Graphic Designer - Retention (Contract)

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Graphic Designer - Retention (Contract)

Company: Ruggable

Location: Los Angeles, California, United States

Job Type: Contract

Category: Marketing Operations / Creative Operations

Date Posted: 2026-06-25T19:55:51

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

Remote Status: Remote OK

🚀 Role Summary

• This contract role focuses on designing visual assets for customer retention initiatives, specifically within email and SMS marketing channels.

• The position requires a strong understanding of both brand storytelling and performance marketing objectives to drive engagement and customer lifetime value.

• Responsibilities will include creating evergreen and automated campaign assets, optimizing existing templates, and ensuring high-quality execution across various digital touchpoints.

• Collaboration with lifecycle marketing, copy, and creative teams is essential for translating business needs into compelling visual narratives.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is framed as a "Graphic Designer - Retention" with a strong emphasis on "Lifecycle Marketing" and "performance marketing." Based on industry trends and the provided description, this role sits at the intersection of Creative Operations and Marketing Operations. The focus on "retention," "customer value," and "evergreen/automated campaigns" suggests a need for understanding customer journeys and data-driven design principles, which are core to marketing operations. The requirement for translating "brand direction into retention-focused creative systems" further solidifies its operational and strategic creative component.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Design and execute a high volume of evergreen and automated lifecycle email campaigns, including promotional, seasonal, style guide, welcome series, abandonment, post-purchase, winback, and VIP/anniversary journeys.

• Create supporting visual assets for SMS campaigns, such as MMS and RCS, and develop lightweight motion/GIF/video treatments.

• Translate Ruggable's brand direction into retention-focused creative systems that balance elevated aesthetics with performance objectives.

• Iterate rapidly on creative assets based on stakeholder feedback, A/B testing insights, and evolving business/lifecycle marketing team requirements.

• Collaborate closely with copywriters, lifecycle marketers, creative leads, and project managers to ensure cohesive campaign execution.

• Maintain and optimize existing design templates and systems, contributing fresh ideas while adhering to established brand guidelines.

• Ensure meticulous attention to detail in typography, hierarchy, cropping, layout, and responsive/mobile-first design principles across all assets.

• Organize project files efficiently and maintain clean handoff practices for developers and production partners, ensuring smooth workflow integration.

• Contribute to the development and maintenance of a well-catalogued library of design assets for retention marketing.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities clearly indicate a production-heavy role focused on execution within established marketing workflows. The emphasis on "iterating quickly based on stakeholder feedback, A/B testing learnings, and business/lifecycle team needs" highlights the need for a designer who can adapt to data-driven feedback and operational demands. The requirement to "work within existing templates and systems while also helping evolve, optimize, catalogue, and maintain them" points to responsibilities that extend beyond pure design creation into process management and asset organization, common in operations roles.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a background in Graphic Design, Visual Communications, Marketing, or a related field is highly beneficial.

Experience: 3-5+ years of professional graphic design experience, with a significant portion focused on e-commerce, Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) brands, fashion, lifestyle, home goods, beauty, or similar consumer-facing industries.

Required Skills:

• Proven graphic design expertise with a strong portfolio showcasing email marketing, CRM/retention, and SMS marketing creative work.

• Exceptional understanding of visual hierarchy, pacing, conversion-minded and data-driven design principles, and responsive/mobile-first layout design.

• Demonstrated ability to effectively balance brand storytelling with performance marketing objectives to drive key business metrics.

• Comfort and proficiency in working at a fast pace and iterating on designs within a high-volume production environment.

• Strong organizational skills for managing multiple projects and deadlines, coupled with excellent communication and collaboration abilities.

• Experience designing within established brand systems and templates while also contributing innovative concepts and improvements.

• High proficiency in Figma and Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign).

• Experience with motion/GIF creation is essential for dynamic asset development. Preferred Skills:

• Light video editing experience for incorporating motion elements into campaigns.

• Experience with A/B testing creative assets and understanding the impact on performance metrics.

