Freelance - Marketing Graphic Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Freelance Marketing Graphic Designer

Company: Dentsu (ICUC Brand)

Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada (Remote)

Job Type: Part-time, Freelancer

Category: Marketing Operations / Creative Operations

Date Posted: 2026-08-06

Experience Level: 5+ Years Professional Design Experience

Remote Status: Fully Remote

🚀 Role Summary

• Design high-impact, social-first marketing content across various digital channels to drive brand awareness and demand generation.

• Translate complex marketing strategies and campaign objectives into compelling visual assets that resonate with target audiences.

• Leverage expertise in UX/UI design and illustration to create engaging landing pages, infographics, and custom visual elements.

• Collaborate closely with marketing teams to ensure creative assets align with campaign goals and maintain brand consistency.

• Manage a project pipeline of diverse marketing collateral, from static posts to eBooks, ensuring timely delivery and high-quality output.

📝 Enhancement Note: While this role is for a Graphic Designer, its focus on translating marketing strategies into "high-performing creative across multiple touchpoints," including landing pages and demand generation assets, positions it firmly within the realm of Marketing Operations and Creative Operations. The emphasis on social-first design, UX/UI, and performance metrics indicates a need for a designer who understands the operational impact of creative choices within a broader marketing strategy.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Design visually compelling static posts, carousels, infographics, and campaign graphics for social media platforms, primarily LinkedIn.

• Develop engaging assets for event promotions, webinars, eBooks, and reports, ensuring brand consistency and clear messaging.

• Create custom illustrations, icons, and visual elements that enhance storytelling and differentiate the brand.

• Design user-centric landing pages and web assets, applying UX/UI best practices to optimize user journeys and conversion rates.

• Collaborate with marketing stakeholders to conceptualize and execute creative solutions that align with campaign objectives and performance goals.

• Produce digital ads, email graphics, banners, and other collateral to support demand generation and lead generation efforts.

• Prepare production-ready files for all digital channels, ensuring technical specifications and quality standards are met.

• Proactively contribute creative ideas to enhance engagement, click-through rates, and overall campaign effectiveness.

• Manage multiple design projects concurrently, prioritizing tasks effectively to meet tight deadlines in a fast-paced environment.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities clearly indicate a need for a designer who can operate with a degree of autonomy and strategic thinking, typical of roles supporting GTM operations. The requirement to "contribute creative ideas that improve engagement, click-through rates, and overall campaign performance" suggests a focus on data-informed design and understanding the impact of creative on key marketing metrics.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: No specific degree mentioned, but professional experience and portfolio are paramount.

Experience: 5+ years of professional design experience, with a strong emphasis on social media campaigns, digital marketing creative, and landing page/web design. Experience designing for B2B brands, particularly in SaaS or technology, is a significant advantage.

Required Skills:

• Figma: Advanced proficiency in Figma, including Auto Layout, Components, and Design Systems.

• Adobe Creative Suite: Expert knowledge of Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and Adobe Express.

• UX/UI Design: Strong understanding of user-centered design principles, user journeys, layouts, accessibility, and conversion-focused design.

• Social-First Design: Deep understanding of social media design principles and best practices for various digital platforms.

• Illustration & Iconography: Proven ability to create original illustrations and custom iconography.

• Typography & Composition: Excellent skills in typography, layout, color theory, and visual storytelling.

• B2B Marketing Design: Experience designing creative assets for business-to-business brands.

• Collaboration Tools: Familiarity with Monday.com, Google Sheets, Google Docs, and Slack.

• Project Management: Ability to manage multiple projects and meet tight deadlines.

Preferred Skills:

• Adobe After Effects: Experience creating simple motion graphics and animations for digital marketing.

• Motion Graphics: Ability to produce engaging animations for digital marketing campaigns.

• Presentation Design: Experience in designing professional Microsoft PowerPoint presentations.

• Basic HTML/CSS: Foundational knowledge of HTML and CSS for web asset understanding.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of Figma's advanced features (Auto Layout, Components, Design Systems) and the requirement for B2B and SaaS/tech experience point towards a role that values efficiency, scalability, and a strategic approach to design within a corporate GTM context, rather than purely aesthetic execution.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A comprehensive portfolio is mandatory, showcasing a diverse range of work.

• Social Media Campaigns: Demonstrating ability to create engaging content across various social platforms.

• Landing Pages/UX/UI Projects: Highlighting user-centric design, layout, and conversion optimization.

• Illustration Work: Presenting original illustrations, iconography, and custom visual elements.

