Senior Graphic Designer - Brand & Marketing at T2 Tea

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Graphic Designer - Brand & Marketing Company: T2 Tea Location: Collingwood, Australia Job Type: Full-Time, Salaried Category: Marketing Operations / Brand Design Date Posted: 2025-08-21 Experience Level: Mid-Senior Level (5-10 years) Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

Spearhead the creative development and execution of brand and marketing design initiatives for T2 Tea, ensuring a unified and impactful brand presence.
Champion brand consistency and creative excellence across all customer touchpoints, from digital campaigns to in-store materials and brand toolkits.
Drive innovative design thinking to translate brand strategy into engaging, commercially effective creative solutions that foster brand love and business growth.
Lead the visual interpretation of the T2 brand, ensuring a fresh, modern, and future-facing aesthetic that resonates with target audiences.
Mentor and guide junior creative team members, fostering a collaborative environment focused on craft and innovation in design.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the role title is "Senior Graphic Designer," the responsibilities heavily lean into brand strategy and marketing output oversight, indicating a role that bridges creative design with GTM strategy. The focus on "brand platform" and "commercial results" suggests a strategic component beyond pure design execution, aligning it with GTM operations.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

Lead the creative concept development, design execution, and final artwork production for all marketing campaigns, brand toolkits, website content, and promotional assets.
Partner with the Head of Creative to translate overarching brand strategy into inspiring and commercially viable creative executions that drive customer engagement and sales.
Develop and own a long-term brand platform strategy, ensuring cohesion and consistent application of brand identity across all internal and external touchpoints.
Build, maintain, and enforce T2’s visual identity guidelines, ensuring meticulous adherence across all channels, markets, and collateral.
Oversee the design and production of assets for key marketing channels including website, email marketing, social media, in-store communications, and event materials.
Collaborate effectively with campaign managers, digital teams, and external partners (e.g., media agencies) to deliver high-quality, channel-optimized creative outputs.
Ensure all creative deliverables reflect a deep understanding of target audience demographics, current cultural trends, and effective retail marketing best practices.
Provide mentorship and guidance to other creative team members, cultivating a culture of creativity, craftsmanship, and continuous innovation within the design function.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a strategic leadership element in brand development and marketing asset creation, suggesting the need for strong project management and stakeholder alignment skills, common in operations roles. The emphasis on "commercial results" and "channel-optimised creative" implies an understanding of marketing funnel optimization and campaign performance.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design, Visual Communications, Marketing, or a related field.
Equivalent practical experience will be considered in lieu of formal education.

Experience:

Minimum of 5-10 years of progressive experience in graphic design, with a significant focus on brand development and marketing campaign execution within a consumer-focused industry.
Proven experience in leading creative projects from concept to completion, demonstrating a strong portfolio of successful marketing initiatives.
Experience in developing and maintaining brand visual identity guidelines and ensuring their consistent application across diverse platforms.
Prior experience in a senior or lead designer role, with demonstrated ability to mentor and guide junior team members.
Exposure to retail marketing environments and understanding of how design impacts sales and customer experience.

Required Skills:

Advanced proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign) for design and production.
Exceptional creative concept development and visual storytelling abilities.
Strong understanding of branding principles, visual identity systems, and brand guardianship.
Expertise in designing for a variety of marketing channels, including digital (web, social media, email) and print (in-store, OOH).
Excellent collaboration and communication skills, with the ability to effectively present creative concepts and rationale to stakeholders.
Proven ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously, prioritize tasks, and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
Keen eye for detail, typography, layout, and color theory, ensuring high-quality output.
Understanding of current design trends, cultural relevance, and their application in marketing.

Preferred Skills:

Experience with motion graphics or video editing software (e.g., After Effects, Premiere Pro).
Familiarity with UX/UI design principles and web design best practices.
Experience in managing external creative agencies or freelance designers.
Basic understanding of HTML/CSS for web design context.
Experience with project management or workflow tools (e.g., Asana, Trello, Monday.com).
Familiarity with A/B testing principles for creative optimization in marketing campaigns.

