Graphic & Content Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Graphic & Content Designer

Company: Kernel Wealth

Location: Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: Marketing Operations / Creative Operations

Date Posted: 2026-09-28

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

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Design and execute engaging visual content across a multi-channel marketing strategy, focusing on digital, social media, email, and print collateral.

• Translate complex financial data and investment concepts into clear, compelling visual narratives that resonate with target audiences.

• Develop and maintain brand consistency through the creation and management of Figma templates, components, and asset libraries, ensuring a cohesive brand experience.

• Enhance content with lightweight motion graphics, animated typography, and data visualizations to increase engagement and impact across various platforms.

• Collaborate closely with the marketing team to support customer acquisition, organic content initiatives, campaign execution, and customer communications throughout the entire customer journey.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the role is titled "Graphic & Content Designer," its emphasis on translating complex data into visual stories, supporting campaigns, managing digital assets, and working within a marketing team to drive customer acquisition and communication strongly aligns with operations functions in a marketing or GTM context. The focus on process efficiency through Figma templates and asset libraries further solidifies its operational relevance.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Design and produce polished creative assets for digital advertising, social media platforms (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn), email campaigns, event collateral, presentations, and print materials.

• Conceptualize and create social-first content that is optimized for platform-specific engagement, including motion graphics, animated typography, and branded overlays.

• Transform complex or data-heavy information into easily understandable and visually appealing infographics, charts, and diagrams that enhance comprehension and retention.

• Adapt and iterate on campaign creative across diverse audiences, channels, and formats to ensure message consistency and maximize reach.

• Incorporate lightweight motion and animation techniques using tools like After Effects or Lottie to add dynamism and visual interest to static content.

• Edit existing video footage into short-form content suitable for social media and digital advertising, ensuring it aligns with brand messaging and campaign objectives.

• Develop multiple variations of digital advertising creative to facilitate A/B testing and ongoing campaign optimization efforts.

• Maintain, update, and expand Figma templates, components, and asset libraries to ensure efficient content creation and consistent brand application.

• Proactively contribute creative ideas and strategic recommendations for design solutions that best serve audience engagement and channel effectiveness.

📝 Enhancement Note: These responsibilities are framed to highlight the operational aspects of design, such as asset management, content variation for testing, and template maintenance, which are critical for efficient marketing operations.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design, Visual Communications, Marketing, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.

Experience: Approximately 3-5 years of professional design experience, with a proven track record in a similar graphic and content design role. Experience within a fast-paced, high-growth environment or a fintech/technology company is highly advantageous.

Required Skills:

• Advanced proficiency in graphic design principles, including strong typography, layout, composition, and visual storytelling.

• Demonstrated ability to create engaging content specifically tailored for social media platforms (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn).

• Expertise in transforming complex or data-intensive information into clear, accessible, and compelling visual narratives (data visualization, infographics).

• Practical experience with Figma, including the ability to create and manage components, libraries, and auto layout features for efficient workflow.

• Experience with motion graphics and animation tools such as After Effects, Lottie, or similar, for adding dynamic elements to content.

• Strong understanding of digital advertising creative best practices and the ability to produce variations for A/B testing.

• Excellent communication skills, with the confidence to articulate creative decisions and rationale to stakeholders.

• Proven ability to manage multiple design briefs simultaneously, prioritize tasks, and collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams. Preferred Skills:

• Experience in editing short-form video content for digital and social channels.

• Familiarity with CRM or marketing automation platforms for understanding campaign asset integration.

• An understanding of brand strategy and how design contributes to overall business objectives.

• A keen eye for current design, social media, and content trends, with a curiosity for global and local brand examples.

• Experience working with a modern, premium, or design-led brand.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirements emphasize practical application and tool proficiency, aligning with operational needs for efficient and effective content production. The "preferred skills" are geared towards enhancing operational impact and strategic contribution.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A comprehensive portfolio showcasing polished design work across a diverse range of channels including digital, social media, email, presentations, and print.

