SB 2: Visual Designer (Social-first) (m/w/d)

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: SB 2: Visual Designer (Social-first) (m/w/d)

Company: PREMATCH Sports GmbH

Location: Cologne, Germany; Berlin, Germany; London, United Kingdom

Job Type: Full-time (Festanstellung)

Category: Marketing & Brand Operations / Creative Operations

Date Posted: May 05, 2026

Experience Level: 2-6 years

Remote Status: Hybrid (1-3 days in office)

🚀 Role Summary

• Spearhead the visual identity and execution of PREMATCH Sports' brand across all social media platforms, focusing on a social-first content strategy.

• Drive daily content creation, including designing, editing, and publishing engaging Reels, TikToks, and other visual assets from concept to final cut.

• Develop and maintain a scalable brand system, including guidelines, templates, and creative principles to ensure consistent brand representation across channels.

• Collaborate closely with growth and advertising teams to produce high-performing creatives for paid social campaigns, utilizing data for rapid testing and iteration.

• Cultivate recognizable content series and formats that foster regular engagement and returning audiences within the amateur football community.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a "Social Brand Designer" rather than a traditional Social Media Manager, emphasizing hands-on creative execution and visual brand development for social channels. The focus is on creating "social-first" content, indicating a need for deep understanding of platform-specific trends and content formats. The hybrid work model, requiring 1-3 days in office, suggests a need for strong collaboration and in-person team engagement, particularly for creative brainstorming and review sessions.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Design, edit, and produce daily social-first content such as Reels, TikToks, and various visuals, managing the entire process from ideation to publication.

• Sharpen and consistently evolve the brand's visual identity, tone, and storytelling across social media platforms.

• Establish a reusable brand system, encompassing guidelines, templates, and core creative principles that can scale across different channels and brand initiatives.

• Develop recognizable and recurring content series and formats that drive audience loyalty and regular engagement.

• Oversee the content planning and publishing schedule for key social media channels, ensuring a consistent and strategic presence.

• Lead or provide creative direction for social media content production, including video, static visuals, and short-form series, with a strong emphasis on compelling intros, copy, and editing.

• Partner with growth and paid advertising teams to develop effective creative assets for paid social campaigns, driving improvements through rapid testing cycles.

• Translate performance data from social and paid creative metrics into actionable insights for creative decision-making, guiding strategy adjustments and future tests.

• Develop and implement cooperation concepts with creators, communities, and local partners to enhance brand reach and engagement.

• Create streamlined partner packages, including materials and briefs, to facilitate easy collaboration and content sharing.

• Identify and leverage scalable distribution channels to expand reach without diluting brand integrity.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of hands-on content creation and strategic brand development. The emphasis on "social-first" means candidates must understand the nuances of platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels, including editing, storytelling, and hook development. The requirement to collaborate with paid social teams indicates a need for understanding performance marketing creative principles and A/B testing. The "Brand Building" aspect extends beyond campaign execution to establishing long-term visual identity and content series.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong creative background is essential, typically demonstrated through a comprehensive portfolio.

Experience: 2-6 years of experience in a creative role, with a proven track record in social-first content creation and brand development.

Required Skills:

• Brand Building: Ability to build brands sustainably through content, not just isolated campaigns.

• Visual Taste: Excellent visual judgment and proficiency in design and editing for social media; comfort in front of the camera is a plus.

• Creative Strategy: Strong skills in positioning, format/series development, channel thinking, and a pronounced distribution mindset.

• Data Skills: Comfortable interpreting key social and paid creative performance metrics and deriving actionable learnings.

• Hands-on Mentality: Ability to execute quickly and pragmatically while maintaining high creative standards.

• Copywriting: Proficiency in crafting engaging hooks, captions, and series framing.

• Editing: Expertise in short-form storytelling with a clear narrative flow.

• Production: Experience in creator briefing and direction for efficient content production.

• Culture Fit: Deep understanding of sports/football culture, including its tonality and matchday dynamics.

• Design: Proficiency in social-first design and packaging, including format setup, thumbnails, title cards, and ensuring brand recognition.

