Senior Graphic Designer at Holt Renfrew

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Graphic Designer

Company: Holt Renfrew

Location: 60 Bloor Street W, Toronto, ON, Canada

Job Type: Full-time

Category: Graphic Design

Date Posted: 2025-06-13

Experience Level: 7+ years

Remote Status: On-site

🎨 Role Summary

Lead the visual representation and execution of digital and printed marketing materials, ensuring alignment with the prestigious Holt Renfrew brand aesthetic and strategy.
Drive innovative design concepts for seasonal campaigns and key marketing initiatives, translating strategic vision into compelling visual narratives across various channels.
Act as a subject matter expert in graphic design, providing strategic guidance and creative direction to enhance the visual impact and effectiveness of brand communications.
Mentor junior designers and freelancers, fostering a collaborative and productive design environment while optimizing workflow efficiencies.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role summary highlights the leadership and strategic aspects expected of a Senior Graphic Designer, particularly within a luxury retail brand setting where brand consistency and innovative visual storytelling are paramount. The emphasis on mentoring is inferred from the responsibility of onboarding new designers.

🖼️ Primary Responsibilities

Develop and execute design solutions for a diverse range of digital and print assets, including website landing pages, editorial content, email campaigns, social media graphics, in-store signage, out-of-home advertisements, direct mail, and private label packaging.
Conceptualize, design, and implement visual strategies for seasonal campaigns, collaborating closely with marketing and brand strategy teams to ensure creative layouts align with approved concepts.
Manage complex design projects from initial concept development through to final execution, ensuring all deliverables are completed on time and within project schedules.
Maintain expert knowledge of global brand standards and champion brand value across all design outputs, ensuring consistent application and adherence to guidelines.
Synthesize direction from multiple key stakeholders across the business, effectively translating diverse requirements into cohesive and impactful graphic design solutions.
Provide graphic design expertise and act as a consultant to the marketing team, offering creative and innovative approaches to enhance the visual effectiveness of brand materials.
Oversee the archiving and organization of graphic production art, source files, template files, and related graphical assets to establish efficient libraries for increased team productivity and collaboration.
Support the photo studio during on-set production for fashion, beauty, still life, and video shoots, ensuring visuals are on-brand, contemporary, and desirable within approved creative direction.
Research and provide recommendations on design best practices, industry trends, and consumer preferences to inform and elevate the brand's visual communication strategy.
Create and execute engaging animated GIFs and motion cuts, demonstrating proficiency in motion graphics and text animation to enhance digital content.
Pre-flight all materials for print production, ensuring optimal reproduction quality and adherence to technical specifications.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities are detailed to reflect the breadth of a Senior Graphic Designer role in a large retail environment, encompassing both traditional print and modern digital design outputs. Specific tasks like on-set support and motion graphics creation are included based on typical requirements in fashion/retail design roles.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: A post-graduate degree or diploma in Graphic Design is strongly preferred, demonstrating a foundational understanding of design principles, theory, and practice.

Experience: A minimum of 7+ years of professional graphic design experience in an advertising agency, design studio, or retail organization is required, showcasing a proven track record of delivering high-quality visual assets and managing complex projects. A strong portfolio demonstrating experience across diverse design projects is essential.

Required Skills:

Exceptional skills in graphic design, visual composition, and typography, with a deep understanding of design principles and aesthetics.
Proficiency in digital and web production and design, including experience with user interface (UI) design principles and best practices.
Strong conceptual ability with the capacity to translate marketing objectives into creative and innovative design solutions.
Outstanding attention to detail and quality, ensuring accuracy and precision in all design outputs.
Proven ability to manage multiple complex projects simultaneously and meet challenging deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
Excellent problem-solving abilities, with the capacity to identify design challenges and develop effective visual solutions.
Strong communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to effectively collaborate with cross-functional teams and present design concepts to stakeholders.
Expert proficiency in industry-standard graphic design software, including Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, and Adobe InDesign.
Skilled in using Figma for collaborative design and prototyping.
Proficiency in Microsoft Suite (PowerPoint, Excel, Word) for presentations and documentation.

Preferred Skills:

Experience providing art direction for photography shoots (fashion, beauty, still life), guiding visual style and composition.
Experience in motion graphics and text animation, with the ability to create engaging animated content.
Experience using Keynote for presentations.
Knowledge of user experience (UX) principles and best practices and their application in design workflows.