• Specific case studies demonstrating the ability to translate complex or data-heavy information into clear, engaging visual stories and infographics.

• Examples of social-first content creation, highlighting platform relevance and engagement strategies.

• Demonstrations of how brand consistency was maintained across various touchpoints and campaign iterations.

• Evidence of using Figma for efficient design workflows, including components, libraries, and auto layout. Process Documentation:

• Candidates are expected to articulate their design process, from brief interpretation to final delivery, emphasizing problem-solving and iterative refinement.

• Showcase examples of adapting creative concepts across different formats and audiences, illustrating an understanding of channel-specific requirements.

• Provide insights into how you approach developing and maintaining design systems or asset libraries to ensure brand consistency and streamline production.

• Be prepared to discuss how you incorporate feedback and manage stakeholder input throughout the design lifecycle to achieve optimal outcomes.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section is tailored to highlight the operational value of a portfolio, focusing on process, efficiency, and demonstrable impact, which are key for operations roles.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on industry benchmarks for mid-level Graphic & Content Designers in Auckland, New Zealand, with 3-5 years of experience, the estimated annual salary range is NZD $70,000 - $95,000. This estimate considers the cost of living in Auckland, the company's fintech industry, and the hybrid work arrangement.

Benefits:

• Competitive compensation package, including a performance-based bonus.

• Flexible hybrid work setup, requiring a minimum of 3 days per week in the Auckland office.

• Comprehensive health insurance coverage.

• Generous parental leave top-up.

• Support for professional development, including courses and certifications.

• Additional staff holidays beyond the standard entitlement.

• Daily office perks such as snacks and coffee.

• A dog-friendly office environment.

Working Hours: Standard full-time working hours, typically around 40 hours per week. The hybrid arrangement offers flexibility in structuring the work week, balancing in-office collaboration with remote work.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is an estimation based on regional market data for this role and experience level. Specific details about the bonus structure and the full scope of professional development support should be clarified during the interview process.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Fintech (Financial Technology). Kernel Wealth operates in a rapidly evolving sector focused on making wealth accessible through innovative investment platforms. This industry demands agility, data-driven decision-making, and a strong emphasis on user experience and trust.

Company Size: Kernel Wealth is a growing company, likely falling into the small to medium-sized business (SMB) category, with a team of globally experienced financial professionals. This size implies a hands-on environment where employees have significant impact and can shape processes.

Founded: While the exact founding date isn't provided, the description suggests Kernel Wealth is in an exciting scaling phase, indicating a relatively young but rapidly expanding organization. This often translates to a dynamic culture with opportunities to build and refine operational processes.

Team Structure:

• The design role sits within the marketing team, which is described as collaborative. This team likely comprises specialists in areas such as content creation, digital marketing, campaigns, and customer communications.

• The reporting structure will likely involve a Marketing Manager or Head of Marketing, with direct collaboration across various marketing functions and potentially with product or customer success teams.

• Cross-functional collaboration is a key aspect, with the designer working across customer acquisition, organic content, campaigns, events, and customer communications, requiring strong partnerships with other marketing specialists. Methodology:

• Data Analysis & Insights: Kernel Wealth, as a fintech, is inherently data-driven. The design team will likely leverage data from marketing campaigns, user behavior, and investment performance to inform creative decisions and measure impact.

• Workflow Planning & Optimization: The emphasis on Figma templates, asset libraries, and adapting campaigns across channels points to a focus on efficient workflow planning and continuous optimization of content creation processes.

• Automation & Efficiency: While not explicitly stated for design, the broader company culture likely values efficiency, which translates to streamlining design production through effective tool usage and process standardization.

Company Website: https://careers.kernelwealth.co.nz

📝 Enhancement Note: The company context is interpreted to highlight how Kernel Wealth's fintech nature and growth stage influence its operational needs, particularly in marketing and design, emphasizing agility, data use, and process refinement.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned at a mid-level, suitable for designers with 3-5 years of experience. It offers a blend of hands-on creative execution and strategic input, providing a solid foundation for further career development in design operations, marketing operations, or specialized creative leadership.

