Marketing Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Marketing Designer

Company: Strawbridge Studios Inc

Location: Durham, North Carolina, United States

Job Type: Full Time Hourly

Category: Marketing Operations / Creative Operations

Date Posted: 2026-09-08

Experience Level: 0-2 years

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Design and produce compelling marketing, advertising, and sales collateral, encompassing both print and digital formats, to support company-wide campaigns.

• Manage and maintain the company's WordPress website, ensuring content accuracy, optimal user experience, and effective brand representation.

• Generate and analyze Google Analytics reports to provide actionable insights on website performance, user behavior, and campaign effectiveness.

• Collaborate cross-functionally with Sales, Customer Service, IT, and Production teams to align marketing efforts with broader business objectives and ensure cohesive brand messaging.

• Contribute creative ideas and strategies to enhance brand presence across various channels and improve overall customer engagement.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the title is "Marketing Designer," the responsibilities involving website management, Google Analytics, and cross-departmental collaboration suggest a role that bridges creative execution with foundational marketing operations and GTM support. This role is crucial for ensuring marketing materials are not only aesthetically pleasing but also strategically aligned with performance metrics and business goals.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Develop creative concepts and design layouts for a wide range of marketing materials, including brochures, flyers, social media graphics, email campaigns, advertisements, and sales presentations.

• Execute design projects from concept through completion, ensuring adherence to brand guidelines, project briefs, and production specifications.

• Update and manage website content using WordPress, including adding new pages, blog posts, images, and ensuring all information is current and accurate.

• Monitor website performance using Google Analytics, tracking key metrics such as traffic sources, user engagement, conversion rates, and bounce rates to identify areas for improvement.

• Assist in the development and implementation of SEO strategies for the website and marketing content to improve search engine rankings and organic traffic.

• Support the sales team by creating visually appealing and informative sales collateral that effectively communicates product/service value propositions.

• Collaborate with the production team to ensure designs are print-ready and meet all technical requirements for various output methods.

• Participate in brainstorming sessions and contribute innovative ideas for new marketing campaigns and digital strategies.

• Maintain an organized digital asset management system for all marketing and design files.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of creative design and operational execution. The emphasis on "supporting campaigns" and "improving brand presence" indicates a need for the designer to think strategically about how their creative output contributes to business outcomes, aligning with GTM objectives.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Associate's degree (or higher) in Marketing, Graphic Design, Communications, or a closely related field.

Experience: 1–2 years of professional design experience, which can include internships, with a strong focus on both print and digital media.

Required Skills:

• Graphic Design Proficiency: Expert command of Adobe Creative Cloud suite, specifically InDesign, Photoshop, and Illustrator, for creating high-quality visual assets.

• Web Design & CMS: Proven experience with WordPress for content management, website updates, and basic layout adjustments.

• Digital Analytics: Familiarity with Google Analytics for generating reports, understanding website traffic data, and deriving actionable insights.

• SEO Fundamentals: Basic understanding of Search Engine Optimization principles and how they apply to web content and marketing materials.

• Portfolio Presentation: Ability to showcase a strong, diverse portfolio demonstrating multi-platform creative work and design capabilities.

• Project Management: Demonstrated ability to manage multiple design projects simultaneously, prioritize tasks, and meet strict deadlines in a fast-paced environment.

• Communication & Collaboration: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to effectively articulate design concepts and collaborate with cross-functional teams.

• Brand Adherence: Keen eye for detail and a strong understanding of brand guidelines to ensure consistent visual identity across all materials.

Preferred Skills:

• Video Production: Experience with videography and video editing software, such as Adobe Premiere Pro, for creating marketing videos.

• Photography: Skills in photography, including shooting and editing, for marketing collateral.

• Illustration: Ability to create custom illustrations for marketing campaigns and materials.

• Growth Mindset: A proactive attitude with a desire to learn new skills, take ownership of projects, and contribute to process improvements.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Preferred but not Required" section indicates specific areas where candidates can differentiate themselves. For operations roles, demonstrating a "growth mindset" and "desire to take ownership" is highly valued as it signals potential for increased responsibility and proactive problem-solving.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Multi-Platform Showcase: A comprehensive portfolio that clearly demonstrates a range of design work across print (brochures, flyers, ads) and digital (social media graphics, web banners, email templates) platforms.

• Brand Consistency Examples: Include case studies or examples that highlight your ability to maintain brand consistency across different marketing channels and materials.

• Website Updates & Content Management: If possible, include examples or descriptions of website updates you've managed, particularly if using a CMS like WordPress.

• Data-Informed Design: Showcase any projects where design decisions were influenced by analytics or performance data, or where you tracked the impact of your designs.