📝 Enhancement Note: The preferred skills list includes elements like UX/UI, A/B testing, and project management tools, which are highly relevant to marketing operations and optimizing campaign performance through design, indicating a need for a candidate who understands the broader marketing ecosystem.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

A comprehensive portfolio showcasing a range of brand and marketing design projects, demonstrating creative concept development, execution, and impact.
Case studies highlighting successful marketing campaigns, illustrating the design process, strategic thinking, and measurable results (e.g., increased engagement, conversion).
Examples of brand identity development or significant brand application projects, including visual identity guidelines and their implementation.
Demonstrations of digital design assets for web, social media, and email marketing, showcasing adaptability to different platforms and user experiences.
Evidence of print design work, such as in-store collateral, packaging concepts, or promotional materials, emphasizing quality of execution and brand consistency.

Process Documentation:

The ability to articulate and document the design process, from brief interpretation and concept generation to final delivery and asset management.
Experience in establishing and maintaining brand visual identity guidelines, including clear documentation of rules and best practices for application.
Examples of how design processes were optimized for efficiency, collaboration, or improved output quality in previous roles.
Demonstrated understanding of workflow management for creative projects, including asset organization and version control.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "measurable results," "strategic thinking," and "process optimization" in the portfolio requirements strongly suggests that T2 Tea is looking for a designer who not only possesses creative talent but also understands the operational impact of design on marketing effectiveness and brand consistency. This aligns with the strategic nature of operations roles.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

Based on industry benchmarks for a Senior Graphic Designer in Collingwood, Australia, with 5-10 years of experience, a typical salary range would be AUD $90,000 - $120,000 per annum. This estimate considers the cost of living in Melbourne's inner suburbs and the seniority of the role.

Benefits:

50% Employee Discount: Significant discount on T2 products, allowing employees to enjoy the brand's offerings.
Moment Makers Program: Recognition and rewards system celebrating team contributions with exciting prizes, fostering a positive work environment.
Volunteer Leave Day: An annual paid leave day to volunteer with a purpose-aligned organization, supporting corporate social responsibility.
Comprehensive Workplace Policies: Including Menopause, Gender Equity, Equitable Remuneration, and Flexible Working Arrangement options (hybrid work).
Employee Assistance Program (EAP): Confidential support services for employees facing personal or work-related challenges.
T2 Culture Club: Active participation in company events and celebrations, promoting a fun and engaging workplace culture.
Hybrid Work Model: Flexibility to balance work between the office and home, supporting work-life integration.

Working Hours:

Standard full-time hours, likely around 38-40 hours per week.
The hybrid work model offers flexibility in structuring workdays, balancing office presence with remote work.

📝 Enhancement Note: The inclusion of "Flexible Working Arrangements" and a "Hybrid Work Model" aligns with modern operational best practices for employee well-being and productivity, particularly relevant for creative and marketing roles that often require focused work periods.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Retail (Specialty Tea and Gifts) Company Size: While not explicitly stated, T2 is a well-established global brand with a significant retail presence, suggesting a mid-to-large-sized organization with dedicated marketing and creative teams. Founded: T2 Tea was founded in 1996 in Melbourne, Australia, originally as "Thomas D. and T2 Tea," evolving into the globally recognized brand it is today. This history implies a culture that values heritage while embracing innovation and growth.

Team Structure:

The Senior Graphic Designer reports to the Head of Creative, indicating a hierarchical structure within the creative department.
Collaboration is expected with the wider Marketing Team, implying close working relationships with campaign managers, digital marketers, and potentially product marketing specialists.
Cross-functional collaboration will also extend to external partners such as media agencies and potentially print vendors, requiring strong communication and project management skills.

