Design Strategist

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Design Strategist

Company: Petra Brands

Location: São Paulo, State of São Paulo, Brazil

Job Type: Full-time

Category: Creative & Design Strategy / Marketing Operations

Date Posted: February 25, 2026

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

Remote Status: Fully Remote

🚀 Role Summary

• This role focuses on translating strategic objectives and market insights into compelling visual narratives through presentations and pitch decks, acting as a critical link between strategy and execution.

• It requires a strong understanding of graphic design and packaging principles to guide visual direction, even without direct hands-on design execution.

• The Design Strategist will conduct independent research on market trends, design strategies, and competitive landscapes to inform creative output and support go-to-market planning.

• This position is integral to supporting the company's diverse portfolio of Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) brands in the beauty, personal care, and lifestyle sectors.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the job title is "Design Strategist," the core responsibilities and required skills align closely with a specialized Marketing Operations or GTM Strategy role that heavily leverages presentation design and visual communication to support strategic initiatives. The emphasis on CPG brands, packaging, and go-to-market planning solidifies this operational support function.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Develop and execute high-impact pitch decks, one-pagers, and comprehensive brand presentations for both internal strategy sessions and external client pitches.

• Translate complex data, market insights, and strategic directives into visually engaging and persuasive narratives that clearly articulate brand and product value propositions.

• Organize, synthesize, and visualize research findings, trend reports, and competitive analyses into structured, branded formats that are easily digestible by stakeholders.

• Provide strategic visual structure and logical flow to complex ideas, business strategies, and go-to-market plans, ensuring clarity and persuasive power.

• Conduct in-depth, independent research into emerging market trends, innovative design strategies, packaging advancements, and effective branding techniques relevant to the CPG, beauty, personal care, and lifestyle sectors.

• Offer research-backed visual references and strategic design support to creative, marketing, product, and brand teams to enhance their initiatives.

• Analyze brand and market research findings, transforming strategic insights into actionable visual direction for creative output and planning documents.

• Proactively source relevant inspiration, examples, and competitor visuals to inform the development of pitch decks and strategic planning documents.

• Continuously monitor and report on emerging creative trends, new presentation formats, and innovative tools to enhance the quality and effectiveness of deck and presentation outputs.

• Collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams, including creative, marketing, product development, and brand management, to ensure alignment and successful execution of strategic initiatives.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities emphasize strategic thinking and visual execution in a presentation context, which is crucial for GTM operations. The role requires proactive research and collaboration, indicating a need for strong project management and communication skills within an operational framework.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor's degree in Design, Marketing, Communications, Business, or a related field is preferred.

Experience:

• 2-5 years of experience in a role involving strategic presentation design, visual storytelling, brand strategy, or marketing support.

• Proven experience in creating compelling pitch decks, one-pagers, and brand presentations for diverse audiences.

• Demonstrated understanding of graphic design principles, typography, layout, color theory, and brand systems.

Required Skills:

• Visual Storytelling: Ability to craft compelling narratives through visual media, transforming data and strategy into engaging presentations.

• Pitch Deck Design: Proficiency in creating high-impact pitch decks that effectively communicate ideas, proposals, and brand strategies.

• Brand Presentations: Skill in developing clear, persuasive, and visually consistent brand presentations for various internal and external stakeholders.

• Strategic Thinking: Capacity to understand business objectives, market dynamics, and translate them into strategic visual communication.

• Graphic Design Principles: Solid understanding of layout, typography, hierarchy, visual balance, and brand consistency.

• Research & Analysis: Ability to conduct market research, analyze trends, and synthesize findings into actionable insights for presentation content.

• Data Visualization: Skill in presenting data and complex information in a clear, concise, and visually appealing manner.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: Experience working effectively with creative, marketing, and product teams.

Preferred Skills:

• Packaging Structure Knowledge: Understanding of packaging formats, materials, and design constraints within the CPG sector.

• Trend Analysis: Ability to identify and interpret emerging design, consumer, and market trends.

• Creative Direction Support: Experience in providing visual references and guidance to design teams.

• AI & Productivity Tools: Familiarity with AI-powered presentation tools (e.g., Gamma.app, Tome, Notion AI) and productivity suites (Notion, Asana).

