Graphic Designer - 12 Month Fixed Term Contract

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Graphic Designer - 12 Month Fixed Term Contract Company: Rest Location: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Job Type: Full-time (Contractor) Category: Creative & Media / Marketing / Art & Design Date Posted: 2025-10-26T22:16:58.508 Experience Level: 2-5 Years

🚀 Role Summary

• Execute creative and design solutions primarily for digital communication channels, ensuring alignment with brand guidelines and strategic objectives.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with internal teams and external agencies to deliver cohesive and impactful design across all Rest communication touchpoints.
• Leverage customer insights and innovative thinking to simplify complex financial information and enhance member experience through effective visual storytelling.
• Manage multiple design projects concurrently, maintaining high standards of quality, creativity, and attention to detail under pressure.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is a 12-month fixed-term contract within the Brand and Member Experience Team, focusing on delivering creative and design solutions for a leading Australian superannuation fund. The emphasis is on digital-first design, brand advocacy, and making complex financial concepts accessible to members.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Create and execute visually compelling designs for a variety of communication assets, with a strong focus on digital platforms (paid, owned, and earned media).
• Ensure all design outputs strictly adhere to Rest's brand guidelines, maintaining consistent visual execution and brand integrity across all materials.
• Partner effectively with copywriters and fellow designers to creatively interpret briefs, develop innovative solutions, and deliver differentiated designs.
• Manage a pipeline of multiple design projects simultaneously, prioritizing tasks and ensuring timely delivery without compromising quality or attention to detail.
• Collaborate closely with internal stakeholders from departments such as Member Experience, Digital, Product, and Operations, as well as external agency partners, to ensure design consistency.
• Apply best practice design expertise to optimize the effectiveness and engagement of member communications, leveraging insights to drive design decisions.
• Stay current with industry trends, emerging design best practices, and new technologies, championing their adoption within the team to enhance design capabilities.

📝 Enhancement Note: The core responsibilities highlight a blend of creative execution, brand stewardship, and collaborative problem-solving. The role requires a designer who can translate strategic briefs into effective visual communications, particularly for digital channels, and contribute to simplifying complex financial products for members.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• Tertiary level qualifications (e.g., diploma) in Graphic Design, Visual Communications, or a related field.
• 📝 Enhancement Note: While a diploma is mentioned, candidates with equivalent practical experience and a strong portfolio demonstrating mastery of design principles and software will be highly regarded.

Experience:

• 2+ years of professional graphic design experience, ideally within an in-house marketing team or an agency environment.
• Proven experience designing for digital channels, including paid, owned, and earned media.

Required Skills:

• Adobe Creative Suite: Advanced proficiency in Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign for creating and editing a wide range of design assets.
• Figma: Solid knowledge and practical experience using Figma for collaborative design, prototyping, and UI/UX design elements.
• Digital Design Expertise: Demonstrated ability to design for various digital platforms, understanding principles of web design, social media graphics, email marketing visuals, and digital advertising creative.
• Brand Guideline Application: Strong ability to interpret and meticulously apply brand guidelines to ensure consistent visual execution across all design outputs.
• Attention to Detail: Exceptional accuracy and meticulousness in all design work, ensuring error-free and polished final assets.
• Time Management & Workflow: Proven ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously, meet tight deadlines, and perform effectively under pressure.
• Initiative & Creativity: A proactive approach to problem-solving, coupled with a natural flair for innovative and customer-centric creative thinking.
• Microsoft 365: Proficiency in Microsoft PowerPoint and Word for creating presentations and document integration.

Preferred Skills:

• Motion Graphics Design: Experience or demonstrable skills in creating animated graphics, GIFs, or short video content for digital platforms.
• Customer Centricity: An understanding of user experience (UX) principles and a focus on designing with the end-user (member) in mind.
• Strategic Thinking: Ability to think beyond the immediate design brief and consider the broader strategic goals and member outcomes.

