DIGITAL DESIGN STRATEGIST

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Digital Design Strategist

Company: Southern Trust Mortgage

Location: Virginia Beach, VA, US

Job Type: Full Time

Category: Marketing Operations / Creative Operations

Date Posted: 2026-06-09

Experience Level: 2-5 years

🚀 Role Summary

• Develop and execute high-impact visual strategies for both digital and print marketing collateral, focusing on conversion optimization.

• Uphold and enforce stringent corporate brand guidelines across all creative outputs to ensure consistent brand identity.

• Create and manage user-friendly, compliant templates (especially within Canva) to empower sales teams for self-service marketing efforts.

• Analyze CRM data and engagement metrics to measure the effectiveness of marketing assets and inform future design decisions.

• Collaborate cross-functionally with marketing and sales teams to translate strategic messaging into compelling visual narratives.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the title is "Digital Design Strategist," the core responsibilities and preferred qualifications strongly indicate a role that bridges creative design with marketing operations and CRM management, particularly within a regulated industry like mortgage. The emphasis on template creation for self-service, brand compliance, and CRM data analysis suggests a need for someone who can not only design but also strategize on how design supports broader GTM and sales enablement initiatives.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Design compelling and conversion-focused print and digital assets, including flyers, social media graphics, brochures, direct mail pieces, and event signage.

• Develop visually engaging concepts for company swag, corporate sales rallies, and localized promotional materials, ensuring alignment with brand messaging.

• Translate complex mortgage product details into clear, consumer-friendly visual concepts while rigorously adhering to compliance and brand standards.

• Ensure all marketing collateral, spanning digital, print, and video, strictly conforms to established corporate brand guidelines.

• Actively participate in the review, updating, and visual optimization of evergreen corporate marketing assets.

• Create and maintain compliant, user-friendly templates in Canva, empowering Loan Officers to self-serve effectively while safeguarding core layout and branding.

• Establish and meticulously maintain a logical file architecture and strict naming convention standards for all digital assets, templates, and project files within shared storage systems.

• Upload, organize, and manage print, digital, and email templates within the Total Expert CRM platform.

• Act as a primary point of contact for Loan Officer CRM adoption, delivering creative system training and gathering feedback to enhance automation and personalization features.

• Extract and analyze usage and engagement metrics from Total Expert to identify popular email, print, and digital materials and evaluate assets driving the highest consumer engagement.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities clearly delineate a dual focus: creative design execution and operational management of marketing assets within a CRM. The emphasis on "conversion-focused," "compliance," and "CRM adoption" highlights the strategic importance of this role beyond pure graphic design.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is listed, a degree or equivalent professional experience in Graphic Design, Marketing, Communications, or a related field is implied by the experience requirements and nature of the work.

Experience: 2-5 years of professional graphic design experience, with a preference for in-house corporate or agency settings.

Required Skills:

• Proven professional graphic design experience, with a portfolio showcasing clean execution across print, digital media, layouts, and typography.

• Strong proficiency in the Adobe Creative Suite, specifically InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop.

• Practical experience using Canva, including adeptness in setting up templates, locking elements, and organizing shared team folders.

• Foundational understanding of print production specifications (e.g., bleeds, margins, CMYK color) and experience preparing and delivering files to external print vendors.

• Excellent communication skills, characterized by a patient, helpful, and supportive approach when assisting sales teams with marketing requests.

• Superior organizational habits and a disciplined approach to managing file names and digital storage systems. Preferred Skills:

• Prior experience designing for the mortgage, real estate, or banking industries, including a basic understanding of mortgage compliance or co-branding requirements.

• Experience with marketing platforms or Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems. Experience with Total Expert is a significant plus, but proficiency with similar platforms like HubSpot or Salesforce is highly valued.

• Comfort and capability in pulling basic platform reports (e.g., email open rates, asset download metrics) and organizing this data into simple status updates for the team.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Preferred Qualifications" section provides significant clues about the operational depth expected. Experience with CRMs like Total Expert, HubSpot, or Salesforce, and the ability to extract basic reports, lean into the "operations" aspect of this role, suggesting it's not just about creation but also about measuring and managing the impact of those creations within sales enablement systems.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A professional design portfolio is mandatory, demonstrating clean execution across print, digital media, layouts, and typography.

• Showcase examples of conversion-focused designs for digital and print assets (e.g., flyers, social media graphics, brochures).

• Include case studies or examples of template creation, ideally using Canva, highlighting ease of use and brand protection.

• Demonstrate experience in maintaining brand integrity and adhering to style guides in design work.

