Graphic Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Graphic Designer

Company: Travel Counsellors

Location: Manchester, United Kingdom

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Marketing & Creative Operations

Date Posted: April 06, 2026

Experience Level: Mid-Level (4-5 years)

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive creative excellence in visual asset creation for a global travel company, ensuring brand consistency across all touchpoints.

• Develop and execute high-impact graphic design across digital and print channels to support marketing campaigns and business objectives.

• Collaborate closely with marketing, commercial, and design teams to deliver creative solutions at pace, adapting to shifting priorities.

• Contribute to the evolution and maintenance of brand guidelines, ensuring premium aesthetic standards are upheld.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a midweight Graphic Designer, suggesting a need for a candidate who can work independently but also collaborate effectively within a team structure. The emphasis on "pace" and "shifting priorities" indicates a dynamic marketing environment common in fast-growing companies.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Design and produce high-quality artwork for a diverse range of digital and print marketing collateral, supporting global business needs.

• Create engaging social media assets, including static imagery, short-form video, and basic motion graphics, to enhance online presence.

• Develop creative campaign assets and content in multiple formats, working with digital publishing platforms to reach target audiences.

• Manage and maintain brand assets, including imagery libraries, supplier content, and logos, ensuring accuracy and accessibility.

• Design and evolve artwork templates and materials that consistently align with a premium brand aesthetic.

• Provide event branding support, creating collateral, theming, and materials for internal and external company events.

• Support the ongoing development and strict adherence to brand guidelines across all visual outputs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of campaign-specific design work and ongoing brand management. The inclusion of "short-form video" and "simple motion content" suggests a need for skills beyond traditional graphic design, potentially touching on motion graphics or basic video editing.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Degree or diploma in Graphic Design, Visual Communication, or a related field is preferred.

Experience: 4-5 years of experience, with a background that ideally spans both in-house and creative agency environments.

Required Skills:

• Strong portfolio showcasing digital and print design capabilities, with a focus on typography, layout, and creative thinking.

• Proven ability to apply brand guidelines effectively across various creative outputs.

• Proficiency in creating compelling social media assets, including static imagery.

• Experience in designing and managing brand assets, such as imagery and logos.

• Skill in developing artwork templates and materials that maintain a premium brand aesthetic.

• Demonstrable experience in event branding and creation of event collateral.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience with short-form video creation and simple motion graphics.

• Familiarity with digital publishing platforms.

• Background in luxury or premium brands.

• A demonstrable passion for or experience within the travel industry.

• Proficiency with Adobe Creative Suite (e.g., Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, After Effects).

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on a "strong portfolio" is critical. Candidates should prepare to showcase a diverse range of work that clearly demonstrates their ability to meet the outlined responsibilities, particularly in digital and print design, brand application, and creative problem-solving. The preference for luxury/travel experience suggests candidates with this background will have an advantage.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A comprehensive portfolio is mandatory for application, demonstrating a breadth of work across digital and print design.

• Showcase specific examples of typography, layout design, and creative thinking applied to real-world projects.

• Include case studies or examples of successful brand application and consistency across multiple platforms.

Process Documentation:

• While not explicitly stated, candidates should be prepared to discuss their design process, from brief interpretation to final asset delivery.

• Be ready to articulate how you manage creative workflows, client feedback, and revisions.

• Demonstrate an understanding of how design assets fit into broader marketing campaigns and business objectives.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for a portfolio is paramount. Candidates should curate their submissions to directly address the "Principal Accountabilities" and "Required Experience" sections. Highlighting projects that show adaptability, speed, and a keen eye for premium aesthetics will be key.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on the mid-level experience requirement (4-5 years) and the location (Manchester, UK), a competitive salary range for a Graphic Designer would typically fall between £28,000 and £38,000 per annum. This estimate considers the company's industry, size, and the benefits package offered, which suggests a commitment to rewarding employees.

Benefits:

• Competitive salary plus an annual bonus.

• Flexible hybrid working arrangement, allowing for a blend of office and remote work.

