Graphic Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Graphic Designer

Company: Dalcour Maclaren

Location: Bicester, United Kingdom

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Marketing & Design Operations

Date Posted: 2026-06-03

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

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

This Graphic Designer role is crucial for enhancing Dalcour Maclaren's visual communication strategy across digital, print, and internal platforms. The position requires a creative professional adept at producing high-quality, on-brand visual assets that support the company's growth and strategic objectives within the Utilities and Infrastructure sector. The role emphasizes strong collaboration with marketing, events, and technical teams to ensure consistent and professional design outputs that resonate with a broad audience across the UK and Ireland.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the job title is "Graphic Designer," given the company's industry (Utilities and Infrastructure, Net Zero focus) and the detailed responsibilities involving digital platforms, corporate documents, and internal communications, this role can be categorized under Marketing & Design Operations. The emphasis on brand consistency, template management, and support for various business functions suggests a need for operational rigor in design execution, aligning with GTM (Go-To-Market) operations principles.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Digital & Print Asset Creation: Produce a wide array of visual content, including digital graphics, social media assets, compelling PowerPoint presentations, and print-ready artwork for reports, brochures, and documents.

• Brand Consistency Management: Rigorously ensure all design outputs adhere to Dalcour Maclaren's established branding guidelines, maintaining a cohesive visual identity across all touchpoints.

• Print Production & Vendor Liaison: Design, prepare, and manage artwork for large-scale exhibition graphics, banners, posters, and signage, liaising directly with professional printers to ensure accurate specifications, color profiles, and timely delivery.

• Digital Platform Content Design: Create and format engaging content for digital platforms such as Foleon, SharePoint pages, and other Content Management Systems (CMS), focusing on effective layout, visual hierarchy, accessibility, and brand alignment.

• Template Development & Maintenance: Design, create, and maintain standardized templates for Microsoft Office Suite applications (PowerPoint, Word) and other corporate documents, ensuring they are up-to-date, on-brand, and easily accessible for internal teams.

• Motion Graphics & Animation: Utilize Adobe After Effects to produce simple animations, internal communication videos, and dynamic digital assets for campaigns and presentations, adding a layer of visual engagement.

• Event Branding & Support: Develop and apply consistent branding elements for events, including visual themes, digital assets, print materials, and promotional content, ensuring a unified brand experience.

• Image Editing & Retouching: Perform professional image editing and retouching using Adobe Photoshop to enhance visual assets for various applications.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a need for operational efficiency in design production. This includes managing multiple deadlines, liaising with external vendors (printers), and ensuring strict adherence to brand guidelines and template standards. This operational focus is key for candidates to understand the scope beyond pure creative design.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• High school diploma or equivalent is required.

• An Associate's or Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design, Visual Arts, or a related field is preferred. Experience:

• Minimum of 2-5 years of professional experience in graphic design, with a strong portfolio showcasing work across both digital and print mediums.

• Demonstrated experience in corporate environments or agencies supporting multiple stakeholders. Required Skills:

• Adobe Creative Suite Proficiency: Expert-level skills in Adobe InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop for layout, vector graphics, and image manipulation.

• Print Production Expertise: Proven experience preparing artwork for professional printing, understanding specifications, color management (CMYK), bleed, and crop marks.

• Digital Design Capabilities: Ability to design for various digital platforms, including social media, web, and presentations, with an understanding of aspect ratios and file optimization.

• Brand Management: Strong understanding of brand guidelines and the ability to apply them consistently across diverse design projects.

• Microsoft 365 Suite: Proficient in using PowerPoint for template design and presentation creation, as well as Word and SharePoint for document management and content updates.

• Organizational Skills: Exceptional ability to manage multiple projects, prioritize tasks, and meet strict deadlines in a fast-paced environment.

• Communication Skills: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to interpret creative briefs and collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams.

Preferred Skills:

• Adobe After Effects: Experience in creating simple animations and motion graphics for digital assets and videos.

• Content Management Systems (CMS): Familiarity with platforms like Craft CMS, or similar drag-and-drop content creation tools.

• Web Content Platforms: Experience with Foleon and SharePoint for page design and content integration.

• Web Design Principles: Basic understanding of web design principles, UI/UX, and accessibility standards.

