Graphic Designer (Maternity Cover)

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Graphic Designer (Maternity Cover)

Company: Signal AI

Location: Lisbon, Portugal

Job Type: Temporary

Category: Marketing & Creative Operations

Date Posted: October 2, 2026

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

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Serve as the in-house creative lead for visual asset development and brand consistency across all company touchpoints.

• Drive brand evolution by maintaining and enhancing visual standards, typography, color systems, and logo usage.

• Develop and implement reusable design systems and templates to empower non-design teams for self-service content creation.

• Manage and optimize the company website's visual presence, coordinating with external agencies and internal stakeholders.

• Create and edit engaging video content to support marketing campaigns and internal communications.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is a maternity cover position, indicating a temporary engagement. The "creative lead" aspect suggests significant autonomy and responsibility for defining visual direction, even within a defined brand framework. The emphasis on building systems and templates points to a need for strategic thinking beyond individual asset creation, aligning with operations principles of scalability and efficiency.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Design and execute a wide array of marketing collateral, including web pages, digital advertisements, comprehensive presentations, engaging social media content, and concise one-pagers.

• Skillfully manage a dual workload, balancing the urgent demands of quick-turnaround asset requests with the strategic execution of larger, more complex campaign initiatives.

• Take ownership of the company website's operational and visual aspects, liaising with external agencies, the engineering team, and internal stakeholders to ensure unwavering visual consistency, manage content updates via CMS (specifically Webflow), and uphold a high standard of quality.

• Proactively maintain and refine existing brand guidelines, encompassing typography, logo application, and color palettes, while rigorously enforcing their consistent implementation across all departments and external communications.

• Design, build, and maintain a suite of reusable templates, including presentation decks, one-pagers, social media formats, and HTML email templates, to facilitate efficient self-service for colleagues outside the design team.

• Collaborate closely with diverse internal teams to translate their unique requirements into clear, actionable creative briefs, subsequently delivering high-quality, on-brand visual assets that meet or exceed expectations.

• Produce and edit compelling video content to effectively support ongoing marketing campaigns, product launches, and broader company communication strategies.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibility to "own a key operational role on the company website" and manage "web content changes and CMS systems such as Webflow" highlights a critical operations component. This goes beyond pure design, requiring project management, vendor coordination, and technical understanding of content management systems to ensure brand integrity and operational efficiency of the digital presence.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

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

Experience: 2-5 years of professional experience in graphic design, with a demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects and deliver high-quality creative assets in a fast-paced environment.

Required Skills:

• Proven expertise in graphic design, supported by a robust portfolio showcasing versatility across various asset types (digital, print, web).

• Strong proficiency in video editing software and techniques, considered essential for this role.

• Advanced command of design software, including Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign), Figma, Canva, and emerging AI design tools like Runway.

• Experience in contributing to, maintaining, and enforcing brand guidelines, including typography, logo usage, and color systems.

• Demonstrated ability to effectively switch context between rapid, simple design requests and more involved, strategic creative projects without compromising quality.

• Proactive and self-starting attitude, with a proven ability to identify gaps in creative processes and develop systematic solutions.

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with a demonstrated capacity for effective collaboration across diverse teams with varying needs and perspectives.

• Eagerness to learn and adapt to new tools, technologies, and design methodologies within a rapidly evolving creative landscape. Preferred Skills:

• Familiarity and practical experience with Content Management System (CMS) platforms, particularly Webflow.

• Experience designing and implementing HTML email marketing templates.

• Understanding of UI/UX principles as they apply to web design and digital assets.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for experience with "emerging AI design tools" and "Runway" specifically indicates a forward-thinking approach to creative operations, integrating AI into the design workflow for efficiency and innovation. The preference for Webflow and HTML email design suggests a focus on web presence and direct marketing channels, common in GTM operations.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A comprehensive portfolio that clearly demonstrates a minimum of 2-5 years of professional graphic design experience, with a strong emphasis on versatility across digital, web, presentation, social media, and advertising assets.

• Specific examples showcasing video editing capabilities, including short promotional videos, social media clips, or explainer animations.

• Case studies or project examples that highlight contributions to or maintenance of brand guidelines and visual systems, demonstrating an understanding of brand consistency.

• Demonstrations of template creation for reusable assets (e.g., presentation decks, social media posts, one-pagers) and how these improved efficiency for non-designers.

• Evidence of experience managing or contributing to website visual elements, ideally with examples of CMS integration or content updates. Process Documentation:

• Examples of how you've translated creative briefs into actionable design plans and executed them effectively.

• Documentation or explanations of how you've managed multiple design projects simultaneously, including prioritization and time management strategies.