Methodology:

Creative concept development and design execution will follow a structured approach, likely starting with a creative brief and involving iterative feedback loops.
Brand consistency will be maintained through adherence to established visual identity guidelines and a centralized brand platform.
Design outputs will be optimized for specific marketing channels and target audiences, reflecting an understanding of performance metrics and customer behavior.
Collaboration will be facilitated through shared project management tools and regular team meetings, fostering a dynamic and responsive creative process.

Company Website: https://www.t2tea.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: T2's focus on brand experience and global presence suggests a culture that values creativity, customer engagement, and a strong brand narrative, which the Senior Graphic Designer will be instrumental in shaping and maintaining.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This position is positioned at a Senior level within the Creative/Marketing function. It involves significant autonomy in design execution and a leadership role in brand guardianship and creative direction. It acts as a key contributor to the Go-To-Market (GTM) strategy through visual communication.

Reporting Structure:

Reports directly to the Head of Creative, indicating a clear line of reporting and mentorship.
Works closely with various marketing functions, suggesting exposure to different facets of the marketing operation and GTM execution.

Operations Impact:

The role has a direct impact on T2's brand perception, customer engagement, and ultimately, commercial results through the quality and consistency of marketing collateral across all channels.
By championing brand consistency and creative excellence, this role supports the overall effectiveness of marketing campaigns and sales initiatives.

Growth Opportunities:

Specialization: Opportunity to deepen expertise in specific areas like digital brand experiences, campaign creative direction, or brand platform development.
Leadership: Potential to move into a Creative Lead or Art Director role, managing larger projects or a team of designers as the company grows.
Cross-Functional Development: Exposure to marketing strategy, campaign planning, and digital marketing execution can provide a broader understanding of GTM operations.
Industry Exposure: Working within the dynamic retail and lifestyle sector offers continuous learning about consumer trends and effective brand communication strategies.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Senior" title and responsibilities imply a growth path towards management or specialized creative leadership, common in operations career frameworks where individuals can become experts in specific functional areas or lead teams.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is based in Collingwood, an inner suburb of Melbourne known for its vibrant atmosphere, cafes, and accessible public transport. This suggests a modern, dynamic, and collaborative office environment.

Office Location(s):

Head office located in lively Collingwood, close to cafes and public transport (train and tram). This implies an accessible and amenity-rich work location for employees.

Workspace Context:

The creative team is likely to have a dedicated workspace that fosters collaboration, idea sharing, and creative output.
Access to necessary design software, hardware, and potentially other creative tools will be provided to support the role's demands.
The hybrid work model suggests a blend of focused individual work (potentially at home) and collaborative team sessions or brainstorming meetings in the office.

Work Schedule:

Standard full-time working hours are expected, with flexibility offered through the hybrid work arrangement. This allows for efficient management of personal time alongside professional duties, facilitating a balanced approach to work and life.

📝 Enhancement Note: The mention of a "lively Collingwood" location and proximity to amenities points to a company that values employee experience and a positive work environment, crucial for attracting and retaining talent in specialized roles like design and operations.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

Initial Screening: A review of your resume and portfolio by the recruitment team or Head of Creative to assess qualifications and creative fit.
Portfolio Presentation & Interview: A more in-depth discussion where you present your portfolio, discuss your design process, brand philosophy, and experience with marketing campaigns. This stage often includes behavioral questions about collaboration, problem-solving, and leadership.
Creative Challenge (Potential): Candidates may be asked to complete a small, timed design task or case study that reflects the responsibilities of the role, assessing their approach to briefs and creative problem-solving.
Final Interview: Potentially with HR or a senior leader, focusing on cultural fit, long-term career aspirations, and alignment with T2's values.

