Graphic Design Manager

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Graphic Design Manager

Company: Visa

Location: San Francisco, California, United States

Job Type: Full-time

Category: Sales Operations / GTM Enablement (Design Focus)

Date Posted: April 21, 2026

Experience Level: 5-10 Years

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive visual storytelling and presentation design excellence for high-stakes sales opportunities and strategic partnerships within Visa's Growth Products & Partnerships (GP&P) team.

• Translate complex product offerings, deal structures, and partnership visions into clear, persuasive, and visually compelling narratives for executive-level audiences.

• Act as a thought partner and design lead for Sales and Product leaders, influencing early-stage opportunity development and shaping compelling "Why Visa" stories for Big Tech partners.

• Own the end-to-end design process for pitch materials, pre-pitch narratives, and RFP responses, ensuring consistency with brand standards and a high bar for craft.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned within the North America Deal Team, reporting to the Head of Deal Design & Development. While the title is "Graphic Design Manager," the core responsibilities and focus areas indicate a strong alignment with Sales Operations and Go-To-Market (GTM) enablement, specifically in crafting persuasive sales collateral and strategic narratives. The emphasis on "early-stage opportunity development" and "influencing executive decisions" points to a strategic role that goes beyond standard graphic design, requiring deep business acumen and partnership with sales leadership. The "Manager" title in this context likely refers to managing design projects and influencing design strategy rather than direct people management, as the description notes it's a "hands-on individual contributor role with leadership expectations."

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Lead the design and development of high-impact pitch decks, pre-pitch materials, and RFP responses that articulate product-led partnership value propositions for Visa's Growth Products & Partnerships (GP&P) initiatives.

• Collaborate closely with GP&P product, partnerships, and sales leaders to shape ecosystem, platform, and "Why Visa" narratives from initial opportunity stages through executive-level pitches.

• Translate complex ideas, product features, and intricate deal structures into clear, persuasive, and strategically grounded visual narratives.

• Develop customized, partner-centric presentations for Visa's Big Tech partners, providing flexible design support for high-stakes deals.

• Partner with Product and Design teams to adapt existing product UI into client-branded mockups for integration into presentations, pre-pitch narratives, and RFP responses.

• Serve as a proactive thought partner to Sales and Product leaders, engaging stakeholders early, asking clarifying questions, and driving clarity in ambiguous situations.

• Confidently present design rationale, challenge assumptions, and advocate for design solutions that enhance outcome effectiveness.

• Independently manage multiple workstreams from concept initiation through final delivery, ensuring timely and high-quality output.

• Create and maintain reusable presentation templates, visual systems, and assets that balance efficiency with exceptional quality and brand consistency.

• Develop elegant visuals, infographics, diagrams, and light animations to represent experiences, capabilities, data, and complex concepts effectively.

• Contribute to the development and evolution of best practices, case studies, and standards for pitch and presentation excellence within the NA Deal Design & Development community.

• Actively share best practices and consult with peers to continuously elevate the craft, consistency, and impact of design deliverables.

• Operate with a builder's mindset, moving quickly with a bias toward action, iteration, and ownership, leveraging modern tools (including AI where appropriate) to accelerate work.

• Focus on select, high-stakes opportunities requiring platform thinking, ecosystem storytelling, and comfort with ambiguity.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities emphasize a strategic partnership with sales and product teams, focusing on the "why" and "how" of Visa's value proposition, rather than just the aesthetic execution. The requirement to "help shape and build story flow, structure, and messaging" indicates a role deeply involved in content strategy and narrative development, not just graphic execution. The explicit mention of "Big Tech partners" and "product-led partnerships" contextualizes the role within Visa's strategic growth areas.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

Experience:

• 5-10 years of professional experience in graphic design, with a significant focus on presentation design, visual storytelling, and strategic narrative development.

• Proven experience working closely with sales, product, or business development teams in a fast-paced, client-facing environment.

Required Skills:

• Exceptional proficiency in presentation design software, including but not limited to Microsoft PowerPoint, Google Slides, and Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop).

• Strong visual storytelling capabilities, with the ability to translate complex strategies and data into clear, compelling visual narratives.

• Proven experience in designing high-impact pitch decks, proposals, and executive-level presentations.

• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to confidently present design rationale and influence senior leaders.

• Ability to work independently, proactively seek clarity, and thrive in ambiguous environments.

• Strong understanding of brand guidelines and the ability to ensure visual consistency across all deliverables.

• Experience in creating infographics, diagrams, and data visualizations that simplify complex information.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience designing for technology companies, particularly in payments or related financial services sectors.

• Familiarity with UI/UX design principles and the ability to create UI mockups for presentations.

• Experience with AI-powered design tools to enhance workflow efficiency and creative output.

• Knowledge of storytelling frameworks and strategic narrative development.