📝 Enhancement Note: The skills and qualifications section is structured to clearly delineate required and preferred skills, providing candidates with a precise understanding of the core competencies needed. The emphasis on both traditional and digital design skills, including UI and motion graphics, reflects the evolving landscape of graphic design in retail. The preference for a post-graduate degree is noted as stated in the original description.

🎨 Portfolio & Creative Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

Include a diverse range of projects showcasing your expertise in graphic design across both digital and print mediums, highlighting your ability to work with established brand guidelines.
Present case studies that clearly articulate your design process, from initial concept and research through ideation, iteration, and final execution, demonstrating your problem-solving skills.
Showcase strong visual presentation standards, including high-quality mockups and examples of finished work that reflect attention to detail and typographic excellence.
If applicable, include examples of motion graphics, animated GIFs, or other technical demonstrations relevant to digital content creation.

Process Documentation:

Document your approach to understanding project briefs and conducting any necessary research or discovery to inform your design decisions.
Detail your ideation and iteration methods, including sketches, wireframes (if applicable to the project context), and alternative design explorations.
Explain your approach to incorporating feedback and refining designs based on stakeholder input or testing (even if informal).

📝 Enhancement Note: Specific guidance on portfolio content is provided, emphasizing the need to showcase both the final output and the underlying design process. This is crucial for senior-level design roles where strategic thinking and problem-solving are as important as visual execution. The inclusion of process documentation details helps candidates understand the depth of insight expected in their case studies.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: C$70,000 - C$100,000 per year. This estimate is based on typical Senior Graphic Designer salaries in Toronto, Ontario, considering the luxury retail industry, required experience level (7+ years), and responsibilities outlined in the job description. Salary ranges can vary based on exact experience, portfolio strength, and negotiation.

Benefits:

Competitive total compensation package aligned with industry standards for senior design roles.
Generous employee discount on Holt Renfrew merchandise, offering significant savings on luxury goods.
Comprehensive pension plan to support long-term financial planning.
Health and dental benefits package providing coverage for medical and dental expenses.
Tuition assistance program to support continuous learning and professional development in design or related fields.
Opportunities for continuous learning and development through internal training programs and external resources.

Working Hours: Full-time, typically 40 hours per week. While primarily on-site, the nature of creative work may sometimes require flexibility to meet project deadlines.

📝 Enhancement Note: A salary range is estimated based on industry data for Senior Graphic Designers in Toronto, factoring in the luxury retail context and stated experience requirements. The benefits listed are taken directly from the provided job description and framed to highlight their value to a design professional.

🎯Team & Company Context

🏢 Company & Design Culture

Industry: Luxury Retail. Holt Renfrew is a prominent player in the Canadian luxury retail market, offering a curated selection of high-end fashion, beauty, and lifestyle products. The design team plays a critical role in visually communicating the brand's prestige, elegance, and contemporary style to a discerning customer base.

Company Size: 1,001-5,000 employees. As a large, established organization, Holt Renfrew offers a structured environment with defined processes and opportunities for cross-functional collaboration. The design team likely operates within a larger marketing or creative department.

Founded: 1837. With a long history, Holt Renfrew has a well-established brand identity and heritage. The design team contributes to maintaining and evolving this legacy while staying current with contemporary design trends.

Team Structure:

The Senior Graphic Designer role likely sits within the Marketing or Creative department, reporting to a Creative Director or Marketing Manager.
The team structure probably includes other graphic designers, potentially at different levels, as well as copywriters, art directors, and production artists.
Significant cross-functional collaboration is expected with marketing, brand strategy, e-commerce, and potentially visual merchandising teams.

Methodology:

The design process likely involves close collaboration with marketing teams on campaign concepts and strategic direction.
Emphasis on brand consistency and adherence to established visual guidelines is paramount.
The workflow includes concept development, design execution across multiple channels, and preparation of assets for both digital and print production.

Company Website: http://www.holtrenfrew.com

📝 Enhancement Note: Company information is integrated with design-specific context, explaining how the industry, size, and history influence the design team's role and culture. Assumptions about team structure and methodology are based on the stated responsibilities and the typical organization of creative teams in large retail environments.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Design Career Level: This is a Senior-level Graphic Designer position. Individuals at this level are expected to possess advanced technical skills, strong conceptual abilities, and the capacity to lead projects and mentor junior team members. They play a significant role in shaping the visual direction of campaigns and initiatives.

Reporting Structure: The role likely reports to a Creative Director, Marketing Manager, or Head of Creative, indicating a position of influence within the creative hierarchy.