• Provide examples of how complex information was translated into clear, consumer-friendly visual concepts. Process Documentation:

• Evidence of establishing and maintaining organized file architectures and strict naming conventions for digital assets.

• Examples of creating and managing templates within platforms like Canva, showing an understanding of user-access controls and brand consistency.

• If applicable, examples of work within a CRM system (like Total Expert, HubSpot, or Salesforce) involving template management or asset organization.

• Demonstrate a process for collaborating with sales or marketing teams to translate strategic messaging into visual communication.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the role's emphasis on CRM management and template creation for sales enablement, the portfolio should ideally showcase not just aesthetic design but also the strategic thinking behind how design supports sales processes and brand consistency at scale. Demonstrating experience with Canva's template features is crucial.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on the experience level (2-5 years), location (Virginia Beach, VA), and the specialized skill set (graphic design, CRM, marketing operations), the estimated annual salary range for a Digital Design Strategist in this region would likely fall between $55,000 and $75,000. This estimate is derived from industry benchmarks for graphic designers with additional marketing operations responsibilities in the Mid-Atlantic region, considering factors like cost of living and demand for integrated creative and operational skills.

Benefits:

• Full-time employment typically includes a comprehensive benefits package.

• Health, dental, and vision insurance coverage.

• Retirement savings plan (e.g., 401(k) with potential company match).

• Paid time off (PTO), including vacation, sick leave, and holidays.

• Potential for professional development and training opportunities in design software and marketing platforms.

• Opportunities for creative projects and direct impact on sales enablement and brand consistency.

Working Hours: The role is listed as Full Time, which typically equates to approximately 40 hours per week. While specific flexibility isn't detailed, professional roles in this domain often offer some degree of flexibility in scheduling, provided core responsibilities and project deadlines are met.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is an estimation based on industry data for similar roles in the specified location and experience level. Actual compensation may vary based on the candidate's specific qualifications, interview performance, and Southern Trust Mortgage's internal compensation structure.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Southern Trust Mortgage operates within the Financial Services sector, specifically the mortgage lending industry. This context implies a highly regulated environment where compliance, brand consistency, and clear communication of complex financial products are paramount.

Company Size: Southern Trust Mortgage is a medium-to-large enterprise, evidenced by its presence on ADP's workforce management platform and its likely need for structured marketing operations and CRM systems to manage a dispersed sales force (Loan Officers).

Founded: Southern Trust Mortgage was founded in 1997. This history suggests a well-established company with a mature operational framework and established brand identity, likely seeking to modernize or optimize its marketing and design processes.

Team Structure:

• The Digital Design Strategist likely sits within the Marketing department, reporting to a Marketing Manager or Director.

• They will collaborate closely with other marketing team members (e.g., content creators, campaign managers) and directly support the sales team of Loan Officers.

• This role may involve interaction with compliance officers to ensure all marketing materials meet regulatory requirements. Methodology:

• Data-Driven Design: Emphasis on leveraging CRM data and engagement metrics to inform design choices and measure the success of marketing assets.

• Process Optimization: Focus on creating efficient workflows, particularly through template creation and CRM integration, to enable self-service for the sales team.

• Brand Stewardship: A rigorous approach to maintaining brand consistency and compliance across all visual communications.

Company Website: https://www.southerntrust.com/ (Inferred from domain_derived)

📝 Enhancement Note: The mortgage industry's regulated nature is a critical factor. The "Digital Design Strategist" must balance creative execution with strict adherence to compliance and co-branding rules, which is a key differentiator for this role compared to a general graphic designer position.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as an intermediate-level specialist. It requires a blend of creative design skills and operational understanding of marketing technology (CRM) and processes. It's beyond an entry-level graphic designer but likely not yet a managerial role. The "Strategist" in the title suggests an expectation of proactive contribution to how design serves business objectives.

Reporting Structure: The Digital Design Strategist will likely report to a Marketing Manager or Director. They will work closely with sales leadership and individual Loan Officers, acting as a key support function for the sales enablement efforts within the marketing department.

Operations Impact: This role's operations impact is significant. By creating effective, compliant, and easily accessible marketing materials, the Digital Design Strategist directly influences:

• Sales Enablement: Providing Loan Officers with the tools they need to effectively market products and services.

• Brand Consistency: Ensuring a unified and professional brand image across all customer touchpoints.

• Efficiency: Reducing the burden on the sales team for custom marketing requests through self-service templates.

• Marketing Effectiveness: Using data analytics to optimize designs for better engagement and conversion rates.

Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization: Deepen expertise in mortgage industry marketing, CRM integrations (Total Expert), and advanced design for regulated industries.