• Typography & Layout: A keen eye for detail in typography, layout composition, and visual hierarchy.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on specific Adobe Creative Suite tools, print production knowledge, digital platform familiarity (SharePoint, Foleon, CMS), and Microsoft 365 proficiency are critical for operations candidates to highlight. The "2-5 years" experience level suggests a mid-level role where candidates are expected to be proficient and largely independent in their tasks.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Demonstrate Versatility: Showcase a diverse range of projects including digital graphics, print collateral (brochures, reports), exhibition materials, and presentation designs.

• Brand Adherence Examples: Include specific examples where you successfully applied and maintained brand guidelines across multiple deliverables.

• Print Production Case Studies: Present at least one project that involved preparing artwork for professional printing, detailing the process, challenges, and successful outcomes.

• Digital Platform Integration: Highlight projects that involved designing or formatting content for web pages, social media, or other digital platforms, demonstrating understanding of platform constraints and best practices.

• Template Design Showcase: Feature examples of professionally designed templates, particularly for PowerPoint and Word, illustrating clear structure, branding, and ease of use.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Design: Be prepared to discuss your typical design workflow from brief to final delivery, including stages for concept development, feedback, revisions, and final asset preparation.

• Collaboration Process: Illustrate how you collaborate with stakeholders, including marketing, technical teams, and external vendors like printers, to ensure project success.

• Quality Assurance: Detail your process for ensuring design quality, brand consistency, and technical accuracy (e.g., print specifications, file formats) before final delivery.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a design operations role, the portfolio must go beyond aesthetics. It needs to demonstrate an understanding of process, efficiency, brand governance, and successful collaboration. Candidates should be ready to articulate how they achieved results, not just what they created.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• Based on industry benchmarks for a Graphic Designer with 2-5 years of experience in the UK, and considering the hybrid working model and comprehensive benefits package, the estimated salary range is £28,000 - £38,000 per annum. This estimate is derived from regional salary data for creative professionals in similar roles and company sizes. Benefits:

• Performance-Based Incentives: Annual bonus scheme to reward individual and company performance.

• Generous Leave: 25 days of annual leave, plus an additional day for your birthday.

• Health & Wellbeing:

  • Vitality Health Membership, offering private healthcare, subsidized gym memberships, and various discounts.
  • Comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) and wider Mental Health & Wellbeing support.

• Work-Life Balance:

  • Flexible working options to support family and work-life balance.
  • 26 weeks paid maternity leave and 4 weeks paid paternity leave.
  • Sabbatical Policy available after 3 years of service.

• Financial Security:

  • Pension Scheme through The Peoples Pension.
  • Life insurance coverage (4x Base Salary).

• Commuting & Lifestyle:

  • Free on-site parking at non-city centre offices.
  • Cycle to work scheme.
  • Electric Vehicle Salary Sacrifice Scheme (available after 1 year of service).
  • BHN Extras for discounted gift cards at popular retailers.

• Professional Development: Paid study leave for continued learning and professional growth.

• Recognition & Engagement:

  • Military service paid leave (7.5 days per year).

  • Two company-wide events annually, plus regular office social events. Working Hours:

• Standard working hours are approximately 40 hours per week. The role operates on a hybrid model, requiring 3 days per week in the Bicester office and 2 days from home, offering flexibility.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is an estimation based on UK market data for this role and experience level. The benefits package is extensive and should be a significant draw for candidates looking for comprehensive support and work-life balance initiatives. The hybrid model is a key aspect of the working arrangement.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Utilities and Infrastructure (focus on Net Zero initiatives). Dalcour Maclaren plays a vital role in enabling key projects that contribute to environmental sustainability and energy transition in the UK and Ireland.

Company Size: Dalcour Maclaren is a growing organization. While specific numbers aren't provided, the description suggests a company with multiple teams and a significant operational footprint across the UK and Ireland. This implies a dynamic environment with opportunities for impact.

Founded: The company's founding date is not specified, but its focus on Net Zero and modern services like geospatial mapping indicates a forward-thinking and evolving business.

Team Structure:

• Marketing & Communications: The Graphic Designer will likely be part of or closely collaborate with a Marketing and Communications team responsible for external and internal messaging, brand management, and digital presence.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Close working relationships are expected with Events, technical teams (Land, Environmental, Geospatial), and potentially HR/Internal Communications to support a wide range of design needs.

