Graphic Designer - Games

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Graphic Designer - Games

Company: VGW USA

Location: California, United States

Job Type: Full-time

Category: Marketing Operations / Creative Operations

Date Posted: 2026-09-22

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

Remote Status: Remote OK

🚀 Role Summary

• Spearhead the creation of high-impact, data-driven marketing and in-game visual assets to drive engagement for a brand-new free-to-play online social game.

• Leverage advanced AI tools in conjunction with traditional design software for rapid concepting, generation, and polishing of rich visual imagery and illustrations.

• Foster close collaboration with product and marketing teams to ensure cohesive branding across in-game experiences, CRM campaigns, and promotional materials.

• Utilize performance data and analytics to continuously iterate on creative strategies, optimize campaign outcomes, and enhance user acquisition efforts.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned within a "startup-style environment" at VGW, suggesting a fast-paced, agile setting where adaptability and proactive problem-solving are highly valued. The emphasis on "data-driven" and "performance marketing" indicates a strong focus on measurable results and ROI for all creative output, a hallmark of effective marketing operations.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Produce and optimize high-performing marketing assets for game launches, promotions, sales, CRM campaigns, and user acquisition initiatives.

• Utilize AI tools alongside traditional design software (Adobe Creative Suite, Figma) to concept, generate, and polish rich visual imagery and illustrations, minimizing reliance on separate illustrators.

• Collaborate closely with product and marketing teams to build cohesive, branded in-game visual assets and CRM experiences that align with overall GTM strategies.

• Leverage performance data and analytics to iterate on creative directions, A/B test visual elements, and continuously improve campaign outcomes and player engagement metrics.

• Maintain a diverse range of visual art styles to cater to different game segments and marketing objectives within the mobile gaming industry.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibility to "Utilize AI tools alongside traditional design software... without a separate illustrator" highlights a modern operational approach focused on efficiency and integrated workflows. This implies an expectation for the candidate to be proficient in managing the entire visual asset creation pipeline, from ideation through to final production-ready assets, demonstrating a blend of creative skill and operational agility.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While not explicitly stated, a Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design, Visual Arts, Marketing, or a related field is typically expected for roles with this experience level and responsibility.

Experience: 4+ years of professional graphic design experience, with a significant portion dedicated to the mobile gaming industry across a variety of visual art styles.

Required Skills:

• Strong professional graphic design experience, with a proven track record in the mobile gaming industry.

• Hands-on experience and advanced proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, After Effects) and Figma for collaborative design workflows.

• Demonstrated experience using AI tools (e.g., Midjourney, Stable Diffusion, DALL-E) for concepting, image generation, and asset creation.

• Proven ability to manually refine, polish, and fine-tune AI-generated visual assets into high-quality production deliverables.

• Solid understanding of performance marketing principles, CRM lifecycle strategies, and data-informed creative testing methodologies.

• Excellent portfolio showcasing a diverse range of digital, marketing, and gaming visual creative work.

• Strong adaptability and communication skills, essential for cross-functional collaboration and operating across global time zones. Preferred Skills:

• Experience with video editing software for creating promotional video assets.

• Familiarity with A/B testing frameworks and tools for creative optimization.

• Understanding of user experience (UX) principles as they apply to in-game interfaces and marketing landing pages.

• Experience working in a fast-paced, startup-style environment.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for "4+ years of professional graphic design experience, including hands-on experience within the mobile gaming industry across a variety of visual art styles" and proficiency in both Adobe Creative Suite/Figma and AI tools, alongside a "solid understanding of performance marketing, CRM lifecycle strategies, and data-informed creative testing," strongly indicates this role is not just about aesthetic design but also about driving measurable business outcomes through creative operations. This blend of creative and analytical skills is critical for success in modern GTM and marketing operations.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A comprehensive portfolio that clearly showcases a diverse range of digital, marketing, and gaming visual creative work.

• Specific examples demonstrating the ability to produce high-performing marketing assets for game launches, promotions, and CRM campaigns.

• Case studies or examples illustrating the application of AI tools in the concepting, generation, and refinement of visual assets.

• Work samples that highlight collaboration with product and marketing teams to build cohesive, branded in-game visual assets.

• Demonstrations of how performance data and analytics were leveraged to inform creative iterations and improve campaign outcomes. Process Documentation:

• The ability to articulate the workflow for creating and optimizing marketing and in-game assets, from initial brief to final delivery.

• Documentation or examples of how AI tools are integrated into the design process for efficiency and innovation.