• Language Proficiency: Fluent in both German and English.

Preferred Skills:

• Motion Design/Animation: Basic skills in motion design or animation, particularly for template-based, fast, and scalable content.

• Paid Creative Experience: Familiarity with performance creatives, ad variants, and hook testing in paid social media.

• On-ground Activation: Experience with on-ground activations at events, local partner activations, and on-site content creation.

• D2C/Agency Background: Experience in Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) or agency environments with demonstrable outcomes.

📝 Enhancement Note: The required skills emphasize a "full-stack" creative role, encompassing strategy, execution, and a data-informed approach. The "Visual Taste" and "Culture Fit" requirements highlight the importance of understanding the target audience deeply. The distinction between required and preferred skills indicates areas where candidates can differentiate themselves, particularly in motion graphics and paid social creative expertise.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Demonstrate a strong "social-first" orientation with examples of content tailored for platforms like Instagram Reels and TikTok.

• Showcase ability to build and evolve a brand's visual identity and storytelling through a series of posts or campaigns.

• Include examples of content series or recurring formats that have driven sustained audience engagement.

• Present case studies of how data insights (social media performance, paid creative metrics) were used to inform and improve creative output.

Process Documentation:

• Provide examples of workflow for daily social content creation, from ideation and scripting to editing and publishing.

• Illustrate the process for developing and implementing a brand system, including guidelines and templates.

• Detail how content performance is tracked, analyzed, and used to iterate on creative strategies.

• Showcase collaboration processes with growth or paid media teams for creative development and optimization.

📝 Enhancement Note: A robust portfolio is critical for this role, as it serves as the primary evidence of a candidate's "social-first" design capabilities and brand-building potential. The emphasis is on demonstrating not just aesthetic skill but also strategic thinking, data utilization, and hands-on execution within the social media landscape. The portfolio should tell a story of how the candidate approaches content creation, brand consistency, and performance optimization.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on industry benchmarks for Visual Designers with 2-6 years of experience in major European cities like London and Cologne, and considering the startup environment with potential for stock options, a competitive salary range is estimated. For London, this could be £40,000 - £60,000 per annum. For Cologne/Berlin, this could range from €45,000 - €65,000 per annum. These figures are estimates and will depend on the candidate's specific experience, skills, and internal company compensation structures.

Benefits:

• Competitive Salary: A salary benchmarked to market rates for the role and location.

• Employee Stock Options (VSOP): Participation in the company's success through virtual stock options.

• Modern IT Equipment: Provision of essential tools and devices to ensure productive work.

• 27 Days Vacation Per Year: Generous annual leave for rest and rejuvenation.

• Special Regulations For Parents: Additional provisions to help parents balance work and family life.

• Team Events: Regular social gatherings at office locations to foster team spirit.

• Company Offsites: Annual multi-day events for the entire team to collaborate, strategize, and build camaraderie.

• Flexible Remote Work Options: Ability to work remotely 1-3 days per week from home, with additional flexibility to work abroad for short periods.

• Office Access: Opportunity to work from any of the three cool offices in Cologne, Berlin, and London, fostering cross-location team interaction.

Working Hours: Approximately 40 hours per week, with flexibility in remote work arrangements.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary estimation considers the dual locations in Germany and the UK, and the "competitive salary" benefit implies a strong offering. The inclusion of VSOP (Virtual Stock Option Plan) is a significant incentive common in startups, aligning employee success with company growth. The detailed benefits highlight a strong focus on work-life balance and team cohesion, which are attractive to creative professionals.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Sports Technology / Digital Media (focus on amateur football). PREMATCH Sports operates at the intersection of sports, technology, and media, aiming to democratize professional-level experiences for the amateur football community. This means a fast-paced, innovative environment driven by engagement and community growth.

Company Size: Startup (growing, with marketing/business teams in Cologne, Berlin, London, and distributed remote tech/product teams). This implies a dynamic, hands-on culture where individual contributions have a significant impact.