• Reporting: The role likely reports to a Marketing Manager, Head of Marketing, or a Lead Designer, with direct interaction with various department heads for project briefs.

Methodology:

• Brand-Centric Approach: All design work must strictly adhere to established brand guidelines, ensuring consistency and professional representation.

• Data-Informed Design: While not explicitly stated for design, the company's industry suggests a data-driven approach to projects; design outputs should effectively communicate complex information and project outcomes.

• Collaborative Workflow: The hybrid model and emphasis on working with various teams indicate a collaborative and communicative work environment.

Company Website: [Dalcour Maclaren Careers Link: https://dalcourmaclaren.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com/Dalcour-Maclaren-Careers] (Note: The provided URL is for the job posting, a general company website URL would be more appropriate here if available, e.g., dalcourmaclaren.com)

📝 Enhancement Note: Understanding Dalcour Maclaren's position in the Utilities and Infrastructure sector, especially its contribution to Net Zero, is crucial for graphic designers to align their creative output with the company's mission and values. The emphasis on collaboration and brand consistency within a growing company context is also important.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a mid-level Graphic Designer role, typically requiring 2-5 years of dedicated experience. The responsibilities indicate a need for a candidate who can work autonomously on many tasks, manage their workload, and contribute to strategic visual communication efforts.

Reporting Structure: The Graphic Designer will likely report to a Marketing Manager or Head of Marketing. They will collaborate extensively with various departments, including Events, technical teams, and potentially internal communications, requiring strong stakeholder management skills.

Operations Impact: The Graphic Designer's impact is directly tied to enhancing Dalcour Maclaren's brand perception, supporting marketing campaigns, facilitating effective internal communications, and ensuring professional representation at events and through digital channels. High-quality design directly influences brand recognition, client engagement, and internal team alignment.

Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization: Potential to specialize in areas like motion graphics, digital marketing design, or event branding within the company.

• Skill Development: Opportunities to learn new design software, digital platforms (Foleon, CMS), and potentially expand into UX/UI design principles or project management for creative initiatives.

• Leadership Potential: With experience, opportunities may arise to mentor junior designers, lead creative projects, or manage design aspects of larger campaigns or brand initiatives.

• Industry Exposure: Working within the Utilities and Infrastructure sector provides exposure to a critical industry, potentially leading to design roles focused on sustainability and energy projects.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a design role, "operations" impact comes through efficiency, consistency, and effectiveness of visual messaging. Growth opportunities should be framed around expanding design expertise, project leadership, and contributing to the company's evolving visual identity.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Dalcour Maclaren operates with a hybrid working model, combining office-based work with remote flexibility. This suggests a modern approach to work environment management, aiming for a balance between in-person collaboration and individual focus.

Office Location(s): The primary office location for this role is Bicester, United Kingdom. The company also mentions "non-city centre offices" where free parking is available, indicating a potential network of office locations.

• Bicester Office: Essential for 3 days of the week, likely serving as a hub for team collaboration, client meetings, and access to office resources.

• Remote Work: 2 days per week from home offer flexibility and autonomy.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Spaces: The Bicester office will provide opportunities for face-to-face collaboration with marketing, events, and technical teams, fostering idea generation and problem-solving.

• Tools & Technology: Access to necessary design software (Adobe Creative Suite), Microsoft 365, and potentially other digital platforms will be available in the office and expected to be utilized from home.

• Team Interaction: Regular team meetings, project discussions, and informal interactions will occur, both in person and virtually, to ensure alignment and project progression.

Work Schedule: The hybrid model with 3 days in the office and 2 days remote provides a structured yet flexible work schedule. Standard working hours are expected, with flexibility managed through the hybrid arrangement.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model is a significant factor. Candidates should consider how they manage their time and productivity across both environments, and how they maintain effective communication and collaboration with colleagues in both settings.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your CV and portfolio to assess your qualifications and design aesthetic against the role requirements.

• First Interview: Likely a conversation with the hiring manager (e.g., Marketing Manager) to discuss your experience, skills, and suitability for the role. This may include a brief overview of your portfolio.

• Design Challenge/Practical Test: You may be asked to complete a short design task or brief to assess your practical skills, problem-solving approach, and ability to work with brand guidelines under timed conditions.