• Familiarity with retention metrics (e.g., LTV, churn rate, engagement rates) and customer lifecycle strategy.

• Experience working with modular email systems or component-based design frameworks for efficient asset creation and management.

• Basic understanding of HTML email limitations and responsive design behaviors to ensure cross-platform compatibility.

• Basic understanding of SMS marketing nuances, including multimedia types like MMS and RCS.

📝 Enhancement Note: The experience requirement of "3-5+ years" combined with the focus on "ecommerce, DTC, fashion, lifestyle, home, beauty, or consumer brands" suggests a mid-level role. The emphasis on a "strong portfolio showcasing email, CRM/retention, SMS marketing work" and "conversion-minded / data-driven design" indicates that while creativity is key, the ability to translate design into measurable business outcomes is paramount, aligning with operations expectations. Proficiency in Figma and Adobe Creative Suite are standard, but the explicit mention of "motion/GIF creation" and "A/B testing creative" points to a need for skills that directly impact campaign performance and efficiency.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase a minimum of 3-5 distinct projects specifically demonstrating experience in designing for customer retention, lifecycle marketing, or CRM initiatives.

• Include examples of email campaign designs, highlighting responsive layouts and clear calls-to-action that drove engagement or conversion.

• Provide examples of SMS visual assets (MMS/RCS) and any motion graphics (GIFs, short videos) created for marketing purposes.

• Demonstrate the ability to work within established brand guidelines while introducing creative improvements and optimizations.

• Clearly articulate the objective of each project, your specific role, the tools used, and the measurable outcomes or impact (if available), such as increased open rates, click-through rates, or conversion. Process Documentation:

• While not explicitly requiring formal process documentation, candidates should be prepared to discuss their personal workflow for managing design projects from brief to final delivery.

• Be ready to explain how you organize digital assets, manage feedback cycles with stakeholders, and ensure clean handoffs to development or production teams.

• Demonstrate an understanding of how design fits into broader marketing automation workflows and the importance of templated systems for efficiency.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit instruction to "share your portfolio along with relevant examples of email, SMS, CRM, or retention-focused creative work" is a critical requirement. For operations-focused roles, portfolios are often evaluated not just on aesthetics but on the demonstrated ability to implement processes, drive efficiency, and achieve measurable results. Therefore, candidates should focus on case studies that highlight problem-solving, iteration based on data, and contribution to business objectives, rather than purely visual appeal.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $60 - $70 per hour (1099 Contract Rate)

Benefits:

• This is a contract role, so standard employee benefits (health insurance, paid time off, retirement plans) are typically not included.

• Potential for extension based on business needs and performance.

• Remote-friendly work environment, offering flexibility.

• Opportunity to gain experience with a high-growth DTC e-commerce brand.

Working Hours: Approximately 30-40 hours per week.

📝 Enhancement Note: The provided rate of $60-70/hr for a 1099 contract role in Los Angeles, California, falls within the mid-to-senior level range for graphic designers specializing in performance marketing and e-commerce. Considering the cost of living in Los Angeles and the demand for specialized skills in digital marketing design, this rate is competitive for a contract position. The role implies a full-time commitment (30-40 hours/week) but as a contractor, benefits are typically not provided by the employer.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: E-commerce, Home Goods, Direct-to-Consumer (DTC)

Company Size: While not explicitly stated, Ruggable is described as a "leading direct-to-consumer e-commerce brand" with "extraordinary track record of high, profitable growth" and "venture-backed." This suggests a rapidly scaling company, likely in the mid-to-large size range for a DTC brand (hundreds of employees).

Founded: Ruggable was founded with a mission to "empower our customers to live vibrantly with beautiful products that don't compromise on function," likely within the last decade given its high-growth trajectory.

Team Structure:

• The role reports to the Lifecycle Marketing team, implying close collaboration with marketing managers, copywriters, and potentially other creative specialists.

• The Graphic Designer will work with "creative, copy, and lifecycle marketing partners," indicating a cross-functional team environment.

