Marketing Graphic Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Marketing Graphic Designer

Company: Catalina Island Company

Location: Costa Mesa, California, United States

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Marketing & Creative Operations

Date Posted: April 23, 2026

Experience Level: Mid-Level (2-5 years)

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• This role is crucial for creating compelling visual assets that drive visitation and enhance the brand perception of Catalina Island as a premier destination.

• The position requires a blend of creative design, digital content creation, and brand stewardship across multiple marketing channels.

• Collaboration with internal teams and external vendors is key to executing integrated marketing campaigns and ensuring brand consistency.

• The role involves leveraging modern design tools, including AI, to optimize asset adaptation and campaign performance.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the title is "Marketing Graphic Designer," the description emphasizes its role within a broader marketing operations context, focusing on campaign execution, asset optimization, and brand consistency, which aligns with GTM and Marketing Operations functions. The hybrid nature and travel requirements suggest a hands-on operational role.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Design and develop a wide range of visual assets for marketing campaigns, including digital ads, social media content, email templates, billboards, and print collateral, to promote lodging, itineraries, and island experiences.

• Adapt and optimize creative assets for responsive, multi-platform use, incorporating modern design principles and AI tools to enhance efficiency and engagement across web, social media, email, and paid media channels.

• Produce visually engaging multimedia assets, including light motion graphics and video editing, to enhance storytelling and campaign impact, with support for advanced motion design from freelancers.

• Capture, retouch, and edit photography and video assets to ensure high-quality, on-brand visuals that effectively highlight the Catalina Island experience and drive guest engagement.

• Maintain and rigorously apply brand consistency across all marketing touchpoints, continuously refining the visual identity and brand guidelines to strengthen destination storytelling and market differentiation.

• Design and build responsive, on-brand marketing emails, ensuring a seamless user experience across various devices and email clients.

• Organize, maintain, and archive all design files, media libraries, and asset archives to ensure efficient retrieval and version control.

• Manage multiple design projects simultaneously, aligning with marketing campaign priorities, deadlines, and performance objectives.

• Produce multiple creative variations of assets to support A/B testing, campaign optimization, and conversion rate improvement initiatives.

• Manage freelance designers and creative vendors, providing clear briefs and feedback to ensure high-quality specialized creative support.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a need for strategic asset management, campaign optimization through creative iteration, and brand guardianship, which are core components of effective marketing operations. The inclusion of AI tools and performance-based creative iteration points to a modern, data-informed approach.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

Experience:

• A minimum of 3 years of professional experience in graphic design, with a strong preference for roles focused on marketing, brand development, or destination marketing.

• Proven experience in creating and adapting visual assets for diverse marketing channels, including digital, social media, print, and email.

Required Skills:

• Adobe Creative Suite Mastery: Expert proficiency in Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign for creating and manipulating high-quality graphics and layouts.

• Digital Design Expertise: Proven ability to design for web, social media, email marketing, and digital advertising platforms, understanding responsive design principles.

• Brand Management: Strong understanding of brand identity, guidelines, and the ability to maintain visual consistency across all collateral.

• Project Management: Excellent organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple projects, prioritize tasks, and meet tight deadlines in a fast-paced environment.

• Communication & Collaboration: Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams, stakeholders, and external vendors.

Preferred Skills:

• Travel/Hospitality Marketing Experience: Prior experience in the travel, hospitality, lifestyle, or destination marketing sectors, demonstrating an understanding of the industry's visual communication needs.

• Figma/Canva Proficiency: Familiarity with collaborative design tools like Figma and user-friendly platforms like Canva for rapid asset creation and adaptation.

• AI-Assisted Design: Experience or a keen interest in utilizing AI-assisted design tools to accelerate asset creation, adaptation, and optimization.

• Motion Graphics & Video Editing: Proficiency in Adobe Premiere Pro for video editing and a foundational understanding of motion graphics principles, with experience in asset management for video content.

• Photography & Retouching: Strong skills in capturing, retouching, and editing photography to align with brand aesthetics and marketing objectives.