• Project Management Software: Experience using tools like Notion, Asana, or similar for task management and workflow organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on understanding design principles without hands-on execution suggests a role that bridges strategy and creative direction, typical in advanced marketing operations or GTM strategy roles. The preferred skills highlight the need for a candidate who can provide strategic input and manage visual output effectively.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A strong portfolio showcasing a minimum of 5-7 high-quality pitch decks, brand presentations, or marketing collateral projects.

• Projects should demonstrate a clear understanding of visual storytelling, strategic communication, and persuasive narrative development.

• Examples should highlight the ability to structure complex information logically and present it in a visually compelling and branded manner.

• Include case studies or project descriptions that detail the strategic objective, target audience, and the impact of the presented visuals.

Process Documentation:

• Ability to document the process of developing strategic presentations, from initial research and concept to final delivery.

• Experience in creating standardized templates or frameworks for recurring presentation needs (e.g., new brand pitches, quarterly reviews).

• Capacity to outline the workflow for gathering input from cross-functional teams and integrating feedback effectively.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the strategic nature of the role and its focus on presentation output, a robust portfolio is paramount. The expectation is to see not just the final product but also evidence of strategic thinking, research integration, and process-driven creation, aligning with operations best practices for consistent and impactful output.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• Based on industry benchmarks for a remote Design Strategist with 2-5 years of experience in Brazil, the estimated annual salary range is R$ 80,000 - R$ 130,000 BRL.

• This estimate considers the cost of living in major Brazilian cities like São Paulo, the demand for specialized creative strategy skills, and the remote nature of the role.

Benefits:

• Fully Remote Role: Freedom to work from anywhere within Brazil, offering significant flexibility and work-life balance.

• Global Team Collaboration: Opportunity to work with a diverse, international team of creatives and strategists, fostering a rich learning environment.

• Fast-Paced & Supportive Environment: Experience a dynamic work setting that encourages innovation while providing the necessary support for professional growth.

• Challenging Projects: Engage in projects that stimulate creative thinking and strategic problem-solving, pushing the boundaries of brand and product narrative.

• Growth Opportunities: Potential to advance into creative direction roles, with clear pathways for skill development and career progression within the organization.

• Professional Development: Access to resources and opportunities to learn about new creative trends, formats, and tools.

Working Hours:

• This is a full-time position, typically requiring approximately 40 hours per week.

• The remote nature of the role offers flexibility in scheduling, allowing for effective management of personal and professional commitments, while ensuring availability for core team collaboration and meetings during standard business hours in Brazil (America/Sao_Paulo timezone).

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is an estimate based on publicly available data for similar roles in Brazil. Benefits are extrapolated from the provided "What You'll Get" section, tailored to highlight advantages for operations professionals.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG), specifically in Beauty, Personal Care, and Lifestyle sectors. Petra Brands operates as a parent company managing a portfolio of distinct brands, suggesting a dynamic and multi-faceted market presence.

Company Size: The provided information does not specify company size, but the mention of a "diverse, global team of creatives and strategists" and "projects that challenge your creative thinking and strategic mindset" implies a growing, potentially mid-sized to large organization with established brand portfolios.

Founded: The founding date is not provided, but the company's focus on creating "unique and compelling consumer packaged goods" and delivering "exceptional products that evoke emotion, memories, and a sense of place" suggests a brand-centric, innovative, and customer-focused ethos.

Team Structure:

• The role is part of a "diverse, global team of creatives and strategists," indicating a collaborative environment where individuals from various backgrounds and disciplines work together.

• The Design Strategist will likely collaborate closely with Brand Managers, Marketing Leads, Creative Directors, and potentially Product Development teams.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Storytelling: Petra Brands emphasizes converting data and insights into compelling narratives, suggesting a reliance on market research, consumer insights, and performance metrics to inform strategic and visual output.

• Brand-Centric Approach: The company's mission to deliver products that evoke emotion and a sense of place highlights a strong focus on brand identity, emotional connection, and consumer experience.

• Innovation & Creativity: The mention of "dynamic and innovative company" and projects that "challenge your creative thinking" points to a culture that values creativity, forward-thinking, and continuous improvement in product and brand development.

• Cross-functional Synergy: The emphasis on collaboration across creative, marketing, product, and brand teams indicates a process that values integrated efforts and shared ownership of brand success.