• Case studies detailing how you've collaborated with cross-functional teams to achieve specific marketing or communication objectives through design.

• Demonstrations of your ability to adapt designs based on feedback and iterate for optimal results.

📝 Enhancement Note: For this role, the portfolio should heavily emphasize not just aesthetic output but also the operational impact of the design work. Demonstrating the creation and implementation of reusable templates, contributions to brand system consistency, and managing web content via a CMS are key indicators of operational thinking in a creative context.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: €25,000 - €30,000 per year.

Benefits:

• Competitive salary commensurate with experience.

• Opportunity to work with cutting-edge AI technology and contribute to a rapidly growing company.

• Collaborative and innovative work environment.

• Professional development opportunities, including learning new design tools and techniques.

• Potential for extension or conversion to a permanent role based on business needs and performance.

• Contribution to a company culture that values diversity, inclusion, and continuous learning.

Working Hours: Standard full-time hours, likely around 40 hours per week, with potential for flexibility given the hybrid work arrangement.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range provided (€25,000 - €30,000 annually) is on the lower end for a mid-level Graphic Designer in a major European capital like Lisbon, especially one with strong video editing and CMS experience. This may reflect the temporary nature of the contract or a specific compensation strategy for maternity cover. Candidates should research current market rates for similar roles in Lisbon to assess competitiveness. The benefits are standard for a temporary role, with emphasis on growth and learning opportunities.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Artificial Intelligence (AI) Technology, specifically focusing on AI-powered business intelligence and decision-making. Signal AI leverages AI to provide insights that help shape business strategies and societal decisions.

Company Size: Signal AI is a growing technology company, likely falling into the medium-sized category (e.g., 50-250 employees), suggesting a dynamic environment with opportunities for impact and cross-functional collaboration.

Founded: Signal AI was founded in 2013, indicating a company with established expertise and a track record in the AI space, while still retaining a startup agility.

Team Structure:

• The Graphic Designer will be part of the Marketing team, reporting to a Marketing Lead or Manager.

• This role requires close collaboration with other marketing functions (e.g., content, digital marketing, demand generation), product marketing, and potentially sales and engineering teams for asset creation and website management.

• The "in-house creative lead" designation implies a central point of contact for design needs across the organization. Methodology:

• Signal AI's core methodology revolves around leveraging advanced AI technology to extract and interpret data, providing actionable insights.

• For the design team, this translates to a data-informed approach to creative strategy, understanding audience engagement, and optimizing visual communication for impact.

• Emphasis is placed on continuous learning, experimentation with new tools (including AI-driven ones), and fostering a collaborative environment where diverse perspectives contribute to innovation.

Company Website: https://signal-ai.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's focus on AI and data-driven insights suggests that the design team will likely need to visualize complex information effectively and maintain a modern, technologically advanced brand aesthetic. The culture is described as "AI-native," valuing "restless curiosity, creative thinking, and diverse perspectives," which will likely influence the team's approach to problem-solving and collaboration.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as a mid-level Graphic Designer, acting as an "in-house creative lead" for a temporary period. It offers significant ownership and responsibility for core visual output and systems, providing a valuable experience in managing creative operations within a tech company.

Reporting Structure: The designer will report to a Marketing Lead or Manager, offering direct guidance and project oversight. Collaboration will be broad, interfacing with various departments requiring creative support.

Operations Impact: The Graphic Designer's work directly impacts Signal AI's brand perception, marketing effectiveness, and internal communication clarity. By creating compelling visual assets and efficient design systems, they contribute to lead generation, brand awareness, investor relations, and employee engagement. The operational aspect of managing web content and templates directly supports GTM efficiency.

Growth Opportunities:

• Skill Specialization: Deepen expertise in video editing, AI-assisted design tools, or CMS management (Webflow).

• Brand System Development: Gain experience in building and scaling design systems, a valuable skill in operations-focused creative roles.

• Cross-functional Project Leadership: Lead visual aspects of larger marketing campaigns or product launches, enhancing project management and strategic thinking.

• Potential for Extension/Conversion: While initially a maternity cover, strong performance could lead to an extended contract or a permanent position, depending on business needs and company growth.

• Industry Exposure: Work within the cutting-edge AI industry, understanding how design supports technological innovation and B2B marketing.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "creative lead" aspect, even for a temporary role, provides an opportunity to demonstrate leadership in visual strategy and operational efficiency within the design function. The emphasis on building templates and systems is a key differentiator for operations professionals and should be highlighted in portfolio and interview discussions.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid work model, with a primary base at their Lisbon office. This suggests a blend of in-office collaboration and remote flexibility.