Process Documentation:

• Design Workflow: Be prepared to discuss your typical design process, from initial brief and concept development to final asset delivery and stakeholder feedback integration.

• Project Management Approach: Outline how you manage multiple projects, prioritize tasks, and ensure timely delivery of design assets, especially under pressure.

• Collaboration Protocols: Describe how you collaborate with team members, receive and implement feedback, and work with other departments (e.g., sales, production) to achieve project goals.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a role combining design with operational elements, a portfolio should not just showcase aesthetic quality but also the ability to manage projects, understand objectives, and integrate with broader marketing efforts. Demonstrating an understanding of how design impacts performance is key.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $18 - $18 per hour.

Explanation of Range: This is the stated starting hourly rate for the position. Given the 0-2 years of experience requirement and the specific location (Durham, NC), this rate aligns with entry-level marketing and design roles in the region.

Benefits:

• School Calendar Schedule: Work hours are structured around a school calendar, offering significant time off.

• Christmas Break: Approximately 1–2 weeks of paid time off during the Christmas holiday season.

• Summer Break: Approximately 1–2 weeks of paid time off during the summer.

• Reduced Summer Hours: During the period from June to mid-August, working hours are reduced to approximately 32 hours per week, providing enhanced work-life balance during these months.

• Full-Time Employment: This is a full-time hourly position, indicating consistent work hours and potential for overtime.

Working Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM–5:00 PM (40 hours per week, with reduced hours approximately 32/week from June–mid-August).

📝 Enhancement Note: The provided salary is a fixed hourly rate. The benefits are a significant differentiator, particularly the school calendar schedule and reduced summer hours, which offer a unique work-life balance attractive to individuals who value extended time off.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Photography & Memory Preservation (specifically for schools).

Company Size: Based on the ADP platform and typical company structures, Strawbridge Studios Inc. likely falls within the small to medium-sized business (SMB) range, potentially employing 50-200 individuals. This size often fosters a close-knit team environment where individual contributions are highly visible.

Founded: Serving schools for decades indicates a company with a long-standing history and established market presence, suggesting stability and deep industry expertise.

Team Structure:

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: The role requires close collaboration with Sales, Customer Service, IT, and Production departments, suggesting an integrated operational structure where different functions work in tandem to achieve business goals.

• Direct Reporting: The Marketing Designer will likely report to a Marketing Manager or Director, with potential interaction with other creative or operational leads.

• Small, Agile Team: Given the company's likely size and the nature of the role, the marketing team may be relatively small, offering opportunities for broad exposure and direct impact.

Methodology:

• Memory Preservation Focus: The company's core mission revolves around preserving memories, which likely influences its approach to customer service, quality, and ethical business practices.

• Data-Informed Marketing: The inclusion of Google Analytics and SEO responsibilities indicates a move towards data-driven decision-making in marketing efforts.

• Process Improvement: The company values creativity and problem-solving, suggesting an openness to refining existing workflows and adopting new technologies or strategies to enhance efficiency and effectiveness.

Company Website: https://www.strawbridge.net/

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's long history and focus on memory preservation suggest a stable, mission-driven environment. The emphasis on "Support. Serve. Enrich." as core values points to a culture that prioritizes customer satisfaction, employee well-being, and positive community impact.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as an entry-level to junior-level position (0-2 years of experience). It serves as a foundational role for individuals looking to build a career in marketing design, with potential to grow into more senior design roles or transition into broader marketing operations responsibilities.

Reporting Structure: The Marketing Designer will likely report to a Marketing Manager or Director. This provides a clear line of mentorship and guidance, essential for early-career professionals.

Operations Impact: The Marketing Designer's work directly impacts the company's ability to attract new clients (schools) and engage existing ones (families) through compelling visuals and effective digital presence. Their contributions to brand presence, customer engagement, and website performance are crucial for driving lead generation and sales.

Growth Opportunities:

• Skill Specialization: Opportunity to deepen expertise in specific design areas (e.g., digital illustration, advanced video editing) or gain specialized knowledge in areas like UX/UI design for web.

• Marketing Operations Acumen: Develop a strong understanding of marketing analytics (Google Analytics), SEO, and content management systems (WordPress), which are key components of marketing operations.

• Project Ownership: As experience grows, the opportunity to take ownership of larger design projects, lead specific campaign creative efforts, and potentially mentor junior designers.

• Cross-Functional Exposure: Gain valuable experience working across different departments, understanding the broader business context and how marketing design contributes to overall company success.