Company Website: https://petrabrands.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's focus on CPG, particularly in the beauty and lifestyle sectors, implies a fast-paced, trend-driven environment. The role's emphasis on visual storytelling and brand narrative aligns perfectly with the operational needs of such industries, where brand perception and emotional connection are key drivers of success.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned at a mid-level, typically requiring 2-5 years of experience. It's a specialized function that bridges creative execution with strategic planning, offering a unique career path for individuals with a strong visual aptitude and strategic mindset. It’s not a traditional operations role but supports GTM and marketing operations by ensuring effective communication of strategy.

Reporting Structure: While not explicitly stated, the Design Strategist likely reports to a Creative Director, Head of Brand Strategy, or a Senior Marketing Manager. This structure places the role within a creative or strategic function, supporting broader marketing and GTM operations.

Operations Impact: The Design Strategist's impact is crucial for GTM success by:

• Enhancing Pitch Effectiveness: High-quality presentations directly influence the success of external pitches, potentially leading to new partnerships, distribution deals, or client acquisitions.

• Clarifying Strategy: Visually translating complex strategies makes them more accessible to internal teams, improving alignment and execution across marketing, sales, and product development.

• Strengthening Brand Perception: Consistently compelling visual communication across all touchpoints reinforces brand identity and market positioning.

• Driving Market Planning: Well-structured research and trend analysis, presented visually, directly inform go-to-market strategies and product development decisions.

Growth Opportunities:

• Creative Direction: The role explicitly states "Room to grow into creative direction roles," indicating a potential pathway to leading creative strategy and visual execution for brands.

• Specialization: Opportunity to deepen expertise in specific areas such as CPG branding, packaging strategy, or digital presentation design.

• Strategic Leadership: As experience grows, the individual can take on more complex strategic projects, potentially leading GTM strategy development for specific brands or product lines.

• Cross-functional Leadership: Developing strong collaborative skills can lead to opportunities in managing cross-functional projects or teams focused on brand storytelling and market launch.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers a specialized growth path that leverages design thinking for strategic operational support. The "operations impact" section is framed around how this design strategy role contributes to broader GTM and marketing operations objectives.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: This is a fully remote role, meaning there is no physical office requirement. The "office" is defined by the individual's chosen workspace.

Office Location(s): While the role is remote and based in Brazil, the company has a global team. The specific location for the candidate is "São Paulo, State of São Paulo, Brazil," and the role is designated as TELECOMMUTE, meaning the employee can work from home or a remote location.

Workspace Context:

• Autonomy & Flexibility: The remote nature provides significant autonomy over the work environment, allowing individuals to optimize their personal workspace for productivity and comfort.

• Digital Collaboration: The primary mode of interaction will be through digital tools, emphasizing the importance of strong communication and collaboration skills in a virtual setting.

• Technology Integration: Employees will rely heavily on digital tools for communication, project management, and creative output, requiring a stable internet connection and proficiency with the specified technology stack.

• Global Team Interaction: While remote, the opportunity to connect with a diverse, global team offers exposure to different perspectives and working styles, enriching the professional experience.

Work Schedule:

• Full-time (approx. 40 hours per week).

• The remote arrangement offers flexibility, allowing for effective time management. However, candidates are expected to be available for meetings and collaboration during core business hours relevant to the company's operational needs, likely aligning with the America/Sao_Paulo timezone.

📝 Enhancement Note: The remote nature is a key aspect of the work environment, impacting how collaboration, communication, and work-life balance are managed. This is a critical consideration for operations professionals who often benefit from structured yet flexible work arrangements.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of applications and portfolios to assess alignment with the role's requirements, focusing on visual presentation examples and relevant experience.

• Portfolio Review & Discussion: A dedicated session to walk through the candidate's portfolio, discussing specific projects, strategic approaches, and design rationale. This is a critical stage for demonstrating visual communication and strategic thinking.

• Skills-Based Interview: An interview focusing on the candidate's understanding of design principles, research methodologies, trend analysis, and ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams. Questions may involve hypothetical scenarios related to brand strategy and presentation development.