Office Location(s): Sitio 2nd Floor. Rua Do Conde, Redondo 145. 1150-294. Lisbon, Portugal. This location implies a professional office setting within Lisbon.

Workspace Context:

• The Lisbon office is likely a modern, professional environment designed to foster collaboration among marketing and other teams.

• Access to necessary design software and potentially hardware will be provided.

• Opportunities for direct interaction with marketing colleagues and other stakeholders to receive briefs, present work, and collaborate on projects.

• The hybrid model allows for focused individual work at home and collaborative sessions or team meetings in the office.

Work Schedule: Standard full-time business hours, expected to be around 40 hours per week. The hybrid arrangement may offer some flexibility in structuring the work week, but core working hours for team collaboration and meetings will be expected.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid nature of the role is crucial for operations roles, balancing focused individual work (e.g., design execution, system building) with collaborative problem-solving and team alignment sessions. The Lisbon office context suggests a professional, urban work environment.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your application, resume, and portfolio to assess basic qualifications and creative output.

• Portfolio Review & Technical Interview: A deeper dive into your portfolio with a hiring manager or senior designer, focusing on your design process, problem-solving skills, video editing capabilities, and experience with specific tools (Adobe Suite, Figma, Webflow, Runway). Expect to discuss your approach to brand consistency and system building.

• Skills Assessment/Creative Challenge: Potentially a short design task or case study related to creating marketing assets, refining a visual system, or demonstrating video editing skills within a time constraint. This will assess your ability to handle quick turnarounds and strategic projects.

• Team/Culture Fit Interview: A conversation with marketing team members or other stakeholders to evaluate collaboration style, communication skills, and alignment with Signal AI's values (curiosity, creativity, diversity).

• Final Interview: May involve a discussion with a senior leader to finalize the decision.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate for Versatility: Showcase a range of projects demonstrating proficiency across web, digital ads, presentations, social media, and video.

• Highlight Operations Impact: Include case studies or project descriptions that emphasize how your work improved efficiency, maintained brand consistency, or enabled self-service for other teams (e.g., template creation, brand guideline adherence).

• Detail Your Process: For each project, explain your approach, the problem you were solving, your creative decisions, the tools used, and the outcome/impact.

• Showcase Video Editing: Clearly present your video editing skills, ideally with a dedicated section or integrated examples.

• Demonstrate System Thinking: If possible, include examples of design systems, reusable templates, or contributions to brand guidelines that showcase your ability to build scalable creative solutions.

• Quantify Results: Where possible, use metrics to demonstrate the effectiveness of your designs (e.g., improved engagement, faster content creation).

Challenge Preparation:

• Familiarize yourself with Signal AI's current branding and website.

• Practice quick design exercises, focusing on delivering on-brand assets under time pressure.

• Prepare to discuss your experience with Webflow, AI design tools, and video editing workflows.

• Be ready to articulate how you would approach building reusable templates or maintaining brand consistency across a growing organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "building templates and systems" and "owning operational role on the company website" means the portfolio review will likely extend beyond pure aesthetics to evaluate the candidate's ability to create scalable, efficient creative solutions. Candidates should prepare to discuss their process for creating and implementing these operational aspects of design.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Adobe Creative Suite: Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign are fundamental for graphic design tasks.

• Figma: Essential for collaborative design, UI/UX elements, and prototyping.

• Canva: Useful for quick asset creation and enabling non-designers for simple tasks.

• Runway: A key tool for AI-assisted video editing and creative content generation, indicating a focus on modern workflows.

• Webflow: A preferred CMS for website management, requiring familiarity with its design and content editing capabilities.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not explicitly listed, familiarity with analytics platforms (e.g., Google Analytics) to understand asset performance and inform design decisions would be beneficial.

• Tools for social media content performance tracking. CRM & Automation:

• Familiarity with email marketing platforms (e.g., HubSpot, Mailchimp) for designing HTML email templates.

• Understanding of how design assets integrate into marketing automation workflows.

• Potential use of project management tools (e.g., Asana, Trello) for managing design requests and workflows.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of "emerging AI design tools" like Runway, alongside established tools like Adobe Creative Suite and Figma, signals a company that embraces technological innovation in its creative processes. Proficiency in Webflow for website operations is a significant requirement, bridging design with content management and operational efficiency.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Restless Curiosity: A drive to explore new design techniques, tools (especially AI), and understand evolving visual trends.

• Creative Thinking: Applying innovative solutions to design challenges, moving beyond standard approaches to create impactful visuals.

• Diverse Perspectives: Valuing input from various team members and backgrounds to enrich creative output and ensure broad appeal.

• AI as Collaborator: Embracing AI tools not just as efficiency boosters but as partners in the creative process, exploring their potential for innovation.