📝 Enhancement Note: The growth path for this role appears to be within either specialized design or a broader marketing operations function, leveraging the foundational skills acquired. The company's values and unique benefits suggest a stable environment for career development.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is on-site in Durham, NC, indicating a traditional office-based work environment. This setup fosters direct collaboration and immediate feedback within the team and with other departments.

Office Location(s): Durham, North Carolina. This location offers access to a vibrant business community and a reasonable cost of living.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Atmosphere: The emphasis on cross-departmental collaboration suggests a dynamic work environment where teamwork is encouraged and valued.

• Tools & Technology: Access to Adobe Creative Cloud and WordPress is standard. The role requires familiarity with Google Analytics, indicating that data analysis tools are integrated into the workflow.

• Team Interaction: Opportunities for direct interaction with colleagues across various departments, facilitating a holistic understanding of the business and marketing efforts.

Work Schedule: A consistent Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM–5:00 PM schedule is standard, with a notable benefit of reduced hours during the summer months (June–mid-August) and extended breaks during Christmas, promoting a healthy work-life balance.

📝 Enhancement Note: The on-site nature of the role, combined with the unique work schedule, offers a blend of traditional office collaboration and enhanced personal time, which is a significant perk for many professionals.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of applications and portfolios to assess basic qualifications, design skills, and alignment with preferred qualifications.

• Portfolio Review: A dedicated session to discuss your portfolio in detail, focusing on your design process, creative decisions, and the impact of your work. Be prepared to explain your role in each project.

• Skills Assessment: Potential for a practical design exercise or a case study to evaluate your technical proficiency, problem-solving abilities, and understanding of marketing objectives.

• Behavioral & Cultural Fit Interview: Questions designed to assess your attitude, work ethic, communication style, and how well you align with Strawbridge Studios' core values (Support, Serve, Enrich) and team dynamics.

• Manager/Team Interview: A final interview with the hiring manager and potentially key team members to discuss role expectations, career aspirations, and ensure a good fit.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 3-5 of your strongest projects that best represent the skills required for this role (print, digital, web, and ideally any experience with analytics or collaboration).

• Tell a Story: For each project, explain the objective, your role, the challenges faced, your creative process, the tools used, and the outcome or impact. Quantify results where possible (e.g., "increased engagement by X%," "supported a campaign that generated Y leads").

• Highlight Collaboration: If applicable, describe how you collaborated with clients or internal teams.

• Showcase Versatility: Demonstrate your ability to adapt your design style to different audiences and purposes.

• Include Web/Analytics Work: If you have examples of website updates or design elements influenced by analytics, make sure to include them.

Challenge Preparation:

• Design Exercise: If a design exercise is given, focus on thoroughly understanding the brief, asking clarifying questions, managing your time effectively, and delivering a polished final product that meets the stated objectives.

• Case Study Presentation: Prepare to walk through a past project as a case study. Focus on demonstrating your strategic thinking, problem-solving skills, and ability to articulate the value of your design work.

• Company Research: Thoroughly research Strawbridge Studios, their mission, values, and current marketing efforts. Be prepared to discuss how your skills and approach align with their business objectives and culture.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process will likely emphasize both creative talent and operational awareness. A strong portfolio that demonstrates not just design skill but also strategic thinking and collaboration will be critical.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Adobe Creative Cloud: Essential for graphic design tasks. Proficiency is expected in:

  • Adobe InDesign: For layout design of print materials (brochures, flyers, sales collateral).
  • Adobe Photoshop: For image editing, manipulation, and digital asset creation.
  • Adobe Illustrator: For vector graphics, logos, and illustrations.

• WordPress: The primary Content Management System (CMS) for website management and updates.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Google Analytics: Crucial for tracking website traffic, user behavior, and campaign performance. Ability to generate reports and interpret data is required.

CRM & Automation:

• CRM (Implicit): While not explicitly stated, the role will likely interact with CRM data or systems used by the Sales and Customer Service departments to understand target audiences and campaign effectiveness.

• Email Marketing Platforms (Potential): Experience with platforms used for email campaign design and deployment may be beneficial.

📝 Enhancement Note: The technology stack is focused on core design tools and essential web/analytics platforms. Proficiency in these areas is a baseline requirement, with preferred skills suggesting opportunities for further specialization.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Support: Demonstrating a willingness to assist colleagues across departments and contribute to team success, ensuring smooth operational workflows.

• Serve: Prioritizing excellent service to internal stakeholders (Sales, Customer Service) and external clients (schools, families), ensuring marketing materials effectively meet their needs.

• Enrich: Contributing creative ideas and high-quality designs that enhance the company's brand image, customer experience, and overall market presence, thereby enriching the company's offerings and impact.

• Data-Driven Approach: Utilizing insights from Google Analytics and other data sources to inform design decisions and measure the effectiveness of marketing collateral.