• Experience in contributing to and maintaining design systems and reusable asset libraries.

• Familiarity with Request for Proposal (RFP) response processes and best practices.

📝 Enhancement Note: The experience level is inferred from the "Manager" title and the typical seniority of roles requiring partnership with senior sales and product leaders. The emphasis on "hands-on individual contributor role with leadership expectations" suggests a need for seasoned professionals who can guide design strategy and execution without necessarily managing a team. The inclusion of AI tools as a plus indicates a forward-thinking approach to design execution.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A robust portfolio showcasing a minimum of 3-5 comprehensive case studies of high-impact presentation design projects, ideally for strategic sales pitches, partnership proposals, or complex B2B narratives.

• Demonstrate end-to-end ownership of projects, from understanding the strategic brief to final delivery, highlighting problem-solving and design rationale.

• Include examples of translating complex concepts, data, or product features into clear, persuasive visual narratives.

• Showcase versatility in design style, demonstrating the ability to adapt to different brand guidelines and partner-specific requirements.

Process Documentation:

• Ability to articulate your personal design process, including how you approach understanding client needs, developing storyboards, iterating on designs, and incorporating feedback.

• Demonstrate experience in creating and managing reusable design templates and visual systems to ensure consistency and efficiency across multiple projects.

• Provide examples of how you've collaborated with cross-functional teams (e.g., Sales, Product, Legal) to gather input and ensure accuracy and strategic alignment in deliverables.

• Showcase how you've managed project timelines, prioritized tasks, and delivered high-quality work under pressure.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a role of this nature, the portfolio is critical. It must go beyond simply showcasing pretty slides to demonstrating strategic thinking, problem-solving, and the ability to influence business outcomes through design. The emphasis is on process and impact, not just aesthetics.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

Benefits:

• Medical Insurance

• Dental Insurance

• Vision Insurance

• 401(k) Retirement Plan

• Flexible Spending Account (FSA) / Health Savings Account (HSA)

• Life Insurance

• Paid Time Off (PTO)

• Wellness Program

• Potential for Bonus payments

Working Hours:

• Varies upon the needs of the department, with an expectation of 40 hours per week.

• A hybrid work model is in place, with specific days in the office to be confirmed by the Hiring Manager.

• Travel Requirements: 5-10% of the time.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range and benefits are directly extracted from the provided information. The "Working Hours" are supplemented with the standard 40-hour week for full-time roles and the explicit mention of hybrid work. The travel requirement is also included.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Payments Technology / Financial Services. Visa operates globally, facilitating digital payments and transactions, with a strong focus on innovation and expanding payment ecosystems.

Company Size: Large Enterprise (Visa is a publicly traded company with tens of thousands of employees worldwide). This implies structured processes, significant resources, and opportunities for broad impact.

Founded: 1958. Visa has a long-standing history and a well-established brand, indicating a culture that balances tradition with innovation.

Team Structure:

• This role is part of the North America Deal Team, specifically within the Deal Design & Development group.

• The team is a creative unit working with sales leaders to craft compelling "Why Visa" stories and presentations.

• The Graphic Design Manager will be deeply embedded with the Growth Products & Partnerships (GP&P) team, working closely with their product, partnership, and sales leaders.

Methodology:

• The team's approach combines best-in-class deal design with deep context in product-led partnerships.

• Emphasis on crafting compelling narratives that are strategically grounded in how Visa creates long-term value.

• Utilizes modern tools, including AI, to accelerate thinking, iteration, and execution.

• Focuses on data-driven insights and outcome-oriented design solutions.

• Prioritizes speed and iteration while maintaining high standards of craft and clarity.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: The company description highlights Visa's global reach and mission to "uplift everyone, everywhere." The role's embedding within GP&P and the Big Tech focus indicates a strategic position within Visa's expansion efforts into new product and partnership areas.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as a senior individual contributor with "leadership expectations" within a specialized design function supporting sales and GTM strategy. It sits at a critical intersection of creative execution and strategic business development.

Reporting Structure: Reports to the Head of Deal Design & Development within the North America Deal Team. Works closely with GP&P sales and product leaders.

Operations Impact: The role's direct impact is on the success of high-stakes sales opportunities and strategic partnerships. By creating compelling narratives and persuasive pitch materials, the Graphic Design Manager directly influences executive decision-making, helps win new business, and shapes how Visa communicates its value proposition to key partners, particularly in the critical Big Tech segment.

Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization & Expertise: Deepen expertise in presentation design, visual storytelling, and strategic narrative development within the payments and technology sectors.

• Influence & Strategy: Grow influence by becoming a trusted design partner to senior sales and product leaders, contributing to early-stage opportunity framing and strategy.

• Leadership within Design: Evolve into a lead designer role, potentially mentoring junior designers or taking on more complex, cross-functional design initiatives.