• Valid California Driver's License: A clean driving record and a valid California Driver's License are required for travel to Catalina Island.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on Adobe Creative Suite, digital design, brand management, and project management aligns with core competencies for marketing operations support roles. The preferred skills highlight a forward-thinking approach with AI and collaboration tools, crucial for efficient marketing execution.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Campaign Case Studies: Showcase 2-3 detailed case studies demonstrating your involvement in marketing campaigns from concept to execution, highlighting your specific design contributions and their impact on campaign goals (e.g., increased engagement, conversions).

• Asset Adaptation Examples: Include examples of how you've adapted a core creative concept across multiple platforms (e.g., digital ad, social post, email banner), demonstrating your understanding of responsive design and channel-specific optimization.

• Brand Guideline Application: Provide examples where you have successfully applied or refined brand guidelines to ensure visual consistency and enhance brand storytelling.

• Cross-Channel Design Samples: Present a diverse range of work that spans digital, social, print, and potentially email or basic motion graphics, illustrating your versatility.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Design Examples: If possible, include a brief overview or visual representation of a design workflow you've implemented or improved, emphasizing efficiency gains, collaboration steps, and quality control measures.

• Asset Management Strategy: Briefly describe your approach to organizing and managing design files, media libraries, and asset archives for easy access and version control.

• Performance-Based Iteration: Detail an instance where design iterations were driven by campaign performance data or A/B testing results, explaining the insights gained and the resulting improvements.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a creative role within a marketing context, the portfolio should emphasize not just aesthetic quality but also strategic thinking, process efficiency, and the ability to demonstrate tangible results. This aligns with operations' focus on measurable outcomes and optimized workflows.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• $75,000 - $85,000 Annually

Benefits:

• Employee Discounts: Significant discounts on Catalina Island Company's offerings, including restaurants, hotels, and activities, providing substantial personal value.

• Annual Bonus: Eligibility for an annual bonus, offering potential for additional compensation based on individual and company performance.

• Health Insurance: (While not explicitly listed, full-time roles typically include health benefits; this should be confirmed.)

• Paid Time Off: (Typically included for full-time positions; confirmation recommended.)

• Retirement Plan: (Often provided for full-time employees; to be confirmed.)

Working Hours:

• Full-Time: Standard 40 hours per week.

• Flexible Schedule: Requires a flexible schedule with rotating weekday and weekend shifts, including day, night, and holiday hours. This adaptability is crucial for supporting ongoing marketing efforts and potential island events.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is provided and is competitive for a mid-level graphic designer in the Southern California region, especially considering the specialized industry and hybrid/travel requirements. The benefits package heavily emphasizes the unique perks of working for a hospitality and leisure company. The flexible and rotating schedule is a critical detail for operations-minded candidates to consider.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Hospitality, Tourism, Leisure, Entertainment, and Transportation (Ferry Services). The Catalina Island Company operates a diverse range of businesses on Catalina Island, including hotels, restaurants, tours, and transportation, creating a unique operational landscape.

Company Size: The provided LinkedIn data is missing, but the job description implies a medium-sized marketing team where a graphic designer can make a significant impact. The company itself is a substantial employer given its island operations.

Founded: The company's history dates back to William Wrigley Jr.'s acquisition in 1919, with significant development in the early to mid-20th century. This long-standing history provides a rich brand narrative and a foundation of established operations.

Team Structure:

• The Graphic Designer will be part of a marketing team. The description mentions "a small team where you can make an impact," suggesting a lean and agile marketing department.

• This role will likely collaborate closely with marketing managers, content creators, social media specialists, and potentially digital marketing analysts.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Creativity: The role emphasizes producing multiple creative variations for campaign testing and optimization, indicating a data-informed approach to design.

• Brand Storytelling: A core methodology is to use design to tell the story of Catalina Island, driving inspiration and visitation.

• Agile Execution: The need to manage multiple projects and deadlines in a fast-paced environment points to agile marketing principles.

• Process Improvement: The role is expected to identify opportunities to strengthen brand guidelines and refine visual identity, suggesting a continuous improvement mindset.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: The company operates in a unique environment—an island destination—which necessitates specialized marketing strategies. The culture values service, experience, and the island's rich history. Understanding this context is crucial for a designer to create authentic and impactful visuals.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as a Mid-Level Graphic Designer. It requires independent execution of design tasks, management of creative assets, and contribution to campaign strategy through visual execution. It's a key contributor role within the marketing function.