• The role is production-heavy but also values "strong taste and creative instincts," suggesting a balance between execution and creative input within a structured marketing department. Methodology:

• Data-Driven Design: Emphasis on "performance marketing," "A/B testing learnings," and "conversion-minded / data-driven design" indicates that design decisions are informed by data and performance metrics.

• Agile Iteration: The need to "iterate quickly based on stakeholder feedback" and "business/lifecycle team needs" points to an agile approach to creative development.

• Brand Consistency & Evolution: The role requires working within "existing templates and systems" while also helping to "evolve, optimize, catalogue, and maintain them," suggesting a focus on maintaining brand integrity while adapting to growth and new strategies.

Company Website: https://www.ruggable.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: Ruggable's description as a "high-growth start-up" and "venture-backed" suggests a dynamic, fast-paced work environment common in the DTC e-commerce sector. The emphasis on "taking action and deliver results" and having a "talented team made up of genuinely caring people" points to a culture that values proactivity, collaboration, and a results-oriented mindset, which are crucial for operations roles.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a Mid-Level Contract Graphic Designer role (2-5 years of experience). It focuses on execution and iteration within established marketing workflows, supporting the Lifecycle Marketing team.

Reporting Structure: The role reports into the Lifecycle Marketing team, working closely with lifecycle marketers, copywriters, and creative leads. This suggests a collaborative, project-based reporting structure rather than a strict hierarchical management chain for day-to-day tasks.

Operations Impact: The designer's work directly impacts customer retention, engagement, and lifetime value through visually compelling email and SMS campaigns. By contributing to effective retention strategies, the role plays a vital part in driving repeat purchases and maximizing customer profitability, which are key operational and financial goals for an e-commerce business.

Growth Opportunities:

• Skill Specialization: Deepen expertise in retention marketing design, CRM creative systems, and performance-driven visual storytelling within the e-commerce and DTC space.

• Portfolio Enhancement: Build a robust portfolio with tangible examples of successful retention campaigns that can lead to future contract extensions or full-time opportunities.

• Industry Exposure: Gain valuable experience within a high-growth, venture-backed DTC company, understanding the operational nuances of scaling e-commerce brands.

• Potential for Extension: The contract duration is "6 months+" with "potential for extension based on business needs," offering stability and the chance to become ingrained in ongoing marketing initiatives.

📝 Enhancement Note: While this is a contract role, the emphasis on "performance marketing," "A/B testing," and "customer lifetime value" indicates that successful candidates will develop skills directly transferable to roles in marketing operations, GTM operations, or as a specialized creative operations professional within a growth-stage company. The opportunity to contribute to "evolving, optimizing, catalogue, and maintain" design systems also offers a pathway into more operational aspects of creative management.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is "Remote-friendly," suggesting that while the company is based in Los Angeles, the contractor is not required to be on-site. This offers significant flexibility.

Office Location(s): The company headquarters are in Los Angeles, California, United States.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The role necessitates close collaboration with various internal teams (Lifecycle Marketing, Copy, Creative Leads, Project Managers), requiring strong virtual communication and teamwork skills.

• Technology Stack: Access to and proficiency in Figma and Adobe Creative Suite are essential. The work environment will likely involve cloud-based project management and communication tools.

• Operations Integration: The designer will be integrated into the marketing operations workflow, working with established systems and processes for campaign deployment.

Work Schedule: The schedule is flexible, with an approximate commitment of 30-40 hours per week. This allows for managing personal time while ensuring timely project delivery and responsiveness to team needs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Remote OK" status is a significant factor for operations roles, often indicating a company's maturity in managing distributed teams and leveraging digital collaboration tools. This environment requires strong self-discipline, proactive communication, and comfort with asynchronous work, all critical for effective operations professionals.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Likely a review of resume and portfolio by a recruiter or hiring manager to assess basic qualifications and alignment with requirements.

• Portfolio Review & Discussion: A deeper dive into the candidate's portfolio, focusing on specific examples of email, SMS, CRM, and retention creative work. This stage will assess design skills, understanding of performance marketing principles, and ability to articulate design choices and outcomes.