📝 Enhancement Note: The required skills emphasize technical proficiency in industry-standard design software and a strong understanding of digital design principles. Experience in financial services or a highly regulated industry is not strictly required but would be beneficial for understanding the context of the role.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Demonstration of Digital Design Excellence: Showcase a range of digital assets created for various platforms (social media, web banners, email campaigns, digital ads), highlighting versatility and technical execution.
• Brand Guideline Adherence: Include case studies or examples where you successfully applied and maintained brand consistency across multiple projects or channels.
• Problem-Solving Through Design: Present projects that illustrate how you used design thinking to solve a specific brief or overcome a communication challenge, ideally with examples related to simplifying complex information.
• Collaborative Project Examples: If possible, include examples of projects where you worked closely with copywriters, marketing teams, or other stakeholders, demonstrating your ability to integrate feedback and deliver cohesive outcomes.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Examples: Be prepared to discuss your design process from brief to final delivery, including how you approach concept development, iteration, feedback incorporation, and final file preparation.
• Tool Proficiency Showcase: Your portfolio should implicitly or explicitly demonstrate your practical application of Adobe Suite and Figma in your workflow.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company explicitly requests a sample of work, indicating a strong emphasis on the portfolio as a critical component of the application. Candidates should curate their portfolio to best represent their digital design capabilities, brand adherence, and problem-solving skills relevant to the financial services context.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• 📝 Enhancement Note: The provided data does not include a specific salary range. However, based on the Sydney location, 2-5 years of experience, and the contract nature of the role, a competitive market rate for a Graphic Designer in Australia would typically range from AUD $70,000 to $95,000 per annum, potentially higher depending on specific skills like motion graphics and the agency vs. in-house experience.

Benefits:

• Personal and professional development opportunities.
• Flexible, hybrid working arrangements – a blend of working from the Sydney CBD office and home.
• Purchase leave scheme.
• Gender-neutral 16 weeks paid parental leave.
• Superannuation Contribution Continuation for 12 Months of parental leave.
• Meeting-free breaks ("Rest Stops") to encourage focused work and well-being.
• Income Protection Insurance.
• Rest Excellence Awards for peer recognition based on company values.

Working Hours:

• 📝 Enhancement Note: The role is listed as Full-time, implying a standard 38-40 hour work week. The hybrid arrangement offers flexibility within this framework.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Financial Services - Superannuation Fund Provider. Rest is a leading provider in Australia, focused on low fees, competitive long-term performance, and prioritizing member benefits. Company Size: Large. Rest supports nearly two million members and manages approximately $86 billion in funds under management, indicating a significant organizational scale. Founded: 1988. With a history dating back to 1988, Rest has established a strong presence and reputation in the Australian superannuation market.

Team Structure:

• The Graphic Designer will be part of the Brand and Member Experience Team.
• This team likely collaborates closely with other departments such as Marketing, Digital, Product, and Operations, as well as external agencies.
• The structure emphasizes a collaborative approach to ensure brand consistency and optimal member communication across all touchpoints.

Methodology:

• Customer-Centricity: A core tenet is making superannuation simple and helping members understand complex financial products, indicating a focus on user experience and clear communication.
• Data-Informed Design: The role involves leveraging insights to inform design, suggesting a data-driven approach to creative development.
• Values-Driven Operations: Rest operates based on values like "Be Daring, Keep it Simple, Take Action, and Have Grit," influencing decision-making and team interactions.

Company Website: rest.com

📝 Enhancement Note: Rest positions itself as a member-focused, responsible investment leader. The company culture appears to value simplicity, action, and resilience, aiming to make superannuation accessible and understandable for its members.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role represents an intermediate-level Graphic Designer position. It requires a solid foundation of 2+ years of experience and the ability to work independently on projects while also collaborating effectively within a team. Reporting Structure: The Graphic Designer reports to a manager within the Brand and Member Experience Team. They will work in conjunction with copywriters and designers, and collaborate with various cross-functional teams. Operations Impact: While this role is creative, its impact is significant. Effective design directly influences member engagement, understanding of financial products, and overall perception of the Rest brand. In a competitive financial services market, strong visual communication is crucial for member acquisition and retention.