Portfolio Review Tips:

Curate Selectively: Focus on showcasing projects most relevant to brand development, marketing campaigns, and the T2 brand aesthetic. Include 5-7 strong, diverse examples.
Tell a Story: For each project, clearly articulate the brief, your role, the creative process, challenges faced, solutions implemented, and the measurable impact or results achieved. Use metrics where possible.
Showcase Brand Guardianship: Include examples demonstrating your understanding of brand consistency and your ability to develop or maintain brand guidelines.
Highlight Collaboration: If possible, include examples of successful cross-functional collaboration or stakeholder management in your projects.
Digital & Print Balance: Ensure your portfolio reflects a balance of digital and print design work, as required by the role.
Professional Presentation: Ensure your portfolio is well-organized, visually appealing, and easy to navigate. A PDF format or a dedicated online portfolio link is ideal.

Challenge Preparation:

Understand the Brand: Thoroughly research T2 Tea's current brand identity, marketing campaigns, and target audience.
Think Strategically: For any creative challenge, consider the business objectives, target audience, and channel nuances. How can design achieve specific marketing goals?
Process-Oriented: Be prepared to explain your thought process, decision-making, and how you would approach a given design brief, emphasizing efficiency and brand alignment.
Time Management: If a timed challenge is given, prioritize key elements and ensure a polished, well-reasoned outcome within the allocated time.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on portfolio presentation, case studies, and demonstrating measurable impact aligns with the operational need to validate creative output against business objectives. The advice on "strategic thinking" and "process-oriented" preparation is directly applicable to operations roles that require a structured, results-driven approach.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

Adobe Creative Suite: Expert-level proficiency required in Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign for all design and production tasks.
Figma/Sketch (Potential): Familiarity with modern UI/UX design tools may be beneficial for web and digital asset creation.

Analytics & Reporting:

While not a primary tool for the designer, an understanding of how design impacts analytics (e.g., website conversion rates, email open rates) is valuable. Familiarity with Google Analytics or similar platforms may be a plus for understanding asset performance.

CRM & Automation:

No direct CRM or automation tool requirements are specified, but an understanding of how marketing automation platforms (e.g., HubSpot, Mailchimp) utilize design assets is beneficial for email marketing design.

📝 Enhancement Note: The core requirement is deep expertise in Adobe Creative Suite, which is standard for graphic design roles. However, the mention of understanding analytics and marketing automation platforms suggests a desire for a designer who thinks beyond pure aesthetics and considers the performance of their work within the broader marketing technology stack.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

Creative Excellence: A commitment to producing high-quality, innovative, and aesthetically compelling design work that elevates the T2 brand.
Brand Guardianship: A strong sense of ownership and responsibility for maintaining brand consistency and integrity across all touchpoints.
Collaboration & Teamwork: An open and supportive approach to working with colleagues, sharing ideas, and providing constructive feedback to achieve shared goals.
Customer Focus: Designing with the target audience in mind, ensuring creative outputs resonate with their needs, preferences, and cultural context.
Efficiency & Effectiveness: A drive to optimize design processes and deliver creative solutions that are not only visually appealing but also commercially effective and aligned with business objectives.

Collaboration Style:

Cross-functional Integration: Proactive engagement with Marketing, Digital, and other relevant teams to ensure design aligns with campaign strategies and business goals.
Feedback-Driven: An openness to receiving and providing constructive feedback, fostering a continuous improvement cycle for creative output.
Knowledge Sharing: Willingness to share design best practices, trends, and insights with the wider team to foster a culture of learning and innovation.
Proactive Communication: Maintaining clear and consistent communication with the Head of Creative and stakeholders regarding project progress, challenges, and creative direction.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "Brand Guardianship," "Efficiency & Effectiveness," and "Customer Focus" are core tenets of operational excellence applied to a creative function, highlighting the blend of artistry and strategic execution expected from this role.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