• Evidence of collaborative processes, such as working with marketing teams on CRM campaigns or product teams on in-game visuals.

• Examples of how creative concepts were tested and iterated upon based on performance data and analytics.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on a "diverse range of digital, marketing, and gaming visual creative" within the portfolio, combined with the explicit mention of "performance marketing" and "data-informed creative testing," suggests that the hiring team will be looking for a portfolio that not only demonstrates artistic skill but also a strategic understanding of how design contributes to measurable marketing objectives. Candidates should be prepared to discuss the ROI and performance of their past projects.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: USD $91,700 - $106,000 per year.

Benefits:

• Competitive compensation package.

• Flexibility in work arrangements to support work-life balance.

• Opportunities for career advancement and professional growth.

• Access to learning opportunities to enhance skills and knowledge.

Working Hours: While not explicitly defined, the mention of working "across global time zones" suggests a need for flexibility. A standard full-time workweek of approximately 40 hours is implied, with potential for occasional extended hours during critical campaign launches or game releases.

📝 Enhancement Note: The provided salary range of $91,700 - $106,000 for a Graphic Designer in California with 4+ years of experience aligns with industry benchmarks for mid-level roles, especially in the tech and gaming sectors. The benefits listed are standard but crucial for attracting talent in a competitive market. The mention of "flexibility" and working "across global time zones" implies a hybrid or remote setup with a need for asynchronous communication skills.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Interactive Entertainment / Online Social Games. VGW operates within the dynamic and competitive free-to-play online social games market, focusing on delivering high-quality entertainment experiences.

Company Size: VGW is a growing company with a significant player base across North America, indicating a mid-to-large size organization that still retains some agility. The mention of a "startup-style environment" suggests a culture that values innovation, speed, and adaptability.

Founded: VGW is an established company that has successfully launched acclaimed brands like Chumba Casino, Global Poker, and LuckyLand Slots. This history provides a foundation of expertise and a proven business model.

Team Structure:

• The Graphic Designer will join the "Diversification team," suggesting a focus on expanding VGW's offerings or targeting new market segments.

• This role will require close collaboration with "product and marketing teams," indicating a cross-functional team structure common in GTM operations.

• The need to work across "global time zones" points to a distributed or international team, requiring strong remote collaboration tools and practices. Methodology:

• VGW's games are based on a "freemium model" with optional in-game purchases and sweepstakes promotions, indicating a business model that balances player acquisition with monetization strategies.

• A core value is "our players come first," emphasizing a player-centric approach to game development and marketing.

• The company emphasizes winning together, doing what's right, being powered by passion, and a commitment to a safe, responsible, and positive player experience.

Company Website: www.vgw.co

📝 Enhancement Note: The "startup-style environment" combined with established brands suggests a company that offers the excitement of innovation and rapid growth alongside the stability of a successful business. The emphasis on player experience and responsible gaming is a key cultural differentiator that operations professionals should understand and align with.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as a mid-level Graphic Designer (2-5 years experience), with significant responsibilities in creating data-driven marketing assets and integrating AI tools. It represents a crucial role within the GTM function, directly impacting user acquisition and engagement.

Reporting Structure: The candidate will likely report to a Marketing Manager, Creative Director, or potentially a Head of Operations within the Diversification team. Close collaboration with Product Managers and Marketing Specialists is expected.

Operations Impact: The Graphic Designer's work will directly influence key operational metrics such as user acquisition cost (CAC), conversion rates for promotions and CRM campaigns, player engagement, and overall brand perception. The ability to translate performance data into effective visual assets is critical for optimizing GTM spend and driving revenue.

Growth Opportunities:

• Operations Skill Advancement: Deepen expertise in performance marketing creative, CRM campaign design, and data-informed design iteration. Opportunity to become a subject matter expert in AI-assisted design for gaming.

• Specialization: Potential to specialize in specific areas of game marketing, such as user acquisition creative, live-ops promotions, or CRM visual storytelling.

• Leadership Potential: With demonstrated success and expanded responsibilities, opportunities may arise to lead design projects, mentor junior designers, or move into a Senior Graphic Designer or Art Director role within a growing team.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role offers a strong foundation for a career in creative operations or marketing operations within the gaming industry. The emphasis on data-driven creativity and AI integration positions the candidate at the forefront of modern marketing practices, providing valuable experience for future career progression.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is advertised as "Remote OK" and mentions working "across global time zones," indicating a primarily remote work environment. This suggests a reliance on digital collaboration tools and asynchronous communication.