• Cross-Functional Exposure: Gain deeper understanding and experience in product development, partnership strategies, and sales cycles within Visa's growth areas.

• Process Improvement: Contribute to refining and elevating the design processes and standards for the NA Deal Team and the broader design community within Visa.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Manager" title for an individual contributor role emphasizes leadership in design thinking, project execution, and influencing stakeholders, suggesting a career path focused on specialized expertise and strategic impact rather than direct team management.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid position, requiring a mix of remote work and in-office presence. The specific number of days in the office will be confirmed by the Hiring Manager.

Office Location(s): San Francisco, California. This implies working within a major tech and business hub.

Workspace Context:

• The role requires working in an office setting with standard office equipment.

• Collaboration is expected with sales, product, and design teams, suggesting an environment that supports cross-functional interaction.

• Access to modern tools and technology, including AI, is encouraged for efficiency.

Work Schedule:

• The role is full-time, typically around 40 hours per week.

• Hours may vary based on departmental needs, particularly during critical pitch development or deal cycles.

• The hybrid model offers some flexibility in balancing in-office and remote work.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid nature of the role requires adaptability and good time management to effectively collaborate both remotely and in person, especially when working closely with sales teams who may have varied schedules.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Likely a review of application and portfolio by a recruiter or hiring manager to assess qualifications and design craft.

• Portfolio Presentation & Discussion: Candidates will likely present a curated selection of their strongest work, discussing their process, design rationale, and impact on business outcomes. This is a critical stage for demonstrating strategic thinking and storytelling.

• Skills-Based Exercise/Case Study: A practical design challenge may be given, either pre-interview or as part of the interview process, to assess problem-solving, creativity, and execution speed under realistic conditions. This could involve developing a concept for a pitch slide or refining a narrative.

• Stakeholder Interviews: Interviews with sales leaders, product managers, and potentially other designers to assess collaboration skills, business acumen, communication clarity, and cultural fit. Expect questions about how you partner with non-designers and influence outcomes.

• Final Interview: Potentially with the Head of Deal Design & Development or other senior leadership to discuss overall fit, strategic alignment, and career aspirations.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 3-5 projects that best demonstrate your ability to handle complex strategic narratives, work with sales/product teams, and drive impact. Prioritize projects for technology partners or complex B2B deals if possible.

• Tell the Story: For each case study, clearly articulate the challenge, your role, your design process, the specific solutions you developed, and the tangible results or impact achieved. Quantify impact whenever possible (e.g., "contributed to winning a multi-million dollar deal," "clarified complex value proposition leading to faster executive buy-in").

• Highlight Process: Be prepared to walk through your workflow, decision-making rationale, and how you incorporated feedback. Show your ability to think critically about the strategic objectives behind the design.

• Showcase Visual Systems: Include examples of how you've developed or utilized templates, style guides, or reusable assets to ensure consistency and scalability.

• Address Ambiguity: If a project involved ambiguity, explain how you navigated it, what questions you asked, and how you brought clarity to the design.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Context: If given a case study, thoroughly research Visa, its GP&P initiatives, and its Big Tech partnerships to inform your approach.

• Focus on Narrative: Even for a single slide, think about the story it tells and how it supports a larger strategic objective.

• Demonstrate Speed & Quality: Practice creating polished deliverables within a limited timeframe, showcasing both efficiency and high standards.

• Articulate Your Rationale: Be ready to explain why you made specific design choices and how they address the prompt's requirements.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Manager" title implies a need for candidates who can not only execute but also think strategically, manage projects end-to-end, and effectively communicate their value and process to senior stakeholders. The portfolio should reflect this strategic, business-oriented approach to design.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Presentation Software: Microsoft PowerPoint (expert level), Google Slides (proficient), Keynote (familiarity is a plus).

• Design Software: Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign - expert level), potentially Figma or Sketch for UI mockups.

• Collaboration Tools: Microsoft Teams, Slack, Zoom, Confluence, Jira (for workflow and project management).

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not a direct analytics role, understanding how to visualize data effectively is crucial. Familiarity with tools that support data integration or visualization within presentations is beneficial.

CRM & Automation:

• Familiarity with CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce) is helpful for understanding sales processes, though direct CRM management is not expected.

• Awareness of automation tools that might support content creation or workflow efficiency is a plus, especially regarding AI-driven design tools.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis here is on sophisticated presentation design tools and the ability to integrate various forms of content (data, UI mockups) into compelling narratives. Proficiency in PowerPoint and Adobe Creative Suite is non-negotiable.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Excellence & Craft: A commitment to producing high-quality, impactful design work that elevates Visa's brand and strategic messaging.

• Collaboration & Partnership: Working effectively with sales, product, and other design teams, fostering strong relationships built on trust and mutual respect.

• Strategic Impact: Focusing on how design can directly contribute to business objectives, such as winning deals and strengthening partnerships.