• Brand and Marketing Design: Showcasing cohesive brand application and marketing collateral creation.

• B2B Marketing Examples: Preferred inclusion of projects for B2B clients to demonstrate relevant experience.

Process Documentation:

• While not explicitly stated as a deliverable, the role implies an understanding of design workflows from concept to production-ready asset delivery.

• The use of collaboration tools like Monday.com suggests a structured approach to project management and task tracking.

• Successful candidates will need to demonstrate how they manage their design process to ensure efficiency and quality.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on a "strong portfolio demonstrating social media campaigns, digital marketing creative, landing page/web design, and illustration work" is critical. For a freelance role supporting marketing operations, this portfolio acts as a proxy for practical experience and process adherence, showcasing the candidate's ability to deliver on operational marketing needs efficiently and effectively.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Up to USD $5,000 per month.

Explanation of Range: The stated range is a maximum for the freelance role. Actual compensation will be determined by relevant experience, knowledge, and skills. Given the global nature of the role and the specified maximum, this aligns with competitive freelance rates for experienced graphic designers specializing in digital marketing and social media within North America.

Benefits:

• As a freelance, part-time contractor, traditional employee benefits (health insurance, paid time off, retirement plans) are typically not provided.

• The primary benefit is the opportunity to work remotely on engaging projects for a leading global social media solutions provider.

• Potential for extended contract work based on performance and business needs.

Working Hours: Part-time. The specific number of hours is not defined but is expected to be flexible to accommodate project demands and deadlines. The role implies a commitment that allows for the management of multiple projects and timely delivery, fitting within a typical freelance arrangement.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary is presented as a maximum monthly figure for a freelance contract. This requires candidates to calculate their effective hourly rate based on anticipated workload. The lack of traditional benefits is standard for freelance roles and should be factored into overall compensation expectations.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Marketing & Advertising, Social Media Solutions. Dentsu is a global leader, and ICUC is their specialized social media solutions brand, focusing on community management and social media strategy for over 20 years.

Company Size: Dentsu has a global workforce of over 350 people across 35+ countries (specifically mentioning ICUC team size). This indicates a large, established global agency network with specialized divisions.

Founded: ICUC has been operating for over 20 years, suggesting a mature and experienced organization within the social media landscape. Dentsu itself was founded in 1906.

Team Structure:

• This role reports to the marketing function within ICUC/Dentsu.

• The graphic designer will collaborate with marketing strategists, content creators, and potentially other creative professionals.

• Cross-functional collaboration is key, working closely with marketing to translate campaign objectives into visual assets. Methodology:

• Data-Driven Creativity: The role emphasizes "social-first design" and contributing ideas to "improve engagement, click-through rates, and overall campaign performance," indicating a data-informed approach to creative development.

• Agile Project Management: The need to "manage multiple projects simultaneously while meeting tight deadlines" points to agile or fast-paced project execution methodologies.

• User-Centric Design: Application of UX/UI best practices for landing pages and web assets highlights a focus on the end-user experience.

Company Website: https://www.dentsu.com/, https://www.icuc.social/

📝 Enhancement Note: Dentsu's global presence and ICUC's specialization in social media imply a dynamic, international work environment. The company culture is described as "meritocracy," with a focus on employing the "best." For operations roles, this suggests a performance-oriented culture where results and efficiency are highly valued.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a freelance, part-time role focused on execution within the graphic design discipline, supporting marketing operations. It's an individual contributor role with a defined scope of creative asset production.

Reporting Structure: The designer will collaborate with marketing teams and likely report to a Marketing Manager or Creative Lead responsible for campaign execution.

Operations Impact: The role directly impacts marketing campaign performance by creating the visual assets that drive engagement, brand perception, and lead generation. High-quality, effective creative is crucial for the success of demand generation and brand awareness initiatives within Dentsu's marketing operations.

Growth Opportunities:

• Skill Specialization: Opportunity to deepen expertise in social media design, UX/UI, and illustration for B2B/SaaS markets.

• Portfolio Expansion: Building a strong portfolio with high-profile client work from a global agency.

• Potential for Extended Contracts: Successful performance may lead to longer-term engagements or opportunities within Dentsu's broader creative network.

• Exposure to Global Campaigns: Gaining experience working on campaigns for international markets and diverse clients.

📝 Enhancement Note: As a freelance role, traditional career progression paths within Dentsu are less defined. Growth is primarily measured by expanding skill sets, enhancing the portfolio, and securing continued freelance opportunities based on performance and demand. The role offers a chance to gain experience in a high-volume, client-facing agency environment.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Fully Remote. The role is based out of Toronto but is performed remotely, offering flexibility in location within Canada.