Office Location(s): While the specific office locations are not detailed, the job is based in California, USA. This implies that candidates may be expected to be within a commutable distance if any in-person meetings or team gatherings are occasionally scheduled, or that the company has a physical presence in California.

Workspace Context:

• A remote setup will require a dedicated workspace with reliable internet access and the necessary hardware/software for design work.

• Collaboration will likely occur through video conferencing, project management tools, and shared digital workspaces.

• The "startup-style environment" suggests a dynamic and potentially collaborative remote culture, where team members are encouraged to share ideas and feedback freely.

Work Schedule: While a standard 40-hour workweek is typical, the need to "work across global time zones" suggests a degree of flexibility. Candidates should be prepared to adjust their schedules for important meetings or to collaborate with team members in different regions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The remote nature of this role is a significant aspect. Candidates should highlight their experience with remote collaboration tools and their ability to maintain productivity and communication in a distributed team setting. The flexibility mentioned in working hours is a key benefit for operations professionals seeking work-life balance.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of applications and portfolios to assess experience, skills, and alignment with the role's requirements.

• Skills Assessment/Portfolio Review: A deeper dive into the candidate's portfolio, potentially including a presentation of key projects. This stage will focus on their ability to create impactful visual assets, their experience with AI tools, and their understanding of performance marketing.

• Technical/Creative Challenge: Candidates may be given a design challenge to assess their problem-solving skills, creative approach, and ability to work within specific constraints (e.g., creating assets for a particular game mechanic or promotion).

• Team/Hiring Manager Interviews: Interviews to assess cultural fit, communication skills, collaboration style, and overall suitability for the "startup-style environment" and cross-functional team dynamics. Questions will likely explore how candidates leverage data and collaborate with product/marketing teams.

• Final Interview: Potentially with senior leadership to discuss overall vision and long-term fit.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Highlight Data-Driven Creativity: Showcase projects where design decisions were informed by performance data, A/B testing, or user feedback. Quantify results where possible (e.g., "increased conversion by X%").

• Demonstrate AI Tool Proficiency: Include examples of how AI was used in the concepting or asset creation process, clearly explaining your role in refining and finalizing these assets.

• Showcase Gaming Diversity: Feature a range of visual art styles and design approaches relevant to mobile gaming.

• Illustrate Collaboration: If possible, include examples of projects where you collaborated closely with marketing or product teams, explaining your contribution to the team's success.

• Structure for Impact: Organize your portfolio logically, with clear descriptions for each project, highlighting the problem, your solution, and the outcome.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Game: If a specific game is mentioned, research its genre, target audience, and existing visual style.

• Focus on Data & AI: Be prepared to discuss how you would use data and AI tools to address a specific marketing or in-game design challenge.

• Articulate Your Process: Clearly explain your thought process, from understanding the brief to developing and refining the creative solution.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "data-driven," "performance marketing," and "AI tools" means the portfolio review and any design challenges will likely focus on the measurable impact of the candidate's creative work, not just its aesthetic appeal. Candidates should be ready to articulate the strategic thinking behind their designs and quantify their success.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Adobe Creative Suite: Essential for all core graphic design tasks, including image manipulation, illustration, layout, and motion graphics. Proficiency in Photoshop, Illustrator, and potentially After Effects is expected.

• Figma: Crucial for collaborative design workflows, prototyping, and creating UI elements, especially for in-game assets and CRM experiences.

• AI Design Tools: Proficiency in platforms like Midjourney, Stable Diffusion, DALL-E, or similar for concept generation, image creation, and asset augmentation. This includes the ability to effectively prompt and refine AI outputs.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not explicitly listed as a direct requirement for the designer, understanding and utilizing data from analytics platforms (e.g., Google Analytics, mobile app analytics tools, CRM reporting dashboards) to inform creative decisions is key.

• Familiarity with A/B testing frameworks and reporting tools for creative performance analysis. CRM & Automation:

• Experience designing assets for CRM campaigns, implying familiarity with CRM platforms (e.g., Salesforce Marketing Cloud, Braze, CleverTap) from a visual asset perspective.

• Understanding how visual assets integrate into automated marketing workflows.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of "AI tools alongside traditional design software" and the need to "manually refine, polish, and fine-tune AI-generated visual assets" highlights a critical skill requirement. Candidates must demonstrate not only creativity but also the technical ability to integrate these new technologies into their established design processes.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Player-Centricity: A core value of "our players come first" translates to creating engaging, responsible, and positive visual experiences for users.