• Innovation & Efficiency: Embracing new tools and methodologies (like AI) to drive efficiency and push creative boundaries while maintaining high standards.

• Ownership & Accountability: Taking full responsibility for projects from inception to completion, demonstrating a proactive and results-oriented approach.

Collaboration Style:

• Proactive & Consultative: Engaging with stakeholders early in the process, asking insightful questions, and acting as a strategic design advisor.

• Cross-Functional Integration: Seamlessly working with diverse teams (Sales, Product, Legal, other Designers) to gather input, ensure alignment, and deliver cohesive solutions.

• Feedback-Driven Iteration: Open to constructive feedback and adept at iterating designs based on stakeholder input to achieve optimal outcomes.

• Knowledge Sharing: Actively participating in a community of practice, sharing best practices, and contributing to the collective elevation of design standards.

📝 Enhancement Note: The culture emphasizes a blend of creative excellence and business-driven results. The ideal candidate will be a proactive communicator and collaborator who understands the strategic importance of their design contributions.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Navigating Ambiguity: Working with early-stage ideas and evolving strategic concepts requires comfort with uncertainty and the ability to bring clarity through design.

• Balancing Speed & Quality: Delivering high-impact materials quickly for fast-paced sales cycles while maintaining executive-level polish and strategic accuracy.

• Influencing Stakeholders: Effectively communicating design rationale and influencing senior leaders who may have different priorities or perspectives.

• Translating Complexity: Simplifying intricate product features, partnership models, and financial concepts into easily digestible and persuasive visual narratives.

• Maintaining Brand Consistency: Ensuring all creative output adheres to Visa's brand guidelines while also being tailored to specific partner needs.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Strategic Design Specialization: Developing deep expertise in strategic narrative development, deal design, and GTM enablement through exposure to high-stakes opportunities.

• Industry Insight: Gaining a deeper understanding of Visa's product portfolio, partnership strategies, and the competitive landscape in payments and technology.

• Executive Communication Skills: Honing presentation and communication skills through regular interaction with senior leadership.

• Tool Proficiency: Exploring and mastering new design tools, including AI-powered solutions, to enhance creative output and efficiency.

• Network Building: Expanding professional network within Visa by collaborating with diverse teams and leaders across sales, product, and design functions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are inherent to a role that bridges creative design with high-stakes business development, requiring adaptability and strong problem-solving skills. The growth opportunities are geared towards developing a specialized strategic design expert within a leading global company.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to translate a complex technical product or partnership model into a clear and compelling visual narrative. What was your process, and what was the outcome?" (Focus on strategic brief, narrative development, and impact).

• "How do you approach partnering with sales or product leaders who have a strong vision but may not articulate it clearly? What questions do you ask to uncover their needs and drive clarity?" (Focus on consultative approach and stakeholder management).

Company & Culture Questions:

• "Based on your understanding of Visa and the payments industry, what do you think are the key challenges our Growth Products & Partnerships team faces in communicating value to Big Tech partners?" (Demonstrate research and strategic thinking).

• "How do you see design contributing to Visa's mission of 'uplifting everyone, everywhere' in the context of product-led partnerships?" (Connect design to company mission and values).

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Start with the "Why": For each case study, clearly articulate the business objective or strategic challenge the design aimed to address.

• Show, Don't Just Tell: Use visual elements from your portfolio to illustrate your points, but always connect them back to the strategy and impact.

• Explain Your Process: Detail your workflow, your decision-making rationale, and how you incorporated feedback. Highlight any challenges you overcame and how.

• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, provide metrics or qualitative evidence of the design's success (e.g., client feedback, deal progression, clarity improvement).

• Be Prepared for Questions: Anticipate questions about your design choices, your collaboration style, and how you handle constructive criticism.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating not just design skills, but also strategic thinking, business acumen, and the ability to collaborate effectively with diverse stakeholders to achieve tangible business outcomes.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this operations position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on the SmartRecruiters platform.

• Portfolio Customization: Tailor your portfolio to highlight presentations, strategic narratives, and visual storytelling examples that align with B2B technology partnerships and sales enablement. Emphasize projects where you translated complex ideas into clear, persuasive visuals and demonstrated business impact.

• Resume Optimization: Ensure your resume clearly outlines your experience in presentation design, strategic communication, stakeholder management, and any relevant experience with technology or financial services. Use keywords from the job description, such as "presentation design," "visual storytelling," "sales enablement," "pitch decks," and "strategic narrative."

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design process, your strategic thinking, and your ability to collaborate effectively. Be ready to present your portfolio with a focus on narrative and impact, and prepare for potential design challenges.

• Company Research: Thoroughly research Visa, its Growth Products & Partnerships (GP&P) division, its focus on Big Tech partners, and its overall mission. Understand their market position and the types of partnerships they pursue.

⚠️ 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.