Reporting Structure: The Graphic Designer will likely report to a Marketing Manager or Director of Marketing. The mention of managing freelance designers suggests a degree of autonomy and responsibility in project oversight.

Operations Impact: The visual assets created by this role directly impact key business metrics such as website traffic, social media engagement, lead generation, booking conversions (lodging, tours, transportation), and overall brand perception, all of which are critical for revenue generation and operational success in the hospitality sector.

Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization: Opportunity to deepen expertise in specific areas like travel photography, video editing, motion graphics, or AI-driven design within the context of destination marketing.

• Leadership: Potential to move into a Senior Graphic Designer or Art Director role, leading creative projects and mentoring junior designers.

• Cross-Functional Exposure: Gaining experience in broader marketing strategy, campaign management, and understanding the operational intricacies of a large hospitality and tourism enterprise.

• Island Immersion: Developing unique insights into destination marketing by spending time on Catalina Island, which can lead to more authentic and effective creative work.

📝 Enhancement Note: The growth path for a graphic designer in this context extends beyond purely creative roles. It can involve moving into marketing management, operations-focused creative strategy, or specialized creative leadership within the unique island environment.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: This role operates on a hybrid model. The primary work location is company offices in Costa Mesa, CA. However, it requires regular travel to Catalina Island, including overnight stays (approximately 8 days per month). This mix suggests a need for adaptability and comfort in different work settings.

Office Location(s):

• Costa Mesa, CA: The main office location for administrative and collaborative work.

• Catalina Island: Requires travel to the island for content capture, site visits, and potentially on-site event support. This involves boat travel in varied weather and sea conditions.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Hub (Costa Mesa): The Costa Mesa office likely provides a standard office environment conducive to team collaboration, meetings, and focused design work.

• On-Site Inspiration (Catalina Island): Travel to the island offers direct exposure to the destination's atmosphere, attractions, and guest experiences, which can be invaluable for creative inspiration and authentic content creation.

• Technology & Tools: Access to standard office equipment and software, alongside specialized design tools (Adobe Creative Suite, potentially Figma, AI tools). The need to work on a boat implies a need for portable equipment or efficient data transfer methods.

Work Schedule:

• Flexible & Rotating: The schedule is flexible, requiring rotating weekday and weekend shifts, including day, night, and holiday hours. This is typical for hospitality and tourism operations that serve guests year-round and require constant marketing support.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid nature combined with significant on-site requirements on Catalina Island is a defining characteristic. Candidates must be comfortable with travel, boat transport, and a dynamic work schedule that extends beyond a typical 9-5, Monday-Friday in a single office.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your resume and portfolio to assess qualifications, relevant experience, and creative style.

• Portfolio Presentation & Interview: Candidates will likely present a curated selection of their work, discussing their process, strategic thinking behind designs, and how they've achieved specific marketing objectives. This will be followed by interview questions about their experience, approach to design challenges, and fit with the company culture.

• Skills Assessment/Creative Challenge: A practical exercise may be given, such as designing a specific asset for a hypothetical campaign or adapting existing assets, to evaluate design skills, speed, and adherence to brand guidelines under timed conditions.

• Team/Manager Interview: Meeting with the hiring manager and potentially other marketing team members to assess cultural fit, collaboration style, and overall suitability for the role and company environment.

• Final Interview: Potentially with a higher-level executive or department head, focusing on strategic alignment and long-term potential.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 3-5 strong, relevant projects that showcase your best work, particularly in travel, hospitality, or destination marketing if available. Ensure variety across digital, social, and print.

• Tell the Story: For each project, clearly articulate the objective, your role, the challenges, your creative process, the tools used, and the measurable results or impact. Use specific examples of how your design contributed to campaign success.

• Highlight Process: Show your understanding of workflow, iteration, and problem-solving. Include examples of how you incorporated feedback or adapted designs based on performance.

• Demonstrate Brand Acumen: Showcase your ability to understand and apply brand guidelines, or how you've contributed to refining them.

• Prepare for Questions: Be ready to discuss your design choices, your proficiency with specific tools (especially Adobe Creative Suite), your experience with AI tools, and your approach to managing projects and deadlines.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Brand: Thoroughly research Catalina Island Company, its target audience, its history, and its current marketing efforts. Understand the unique appeal of the island.