Founded: 2021. As a relatively young company, PREMATCH Sports is still defining its long-term operational processes and cultural norms, offering an opportunity for early employees to shape the company's direction.

Team Structure:

• The Marketing & Brand team is based in Cologne, Berlin, and London, indicating a cross-cultural and geographically distributed team.

• The Tech & Product teams work remotely across Europe, suggesting a strong reliance on digital collaboration tools and asynchronous communication.

Methodology:

• Data Analysis: A data-comfy approach is expected, where performance metrics from social media and paid creatives are used to drive creative decisions and strategy.

• Workflow Planning & Optimization: Emphasis on developing scalable solutions, such as reusable brand systems and content series, to streamline operations.

• Automation & Efficiency: While not explicitly stated as automation, the need for fast execution, template-based work (motion basics), and efficient content production implies a focus on operational efficiency.

Company Website: prematchapp.de

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture is described as dynamic, smart, and "hungry," typical of a growth-stage startup. The hybrid work model across multiple European cities suggests a need for strong communication and collaboration skills. The focus on amateur football provides a specific niche and passion point for potential employees. The early stage of the company means there's significant opportunity for impact and shaping processes.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is for a Visual Designer with 2-6 years of experience, fitting into an "intermediate" or "mid-level" creative position within the Marketing & Brand operations. It's a hands-on execution role with significant creative ownership and strategic input on visual brand direction for social media.

Reporting Structure: The role is within the Marketing & Brand team. While a specific manager isn't named outside of "Lisa" in the application process, the role will likely report to a Marketing Lead or Brand Manager. Collaboration will be key with Growth/Advertising teams.

Operations Impact: The Visual Designer's impact is directly tied to brand perception, audience engagement, and the effectiveness of social media marketing efforts. Success in this role contributes to brand growth, community building, and ultimately, user acquisition and retention for the PREMATCH Sports platform.

Growth Opportunities:

• Operations Skill Advancement: Deepen expertise in social-first design, video editing, and motion graphics specifically for sports and gaming communities. Develop advanced skills in translating data into creative strategies for paid social.

• Brand Leadership: Grow into a more senior role responsible for overall social brand strategy, potentially leading creative projects or mentoring junior designers.

• Cross-Functional Exposure: Gain experience working closely with growth marketing, product, and community teams, understanding broader business objectives and how creative operations contribute to them.

• Industry Expertise: Become a recognized expert in visual communication for the amateur sports and football fan community.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role offers significant growth potential within a startup environment. The emphasis on "social-first" and "brand building" suggests a path towards specialization in digital brand strategy. The opportunity to influence brand direction and work with investor-backed partners provides a strong foundation for career advancement in the creative and marketing operations space.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The company maintains three "cool offices" in Cologne, Berlin, and London, described as having a "real startup vibe." These are likely open-plan or co-working spaces designed to foster collaboration and creativity.

Office Location(s):

• Cologne: Brüsseler Str. Mittelhaus, 3rd floor 21, 50674 Köln, Germany

• Berlin: Linienstr. 42, 10119 Berlin, Germany

• London: Leadenhall Street 77, EC3A 3DE, United Kingdom

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The hybrid model (1-3 days in office) and the existence of multiple offices encourage interaction and idea exchange, both within teams and across locations.

• Operations Tools & Technology: Modern IT equipment is provided, suggesting access to up-to-date hardware and software necessary for design and video editing tasks. Digital collaboration tools are also implied due to the distributed nature of teams.

• Team Interaction: Opportunities for in-person collaboration during office days, plus virtual collaboration tools to connect with remote colleagues and teams in other cities. Regular team events and offsites further enhance team connection.

Work Schedule: Full-time employment, with approximately 40 working hours per week. The hybrid model offers flexibility in how and where work is performed, balancing office presence with remote flexibility.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid work model is a key aspect of the work environment, allowing for a blend of in-person collaboration and remote flexibility. The presence of multiple offices offers employees the chance to experience different work environments and connect with colleagues across locations. The focus on "startup vibe" suggests an energetic and potentially less formal office setting.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Application Submission: Submit CV and any additional information via the provided application form. Expect a quick and transparent process.