Growth Opportunities:

• Skill Diversification: The opportunity to gain experience in the financial services sector, which can be a niche but stable career path. Developing skills in designing for regulated industries can be valuable.
• Motion Graphics Development: For candidates with existing or developing motion graphics skills, this role offers a chance to hone these abilities within a professional context.
• Cross-Functional Exposure: Working with various teams (Digital, Product, Operations) provides exposure to different business functions and broadens understanding of the organization's overall strategy.
• Contract-to-Permanent Potential: While a fixed-term contract, strong performance could potentially lead to opportunities for extension or permanent roles within Rest or its network, depending on business needs.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers a valuable opportunity to gain experience within a large, established financial institution, focusing on creative execution within a regulated environment. The contract nature suggests a project-based need, but excellent performance can open doors for further engagement.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid Work Model. This involves a blend of working from the Sydney CBD office and remotely from home. Office Location(s): Sydney CBD, Australia. This central location offers accessibility and proximity to business hubs.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The role requires close collaboration with internal teams and external agencies, suggesting a dynamic and interactive work setting when in the office.
• Tools and Technology: Access to industry-standard design software (Adobe Suite, Figma) and Microsoft 365 will be essential for daily tasks.
• Team Interaction: Regular interaction with designers, copywriters, and stakeholders from various departments is expected, fostering a culture of shared learning and creative exchange.

Work Schedule:

• Full-time, standard business hours, with a hybrid arrangement allowing for flexibility in managing work location between office and home.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model is a key feature, offering work-life balance. Candidates should be comfortable splitting their time between in-office collaboration and remote work, with the understanding that in-office days are crucial for team synergy and project alignment.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Application: Submission of resume and a sample of work (portfolio).
• Screening: Review of qualifications, experience, and portfolio by a recruiter or hiring manager.
• First Interview: Likely a discussion with the hiring manager or a senior team member to assess creative skills, technical proficiency, cultural fit, and understanding of the role's requirements. This stage will heavily involve portfolio review.
• Second Interview (Potentially): May involve a practical design exercise or a more in-depth discussion with other team members or stakeholders to evaluate problem-solving skills and collaboration style.
• Reference Checks: Standard verification of employment history and performance.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate for Relevance: Select 5-7 of your strongest, most relevant projects. Prioritize digital design work, examples of brand guideline application, and any projects that involved simplifying complex information or financial products.
• Tell a Story: For each project, briefly outline the brief, your role, the challenges, your creative process, the tools used, and the outcome. Quantify results where possible (e.g., increased engagement, improved clarity).
• Highlight Digital Proficiency: Ensure examples clearly showcase your skills in digital design for various platforms.
• Showcase Figma & Adobe Suite: Be ready to discuss how you utilized these tools effectively in your projects.
• Professional Presentation: Ensure your portfolio is well-organized, visually appealing, and easy to navigate, whether it's a PDF, a personal website, or a platform like Behance.

Challenge Preparation:

• Design Brief Exercise: Be prepared for a hypothetical design brief that you might need to respond to, either in a timed exercise or as a take-home assignment. Focus on understanding the target audience (members), the communication objective, and brand constraints.
• Creative Problem-Solving: Think about how you approach designing for a regulated industry and how you ensure clarity and engagement despite potential complexities.
• Collaboration Scenarios: Consider how you would handle feedback from stakeholders, disagreements on design direction, or tight project timelines.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit request for a portfolio sample means it's the most critical element of the initial application. Candidates should invest significant time in tailoring their portfolio to meet the specific requirements of this role.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Adobe Creative Suite: Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign are essential for creating and manipulating design assets.
• Figma: A key tool for collaborative design, prototyping, and potentially UI/UX elements. Proficiency is required.
• Microsoft 365: Includes Word and PowerPoint, essential for document creation, presentations, and general office productivity.

Analytics & Reporting:

• 📝 Enhancement Note: While not explicitly listed as required tools, an understanding of how design impacts key metrics (e.g., click-through rates, engagement rates, conversion rates) would be highly beneficial. Familiarity with analytics platforms (e.g., Google Analytics) may be advantageous.

CRM & Automation:

• 📝 Enhancement Note: No specific CRM or automation tools are listed for this design role. The focus is on creative execution and brand application rather than MarTech stack management.