Design Impact: Design has a direct and significant impact on the Holt Renfrew brand perception, customer engagement, and ultimately, business objectives. The Senior Graphic Designer's work is highly visible and contributes directly to the brand's image and marketing effectiveness.

Growth Opportunities:

Potential for advancement to an Art Director or Creative Lead role, taking on greater conceptual and team leadership responsibilities.
Opportunities to specialize in specific areas such as digital design, motion graphics, or brand strategy through focused project work and professional development.
Growth in project management skills by overseeing complex campaigns and coordinating with various stakeholders.

📝 Enhancement Note: The career analysis provides context for the Senior Graphic Designer level within a creative career path, outlining typical reporting structures and potential avenues for growth. The high impact of design in a luxury retail brand is highlighted to emphasize the significance of the role.

🌐 Work Environment

Studio Type: On-site at the Holt Renfrew location in Toronto. The work environment is likely a professional office or studio setting within the retail corporate structure.

Office Location(s): The primary location is 60 Bloor Street W, Toronto, ON. This is a corporate office setting. Holt Renfrew also has retail locations, but this role is based at the corporate address.

Design Workspace Context:

The workspace likely provides the necessary tools and technology for graphic design work, including powerful computers, design software licenses, and potential access to resources like stock photo libraries and font management systems.
Collaboration spaces may be available for team meetings, brainstorming sessions, and presenting work.
Being on-site facilitates close interaction and real-time collaboration with the design team, marketing colleagues, and other departments.

Work Schedule: Full-time, standard business hours. While the role is on-site, the pace of retail marketing may necessitate some flexibility during peak periods or campaign deadlines.

📝 Enhancement Note: Information about the work environment is provided based on the on-site location and the nature of a corporate design role in a large retail company. Details about workspace resources and collaboration are inferred from standard practices in creative departments.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Design Interview Process:

Initial screening call to assess basic qualifications and experience.
Portfolio review session where you will be asked to present and discuss your most relevant design projects and case studies, highlighting your process and impact.
Interviews with the hiring manager (likely a Creative Director or Marketing Lead) and potentially other members of the design team and cross-functional partners to assess skills, experience, and cultural fit.
A design challenge or exercise may be assigned to evaluate your problem-solving abilities, technical skills, and capacity to work within brand guidelines.
Final interview(s) with senior leadership to discuss your strategic thinking and potential contribution to the team and brand.

Portfolio Review Tips:

Curate your portfolio to specifically showcase projects that align with the scope of work described, including examples of digital and print marketing materials, campaign design, and potentially luxury brand work.
For each project, clearly outline the problem you were solving, your design process, the tools you used, your role in the project, and the final outcome or impact.
Emphasize your conceptual abilities and how you translated strategic briefs into compelling visual designs.
Highlight your proficiency in the required design tools (Adobe Creative Suite, Figma) through the quality and complexity of your work.

Challenge Preparation:

If a design challenge is assigned, carefully read and understand the brief. Ask clarifying questions if needed.
Manage your time effectively to deliver a well-thought-out solution within the given timeframe.
Be prepared to articulate your design rationale and explain your decisions during the presentation of the challenge.

ATS Keywords: Graphic Design, Senior Graphic Designer, Digital Design, Print Design, Branding, Brand Standards, Marketing Materials, Campaign Design, Visual Communication, Typography, Layout, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, Figma, Project Management, Collaboration, Creative Direction, Art Direction, Photo Art Direction, Motion Graphics, Text Animation, UI Design, UX Principles, Retail Design, Luxury Retail, Packaging Design, Social Media Graphics, Email Design, In-Store Signage, OOH Advertising, Direct Mail, Portfolio, Case Study, Creative Process, Problem Solving, Attention to Detail, Communication Skills, Presentation Skills, Mentoring, Workflow Optimization, Asset Management, Archiving, Production Art, Template Design, Brand Consistency, Industry Trends, Best Practices, Pre-press, Print Reproduction, Digital Production, Web Production, User Interface, User Experience, Keynote, Microsoft Suite, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Full-time.

📝 Enhancement Note: The application and portfolio review process section provides a detailed breakdown of typical stages for a senior design role, including specific advice for portfolio presentation and design challenge preparation. The comprehensive list of ATS keywords is generated based on the job description and common terms in graphic design and retail marketing roles to help candidates optimize their resumes.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Design Tools:

Adobe Photoshop: Essential for image editing, manipulation, and creating visual assets for both digital and print. Proficiency in advanced techniques is expected at a senior level.
Adobe Illustrator: Crucial for creating vector graphics, logos, illustrations, and complex layouts for various applications, including large-format print and digital interfaces.
Adobe InDesign: Primary tool for designing multi-page layouts, editorial content, brochures, and other print materials, requiring strong skills in typography and layout management.
Figma: Increasingly important for collaborative digital design, prototyping, and creating UI elements and layouts for web and mobile applications.