Office Location(s): While the role is remote, the primary location mentioned is Toronto, Ontario, Canada. This may indicate the legal jurisdiction or the primary team hub.

Workspace Context:

• Remote Collaboration: Candidates must be comfortable working independently and collaborating virtually using various digital tools.

• Technology: Access to reliable internet, a suitable workstation, and the required design software (Figma, Adobe Creative Suite) is essential.

• Team Interaction: Communication will be primarily digital via Slack, Monday.com, Google Workspace, etc., requiring proactive communication and engagement.

Work Schedule: Part-time. The schedule is flexible, allowing for remote work arrangements, but requires availability to meet project deadlines and potentially participate in virtual team meetings. The "around the clock" coverage mentioned for ICUC suggests a global team, so some flexibility in working hours might be needed for collaboration across time zones.

📝 Enhancement Note: The fully remote nature of this role necessitates strong self-discipline, time management, and communication skills. Candidates should be prepared to actively engage in virtual collaboration and demonstrate their ability to maintain productivity without direct supervision.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Review of resume and portfolio for essential qualifications and experience.

• Portfolio Review: A deep dive into the candidate's portfolio, focusing on specific examples of social media campaigns, B2B marketing creative, landing pages, and illustration work. Be prepared to discuss your design process and rationale for key decisions.

• Skills Assessment: Potential for a practical design test or case study to evaluate proficiency in Figma/Adobe Suite and ability to translate marketing briefs into creative solutions.

• Cultural Fit/Collaboration Interview: Discussion to assess communication style, ability to take direction, proactive idea generation, and comfort working in a fast-paced, remote, freelance environment.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select your strongest, most relevant work that directly addresses the requirements: social media, B2B, landing pages, and illustrations.

• Showcase Process: For key projects, briefly explain your design thinking, the problem you were solving, your creative process, and the outcome. Highlight how your design contributed to marketing objectives.

• Highlight B2B/SaaS: If you have B2B or SaaS examples, ensure they are prominent.

• Demonstrate Tool Proficiency: Include examples that showcase your mastery of Figma (e.g., complex layouts, component usage) and Adobe Suite.

• Keep it Concise: Ensure your portfolio is easy to navigate and highlights key achievements quickly.

Challenge Preparation:

• Design Brief Interpretation: Practice interpreting marketing briefs and translating them into visual concepts.

• Figma/Adobe Skills: Be ready to demonstrate your technical skills and efficiency in the required software.

• Problem-Solving: Prepare to discuss how you approach design challenges, problem-solve creative roadblocks, and incorporate feedback.

• Performance Metrics: Think about how your design work contributes to measurable outcomes like engagement rates and CTRs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio is the most critical component of the application. Candidates should tailor their portfolio to specifically highlight the required skills and experience, demonstrating not just artistic talent but also an understanding of marketing objectives and performance.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Essential for UI/UX design, collaborative workflows, and creating scalable design systems. Proficiency in Auto Layout, Components, and Design Systems is explicitly required.

• Adobe Creative Suite:

  • Photoshop: For image editing, manipulation, and complex compositing.
  • Illustrator: For vector graphics, icons, illustrations, and logo design.
  • InDesign: For layout design of eBooks, reports, and other multi-page collateral.
  • Adobe Express: For quick social media content creation and asset adaptation.

Analytics & Reporting: While not a direct responsibility, understanding how design impacts metrics like engagement and CTR is crucial. Familiarity with how analytics are used to evaluate creative performance is beneficial.

CRM & Automation: No direct CRM/automation tools are listed as required for the designer, but awareness of how marketing automation platforms (like HubSpot, Marketo) and CRMs (like Salesforce) are used to deploy marketing assets can be advantageous.

Collaboration Tools:

• Monday.com: For project management, task tracking, and workflow visualization.

• Google Workspace (Sheets, Docs): For collaborative document creation, spreadsheets, and project planning.

• Slack: For real-time team communication and quick updates.

📝 Enhancement Note: Mastery of Figma and the Adobe Creative Suite is non-negotiable. The emphasis on Figma's advanced features suggests Dentsu/ICUC leverages it heavily for efficient, scalable design operations. Familiarity with collaboration tools is key for seamless remote teamwork.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Excellence & Meritocracy: Dentsu/ICUC aims to employ the "best" and operates on meritocracy, implying a focus on high performance and quality output.

• Creativity & Innovation: The role requires a "highly creative" designer who can translate strategies into "compelling creative assets" and contribute "new ideas."