• Case Study/Practical Exercise: Candidates may be asked to complete a short, timed exercise or case study to demonstrate their ability to structure a narrative, visualize data, or conceptualize a presentation based on a given brief.

• Final Interview: A discussion with hiring managers or senior leadership to assess cultural fit, long-term career aspirations, and overall suitability for the team and company.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select projects that best showcase your ability to translate strategy into compelling visuals. Prioritize decks and presentations that demonstrate a clear narrative flow, strong design hierarchy, and effective data visualization.

• Highlight Strategic Rationale: For each project, be prepared to articulate the strategic objective, target audience, your thought process, the challenges faced, and the outcomes achieved. Emphasize how your visual strategy supported the overall business goal.

• Showcase Process: Include examples that demonstrate your research capabilities, understanding of design principles, and how you sourced inspiration or competitor references. If possible, include "before and after" elements or insights into your workflow.

• Quantify Impact (if possible): If your presentations contributed to specific business outcomes (e.g., securing a client, gaining internal approval), be ready to discuss these results.

• Tool Proficiency: Be ready to discuss your experience with the listed tools (Google Slides, PowerPoint, Canva, Figma, Adobe Suite, AI tools) and how you leverage them for efficient and effective presentation design.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Brief: If a case study is provided, thoroughly read and understand the objectives, constraints, and desired outcomes.

• Structure First: Before diving into design, outline the key messages and the logical flow of the presentation. Think about the story you want to tell.

• Visualize Data Effectively: Practice translating data into clear charts, graphs, and infographics that support your narrative rather than distracting from it.

• Brand Consistency: If a brand context is given, ensure your presentation aligns with established brand guidelines or propose a coherent visual direction.

• Conciseness: Focus on delivering key messages efficiently. Avoid overwhelming the audience with too much information.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on portfolio review and potential case studies highlights the practical, output-driven nature of this role, typical in creative operations and GTM functions where tangible deliverables are key performance indicators.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Presentation & Design: Google Slides, PowerPoint, Canva, Figma. Candidates should demonstrate proficiency in at least one of the primary presentation tools (Slides/PowerPoint) and ideally have experience with Canva for quick, high-quality designs or Figma for more advanced visual system development.

• Graphic & Visual Support: Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign. Familiarity with these tools is important for understanding design capabilities and potentially for light asset creation or manipulation, even if not the primary design execution tool.

• AI & Productivity Tools: Gamma.app, Tome, Beautiful.ai, Notion AI, ChatGPT. Proficiency or a willingness to quickly learn and leverage AI-powered tools for presentation generation, content refinement, and research acceleration is a significant advantage.

• Project Management: Notion, Asana, Slack. Essential for organizing tasks, managing workflows, collaborating with teams, and staying on top of project timelines and deliverables.

Analytics & Reporting: While not explicitly listed as primary tools, the role will likely interact with data derived from analytics and reporting systems. Understanding how to interpret data presented in dashboards or reports will be beneficial.

CRM & Automation: No specific CRM or automation tools are listed as primary requirements for this role, suggesting the focus is on the strategic and visual output rather than system administration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The technology stack is diverse, combining traditional presentation software with modern AI tools and collaborative platforms. This indicates a forward-thinking company that values efficiency and innovation in how strategic content is produced and disseminated. Proficiency in these tools is key for operational effectiveness.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Creativity & Innovation: A strong emphasis on generating novel ideas, exploring new visual formats, and pushing creative boundaries to effectively communicate brand strategies.

• Strategic Impact: A focus on ensuring that all visual output directly supports business objectives, enhances brand perception, and contributes to successful go-to-market initiatives.

• Collaboration & Communication: A culture that values open dialogue, active listening, and effective communication across diverse teams to achieve shared goals.

• Data-Informed Decisions: An approach that leverages market research, consumer insights, and performance data to guide strategic direction and visual execution.

• Efficiency & Agility: A commitment to delivering high-quality work efficiently, adapting quickly to changing market dynamics and project requirements in a fast-paced CPG environment.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: The team fosters a collaborative environment where Design Strategists work closely with marketing, creative, product, and brand management to ensure cohesive brand messaging and strategy execution.

• Feedback-Driven Improvement: A culture that encourages constructive feedback and iterative refinement of presentations and strategies to achieve optimal results.