Reporting Structure: The Graphic & Content Designer will report to a leader within the marketing team, likely a Marketing Manager or Head of Marketing. This structure allows for direct mentorship and exposure to broader marketing strategies. The role involves significant collaboration with other marketing team members and potentially stakeholders from product development and customer experience teams.

Operations Impact: The operations impact of this role is significant, directly influencing brand perception, customer engagement, and acquisition rates. By creating compelling and consistent visual assets, the designer plays a crucial role in:

• Brand Building: Ensuring a strong, recognizable, and trustworthy brand identity across all touchpoints.

• Customer Acquisition: Developing effective creative for digital advertising and social media campaigns that drive leads and conversions.

• Customer Engagement: Producing informative and visually appealing content that educates and retains existing customers.

• Operational Efficiency: Streamlining content production through effective use of design tools and asset management.

Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization: Deepen expertise in areas like motion graphics, data visualization, or social media content strategy, potentially leading to a Senior Designer or Art Director role.

• Operations Leadership: Transition into a Marketing Operations or Creative Operations management role, focusing on process improvement, tool implementation, and team workflow optimization.

• Cross-functional Development: Gain broader experience in marketing strategy, campaign management, or product marketing through continued exposure and collaboration within the growing marketing team.

• Industry Expertise: Develop specialized knowledge in fintech marketing, becoming a valuable asset in a high-demand sector.

📝 Enhancement Note: This analysis frames the role not just as a creative position but as a stepping stone within the broader operations landscape, emphasizing transferable skills and potential career progression paths relevant to operations professionals.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Kernel Wealth offers a hybrid work arrangement. This suggests a modern office space designed for collaboration, meetings, and focused work, balanced with the flexibility of remote work. The office environment is likely geared towards fostering team connection and innovation.

Office Location(s): The primary office is located at 125 Queen St, Auckland, 1010, New Zealand. This central Auckland location is typically accessible via public transport and offers proximity to amenities.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The hybrid model necessitates an office space that supports team interaction, brainstorming sessions, and cross-functional meetings. Expect areas designed for collaboration, presentation spaces, and potentially informal meeting spots.

• Operations Tools & Technology: The workspace will be equipped with the necessary technology to support design workflows, including high-performance computers, reliable internet, and access to relevant software and cloud-based collaboration tools (e.g., Figma, Adobe Creative Suite, project management software).

• Team Interaction: The minimum 3-day-per-week office presence is designed to maximize opportunities for in-person collaboration, spontaneous problem-solving, and building strong working relationships with marketing colleagues and other departments.

Work Schedule: The role is full-time, with a hybrid structure allowing for flexibility. While core working hours will likely exist for team alignment, the balance between office and remote days provides autonomy in managing personal productivity and workflow, which is beneficial for tasks requiring deep focus.

📝 Enhancement Note: The description of the work environment emphasizes the operational aspects of a hybrid setup, focusing on how the physical and digital workspace supports collaboration, efficiency, and the integration of design processes within the broader team structure.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of CV, cover letter, and portfolio to assess foundational skills, experience, and cultural fit.

• Portfolio Presentation: A dedicated session where candidates present their portfolio, discussing key projects, design process, problem-solving approaches, and the impact of their work. This is a critical stage for operations roles, demonstrating strategic thinking and process execution.

• Skills Assessment/Case Study: Candidates may be asked to complete a short design challenge or a practical exercise simulating real-world tasks, such as adapting content for a specific channel or visualizing data. This assesses practical application and efficiency under time constraints.

• Team/Hiring Manager Interviews: Discussions focused on behavioral questions, collaboration style, understanding of brand strategy, and how the candidate would contribute to the marketing team's operational goals.

• Final Interview: Potentially with senior leadership, to confirm fit and discuss long-term contributions.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Highlight Process & Strategy: For each project, clearly articulate the brief, your design process, the challenges faced, your strategic decisions, and the final outcome. Emphasize how your work achieved specific objectives.