• Leadership: Transition into a Senior Digital Designer, Marketing Operations Specialist, or Team Lead role, potentially managing junior designers or marketing technology platforms.

• Strategic Input: Contribute more significantly to overarching marketing strategy and campaign planning, leveraging design and data insights.

• Skill Expansion: Develop proficiency in areas like marketing automation, UI/UX design for internal tools, or advanced data visualization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The growth path here leans heavily into marketing operations and sales enablement, leveraging design skills as a foundation for broader strategic contributions within a GTM function.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: This is an on-site role, implying a traditional office setting within Southern Trust Mortgage's Virginia Beach location.

Office Location(s): Virginia Beach, VA. This location likely offers a professional corporate office environment.

Workspace Context:

• The workspace is expected to be a standard office setup with access to necessary design hardware and software.

• Collaboration is key, involving frequent interaction with the marketing team and potentially direct engagement with Loan Officers to understand their needs.

• The environment will likely require adherence to corporate policies and professional conduct, with an emphasis on supporting a sales-driven organization.

Work Schedule: The standard work schedule is likely Monday to Friday, approximately 40 hours per week, typical for a full-time corporate position. The nature of design and marketing support might occasionally require flexibility to meet campaign deadlines or urgent sales requests.

📝 Enhancement Note: As an on-site role, the candidate should expect a collaborative office environment where direct team interaction and company culture are experienced firsthand.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of applications and portfolios to assess basic qualifications and design aesthetic.

• Hiring Manager Interview: Discussion about experience, skills, portfolio highlights, and understanding of the role's responsibilities. This stage will likely probe into design process, tool proficiency (Adobe, Canva), and organizational habits.

• Skills Assessment/Portfolio Review: A more in-depth discussion or presentation of portfolio pieces, potentially including a small design challenge or a detailed walkthrough of past projects, focusing on how the candidate approached design problems and achieved results. Questions about CRM and data analysis experience will be crucial here.

• Team/Cross-functional Interview: Meeting with potential colleagues or stakeholders (e.g., marketing team members, sales representatives) to assess cultural fit, communication style, and collaborative ability.

• Final Interview: Discussion with senior leadership to finalize the decision.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Showcase Versatility: Include a range of work demonstrating proficiency in both print and digital design, as well as your ability to create engaging and conversion-focused assets.

• Highlight Template Work: Specifically include examples of templates created in Canva or similar platforms, detailing how you managed locking elements, ensured brand compliance, and facilitated self-service.

• Demonstrate Process: For key projects, be prepared to walk through your design process, from understanding the brief to final execution and any analysis of results.

• Quantify Impact: Where possible, include metrics or outcomes related to your designs (e.g., increased engagement, improved conversion rates, positive feedback from sales teams).

• Address Compliance: If you have experience in regulated industries, explicitly highlight how you've incorporated compliance into your design process.

Challenge Preparation:

• Be prepared for a potential design challenge that might involve creating a piece of collateral (e.g., a flyer, social media graphic) based on a provided brief, focusing on speed, adherence to brand guidelines, and clear communication of a mortgage product.

• Practice articulating how you would translate complex information into simple, visually appealing designs.

• Prepare to discuss your experience with CRMs and how you've used data or user feedback to inform design decisions or improve marketing asset utilization.

• Think about how you would manage multiple design requests from a sales team with varying priorities and deadlines.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio and interview process will heavily weigh the candidate's ability to balance creative execution with operational efficiency, brand compliance, and data-informed decision-making, especially within the context of a regulated industry.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Adobe Creative Suite: InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop are essential for professional graphic design. Proficiency is a must.

• Canva: Practical experience, including template setup, locking elements, and shared folder management, is a key requirement.

• File Storage & Management: Experience with shared drives (e.g., Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox) and adherence to strict file naming and organization conventions.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Total Expert: Preferred CRM and marketing platform experience.

• Other CRMs: HubSpot, Salesforce (as examples of similar platforms).

• Basic Reporting Tools: Comfort with pulling reports on email open rates, asset download metrics, and engagement data from marketing platforms.

CRM & Automation:

• Total Expert: Experience with its template management and reporting features is a significant plus.

• Marketing Automation Platforms: Familiarity with how design assets integrate into email campaigns and marketing workflows.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of Total Expert, alongside Canva and Adobe Creative Suite, highlights the critical operational component of this role. Candidates should be ready to discuss how they leverage these tools to support sales and marketing operations.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Precision & Compliance: A strong emphasis on accuracy, adherence to brand guidelines, and regulatory compliance in all design outputs.