• Opportunities for career development and professional growth within the company.

• Generous paid time off: 25 days of holiday per year, increasing to 28 days after 5 years of service.

• Enhanced maternity and paternity pay to support new parents.

• One paid charity day per year to contribute to community initiatives.

• Regular company events and incentives to foster team spirit and engagement.

• Substantial death in service benefit, equivalent to 3x annual salary.

• Company pension scheme to support long-term financial planning.

• Choice between Private Medical Insurance or a Healthcare Cash Plan for health and well-being.

• Daily complimentary breakfast and beverages provided at the office.

Working Hours: Standard working hours are expected, likely around 40 hours per week, with the flexibility offered by the hybrid working model.

📝 Enhancement Note: The provided benefits package is quite comprehensive, including not only standard offerings like holiday and pension but also enhanced parental leave, charity days, and health plans, indicating a strong focus on employee well-being and work-life balance, which is attractive for operations professionals seeking a supportive environment. The salary estimate is benchmarked against UK market rates for similar roles and experience levels.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Travel & Tourism. Travel Counsellors operates within the dynamic and customer-centric travel industry, focusing on empowering independent travel agents and delivering personalized travel experiences. This industry context means creativity, brand storytelling, and customer understanding are paramount.

Company Size: Over 400 employees in Support Offices, with a network of 2,200+ independent travel agents worldwide. This indicates a well-established organization with a significant operational footprint, offering opportunities for impact within a structured yet growing environment.

Founded: Over 30 years ago. This long history suggests stability, established processes, and a deep understanding of the travel market, while recent accolades like "Best Place to Work in Travel" point to a forward-thinking and evolving culture.

Team Structure:

• The Graphic Designer will be part of the busy Marketing team, reporting directly to the Design Studio Manager.

• This implies a collaborative creative environment with potential for interaction with other marketing specialists (e.g., content creators, digital marketers, campaign managers).

Methodology:

• The company emphasizes customer-centricity and empowering its agents, suggesting a data-informed approach to marketing and design.

• A focus on "high-quality creative assets at pace" and "shifting priorities" points to agile marketing processes.

• The need for "premium design sensibility" and consistency in "brand guidelines" indicates a structured approach to brand management and visual identity.

Company Website: https://careers.travelcounsellors.com

📝 Enhancement Note: Travel Counsellors' recognition as a "Best Place to Work" suggests a positive and supportive company culture. The integration of independent agents alongside a central support team indicates a unique operational model that values both autonomy and centralized guidance.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a Midweight Graphic Designer role, suitable for individuals with approximately 4-5 years of professional experience. The scope involves contributing significantly to creative projects, managing brand assets, and working collaboratively within a marketing team. It's a position that requires a good level of autonomy and creative input.

Reporting Structure: The Graphic Designer reports to the Design Studio Manager. This indicates a clear line of management within the creative function, with opportunities for mentorship and guidance from a more senior design professional.

Operations Impact: As a Graphic Designer, the impact is primarily on enhancing brand perception, supporting marketing campaign effectiveness through compelling visuals, and ensuring a consistent, premium brand experience for customers and agents. This directly influences engagement, lead generation, and brand loyalty – key GTM metrics.

Growth Opportunities:

• Skill Specialization: Opportunity to deepen expertise in specific areas like motion graphics, digital publishing platforms, or social media video content, aligning with industry trends.

• Brand Management: Potential to take on more responsibility in managing brand guidelines and asset libraries as experience grows.

• Project Leadership: As a midweight designer, there's potential to lead design aspects of smaller campaigns or projects, gaining project management experience.

• Cross-functional Exposure: Working closely with various marketing functions and other departments provides a broader understanding of business operations and GTM strategy.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "career development opportunities" benefit directly supports growth. A midweight role is often a stepping stone to senior designer or Art Director positions, especially in a growing company like Travel Counsellors. Candidates should look for opportunities to demonstrate leadership potential and strategic thinking in their design work.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is based at the company's Head Office in Manchester. Given the "Flexible hybrid working" benefit, this suggests a modern office space designed for collaboration, with facilities for both individual work and team meetings.