• Second Interview/Panel Interview: Potentially with other team members or department heads you would collaborate with, to evaluate cultural fit, communication style, and ability to integrate into the team.

• Final Offer: Based on successful completion of all stages.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 4-6 of your strongest projects that best represent the skills required for this role (digital, print, presentations, branding, print production).

• Tell a Story: For each project, clearly articulate the brief, your role, the challenges faced, your creative process, the tools used, and the final outcome/impact. Use bullet points for clarity.

• Showcase Brand Application: Include examples where you've successfully applied brand guidelines. If possible, show a project where you helped develop or refine branding elements.

• Highlight Print Production: If you have specific print projects, detail the process of preparing files for printers, materials used, and any challenges overcome.

• Demonstrate Digital Proficiency: Include examples of social media graphics, web banners, or digital content layouts that show an understanding of screen-based design.

• Presentation Matters: Ensure your portfolio is well-organized, easy to navigate, and visually appealing. A PDF format is often preferred for initial submissions.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Brief: Carefully read and re-read any design challenge brief. Ask clarifying questions if permitted.

• Focus on Brand: Ensure your response strictly adheres to Dalcour Maclaren's branding guidelines.

• Prioritize Impact: Think about how your design solution will effectively communicate the intended message and achieve the stated objective.

• Time Management: Allocate your time wisely between concept, design, and final execution.

• Justify Your Decisions: Be prepared to explain the rationale behind your design choices, typography, color palette, and layout.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on a portfolio review and potential design challenge means candidates must be prepared to showcase not just their aesthetic skills but also their process, problem-solving abilities, and understanding of brand governance and operational requirements in design.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Design Software:

• Adobe InDesign: Essential for page layout, reports, brochures, and print-ready documents. Proficiency in master pages, styles, and pre-press preparation is key.

• Adobe Illustrator: Crucial for creating vector graphics, icons, logos, exhibition graphics, and illustrations. Understanding of vector manipulation and export options is vital.

• Adobe Photoshop: Necessary for image editing, retouching, creating digital assets, and manipulating raster graphics. Proficiency in layers, masks, and optimization for web and print is expected.

• Adobe After Effects: Utilized for creating simple animations, motion graphics, and short videos for digital campaigns and presentations.

Digital Platforms & Content Management:

• SharePoint: Used for page creation, content updates, and managing shared design assets. Familiarity with layout options and content embedding is beneficial.

• Foleon: A content platform requiring design input for layout, visual hierarchy, and brand consistency.

• Craft CMS (or similar CMS): Experience with any Content Management System is transferable, indicating an ability to adapt to web content publishing tools.

Productivity & Collaboration:

• Microsoft 365 Suite:

  • PowerPoint: Critical for creating and maintaining corporate templates, designing presentations, and formatting reports.
  • Word: Used for creating and formatting corporate documents and templates.
  • OneDrive/SharePoint: For file storage, sharing, and collaboration.

• Communication Tools: Likely includes Microsoft Teams or similar platforms for daily communication and collaboration in a hybrid environment.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section is critical for operations roles. Candidates must clearly articulate their proficiency with these specific tools, especially how they use them to achieve operational efficiencies (e.g., template creation for consistency, asset management for reuse).

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Excellence & Quality: A commitment to producing high-quality, polished, and professional design outputs that reflect positively on the company.

• Collaboration & Teamwork: A proactive and supportive approach to working with colleagues across different departments, sharing knowledge, and contributing to team goals.

• Efficiency & Agility: The ability to manage workloads effectively, adapt to changing priorities, and deliver design solutions promptly while maintaining high standards.

• Innovation & Creativity: A drive to find creative solutions to design challenges and contribute fresh ideas to visual communication efforts.

• Client Focus (Internal & External): Understanding that design serves to support business objectives, whether it's engaging external clients or enabling internal teams.

Collaboration Style:

• Proactive Communication: Regularly engaging with stakeholders to understand briefs, provide updates, and seek feedback.

• Cross-Functional Integration: Working closely with marketing, events, and technical teams to ensure design aligns with broader project goals and industry-specific content.

• Feedback Incorporation: Openness to constructive criticism and the ability to incorporate feedback effectively into design revisions.

• Knowledge Sharing: Willingness to share design best practices, templates, and assets with colleagues to promote consistency and efficiency.