• Efficiency & Scalability: Valuing the creation of efficient workflows and scalable solutions, particularly through template design and CRM integration, to support a large sales force.

• Data-Informed Creativity: Encouraging the use of data and analytics to guide creative decisions and measure the effectiveness of marketing assets.

• Collaboration & Support: Fostering a team environment where design supports sales and marketing objectives, with a patient and helpful approach to internal stakeholders.

• Brand Stewardship: A deep commitment to maintaining and enhancing the company's brand identity through consistent and high-quality visual communication.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: Working closely with marketing strategists, campaign managers, and compliance officers to ensure designs meet strategic and regulatory needs.

• Sales Enablement Focus: A proactive and supportive approach to assisting Loan Officers, understanding their needs and providing them with effective marketing tools.

• Feedback Loops: Openness to receiving and acting upon feedback from both internal teams and potentially market performance data to iteratively improve designs and templates.

• Knowledge Sharing: Willingness to share best practices in design, template creation, and tool utilization, particularly within the marketing team and potentially with sales leadership.

📝 Enhancement Note: The culture likely values a pragmatic approach where creative talent is directly tied to measurable business outcomes, brand integrity, and operational efficiency within a structured financial services environment.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Creativity with Compliance: The primary challenge will be to develop innovative and engaging designs while strictly adhering to mortgage industry regulations and corporate branding.

• Managing Diverse Stakeholder Needs: Supporting a large sales team (Loan Officers) with varied marketing requests and ensuring consistent brand application across all their individual needs.

• Data Interpretation for Design: Effectively translating CRM usage and engagement metrics into actionable design improvements or template modifications.

• Keeping Pace with Technology: Staying current with design software updates, Canva features, and CRM platform capabilities to maximize efficiency and impact.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Mortgage Industry Expertise: Gaining in-depth knowledge of mortgage products, compliance, and marketing best practices specific to the industry.

• CRM & Marketing Automation Mastery: Deepening expertise in Total Expert or similar platforms, including advanced reporting, automation, and integration capabilities.

• Advanced Design Techniques: Opportunities to refine skills in areas like motion graphics, advanced typography, or data visualization for marketing reports.

• Strategic Marketing Contribution: Evolving from a design execution role to contributing more to marketing strategy, campaign ideation, and sales enablement planning.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers a unique opportunity to blend creative skills with operational acumen in a specialized and regulated industry, providing a solid foundation for a career in marketing operations or sales enablement.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe your process for creating a high-converting digital ad or social media graphic for a financial product. How would you ensure compliance?"

• "How would you approach designing a self-service template in Canva for a sales team that needs to maintain strict brand consistency?"

• "Imagine you've analyzed CRM data showing a particular email template is underutilized. What steps would you take to investigate and improve its performance?"

• "How do you balance creative freedom with the need to adhere to strict brand guidelines and regulatory requirements?" Company & Culture Questions:

• "What do you know about Southern Trust Mortgage and the mortgage industry?"

• "How do you envision your role contributing to the success of our Loan Officers and the overall marketing goals?"

• "Describe a time you had to support a large team with their marketing requests. How did you manage priorities and ensure quality?"

• "What are your thoughts on using data to drive design decisions?" Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each project, clearly state the objective, your role, the design process, the tools used, and the outcome (if quantifiable).

• Emphasize Templates & Compliance: Dedicate specific slides or sections to showcase your Canva template work and any experience with regulated industries or co-branding.

• Connect Design to Operations: Explain how your designs or templates integrate with sales processes or CRM systems and contribute to operational efficiency.

• Be Ready for a Design Challenge: Have a clear, concise approach to tackling a hypothetical design task under pressure.

• Highlight CRM/Data Experience: Be prepared to discuss your experience with Total Expert or similar platforms, and how you've used basic analytics.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interviewers will be looking for a candidate who not only has strong design skills but also understands the operational context, the importance of brand consistency, and the impact of design on sales performance within a regulated environment.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Digital Design Strategist position:

• Submit your application through the ADP portal link provided.

• Crucially, prepare and attach a comprehensive design portfolio that clearly showcases your print and digital design capabilities, with a specific emphasis on template creation (especially in Canva) and any experience with brand guidelines or regulated industries.

• Tailor your resume to highlight keywords from the job description, such as "Adobe Creative Suite," "Canva," "CRM Management," "Brand Integrity," "Print Production," and "conversion-focused design."

• Research Southern Trust Mortgage and the mortgage industry to understand their market position, brand, and potential compliance considerations.

• Practice articulating your design process, your approach to template management, and how you leverage CRM data to inform creative decisions, as these will be key discussion points 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.