• Efficiency & Deadline Management: A commitment to producing high-quality work efficiently and meeting deadlines, crucial for the fast-paced marketing environment.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: Actively partnering with Sales, Customer Service, IT, and Production to ensure marketing efforts are aligned and supported by other business functions.

• Feedback Receptiveness: Openness to constructive criticism and feedback from team members and stakeholders to refine designs and improve project outcomes.

• Proactive Communication: Maintaining clear and consistent communication regarding project status, potential challenges, and creative ideas to foster a collaborative and productive working relationship.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's stated values (Support, Serve, Enrich) are central to its culture and will likely guide how team members interact and approach their work. Demonstrating alignment with these values will be important during the application process.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Creative Vision with Brand Constraints: Effectively translating creative ideas into designs that strictly adhere to established brand guidelines and marketing objectives.

• Managing Multiple Demanding Projects: Juggling numerous design requests from various departments with competing deadlines and priorities.

• Interpreting and Acting on Analytics Data: Translating raw Google Analytics data into actionable design improvements or campaign strategies.

• Adapting to Evolving Marketing Trends: Staying current with design trends and digital marketing best practices to ensure marketing materials remain fresh and effective.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Design Software Skills: Opportunity to gain deeper expertise in Adobe Creative Cloud or explore new design software and techniques.

• Digital Marketing Strategy: Learning more about SEO, content marketing, and digital campaign execution through practical application and collaboration.

• Analytics and Reporting Mastery: Developing a more sophisticated understanding of web analytics and data visualization to inform design and marketing strategies.

• Project Management Skills: Enhancing project management capabilities through experience with diverse project scopes and timelines.

• Specialized Design Areas: Potential to explore or specialize in areas like UI/UX design, motion graphics, or illustration based on interest and company needs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role presents opportunities to grow beyond pure design into areas like marketing operations, data analysis, and project management, driven by the company's need for integrated marketing efforts.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to balance creative freedom with strict brand guidelines. How did you approach it?" (Focus on your process, compromise, and outcome).

• "Walk us through a marketing campaign you designed for. What was the goal, your role, and the impact of your design?" (Prepare a portfolio case study here, emphasizing metrics if possible).

• "How would you approach designing a new brochure for our school photography services, considering our target audience of parents and administrators?" (Demonstrate understanding of target audience and brand values).

• "Imagine our website traffic has decreased by 15% this quarter. What steps would you take as a designer to investigate and potentially help improve this?" (Focus on data analysis, potential design solutions, and collaboration with other teams). Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Strawbridge Studios and our mission to preserve memories?" (Research the company, connect to personal values).

• "How do you embody our core values of Support, Serve, and Enrich in your work?" (Provide specific examples of past behavior).

• "Describe your ideal work environment and how you collaborate with others." (Highlight teamwork, communication, and receptiveness to feedback).

• "How do you handle constructive criticism on your designs?" (Emphasize learning, growth, and professional development). Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Conciseness is Key: Be prepared to present your top 2-3 projects thoroughly but efficiently within the allotted time.

• Focus on Impact: Highlight the "why" behind your designs and the results they achieved, not just the aesthetic. Use data where available.

• Explain Your Process: Clearly articulate your design thinking, problem-solving approach, and how you leveraged tools and collaboration.

• Tailor to Strawbridge: If possible, subtly tailor your presentation by referencing how your skills could benefit Strawbridge Studios.

• Be Ready for Questions: Anticipate questions about your design choices, challenges, and how you would apply your skills to their specific needs.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interviews for this role will assess not only design talent but also operational awareness, problem-solving skills, and cultural fit. Demonstrating an understanding of marketing objectives and a collaborative spirit will be crucial.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Marketing Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided ADP link.

• Portfolio Customization: Curate a digital portfolio that prominently features 2-3 of your strongest projects, showcasing a blend of print and digital design, web updates (if applicable), and any experience with data interpretation or cross-functional collaboration. Ensure it is easily accessible and well-organized.

• Resume Optimization: Tailor your resume to highlight experience with Adobe Creative Cloud, WordPress, Google Analytics, and project management. Quantify achievements where possible (e.g., "Designed marketing collateral that supported a 10% increase in event attendance"). Use keywords from the job description.

• Prepare Your Narrative: Practice articulating your design process, your understanding of marketing objectives, and how you contribute to team success. Be ready to discuss your portfolio projects in detail and how your skills align with Strawbridge Studios' values.

• Company Research: Deeply understand Strawbridge Studios' mission, target audience, and core values. Prepare specific examples of how you can contribute to their brand and marketing goals based on your research.

⚠️ 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.