• Knowledge Sharing: Openness to sharing insights, research findings, and best practices across the team to foster collective learning and elevate the overall quality of work.

• Proactive Partnership: Encouraging team members to proactively engage with stakeholders, anticipate needs, and offer strategic and visual solutions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The values and collaboration style point to a team that is both creative and results-oriented, balancing innovative thinking with a strategic, data-informed approach. This is crucial for operations roles focused on driving business outcomes.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Creativity with Strategy: Effectively merging artistic vision with stringent strategic objectives and brand guidelines to create impactful yet compliant presentations.

• Rapidly Evolving Trends: Staying abreast of fast-paced changes in CPG markets, consumer behavior, and digital presentation formats to ensure content remains relevant and engaging.

• Translating Complex Data: The challenge of simplifying intricate market data, research findings, and business strategies into easily understandable and visually persuasive narratives.

• Remote Collaboration Dynamics: Navigating the nuances of effective communication and collaboration in a fully remote, globally distributed team environment.

• Demonstrating ROI of Design Strategy: Quantifying the direct business impact of presentation design and strategic visual communication can be challenging but is key to demonstrating value.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deep Dive into CPG Branding: Gaining in-depth knowledge of brand strategy, consumer psychology, and market dynamics specifically within the beauty, personal care, and lifestyle sectors.

• Mastering Presentation Technologies: Becoming an expert in advanced presentation software, AI-powered design tools, and digital storytelling techniques.

• Strategic Insight Development: Enhancing skills in market research, trend forecasting, and competitive analysis to provide more profound strategic input.

• Leadership Skills: Developing the ability to influence stakeholders, guide creative processes, and potentially lead creative direction for brand initiatives.

• Cross-functional Expertise: Gaining exposure to various business functions (marketing, product, sales) to understand their needs and how strategic design can support them.

📝 Enhancement Note: Understanding these challenges and growth opportunities is vital for operations professionals. It highlights areas for skill development and potential career advancement within a strategic design and marketing operations context.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe your process for developing a pitch deck from scratch, from initial brief to final delivery." (Focus on your research, structuring, and visualization methodology.)

• "How do you balance creative expression with strategic objectives and brand guidelines in your presentations?" (Prepare examples of navigating these constraints.)

• "Walk us through a time you had to translate complex data or a challenging strategic concept into a visually clear and compelling presentation." (Be ready to discuss your approach and the outcome.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What excites you about Petra Brands and our focus on CPG brands in the beauty and lifestyle sectors?" (Research the company's brands and mission.)

• "How do you approach collaboration with creative, marketing, and product teams in a remote setting?" (Provide examples of successful cross-functional work.)

• "Describe a time you received constructive feedback on a presentation and how you incorporated it." (Demonstrate adaptability and a growth mindset.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Tell a Story: For each project, frame it as a narrative: the challenge, your strategic approach, the visual solution, and the impact.

• Focus on "Why": Explain the strategic reasoning behind your design choices, not just the aesthetic appeal.

• Highlight Process: Briefly touch upon your research, ideation, and iteration phases to showcase your methodology.

• Be Concise and Engaging: Practice presenting your key projects within a defined timeframe, maintaining audience engagement.

• Prepare for Q&A: Anticipate questions about your design decisions, tool proficiency, and how your work aligns with business goals.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation for this role requires a blend of strategic thinking, visual communication skills, and an understanding of the CPG industry. The focus is on demonstrating how design strategy directly supports business objectives.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Design Strategist position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Workable.

• Portfolio Customization: Tailor your portfolio to highlight projects that best demonstrate your visual storytelling, strategic presentation design, and understanding of CPG brand aesthetics. Prioritize examples that show a clear narrative flow and impact.

• Resume Optimization: Ensure your resume clearly articulates your experience in presentation design, strategic communication, research, and cross-functional collaboration. Use keywords from the job description such as "Visual Storytelling," "Pitch Decks," "Brand Presentations," and "CPG."

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design process, strategic rationale, and experience with the specified tools. Prepare to discuss your portfolio in detail and answer scenario-based questions related to creative strategy and execution.

• Company Research: Thoroughly research Petra Brands, its portfolio of brands, and its market position. Understand their mission and values to articulate your alignment during interviews.

⚠️ 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.