• Skills Assessment/Case Study (Potential): Candidates may be asked to complete a small design exercise or a hypothetical case study related to retention marketing challenges to evaluate their practical application of skills and problem-solving approach.

• Team/Hiring Manager Interview: Discussion about work style, collaboration skills, understanding of Ruggable's brand, and fit within the Lifecycle Marketing team. This may also involve deeper questions about their process and experience with A/B testing and lifecycle strategy.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 3-5 of your strongest projects that directly relate to email, SMS, CRM, or retention marketing for DTC/e-commerce brands.

• Quantify Impact: Wherever possible, include metrics (e.g., improved conversion rates, engagement lift) and explain how your design contributed to these results. If direct metrics aren't available, explain the strategic intent behind your design choices.

• Showcase Process: Be prepared to walk through your design process for key projects, explaining your rationale, how you incorporated feedback, and how you ensured brand consistency and performance optimization.

• Highlight System Thinking: Demonstrate experience working with templates, modular systems, or component-based design, as this is crucial for efficient operations in a high-volume environment.

• Tailor to Ruggable: Briefly mention why you're interested in Ruggable and how your skills align with their brand and mission.

Challenge Preparation:

• Familiarize yourself with Ruggable's current email and SMS marketing. Analyze their visual style, messaging, and calls-to-action.

• Review common lifecycle marketing strategies and email/SMS best practices for e-commerce.

• Be ready to discuss how you would approach designing for specific lifecycle stages (e.g., welcome series, winback campaigns) and how you would ensure the designs are both on-brand and performance-oriented.

• Prepare to talk about your experience with Figma and Adobe Creative Suite, including any specific workflows or efficiency techniques you employ.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a contract role, the interview process is often streamlined but will heavily scrutinize the portfolio for direct relevance and demonstrated impact. Candidates should be prepared to discuss their workflow, how they handle feedback, and their understanding of performance metrics, as these are critical indicators of an operations-minded individual. The "retention-focused creative systems" aspect suggests an interest in how design contributes to scalable marketing processes.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Essential for UI/UX design, prototyping, and collaborative design workflows. Proficiency is a must.

• Adobe Creative Suite: Including Photoshop (image editing, manipulation), Illustrator (vector graphics, logos), and potentially InDesign (layout, though less common for digital-first assets).

• Motion Graphics Tools (e.g., Adobe After Effects or similar): For creating GIFs and lightweight motion/video treatments.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not a direct requirement for the designer to manage these, understanding how to interpret and design for A/B testing results and retention metrics (e.g., open rates, CTR, conversion rates) is crucial. Familiarity with platforms like Google Analytics, Klaviyo, Braze, or similar CRM/ESP analytics dashboards would be beneficial. CRM & Automation:

• Familiarity with lifecycle marketing platforms (e.g., Klaviyo, Braze, Iterable) and email service providers (ESPs) is a plus. Understanding their capabilities and limitations in terms of design implementation is valuable.

• Experience with modular email systems or component-based design frameworks is preferred, indicating an understanding of efficient, scalable design systems used in marketing operations.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of Figma and Adobe Creative Suite, along with motion/GIF creation, highlights the core technical requirements. The "plus" for familiarity with lifecycle marketing platforms and understanding HTML email limitations points to the operational aspect of ensuring designs are technically feasible and optimized for delivery within these systems. This is critical for a smooth handoff to developers and for ensuring campaign performance.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Data-Driven Decision Making: A strong emphasis on using A/B testing learnings and performance metrics to inform design choices.

• Efficiency & Scalability: The need to work within existing systems and templates, and potentially evolve them, highlights a value placed on efficient workflows and scalable creative solutions.

• Collaboration & Communication: The role requires close partnership with cross-functional teams, emphasizing open communication and teamwork.

• Action-Oriented & Results-Focused: Ruggable's culture values "taking action and deliver results," meaning the design work must contribute demonstrably to business goals like retention and conversion.

