolution and maintenance of Lyka’s visual identity specifically within the partnerships channel, ensuring unwavering consistency across every brand touchpoint.

• Effectively manage multiple concurrent projects and diverse stakeholders, skillfully balancing creative aspirations with operational efficiency and consistently meeting deadlines in a high-velocity environment.

• Communicate proactively throughout project lifecycles, providing regular progress updates, raising potential blockers early, and constructively incorporating feedback to achieve optimal outcomes.

• Contribute to broader ideation and campaign development processes alongside other designers, content creators, and partnership managers to foster a holistic marketing approach.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities emphasize end-to-end ownership of design projects within a specific channel, including production management and stakeholder alignment. This points to a need for operational rigor in managing creative workflows, vendor relationships, and project timelines, which are core to operations roles.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

Experience:

• Proven experience in brand design, with a strong capability across event and retail/environmental design, and comprehensive print production.

Required Skills:

• Expertise in Figma and the Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop) for creating and delivering high-fidelity designs.

• Strong understanding of print production processes, including file setup, final art preparation, paper stocks and finishes, dielines, large-format output, and supplier coordination.

• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to confidently present work, ask clarifying questions, and keep partners informed of progress and deliverables.

• Solid time and project management skills, with the proven ability to balance multiple priorities, manage workflows, and consistently deliver high-quality work against deadlines in a dynamic setting.

• A keen eye for detail, craft, and brand consistency, coupled with good aesthetic judgment and an awareness of current trends and cultural relevance.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience within the pet wellness industry, bringing an understanding of the unique market dynamics and consumer landscape.

• Experience with spatial layout and conceptualization for environmental or experiential design.

• Familiarity with digital design touchpoints relevant to partnership marketing.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on project management, stakeholder communication, and managing production cycles points to the need for operational discipline. Candidates who can demonstrate structured approaches to creative workflows and vendor management will be highly valued.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase a diverse range of projects demonstrating expertise in brand identity development and application across multiple touchpoints.

• Include specific examples of event activation designs, environmental/spatial designs, and comprehensive print collateral pieces, highlighting the problem and solution.

• Present case studies that detail the design process from brief to execution, emphasizing how design objectives were met and the impact achieved.

• Demonstrate proficiency in managing print production processes, including file preparation, supplier interaction, and quality control, with examples of successful execution.

Process Documentation:

• Candidates should be prepared to discuss their design process, including workflow initiation, creative brief interpretation, ideation techniques, stakeholder feedback integration, and final delivery stages.

• Examples of how they have managed print production workflows, from initial quoting and supplier selection to final proofing and quality assurance, will be beneficial.

• Discussion around how brand guidelines are interpreted and applied within partnership contexts to ensure brand integrity and operational efficiency in design output.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a role like this, a portfolio is not just about aesthetics but also about demonstrating process, project management capabilities, and the ability to operationalize creative concepts. Candidates should highlight projects that show their ability to manage complex deliverables and collaborate effectively.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

Benefits:

• Annual Learning & Development (L&D) budget to support continuous professional growth and skill enhancement in design and related fields.

• Up to 18 weeks of paid parental leave top-up, offering significant support for new parents.

• Comprehensive wellbeing assistance and tools designed to support mental and physical health, enabling employees to perform at their best.

• Pupper parent support initiatives, including flexible arrangements for new pets, pet-friendly offices, and discounts.

• Financial allowance for dog training and care, ensuring furry family members are well-supported.

Working Hours:

• Standard full-time working hours, typically around 40 hours per week. The hybrid arrangement offers flexibility in how and where these hours are completed, balancing office presence with remote work.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is an estimate based on typical market rates for Brand Designers in Sydney with the specified experience level and responsibilities, considering the hybrid work arrangement. Benefits are directly extracted from the job description to highlight their value proposition.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Pet Wellness & Nutrition (Direct-to-Consumer, Subscription-based)

Company Size: Growing consumer company, likely between 50-200 employees based on operational scale and rapid growth claims.

Founded: 2018 by Anna Podolsky, Gabriel Guedes, and Dr. Matthew Muir, with a mission to improve pet health through vet-formulated, real-food meals.

Team Structure:

• The Brand Designer will be part of the in-house Partnerships Marketing team, reporting to the Senior Design Lead.

• This team likely collaborates closely with other marketing functions (content, digital), partnership managers, and potentially operations/production teams to ensure seamless execution of partnership initiatives.

Methodology:

• Lyka emphasizes a data-driven and customer-centric approach, leveraging technology to scale operations and enhance customer experience.

• The company prides itself on innovation in pet nutrition and a commitment to sustainability, aiming for a carbon-negative and plastic-negative footprint.

• Design is viewed as a critical component of brand building and partnership enablement, requiring strategic thinking alongside creative execution.

Company Website: https://lyka.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: Understanding Lyka's mission, growth trajectory, and sustainability focus is key to aligning with their culture. The "tech-enabled" aspect suggests an openness to leveraging tools and processes that enhance efficiency and effectiveness, which is highly relevant for operations-minded candidates.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as a mid-level Brand Designer, requiring independent execution and project ownership within a specialized channel (Partnerships). It's a step beyond junior design roles, demanding a solid understanding of production and stakeholder management.