📝 Enhancement Note: The technology stack is focused on core graphic design software. Candidates should be proficient in the listed tools, with Figma being a particularly important collaborative platform.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Be Daring: Encouraging innovative thinking and taking calculated risks in design to achieve impactful results.
• Keep it Simple: A commitment to making complex financial information easily understandable through clear, concise, and intuitive design.
• Take Action: A proactive approach to design challenges, driving projects forward efficiently and effectively.
• Have Grit: Demonstrating resilience, perseverance, and a determination to overcome obstacles and deliver high-quality work, even under pressure.
• Member-Centricity: A fundamental value that underpins all work, ensuring that designs are created with the member's experience and understanding as the primary goal.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: The role requires active collaboration with various departments, emphasizing a team-oriented approach to achieving unified brand messaging and member experience.
• Feedback & Iteration: A culture that likely involves constructive feedback exchange between designers, copywriters, and stakeholders to refine designs and ensure alignment with objectives.
• Knowledge Sharing: Encouragement to share best practices and stay updated on design trends, fostering a continuous learning environment within the team.

📝 Enhancement Note: Rest's values are integral to their culture and likely shape how team members interact and approach their work. Candidates should demonstrate alignment with these values, particularly "Keep it Simple" and "Be Daring," in their approach to design challenges.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Designing for a Regulated Industry: The financial services sector has strict compliance and regulatory requirements that can influence design choices. Balancing creativity with these constraints is a key challenge.
• Simplifying Complex Concepts: Making superannuation and financial products easily understandable to a broad audience requires strong conceptual thinking and design execution.
• Balancing Multiple Projects: Managing competing priorities and deadlines effectively within a fast-paced environment.
• Maintaining Brand Consistency: Ensuring that all design outputs, across various channels and projects, consistently reflect the Rest brand identity.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Industry-Specific Design: Gaining specialized experience in designing for the financial services and superannuation sector.
• Digital Design Specialization: Enhancing skills in various digital design disciplines through practical application.
• Motion Graphics Proficiency: Opportunity to develop or deepen motion graphics skills, which are increasingly valuable in digital marketing.
• Cross-Departmental Insight: Understanding how design contributes to broader marketing, digital, and product strategies within a large organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role presents opportunities to refine skills in specific areas like digital design and motion graphics, while also navigating the unique demands of the financial services industry.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to simplify a complex concept through design. What was your process, and what was the outcome?" (Assesses problem-solving and communication clarity).
• "How do you ensure brand consistency across multiple design projects and channels?" (Evaluates understanding of brand stewardship and process).
• "Walk us through a project in your portfolio that you're particularly proud of. What were the challenges, and how did you overcome them?" (Assesses portfolio presentation, critical thinking, and self-awareness).
• "How do you approach incorporating feedback from stakeholders, especially when it differs from your initial vision?" (Tests collaboration and adaptability).

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What do you know about Rest and the superannuation industry?" (Assesses research and genuine interest).
• "How do you embody our values of 'Be Daring,' 'Keep it Simple,' 'Take Action,' and 'Have Grit' in your design work?" (Evaluates cultural fit and alignment with company ethos).
• "How do you see your role contributing to the Brand and Member Experience team's goals?" (Assesses role understanding and strategic thinking).

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Focus on Digital: Prioritize showcasing your best digital design work.
• Structure for Clarity: For each project, clearly articulate the brief, your role, the challenges, your creative process, the tools used, and the results (quantifiable if possible).
• Highlight Figma & Adobe Suite Usage: Be prepared to discuss specific techniques or workflows you employed using these tools.
• Demonstrate Brand Adherence: If possible, show examples of how you applied brand guidelines or adapted designs within a brand framework.
• Concise Storytelling: Keep descriptions brief and impactful, letting the visuals speak for themselves while you provide context.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating not only technical design skills but also an understanding of Rest's values, the financial services context, and the ability to translate complex information into clear, engaging visuals.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Graphic Designer position:

• Submit your Application: Through the provided link on SmartRecruiters, ensuring all required fields are completed accurately.
• Prepare Your Portfolio: Curate a selection of your strongest design work, prioritizing digital projects and any examples that demonstrate your ability to simplify complex information or adhere to brand guidelines. Ensure it is easily accessible (e.g., PDF, online portfolio link).
• Tailor Your Resume: Highlight your 2+ years of graphic design experience, specific software proficiencies (Adobe Suite, Figma), and experience with digital channels. Use keywords from the job description.
• Research Rest: Familiarize yourself with Rest's mission, values, and recent campaigns to better understand their brand and communication style.
• Practice Portfolio Walkthrough: Be ready to present and discuss your portfolio confidently, explaining your creative process, problem-solving approach, and the impact of your designs.

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

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