• Brand Stewardship: Maintaining and evolving brand storytelling while ensuring performance objectives are met shows a commitment to both brand integrity and business impact.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: The designer will be embedded within the Lifecycle Marketing team, working closely with copywriters and marketers, requiring a collaborative and integrated approach.

• Feedback-Driven Iteration: The process involves iterating quickly based on stakeholder feedback, indicating a culture that values input and continuous improvement.

• Proactive Engagement: Being part of a "high-growth start-up" and a team of "genuinely caring people" suggests an environment where proactive contribution and support for colleagues are encouraged.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's description emphasizes "taking action and deliver results" and being "genuinely caring people." For an operations-adjacent role like this, expect a culture that values proactivity, a strong work ethic, and a collaborative spirit. The designer will need to be comfortable receiving and implementing feedback efficiently, aligning with the fast-paced nature of a growing e-commerce brand.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• High-Volume Production: Managing a continuous stream of design requests for various lifecycle campaigns while maintaining quality and brand consistency.

• Balancing Brand and Performance: Effectively translating brand aesthetics into creative that also drives measurable performance metrics (engagement, conversion, retention).

• Rapid Iteration Cycles: Adapting designs quickly based on A/B testing results, stakeholder feedback, and evolving marketing strategies.

• Technical Constraints: Designing within the limitations of email and SMS platforms, ensuring responsive and cross-device compatibility.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deepen E-commerce Retention Expertise: Gain hands-on experience with advanced retention strategies, customer journey mapping, and performance marketing tactics within a successful DTC brand.

• Mastering Design Systems for Marketing: Learn to work with and contribute to scalable, modular design systems that are crucial for efficient marketing operations.

• Cross-Functional Learning: Collaborate closely with marketing strategists and copywriters, enhancing understanding of broader go-to-market strategies.

• Portfolio Building: Create a strong portfolio of impactful retention campaigns that can serve as a significant asset for future career opportunities.

📝 Enhancement Note: The primary challenge will be the high-volume, fast-paced nature of the work, requiring strong time management and prioritization skills. The growth opportunity lies in developing specialized skills in performance-driven design and understanding the operational mechanics of scaling e-commerce marketing.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe your process for designing an email campaign for a specific lifecycle stage, such as a winback series. How do you ensure it's both on-brand and drives conversions?"

• "How do you approach balancing creative execution with performance marketing goals in your design work?"

• "Walk me through a time you had to iterate on a design based on A/B testing results or stakeholder feedback. What was the outcome?" Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Ruggable and our brand?"

• "How do you typically collaborate with copywriters and lifecycle marketers on a project?"

• "How do you ensure your designs contribute to key business metrics like customer retention and lifetime value?" Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• "Choose one or two projects from your portfolio that best demonstrate your experience with retention marketing and walk us through them. Explain the objective, your role, your design process, and any measurable results."

• Be prepared to discuss the tools you used (Figma, Adobe Creative Suite) and any specific workflows or techniques that enhance efficiency.

• Clearly articulate how your designs aim to improve user engagement and drive desired customer actions, linking visual elements to strategic goals.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interviewers will be looking for a candidate who is not only a skilled designer but also understands the operational context of marketing. Be ready to discuss your workflow, how you handle feedback, and how your design choices directly support business objectives. Emphasize your ability to work efficiently and collaboratively within a team structure.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this operations position:

• Submit your application through the greenhouse application link.

• Portfolio Customization: Ensure your portfolio prominently features relevant examples of email, SMS, CRM, or retention-focused creative work. Quantify impact where possible and clearly articulate your design process and strategic thinking.

• Resume Optimization: Tailor your resume to highlight experience in e-commerce, DTC, performance marketing, and proficiency in Figma and Adobe Creative Suite. Use keywords from the job description.

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design process, your approach to balancing brand and performance, and your experience with A/B testing and lifecycle marketing. Be ready to discuss your portfolio in detail.

• Company Research: Familiarize yourself with Ruggable's current marketing efforts, brand aesthetic, and the broader DTC e-commerce landscape. Understand their mission and values.

⚠️ 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.