• Collaboration & Teamwork: "We win together" emphasizes a collaborative approach, requiring strong partnerships with product and marketing teams.

• Passion & Drive: "Powered by passion" suggests an environment where enthusiasm for gaming and design is highly valued.

• Integrity & Doing What's Right: This applies to responsible gaming practices and ethical design choices.

• Innovation & Adaptability: The "startup-style environment" and embrace of AI tools point to a culture that encourages experimentation and rapid iteration.

Collaboration Style:

• Highly cross-functional, working closely with product managers, marketing specialists, and potentially game developers.

• Emphasis on clear communication, feedback exchange, and iterative design processes to meet campaign objectives and product requirements.

• Remote collaboration will be key, requiring proactive communication and effective use of digital tools.

📝 Enhancement Note: The blend of "startup-style environment" with strong core values like "player-centricity" and "doing what's right" indicates a company culture that is both dynamic and principled. Operations professionals are expected to contribute to this culture through effective collaboration, a commitment to quality, and a passion for the gaming industry.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing AI and Human Creativity: Effectively integrating AI-generated assets while maintaining a unique brand voice and ensuring high-quality, polished final deliverables.

• Rapid Iteration in a Fast-Paced Environment: Adapting quickly to new game features, promotional campaigns, and evolving market trends, often with tight deadlines.

• Cross-Time Zone Collaboration: Ensuring seamless communication and project flow with team members located in different global time zones.

• Data-Driven Optimization: Translating complex performance data into actionable creative insights and demonstrating the ROI of design work.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• AI Design Mastery: Becoming an expert in leveraging AI tools for creative asset generation and optimization within the gaming context.

• Performance Marketing Expertise: Deepening understanding of how creative impacts user acquisition, CRM effectiveness, and overall GTM strategy.

• Cross-Functional Skill Development: Gaining broader exposure to product development and marketing campaign management through close collaboration.

• Career Progression: Potential to move into senior design roles, art direction, or specialized creative operations positions within VGW as the company and its offerings grow.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers significant opportunities for professional development, particularly in the rapidly evolving fields of AI in design and data-driven marketing. The challenges presented are typical of growth-stage companies in the tech and gaming sectors, offering valuable experience for ambitious operations professionals.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe your process for creating high-impact marketing assets for a new game launch. How would you incorporate AI tools and performance data into this process?"

• "Walk us through a time you collaborated with a product or marketing team on a challenging project. What was your role, and how did you ensure cohesive branding and successful outcomes?"

• "How do you approach A/B testing visual creative for marketing campaigns? Can you share an example where data insights led you to significantly alter a design direction?" Company & Culture Questions:

• "What excites you about VGW and the free-to-play social gaming market?"

• "How do you embody our core values, such as 'player-centricity' or 'winning together,' in your work?"

• "Describe your experience working in a fast-paced, 'startup-style' environment. How do you manage priorities and adapt to change?" Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Quantify Your Impact: For each project, clearly state the objective, your contribution, the tools used (especially AI), and the quantifiable results achieved (e.g., conversion rates, engagement metrics, ROI).

• Showcase AI Integration: Be prepared to discuss specific examples of how you used AI tools, the prompts you employed, and how you refined the output to meet project requirements.

• Articulate Your Process: Explain your design methodology, from initial concept to final delivery, highlighting how you collaborate with stakeholders and use data to inform your decisions.

• Tailor to VGW: Connect your portfolio examples to VGW's games and target audience, demonstrating an understanding of their market and player base.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interviewers will be looking for candidates who can demonstrate a blend of creative talent, technical proficiency (including AI tools), strategic thinking, and a data-driven mindset. Preparing specific examples that highlight these aspects will be crucial for success.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this operations position:

• Submit your application through the provided Greenhouse link.

• Portfolio Customization: Curate your portfolio to prominently feature your best work in mobile gaming, performance marketing creative, and examples of AI tool integration. Ensure it highlights a diverse range of visual art styles and demonstrates your ability to refine AI-generated assets.

• Resume Optimization: Tailor your resume to emphasize your 4+ years of relevant experience, proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite, Figma, and AI design tools. Highlight achievements related to user acquisition, CRM campaigns, and data-informed design, using keywords from the job description.

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design process, your experience with AI tools, and how you leverage performance data to drive creative decisions. Prepare specific case studies that showcase your impact and collaboration skills.

• Company Research: Thoroughly research VGW, its games (Chumba Casino, Global Poker, LuckyLand Slots), and its core values. Understand their freemium model and player-centric approach to better align your responses with the company 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.