• Ownership & Accountability: Taking responsibility for brand consistency, the effectiveness of visual assets, and the operational aspects of design systems.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Working closely with marketing, product, and sales teams to understand their needs and deliver tailored visual solutions.

• Template-Driven Empowerment: Building systems that enable other teams to create content independently, fostering a culture of shared responsibility for brand consistency.

• Feedback-Oriented: Openness to constructive criticism and iterative design processes to achieve optimal results.

• Proactive Communication: Clearly communicating design timelines, potential challenges, and creative solutions to stakeholders.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "AI as a collaborator" and "restless curiosity" suggests a team that is forward-thinking and open to experimentation. The "ownership" value points to a culture where individuals are empowered to drive initiatives, particularly in building efficient creative systems.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Speed and Quality: Effectively managing a dual workload of quick-turnaround requests and strategic, in-depth campaign work without compromising visual standards.

• Maintaining Brand Consistency: Ensuring all design output across the company adheres to brand guidelines, especially when empowering non-designers to create assets.

• Adopting New Technologies: Staying current with rapidly evolving AI design tools and integrating them effectively into existing workflows.

• Remote/Hybrid Collaboration: Navigating communication and collaboration challenges inherent in a hybrid work environment.

• Limited Duration: Working within a temporary maternity cover contract, requiring rapid integration and immediate impact.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• AI Design Tool Mastery: Gaining hands-on experience and advanced proficiency with cutting-edge AI design platforms like Runway.

• System Design & Implementation: Developing expertise in creating and scaling design systems and reusable templates, a highly sought-after skill in operations and creative leadership.

• Webflow Proficiency: Deepening skills in CMS management and web design implementation.

• Cross-functional Project Exposure: Contributing to diverse marketing initiatives and understanding their operational impact within a tech company.

• Brand Strategy Contribution: Playing a key role in evolving and maintaining Signal AI's visual identity.

📝 Enhancement Note: The primary challenge lies in the temporary nature of the role and the need to quickly integrate and deliver significant value, particularly in establishing or refining design systems and operational workflows. The growth opportunities are substantial, especially in AI design and scalable creative solutions.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "How would you approach establishing or refining a set of reusable design templates for a tech company like Signal AI, and what operational benefits would this bring?" (Focus on process, scalability, and efficiency).

• "Describe a time you had to balance urgent, small design requests with a larger, strategic creative project. How did you manage your priorities and ensure quality for both?" (Assess time management, prioritization, and operational workflow).

• "Given Signal AI's focus on AI, how do you see AI tools like Runway integrating into a graphic designer's workflow to enhance efficiency and creativity? Can you provide an example?" (Evaluate understanding of AI in design operations). Company & Culture Questions:

• "What excites you about Signal AI's mission and its use of AI technology?" (Assess alignment with company vision).

• "How do you ensure brand consistency when collaborating with teams who may not have a design background?" (Evaluate understanding of brand operations and training/empowerment strategies).

• "Describe your ideal collaborative environment. How do you approach feedback and working with cross-functional teams?" (Assess cultural fit and teamwork). Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure for Impact: Organize your portfolio to highlight key skills relevant to operations: template creation, brand system contributions, website asset management, and video editing.

• Narrative Focus: For each project, tell a story that includes the challenge, your process, the tools used, and the measurable impact or operational benefit.

• Demonstrate Process: Clearly articulate how you translate briefs into designs and how you manage projects from concept to completion.

• Highlight Systems Thinking: If you have examples of building or contributing to design systems or reusable assets, present these prominently as evidence of operational efficiency.

• Be Prepared for Technical Deep Dives: Be ready to discuss your proficiency with specific tools, especially Webflow and AI design software.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should strongly emphasize the operational aspects of graphic design: building systems, managing brand consistency, and leveraging technology for efficiency. Candidates should be ready to discuss their experience with CMS platforms and AI design tools as critical components of modern creative operations.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Graphic Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Ashby.

• Tailor your Resume: Highlight experience in graphic design, video editing, brand guideline management, and CMS platforms (especially Webflow). Quantify achievements where possible and emphasize any experience with building reusable design assets or systems.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Ensure your portfolio clearly showcases your versatility across different asset types, includes strong video editing examples, and ideally features projects demonstrating your contribution to brand consistency or the creation of scalable design solutions (templates, systems).

• Prepare for Technical Discussions: Be ready to discuss your proficiency with Adobe Creative Suite, Figma, Canva, Runway, and Webflow. Understand how these tools contribute to efficient creative operations.

• Research Signal AI: Familiarize yourself with Signal AI's mission, products, current branding, and website. Understand their position in the AI industry and how design supports their business objectives.

⚠️ 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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