• Initial Contact: "Lisa" will be the primary point of contact.

• Portfolio Review: Expect detailed scrutiny of your portfolio, focusing on social-first content, brand building capabilities, and creative execution. Be prepared to walk through specific projects and explain your process.

• Creative/Technical Assessment: Potential for a practical task or case study related to social content creation, design, or editing, possibly with a football/sports theme.

• Culture Fit Interview: Discussion to assess understanding of football culture, startup mentality, and ability to work collaboratively in a hybrid/remote environment.

• Final Interview: Likely with a hiring manager or senior team member to discuss role alignment, growth potential, and finalize the offer.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Highlight Social-First: Ensure your portfolio prominently features work created specifically for social media platforms (Reels, TikTok, Stories).

• Showcase Brand Building: Include projects where you've demonstrably built or evolved a brand's visual identity and storytelling over time.

• Demonstrate Process: For key projects, briefly explain your creative process, from concept to execution, and how you incorporated feedback or data.

• Quantify Impact: Where possible, include metrics or results that show the effectiveness of your work (e.g., engagement rates, views, growth).

• Tailor to Football: If you have sports-related design work, ensure it's easily accessible. Demonstrate your understanding of football culture through your portfolio content or accompanying descriptions.

• Visual Clarity & Storytelling: Present your portfolio in a clean, easy-to-navigate format. Use concise descriptions to tell the story behind each project.

Challenge Preparation:

• Content Creation Task: Be ready to brainstorm and potentially mock up social media content (e.g., a Reel concept, a series of Instagram posts) based on a brief.

• Editing Skills: If video editing is a core requirement, be prepared for a test or to discuss your editing workflow and software proficiency.

• Brand Application: Practice applying a given brand's visual style to social media formats.

• Data Interpretation: Be ready to discuss how you'd use hypothetical performance data to improve a piece of creative.

📝 Enhancement Note: The application process emphasizes simplicity ("we like it easy!"). The "Du" (informal 'you') is encouraged early, reflecting a startup culture. The portfolio is paramount, serving as the primary screening tool. Candidates should prepare to articulate their creative process and demonstrate a clear understanding of social media dynamics and football culture.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design Software: Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator) is standard for visual design.

• Video Editing Software: Proficiency in tools like Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, or DaVinci Resolve for editing Reels and TikToks.

• Motion Graphics: Potentially After Effects for basic motion design, especially if preferred skills are utilized.

• Content Management Systems (CMS): While not explicitly mentioned, experience with social media scheduling/publishing tools (e.g., Buffer, Hootsuite, Later) might be beneficial.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Social Media Analytics: Native platform analytics (Instagram Insights, TikTok Analytics) are essential.

• Paid Social Analytics: Tools within ad platforms (e.g., Facebook Ads Manager, TikTok Ads Manager) for performance tracking.

• Data Visualization: While not specified, familiarity with tools like Tableau or Power BI could be a plus for deeper data analysis, though likely not primary for this role.

CRM & Automation:

• Collaboration Tools: Slack, Microsoft Teams for daily communication.

• Project Management: Tools like Asana, Trello, or Jira for task management and workflow tracking.

• Cloud Storage: Google Drive, Dropbox for file sharing and asset management.

📝 Enhancement Note: The technology stack is inferred based on the role's requirements for visual design, video editing, and social media content creation. Proficiency in the Adobe Creative Suite and common video editing software is fundamental. The role also implies a need to work with social media analytics and potentially paid advertising platforms.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Creativity & Innovation: A drive to constantly push creative boundaries and experiment with new formats and ideas relevant to football culture.

• Community Focus: Deep understanding and appreciation for the amateur football community, ensuring content resonates authentically.

• Data-Informed Decisions: Using performance data not just to report, but to actively shape and improve creative output.

• Hands-On Execution: A commitment to delivering high-quality work quickly and efficiently, with a bias for action.

• Collaboration & Openness: Willingness to share ideas, provide feedback, and work effectively in a hybrid team environment.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Close working relationships with growth, paid advertising, and potentially community management teams to align creative with business objectives.