Reporting Structure:

• The Brand Designer reports directly to the Senior Design Lead.

Operations Impact:

• The Brand Designer's work directly impacts the effectiveness of Lyka's partnerships by creating compelling visual materials and experiences that resonate with veterinary clinics and dog-related partners.

• Strong design execution in this channel can lead to increased partner engagement, improved brand perception within the professional community, and ultimately drive customer acquisition and retention through partner referrals and co-marketing efforts.

Growth Opportunities:

• Skill Expansion: Opportunity to deepen expertise in environmental/spatial design, event activation, and large-format print production. Potential to gain experience in digital design for partnership marketing.

• Responsibility Growth: As Lyka grows, there will be opportunities to take on larger, more complex partnership projects, potentially leading design initiatives for major events or partner programs.

• Career Progression: Potential to advance to a Senior Brand Designer role, or specialize further within a broader GTM or Brand Operations function as the company scales. Lyka's commitment to an annual L&D budget explicitly supports this growth.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers a clear path for design professionals to grow their operational skills in managing creative projects, production, and stakeholder relationships within a rapidly scaling company. The emphasis on "hyper-growth" and "scaling facilities" suggests ample opportunities for increased responsibility.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Lyka operates from offices in Sydney (HQ) and Melbourne, with state-of-the-art food production facilities. The role is based at the Alexandria HQ. The "Hybrid" work arrangement suggests a blend of remote and in-office presence.

Office Location(s):

• Alexandria, Sydney, Australia (HQ)

Workspace Context:

• The Alexandria HQ is likely a modern office environment designed to foster collaboration and innovation, consistent with a fast-growing startup in the consumer goods/wellness sector.

• The hybrid model allows for focused work remotely, while office days will facilitate in-person collaboration with the Partnerships Marketing team, Senior Design Lead, and other cross-functional colleagues.

Work Schedule:

• The role is full-time, with a hybrid work arrangement. This likely means a set number of days in the office per week (e.g., 2-3 days) and the flexibility to work remotely for the remainder, allowing for dedicated focus on design tasks and production management.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid nature of the role requires self-discipline and effective time management, skills that are highly valued in operations. The office environment is expected to be dynamic and collaborative, reflecting Lyka's growth stage.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Likely a review of resume and portfolio, followed by a brief introductory call with HR or a hiring manager to assess basic qualifications and cultural fit.

• Design Challenge/Portfolio Review: A more in-depth session where candidates present their portfolio, discussing specific projects, their design process, and how they approach problem-solving. This may include a practical design challenge relevant to partnerships or event design.

• Team/Stakeholder Interviews: Meetings with the Senior Design Lead and members of the Partnerships Marketing team to assess collaboration style, communication skills, and ability to translate briefs into effective design.

• Final Interview: Potentially with a senior leader to discuss overall fit, career aspirations, and alignment with Lyka's mission and values.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 3-5 strong projects that best showcase your skills in brand design, event/spatial design, and print production within a partnership or B2B context.

• Tell a Story: For each project, clearly articulate the brief, your role, your creative process (ideation, iteration, problem-solving), the challenges faced, and the final outcome/impact. Use visuals effectively.

• Highlight Production Expertise: Include examples that demonstrate your understanding of print production, including file preparation, material choices, and supplier coordination. Show examples of print collateral.

• Demonstrate Partnership Relevance: If possible, include work that shows how design supports business objectives, partner engagement, or builds brand presence in professional settings (e.g., vet clinics, trade shows).

• Prepare for Process Discussion: Be ready to talk through your workflow, how you manage feedback, prioritize tasks, and ensure brand consistency across diverse projects.

Challenge Preparation:

• Expect a challenge that may involve conceptualizing a design solution for a partnership event, creating a piece of collateral for a vet clinic, or adapting existing brand assets for a new partner initiative.

• Focus on clearly articulating your thought process, design rationale, and how your solution addresses the brief's objectives.

• Practice presenting your ideas concisely and confidently, anticipating questions about execution, feasibility, and brand alignment.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on a portfolio review and potential design challenge highlights the practical, execution-oriented nature of this role. Candidates should prepare to demonstrate not just creative talent but also the ability to deliver operationalized design solutions.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Essential for collaborative design, prototyping, and delivering final assets, particularly for digital touchpoints and potentially spatial planning mockups.

• Adobe Creative Suite:

  • Adobe InDesign: Critical for layout, print collateral design (brochures, toolkits, signage), and preparing files for print production.
  • Adobe Illustrator: Used for vector graphics, logos, icons, and complex visual elements.
  • Adobe Photoshop: For image editing, manipulation, and creating raster-based visuals.

Analytics & Reporting: While not a primary responsibility, an understanding of how design impacts engagement metrics (e.g., event attendance, partner engagement with materials) would be beneficial. Familiarity with basic analytics platforms might be an advantage for understanding campaign performance.