• Efficiency & Speed: The need to manage multiple projects and meet "tight deadlines" in a "fast-paced environment" highlights the value placed on efficiency and timely delivery.

• Collaboration & Communication: Proactive communication and comfort collaborating with marketers and leadership are essential for a remote, project-based role.

• Brand & Performance Focus: A balance between strong brand identity and understanding performance marketing goals (engagement, CTR) is highly valued.

Collaboration Style:

• Remote-First: Primarily virtual collaboration through digital tools.

• Cross-Functional: Working closely with marketing strategists, content teams, and potentially account managers.

• Feedback-Driven: Openness to creative direction and feedback from marketing stakeholders.

• Proactive Engagement: Candidates are expected to communicate proactively, ask clarifying questions, and contribute ideas.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture emphasizes high performance, creativity, and efficiency. For a freelance operations role, demonstrating an ability to integrate seamlessly into a remote team, deliver high-quality work under pressure, and actively contribute to marketing goals will be key to success and continued engagement.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Translating Strategy to Visuals: Effectively interpreting marketing objectives and campaign briefs into compelling visual designs that drive desired outcomes.

• Balancing Brand and Performance: Creating aesthetically pleasing designs that also meet specific performance metrics (engagement, CTR).

• Managing Multiple Projects: Juggling various client projects with competing deadlines and priorities in a fast-paced environment.

• Remote Collaboration: Maintaining strong communication and collaboration without in-person interaction.

• Adapting to Diverse Brands: Potentially working with various B2B clients, requiring quick understanding of different brand guidelines and target audiences.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deepen Social Media Expertise: Gain extensive experience designing for leading social platforms and understanding evolving trends.

• Enhance UX/UI Skills: Refine landing page and web asset design for conversion optimization.

• Expand Illustration Portfolio: Develop custom visual assets for high-profile clients.

• Exposure to Global Campaigns: Work on international marketing initiatives and learn about different market approaches.

• Build Professional Network: Connect with professionals at a leading global agency.

📝 Enhancement Note: The primary growth lies in refining specialized design skills for marketing operations and building a robust portfolio. Challenges are typical for high-volume freelance creative roles, emphasizing the need for strong organizational and communication skills.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe your process for translating a marketing brief into a visual concept for a social media campaign." (Focus on understanding objectives, target audience, and desired outcomes.)

• "How do you ensure your designs for landing pages are both visually appealing and optimized for user experience and conversion?" (Highlight UX/UI principles, A/B testing considerations, and data-driven design.)

• "Walk us through a B2B marketing campaign you designed. What were the objectives, your creative approach, and the results?" (Be ready to present a portfolio case study, focusing on impact.)

• "How do you manage your workload when juggling multiple projects with competing deadlines?" (Emphasize prioritization, time management, and communication strategies.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about working with Dentsu/ICUC as a freelance designer?" (Show understanding of their global reach and social media focus.)

• "How do you stay updated on design trends and best practices for social media and digital marketing?" (Demonstrate continuous learning.)

• "Describe a time you received critical feedback on your design work. How did you handle it?" (Assess adaptability and receptiveness to direction.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Storytelling: For each project, frame it as a narrative: the challenge, your solution (design process), and the outcome (impact/results).

• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use data (e.g., increased engagement, CTR, leads) to demonstrate the effectiveness of your designs.

• Highlight Technical Skills: Be ready to briefly explain your use of Figma features (Components, Auto Layout) or specific Adobe Suite techniques.

• Showcase Versatility: Present a range of work that covers social media, landing pages, and illustrations.

• Conciseness: Be prepared to present your portfolio efficiently, focusing on the most impactful pieces relevant to the role.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating not just design skills but also an understanding of marketing objectives, performance metrics, and efficient workflow management, crucial for a role supporting marketing operations.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this operations position:

• Submit your application through the provided Workday link.

• Portfolio Customization: Ensure your submitted portfolio prominently features social media campaigns, B2B marketing creative, landing page/UX/UI projects, and illustration work. Tailor it to showcase your strengths in these areas.

• Resume Optimization: Highlight your 5+ years of professional design experience, specific tool proficiencies (Figma, Adobe Creative Suite), and any B2B/SaaS/technology client experience. Quantify achievements where possible.

• Prepare Your Narrative: Be ready to articulate your design process, how you translate marketing briefs into effective visuals, and your ability to manage projects efficiently, especially within a remote context.

• Research Dentsu/ICUC: Understand their services, client base, and approach to social media and marketing to align your application and interview responses with their values and goals.

⚠️ 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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