Office Location(s): 1 Old Park Ln, Manchester, M41 7HA, United Kingdom. This location is within the Trafford area of Greater Manchester.

Workspace Context:

• The Manchester Head Office likely offers a dynamic and collaborative workspace, fostering interaction among marketing team members and other departments.

• The hybrid model implies that the office environment supports focused work, team brainstorming sessions, and client/stakeholder interactions.

• Access to necessary design tools and technology will be provided to facilitate efficient work.

Work Schedule: While specific hours aren't detailed, a full-time role typically involves a standard 40-hour work week. The "Flexible hybrid working" arrangement allows for a degree of autonomy in structuring the work week, balancing office presence with remote work days.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid nature of the role is a significant aspect of the work environment, offering flexibility. Candidates should consider how they best thrive in such a setup and be prepared to discuss their approach to remote collaboration and time management.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Likely a review of CV and portfolio by the Talent Acquisition team or Design Studio Manager.

• Portfolio Presentation: Candidates will likely be asked to present their portfolio, discussing key projects, their design process, and how their work aligns with the Travel Counsellors brand.

• Skills Assessment: A practical design task or challenge may be given to assess design skills, creativity, and ability to work under pressure, potentially focusing on digital or social media assets.

• Team/Manager Interview: Discussions with the Design Studio Manager and potentially other marketing team members to assess cultural fit, collaboration style, and strategic thinking.

• Final Interview: Potentially with a senior marketing leader to discuss overall fit and career aspirations.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 4-6 of your strongest projects that best represent the skills and experience required for this specific role (digital, print, brand application, premium aesthetic, social media assets, motion graphics if applicable).

• Tell a Story: For each project, clearly articulate the brief, your role, the design process, challenges faced, solutions implemented, and the measurable impact or outcome.

• Highlight Brand Alignment: Showcase how you've successfully worked with or applied brand guidelines, particularly for premium or luxury brands.

• Demonstrate Versatility: Include a mix of digital and print work, and if you have motion graphics or video experience, definitely include it.

• Professional Presentation: Ensure your portfolio is well-organized, visually appealing, and easy to navigate, whether it's a PDF or an online platform.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Brand: Thoroughly research Travel Counsellors' brand identity, target audience, current marketing campaigns, and competitors.

• Practice Design Exercises: Work through hypothetical briefs related to travel marketing, social media campaigns, or event branding. Focus on speed, creativity, and adherence to brand guidelines.

• Prepare to Justify Decisions: Be ready to explain the rationale behind your design choices, including typography, color palettes, imagery, and layout.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on a portfolio is a clear indicator that this is the primary tool for evaluation. Candidates should invest significant time in preparing a portfolio that is not only visually impressive but also tells a compelling story about their design process and impact.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Adobe Creative Suite: Proficiency in Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign is essential for digital and print design.

• Motion Graphics/Video Editing: Experience with tools like Adobe After Effects for simple motion content and potentially Premiere Pro for short-form video editing would be highly advantageous.

• Digital Publishing Platforms: Familiarity with platforms used for digital content creation and distribution.

Analytics & Reporting:

CRM & Automation:

• No direct CRM or automation tools are specified as primary requirements for this design role, but an understanding of how design assets integrate into marketing automation workflows or CRM campaigns could be a plus.

📝 Enhancement Note: The core requirement is proficiency in the Adobe Creative Suite. Any additional skills in motion graphics, video editing, or digital publishing platforms will significantly enhance a candidate's profile for this role, reflecting the evolving needs of modern marketing design.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Customer-Centricity: A core value at Travel Counsellors, meaning designs should always consider the end customer's experience and needs.

• Empowerment: Fostering an environment where team members are empowered to take initiative and contribute their best creative work.

• Collaboration: Strong emphasis on working together across teams to achieve common goals, particularly in marketing and design.