• Feedback Culture: An environment where constructive feedback is exchanged to elevate creative work and brand consistency.

• Knowledge Sharing: Encouraging the sharing of best practices, trends, and learnings across the marketing and brand team, and potentially with remote tech teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: The values align with a dynamic startup culture that prioritizes both creative excellence and business impact. The emphasis on "community focus" and understanding "football culture" is a unique differentiator for this role, requiring passion and authenticity. The collaborative style is essential for a hybrid team spread across multiple locations.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Rapid Content Cadence: Producing high-quality, social-first content daily requires strong time management and efficient workflows.

• Balancing Creativity & Performance: Constantly needing to create engaging, on-brand content that also performs well in paid social campaigns.

• Evolving Social Trends: Staying ahead of the curve with new platform features, content formats, and audience behaviors.

• Brand Consistency Across Channels: Ensuring a cohesive visual identity and tone across diverse social media platforms and formats.

• Hybrid/Remote Collaboration: Effectively collaborating with team members in different locations and time zones.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Social Media Design: Deepen skills in specific social media formats, storytelling techniques, and emerging platform trends.

• Performance Creative Optimization: Gain expertise in using data to drive creative decisions for paid social campaigns and A/B testing strategies.

• Brand Strategy: Develop a more strategic understanding of brand building, visual identity systems, and long-term content planning.

• Motion Graphics & Animation: Enhance skills in motion design for more dynamic and engaging visual content.

• Industry Exposure: Learn from investor-backed partners and gain insight into the broader sports tech and media landscape.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are typical for a fast-paced digital marketing role, emphasizing the need for adaptability and continuous learning. The growth opportunities are substantial, offering a clear path for skill development and career progression within a growing startup.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "How would you approach developing a repeatable content series for amateur football players that encourages engagement and user-generated content?" (Focus on strategy, format, community activation)

• "Describe a time you used social media performance data to significantly improve a creative asset. What was your process?" (Focus on data interpretation, iteration, and impact)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What aspects of PREMATCH Sports' mission and target audience resonate most with you, and how would you visually represent that?" (Focus on passion, understanding, and brand alignment)

• "How do you see your role contributing to the growth of PREMATCH Sports and the amateur football community?" (Focus on impact and strategic thinking)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure for Impact: Organize your portfolio logically, perhaps by platform, campaign type, or skill. Start with your strongest, most relevant social-first examples.

• Tell the Story: For each project, explain the brief, your creative process, the tools used, the challenges faced, and the outcome (with metrics if available).

• Highlight Social-First Execution: Specifically call out elements that demonstrate your understanding of social media dynamics (hooks, pacing, platform optimization).

• Showcase Brand Building: Present examples that illustrate how you've developed or maintained a consistent brand voice and visual style.

• Be Ready for Deep Dives: Anticipate questions about specific design choices, editing techniques, and how you'd adapt your skills to PREMATCH Sports' brand and audience.

• Enthusiasm for Football: Convey genuine passion for football culture and the company's mission.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating a blend of creative talent, strategic thinking, data literacy, and a genuine understanding of the football community. The portfolio presentation is key, so candidates should practice articulating their process and results clearly and concisely.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Visual Designer position:

• Submit your CV and complete the short application form via the provided link.

• Curate Your Social-First Portfolio: Select and organize your best social media design and video work, emphasizing projects that showcase your ability to build brands and engage audiences on platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels.

• Tailor Your CV: Highlight keywords and experiences directly relevant to social-first content creation, brand building, video editing, and football culture. Quantify achievements where possible.

• Prepare Your Portfolio Walkthrough: Practice presenting 2-3 key projects from your portfolio, clearly explaining your creative process, strategic thinking, and any measurable outcomes. Be ready to discuss how you would apply these skills to PREMATCH Sports.

• Research PREMATCH Sports: Familiarize yourself with their current social media presence, brand messaging, and target audience. Understand their mission and how you can contribute visually.

⚠️ 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.