• Showcase Data Visualization & Social Content: Include strong examples of turning complex data into digestible visuals and creating platform-optimized social media content that drove engagement.

• Demonstrate Tool Proficiency: Explicitly mention and, where possible, show examples of your work using Figma, After Effects, or other relevant tools, detailing how you leveraged their features for efficiency.

• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, include metrics or results that demonstrate the success of your designs (e.g., increased engagement rates, conversion improvements, campaign performance).

• Tailor to Kernel Wealth: Research Kernel Wealth's brand, target audience, and current marketing efforts to show how your skills and style align with their needs and how you can add value.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Brief: Carefully read and dissect any design challenge brief, identifying key objectives, target audience, and constraints.

• Prioritize & Plan: Allocate your time effectively. Outline your approach before diving into execution. For data visualization tasks, focus on clarity and accuracy. For social content, prioritize engagement and platform best practices.

• Articulate Your Rationale: Be ready to explain your design choices, tool selections, and any assumptions made during the challenge. This demonstrates your strategic thinking and communication skills.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section provides actionable advice specifically for operations-minded candidates, focusing on how to present their work and skills in a way that demonstrates process mastery, strategic thinking, and measurable impact, which are crucial for operations roles.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Essential for UI/UX design, component creation, library management, and collaborative design workflows. Proficiency in advanced features like auto layout and prototyping is expected.

• Adobe Creative Suite: Proficiency in Photoshop for image editing and manipulation, Illustrator for vector graphics, and potentially InDesign for print layout.

• After Effects: For creating motion graphics, animated typography, and dynamic visual elements.

• Lottie (or similar): For efficient implementation of animations on web and mobile platforms.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Google Analytics / Adobe Analytics: Understanding how design assets perform within digital campaigns and on websites.

• Social Media Analytics Platforms: Tools like Meta Business Suite, LinkedIn Analytics, or third-party platforms to track content performance.

• Data Visualization Tools (e.g., Tableau, Power BI): While not directly used for design, an understanding of how data is presented in these tools can aid in designing effective infographics.

CRM & Automation:

• Marketing Automation Platforms (e.g., HubSpot, Marketo): Familiarity with how email templates and campaign assets are built and deployed.

• CRM Systems (e.g., Salesforce): Understanding how customer data might influence campaign creative or segmentation.

• Project Management Tools (e.g., Asana, Trello, Jira): For managing design briefs, tracking progress, and collaborating with the marketing team.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section details the expected technology stack, framing it in terms of operational efficiency and integration, which is crucial for a role that bridges creative output with marketing operations.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Data-Driven Decision Making: A commitment to using data and analytics to inform design choices, measure impact, and optimize creative performance. This means designs should be effective and demonstrably contribute to business goals.

• Efficiency and Process Improvement: A focus on streamlining workflows, utilizing tools like Figma effectively, and maintaining asset libraries to ensure rapid and consistent content production.

• Collaboration and Transparency: Open communication and a willingness to share ideas, provide constructive feedback, and work together across the marketing team and with other departments.

• Customer-Centricity: Designing with the end-user in mind, ensuring that all visual communication is clear, engaging, and aligned with customer needs and expectations.

• Innovation and Adaptability: Embracing new design trends, exploring new tools, and being agile enough to adapt creative approaches to evolving market conditions and campaign objectives.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: Actively engaging with marketing strategists, campaign managers, and content creators to ensure design outputs are aligned with overall marketing objectives and support diverse campaign needs.

• Process Review and Feedback: Participating in regular reviews of creative work and design processes, providing and receiving constructive feedback to foster continuous improvement.

• Knowledge Sharing: Contributing to a culture of learning by sharing design insights, best practices, and learnings from campaign performance with the wider team.

📝 Enhancement Note: The team culture and values are interpreted through an operational lens, highlighting how these attributes translate into practical work habits, decision-making, and collaboration styles that support efficient and effective marketing operations.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Creative Vision with Data Constraints: Effectively translating complex financial data into visually appealing and accurate content while adhering to brand guidelines and campaign objectives.