• Excellence & Quality: A commitment to high standards in all outputs, reflected in the "premium brand aesthetic" and "high-quality artwork" requirements.

• Human Connection: As a company focused on personal travel experiences, designs should aim to convey warmth, trust, and genuine connection.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: The role requires close collaboration with marketing and commercial teams, indicating a need for clear communication and understanding of different departmental needs.

• Feedback-Driven: A culture that likely embraces constructive feedback to refine creative work and ensure optimal outcomes.

• Agile & Responsive: The need to deliver "at pace" and manage "shifting priorities" suggests a dynamic and adaptable collaboration style.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company’s values, particularly "customer-centricity" and "human connection," should be reflected in the design approach. Understanding how design supports these values will be key to demonstrating cultural fit.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Speed and Quality: Delivering high-quality creative assets quickly to meet marketing deadlines while maintaining a premium brand standard.

• Managing Diverse Stakeholder Needs: Collaborating with various departments, each with potentially different creative briefs and expectations.

• Staying Ahead of Design Trends: Continuously evolving design skills to incorporate new trends in digital media, social content, and motion graphics.

• Maintaining Brand Consistency: Ensuring a unified visual identity across a wide range of outputs and global markets.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Design Software: Opportunities to gain deeper expertise in motion graphics, video editing, or specialized design software.

• Industry Exposure: Working within the travel industry provides unique creative challenges and insights.

• Campaign Strategy: Gaining exposure to broader marketing campaign strategies and how design contributes to their success.

• Mentorship: Learning from the Design Studio Manager and senior members of the marketing team.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are common in midweight design roles within fast-paced marketing teams. Highlighting how you approach these challenges and frame them as growth opportunities will be crucial during the interview process.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "How would you approach designing a social media campaign for a new luxury travel package, ensuring it aligns with our premium brand aesthetic?" (Focus on process, rationale, and brand understanding).

• "Describe a time you had to deliver multiple design assets under tight deadlines. How did you manage your time and priorities?" (Focus on workflow, efficiency, and stress management).

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What do you know about Travel Counsellors and our brand?" (Demonstrate thorough research into the company, its values, and its market position).

• "How do you collaborate with non-designers, such as marketing or commercial teams?" (Focus on communication, understanding different perspectives, and delivering on briefs).

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: Begin with an overview of your experience and passion for design, then walk through selected projects, explaining the context, your creative process, challenges, solutions, and outcomes.

• Quantify Impact (where possible): If you have data on how your designs performed (e.g., increased engagement, click-through rates), present it clearly.

• Showcase Brand Versatility: Highlight projects where you successfully adapted your style to different brand requirements, demonstrating your ability to work with Travel Counsellors' premium brand.

• Prepare for Q&A: Anticipate questions about your design choices, your process, and how you would handle specific scenarios within Travel Counsellors.

📝 Enhancement Note: Be prepared to discuss your design philosophy, your approach to collaboration, and how you can contribute to a "premium brand aesthetic." Tailoring your portfolio presentation to highlight relevant skills and experience is paramount.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Graphic Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on the Travel Counsellors careers website.

• Portfolio Customization: Ensure your submitted portfolio is tailored to this role. Highlight your strongest digital and print design work, focusing on typography, layout, brand application, and creative thinking. Include examples relevant to the travel industry or premium brands if possible.

• Resume Optimization: Clearly articulate your 4-5 years of relevant experience, emphasizing skills in graphic design, digital asset creation, brand management, and any experience with motion graphics or video. Use keywords from the job description.

• Prepare Your Narrative: Be ready to discuss your design process, your collaborative approach, and how your skills align with Travel Counsellors' values and brand. Practice presenting your portfolio.

• Company Research: Thoroughly research Travel Counsellors, their mission, values, target audience, and their current marketing efforts. Understand their position in the travel industry and what makes them unique.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description provides a comprehensive overview based on the provided information and industry standards for operations roles. Candidates are strongly advised to visit the company's careers page and directly contact the Talent Acquisition team for any specific clarifications regarding the role, application process, or benefits.