📝 Enhancement Note: Understanding the company's values and expected collaboration style is key for cultural fit. For operations roles, this often translates to how well an individual integrates into team processes, communicates effectively, and contributes to a productive work environment.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Creative Freedom with Brand Constraints: Effectively interpreting and applying strict brand guidelines while still producing engaging and creative designs.

• Managing Diverse Stakeholder Needs: Catering to the varied design requirements and feedback from different departments (e.g., technical teams vs. marketing).

• Adapting to Evolving Digital Platforms: Staying current with new features and best practices for platforms like SharePoint, Foleon, and various social media channels.

• Meeting Tight Deadlines: Juggling multiple projects with competing priorities and ensuring timely delivery of high-quality assets.

• Remote Collaboration Effectiveness: Maintaining strong communication and collaboration with team members in a hybrid work setting.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Software Skills: Deepening expertise in Adobe Creative Suite, particularly After Effects for motion graphics, or exploring new design software.

• Digital Design Specialization: Developing skills in UI/UX design, web accessibility standards, or advanced digital content creation.

• Project Management for Creatives: Gaining experience in managing design projects from initiation to completion, including budgeting and timeline management.

• Industry Trends: Staying abreast of design trends within the Utilities and Infrastructure sector and general graphic design best practices.

• Mentorship: Potential to learn from senior team members or external professionals.

📝 Enhancement Note: Identifying potential challenges allows candidates to prepare mitigation strategies and demonstrate problem-solving skills. Growth opportunities should be framed around skill enhancement and career progression within a design operations context.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• Portfolio Walkthrough: Be prepared to present your portfolio, selecting projects that best align with the job description. For each project, discuss:

  • The brief and your understanding of it.
  • Your design process and rationale.
  • How you ensured brand consistency and met specific requirements (e.g., print specs, digital platform constraints).
  • The outcome or impact of your design.

• Brand Application Scenario: "How would you approach designing a new presentation template for Dalcour Maclaren, ensuring it's both on-brand and user-friendly for non-designers?" (Focus on process, template features, and user experience).

• Problem-Solving Example: "Describe a time you had to manage conflicting feedback on a design. How did you resolve it?" (Highlight communication, negotiation, and decision-making skills).

Company & Culture Questions:

• Understanding Dalcour Maclaren: "What do you know about Dalcour Maclaren and our work in the Utilities and Infrastructure sector?" (Research their website, focus on Net Zero initiatives).

• Hybrid Work Approach: "How do you ensure productivity and effective collaboration in a hybrid work environment?" (Discuss time management, communication tools, and proactive engagement).

• Design's Role in Business: "How do you see graphic design supporting Dalcour Maclaren's business objectives and its mission towards Net Zero?" (Connect design to brand perception, communication effectiveness, and company values).

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Selectivity is Key: Choose projects that directly address the requirements mentioned in the job description (print, digital, presentations, branding).

• Quantify Impact Where Possible: Even for design, try to mention any positive outcomes (e.g., "received positive feedback on clarity," "asset used widely across campaigns").

• Showcase Process, Not Just Polish: Briefly explain your thinking, problem-solving, and technical execution for each project.

• Tailor to the Role: Emphasize projects that demonstrate experience with corporate branding, template creation, and preparing assets for print and digital platforms.

• Be Concise: Aim for a clear and impactful presentation, respecting the interviewer's time.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating not just creative talent but also an understanding of operational requirements, brand governance, and the ability to integrate into a professional team environment.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Graphic Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided Workday link.

• Portfolio Customization: Ensure your submitted portfolio or a link to it clearly highlights projects relevant to corporate branding, print production, digital assets, and presentation design. Tailor your presentation to showcase your proficiency with Adobe Creative Suite and Microsoft 365.

• Resume Optimization: Update your CV to emphasize your experience with the specific software and platforms mentioned (Adobe Creative Suite, SharePoint, Foleon, PowerPoint). Quantify achievements where possible (e.g., "Designed X number of templates," "Managed print production for Y events").

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design process, explaining your portfolio projects, and preparing answers to common interview questions, particularly those related to brand consistency, hybrid work, and your understanding of Dalcour Maclaren's industry.

• Company Research: Familiarize yourself with Dalcour Maclaren's website, focusing on their services, company mission (Net Zero), and recent projects to demonstrate genuine interest and cultural alignment.

⚠️ 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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