Collaboration & Handoff:

Collaboration tools (not explicitly named, but common in creative environments) for team communication, project management, and feedback sharing.
Handoff processes for providing specifications and assets to developers for digital implementation.
Documentation practices for maintaining design systems, style guides, and asset libraries.

Research & Testing:

Familiarity with methods for researching design trends and best practices.
Understanding of how design impacts user experience (UX) and potentially using analytics to inform design decisions (though not explicitly a data analysis role).

📝 Enhancement Note: The tools and technology section focuses on the core design software explicitly mentioned while also inferring the need for collaboration and handoff tools common in modern design workflows. The emphasis is placed on the expected proficiency level for a senior role.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Design Values:

Commitment to maintaining and elevating the prestigious Holt Renfrew brand aesthetic through high-quality, innovative design solutions.
Emphasis on attention to detail and quality in all design outputs, reflecting the luxury nature of the brand.
Value placed on collaboration and effective communication within the design team and across departments.
A drive for continuous learning and staying updated on design trends, industry best practices, and new technologies.

Collaboration Style:

Close collaboration with marketing, brand strategy, and other cross-functional teams throughout the design process.
Likely involves design critiques and feedback sessions to refine work and ensure alignment with brand standards and project objectives.
A team-oriented approach where designers support each other and share knowledge.

📝 Enhancement Note: The team culture and values are inferred from the company's luxury retail context and the responsibilities outlined, particularly the emphasis on brand standards, quality, and collaboration.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Design Challenges:

Balancing the need for innovation and creative expression with strict adherence to established luxury brand guidelines.
Managing multiple complex projects simultaneously under tight deadlines, requiring strong organizational and time management skills.
Translating strategic business objectives into compelling visual narratives that resonate with a discerning customer base.
Staying ahead of evolving digital design trends and technologies while maintaining brand consistency across all platforms.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

Opportunities to enhance skills in motion graphics and animation, as these are listed as a plus.
Potential to deepen expertise in specific areas of retail marketing design, such as e-commerce visuals or in-store experiences.
Growth in leadership and mentoring skills by guiding junior designers and freelancers.

📝 Enhancement Note: Potential challenges are identified based on the complexity of the role and the nature of working within a large, established luxury brand. Growth opportunities are highlighted, particularly focusing on areas mentioned as preferred skills or implicit in the senior-level responsibilities.

💡 Interview Preparation

Design Process Questions:

Be prepared to walk through your design process for a complex project from your portfolio, explaining your approach to understanding the brief, ideation, iteration, and collaboration.
Discuss how you approach working within established brand guidelines while still introducing creative and innovative elements.
Explain how you prioritize tasks and manage your time when working on multiple projects with competing deadlines.

Company Culture Questions:

Research Holt Renfrew's brand values, history, and recent marketing campaigns. Be prepared to discuss why you are interested in working for a luxury retailer.
Discuss your experience collaborating with marketing teams, copywriters, and other stakeholders on design projects.
Be ready to talk about a time you received constructive feedback on your design work and how you incorporated it.

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

Select 3-5 of your strongest and most relevant case studies to present. Focus on projects that demonstrate your skills in campaign design, digital and print marketing, and working with strong brand identities.
Practice presenting your case studies concisely, focusing on the problem, your process, and the impact of your design.
Be prepared to answer questions about your design decisions and the rationale behind them.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation advice is tailored to a senior graphic designer role in a retail context. It includes guidance on discussing the design process, addressing questions about brand and collaboration, and structuring a compelling portfolio presentation.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this design position:

Submit your application through this link.
Ensure your portfolio link is included in your application and/or resume, as applications without a portfolio may not be considered.
Tailor your resume to highlight your senior-level graphic design experience, relevant skills, and experience with the specified software and design deliverables, incorporating relevant ATS keywords.
Prepare to discuss specific projects from your portfolio that demonstrate your ability to meet the responsibilities and requirements outlined in the job description.
Research Holt Renfrew's brand, recent campaigns, and company culture to demonstrate your interest and understanding during the interview process.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and design industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.

Senior Graphic Designer