Balancing Brand Consistency with Innovation: Maintaining a cohesive brand identity while continuously introducing fresh, engaging creative concepts that keep the T2 brand relevant and exciting.
Managing Diverse Stakeholder Needs: Effectively translating the requirements of various internal teams (Marketing, Sales, Product) and external partners into compelling design solutions.
Adapting to Evolving Marketing Channels: Staying abreast of new digital platforms, social media trends, and content formats to ensure T2's visual communication remains cutting-edge and impactful.
Measuring Design Impact: Quantifying the direct impact of design on key marketing metrics and business outcomes, and using this data to inform future creative strategies.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

Advanced Design Techniques: Opportunities to explore new design software, tools, and methodologies (e.g., motion graphics, advanced digital design).
Brand Strategy Immersion: Deeper involvement in the strategic development of brand platforms and campaigns, gaining insights into marketing operations and GTM planning.
Mentorship from Head of Creative: Direct guidance from a senior leader on creative direction, brand strategy, and career development within the design field.
Industry Trends & Conferences: Potential to attend industry events or training focused on branding, digital marketing, and creative innovation.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Challenges" section highlights areas where a candidate can leverage operational skills like process management, data analysis, and strategic planning to overcome hurdles and demonstrate value. The "Growth Opportunities" point towards developing a more rounded GTM skillset.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

"How would you approach developing a new brand platform for T2 Tea, ensuring it resonates with our target audience and drives commercial results?" (Focus on strategic process, audience research, and linking design to business outcomes).
"Describe a time you had to balance maintaining strict brand guidelines with introducing a novel creative concept. How did you manage stakeholder expectations?" (Focus on brand guardianship, stakeholder management, and creative problem-solving).
"Walk us through your process for creating a set of marketing assets for a multi-channel campaign (e.g., digital ads, social media posts, email banners). How do you ensure consistency and channel optimization?" (Focus on workflow, asset management, and channel-specific design considerations).

Company & Culture Questions:

"What excites you about T2 Tea as a brand, and how do you see your design philosophy aligning with our values?" (Research T2's mission, values, and brand voice).
"How do you approach collaboration within a creative team and with cross-functional departments like Marketing or Digital?" (Prepare examples of successful teamwork and communication).
"How do you measure the success of your design work, particularly in relation to marketing campaign performance?" (Think about metrics like engagement rates, conversion uplift, brand recall).

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

Structure for Impact: Begin with a brief overview of your career and design philosophy. For each project, clearly state the objective, your role, the challenge, your solution (with visuals), and the outcome.
Quantify Results: Where possible, use data to demonstrate the impact of your designs (e.g., "Increased email click-through rate by 15%," "Contributed to a 10% uplift in campaign engagement").
Highlight Process: Explain your decision-making process, how you interpreted briefs, and any creative problem-solving techniques you employed.
Brand Alignment: Explicitly connect your work to brand consistency and how it supports marketing objectives.
Enthusiasm for T2: Show genuine interest in T2 Tea and how your skills can contribute to their brand's success.

📝 Enhancement Note: The suggested strategy questions are designed to probe for operational thinking: strategic planning, process management, stakeholder alignment, and results orientation, which are critical for senior roles in any GTM or operations function.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior Graphic Designer position:

Submit your application through the provided link on the rippling.com ATS.
Portfolio Customization: Tailor your portfolio to highlight your strongest brand development and marketing campaign design work. Select projects that best showcase your ability to translate strategy into visually compelling and commercially effective assets for a lifestyle brand.
Resume Optimization: Ensure your resume clearly articulates your experience in graphic design, brand guardianship, marketing campaign execution, and team mentorship. Quantify achievements and use keywords relevant to design, marketing, and brand management.
Interview Preparation: Practice presenting your portfolio, focusing on your creative process, strategic thinking behind your design choices, and how your work has driven measurable results. Be ready to discuss your understanding of brand consistency and collaboration.
Company Research: Thoroughly research T2 Tea's brand identity, current marketing initiatives, and company culture. Understand their values and how your design approach can contribute to their overall business objectives.

⚠️ 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.

Senior Graphic Designer - Brand & Marketing