• Rapid Iteration and Optimization: Quickly producing multiple creative variations for A/B testing and adapting designs for diverse channels and audiences in a fast-paced fintech environment.

• Maintaining Brand Consistency Across Channels: Ensuring a cohesive and premium brand experience across a wide array of digital and print touchpoints, from social media posts to detailed presentations.

• Staying Ahead of Design & Social Trends: Continuously evolving design skills and content strategies to remain relevant and effective in the dynamic digital landscape.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Motion Graphics & Animation: Further developing skills in After Effects and Lottie to create more sophisticated and engaging animated content.

• Data Visualization Specialization: Deepening expertise in transforming complex data into compelling visual narratives, becoming a go-to resource for data-driven design.

• Marketing Operations Integration: Gaining a deeper understanding of marketing automation, campaign management, and analytics to better align design output with operational goals.

• Fintech Industry Insights: Developing specialized knowledge of the financial services sector, its communication nuances, and its regulatory landscape.

• Leadership & Project Management: Opportunities to lead design aspects of major campaigns or take on more responsibility in managing the creative workflow.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section focuses on the operational challenges inherent in the role and provides a roadmap for professional growth that aligns with career progression in operations-focused creative roles.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe your process for taking a complex financial concept or data set and translating it into an engaging visual story." (Focus on your methodology, tools, and how you ensure accuracy and clarity.)

• "How do you approach adapting a single campaign idea across multiple channels like social media, email, and digital ads?" (Highlight your understanding of channel-specific requirements and iterative design processes.)

• "Walk me through a project where you had to manage multiple design briefs with competing deadlines. How did you prioritize and ensure successful delivery?" (Demonstrate your project management and prioritization skills within an operational context.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "What excites you about Kernel Wealth's mission and the fintech industry?" (Showcase your research and genuine interest in the company's purpose.)

• "How do you ensure your design work aligns with a brand's overall strategy and values, especially in a regulated industry like finance?" (Emphasize your understanding of brand consistency and strategic alignment.)

• "Describe a time you had to collaborate closely with non-designers (e.g., marketers, data analysts) to achieve a project goal." (Provide examples of effective cross-functional communication and collaboration.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Narrative Approach: Structure your portfolio presentation as a story for each key project. Start with the challenge, explain your approach and process, showcase the solution, and detail the results or impact.

• Focus on Operations & Strategy: For each piece, explain not just what you designed, but why. Discuss the strategic thinking behind your choices, how you optimized for the channel, and how you ensured efficiency in production (e.g., using templates, reusable components).

• Quantify Success: Wherever possible, use metrics to demonstrate the effectiveness of your designs (e.g., "This social ad creative achieved a 20% higher click-through rate than previous versions").

• Tool Demonstration: Be prepared to briefly discuss or show examples of your Figma workflow, asset library management, or animation techniques, highlighting how these tools contribute to efficiency and quality.

📝 Enhancement Note: These interview questions and preparation tips are designed to help candidates showcase their operational thinking, strategic approach, and process-oriented mindset, which are crucial for success in roles that bridge creative execution with business objectives.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this operations-aligned design position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on the Kernel Wealth careers page.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 3-5 of your strongest projects that best demonstrate your ability to translate complex data into engaging visuals, create platform-specific social content, and maintain brand consistency across channels. Ensure your portfolio clearly highlights your process, strategic thinking, and use of tools like Figma.

• Tailor Your Resume: Optimize your resume to emphasize achievements related to content creation efficiency, campaign support, asset management, and cross-functional collaboration. Use keywords from the job description such as "Figma," "motion graphics," "data visualization," and "social media content."

• Prepare Your Presentation: Practice walking through your portfolio projects, focusing on explaining your design process, the strategic rationale behind your decisions, and any quantifiable results. Be ready to discuss how you contribute to operational efficiency in design.

• Research Kernel Wealth: Thoroughly understand Kernel Wealth's mission, target audience, brand identity, and current marketing activities. Prepare thoughtful questions about their marketing operations, design challenges, and team culture.

⚠️ 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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