CRM & Automation: Not directly applicable to this role, but awareness of how marketing campaigns are managed and executed within CRM or marketing automation platforms could provide context for partnership marketing efforts.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in Figma and the Adobe Creative Suite is non-negotiable. The ability to manage files for print production is a key operational component of this role, requiring meticulous attention to detail and understanding of pre-press workflows.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Craft & Quality: A commitment to high standards in design execution, print production, and brand consistency, ensuring Lyka's premium positioning.

• Collaboration: Working effectively within the Partnerships Marketing team and with other departments to achieve shared goals, valuing open communication and constructive feedback.

• Impact-Driven: Focusing design efforts on initiatives that tangibly support partnership success and contribute to Lyka's growth and mission.

• Efficiency: Managing time and resources effectively to deliver high-quality work within deadlines, particularly in a fast-paced, high-growth environment.

• Passion for Pets & Wellness: A genuine enthusiasm for Lyka's mission to improve pet health, bringing a dedicated and inspired approach to the work.

Collaboration Style:

• Open and communicative, with a willingness to share progress, ask clarifying questions, and incorporate feedback constructively.

• Proactive in identifying and raising potential issues or blockers to ensure smooth project execution.

• Team-oriented, contributing to a positive and supportive design environment that fosters creativity and shared success.

📝 Enhancement Note: Lyka's values, especially "Passion for Pets & Wellness" and their sustainability commitments, are core to their identity. Candidates who can demonstrate alignment with these values will integrate more effectively into the team and company culture.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Creative Vision with Partner Needs: Effectively translating Lyka's brand vision into designs that also meet the specific objectives and brand considerations of diverse partners (e.g., veterinary clinics).

• Managing High-Volume Production: Delivering consistent, high-quality design output across numerous partnership initiatives and print materials in a rapid growth environment requires strong organizational skills and attention to detail.

• Adapting to Evolving Brand Needs: Staying current with Lyka's brand evolution and applying it consistently across the partnerships channel, which may involve unique contextual applications.

• Hybrid Work Integration: Effectively collaborating and maintaining strong communication with the team and stakeholders while working in a hybrid model, ensuring seamless project flow.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Specialized Design Skills: Deepen expertise in environmental/spatial design, event production, and complex print manufacturing processes through hands-on project experience.

• Industry Knowledge: Gain insights into the pet wellness industry, veterinary practices, and partnership marketing strategies.

• Cross-Functional Exposure: Work closely with marketing, operations, and partnership management teams, gaining a broader understanding of business functions and GTM strategies.

• Professional Development: Utilize the annual L&D budget for courses, workshops, or conferences focused on design, production, or relevant industry trends.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "hyper-growth" context means challenges are often opportunities in disguise. Embracing these challenges with a proactive, solutions-oriented mindset is crucial for success and career advancement.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to balance a strong creative vision with the specific requirements of a partner or client. How did you approach it, and what was the outcome?" (Focus on negotiation, compromise, and delivering on objectives.)

• "Walk us through your process for managing a complex print production project, from brief to delivery. What are the key steps and potential pitfalls to avoid?" (Highlight workflow, vendor management, quality control.)

• "How do you ensure brand consistency across diverse touchpoints, especially when working within a specific channel like partnerships?" (Discuss brand guidelines, strategic application, and attention to detail.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What excites you about Lyka's mission and our focus on pet wellness and sustainability?" (Show genuine interest and alignment with company values.)

• "How do you approach collaboration within a hybrid work environment, and how do you ensure effective communication with your team and stakeholders?" (Discuss proactive communication, tool usage, and team engagement strategies.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure for Impact: Organize your presentation logically, starting with an overview of your role and skills, then diving into 2-3 key projects. For each project, clearly define the problem, your solution, your process, and the results.

• Focus on Process & Operations: For this role, emphasize your workflow, how you manage projects, your understanding of production, and how you collaborate. Show examples of print files or detailed mockups if possible.

• Quantify Results: Where possible, mention any measurable impact your designs have had (e.g., increased engagement, successful event turnout, positive partner feedback).

• Be Prepared for Deep Dives: Anticipate questions about specific design choices, technical execution, and how you handle feedback or challenges.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating not just design talent but also operational competence, strong communication, and a genuine understanding of Lyka's mission and the partnership channel.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Brand Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Workable.

• Tailor Your Resume: Highlight experience in brand design, event/environmental design, print production, and proficiency with Figma and Adobe Creative Suite. Emphasize project management and stakeholder communication skills.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select projects that best showcase your capabilities relevant to partnerships, events, and print collateral. Ensure it demonstrates your design process, production knowledge, and ability to maintain brand consistency.

• Prepare Your Narrative: Be ready to articulate your passion for Lyka's mission, your design approach, and how your skills align with the specific requirements of this role and the company culture. Practice presenting your portfolio and discussing your work confidently.

• Research Lyka: Understand their brand, mission, sustainability efforts, and the "Vet and Dog Partnerships" channel. This will help you tailor your application and prepare insightful questions for the interview.

⚠️ 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.