• Focus on Objectives: If given a creative challenge, ask clarifying questions about the specific goals (e.g., increase bookings for X, promote Y experience, drive awareness for Z event).

• Showcase Process & Rationale: Even in a timed exercise, clearly articulate your thought process, design choices, and how your solution meets the stated objectives.

• Attention to Detail: Ensure all elements of your design are polished, on-brand, and technically sound.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on portfolio presentation and potential creative challenges underscores the practical, results-oriented nature of this role within a marketing operations framework. Candidates should prepare to demonstrate not only creative talent but also strategic thinking and process efficiency.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Adobe Creative Suite:

  • Photoshop: Essential for photo editing, retouching, raster graphics creation, and digital asset manipulation.
  • Illustrator: Crucial for vector graphics, logos, icons, and scalable illustrations.
  • InDesign: The standard for page layout, brochure design, print collateral, and multi-page documents.
  • Premiere Pro: Key for video editing, cutting footage, adding basic effects, and preparing video assets for various platforms.

• Figma/Canva (Preferred): Collaborative design tools that accelerate asset adaptation, prototyping, and user-friendly content creation.

• AI-Assisted Design Tools (Preferred): Tools that leverage artificial intelligence for tasks like image generation, background removal, asset upscaling, or rapid content adaptation.

Analytics & Reporting:

CRM & Automation:

• Familiarity with how marketing emails are deployed (e.g., through a CRM or email marketing platform) would be advantageous for designing effective email templates.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in the Adobe Creative Suite is non-negotiable. The inclusion of Figma, Canva, and AI tools as preferred skills indicates the company's interest in modern, efficient design workflows that support rapid campaign execution and optimization.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Exceptional Guest Experience: A core value that permeates all roles, emphasizing service excellence and creating memorable experiences for visitors.

• Teamwork & Collaboration: The company fosters a positive, team-oriented atmosphere where every member contributes to shared goals. This is critical for a hybrid role involving inter-departmental communication.

• Innovation & Adaptability: The mention of modern design tools and adapting to changing marketing needs suggests a value placed on staying current and embracing new approaches.

• Destination Stewardship: A deep appreciation for Catalina Island itself, its history, and its environment, which translates into marketing that is authentic and respectful of the destination.

• Efficiency & Impact: The expectation to manage multiple projects, optimize assets, and contribute to campaign performance highlights a focus on delivering tangible results.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: The role requires close collaboration with marketing peers and potentially other departments (operations, guest services) to ensure visual consistency and strategic alignment.

• Feedback-Driven Improvement: The emphasis on iteration and optimization implies a culture where feedback is valued and used to refine creative output.

• Shared Vision: Working towards the common goal of promoting Catalina Island as a premier destination, requiring open communication and a shared understanding of marketing objectives.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture is deeply tied to its unique island location and its mission of providing exceptional guest experiences. A candidate who understands and embraces these values will be a better fit.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Multiple Channels & Brands: Effectively designing for diverse platforms (digital, print, social, email) while maintaining a consistent brand identity for multiple offerings (lodging, tours, events).

• Remote Collaboration & Island Travel: Managing design projects effectively in a hybrid work environment and adapting to the logistical demands of frequent travel to Catalina Island, including boat travel and variable conditions.

• Rapid Iteration & Performance Demands: Keeping pace with marketing campaign needs, producing multiple creative variations, and iterating designs based on performance data in a competitive tourism market.

• Managing Freelance Support: Effectively briefing, managing, and providing feedback to external creative resources to ensure quality and brand alignment.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Destination Marketing Expertise: Deepening knowledge in the nuances of marketing a unique island destination, understanding target audiences, and developing effective visual storytelling for travel.

• Advanced Design Techniques: Opportunities to hone skills in motion graphics, video editing, photography, and potentially explore emerging AI design tools.

• Broader Marketing Acumen: Gaining insights into integrated marketing campaigns, performance analytics, and strategic brand management within the hospitality sector.

• Cross-Departmental Understanding: Learning about the operational aspects of a large tourism business, from guest services to transportation, which can inform more effective marketing creative.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are directly related to the hybrid nature, the unique industry, and the demands of modern marketing operations. The growth opportunities offer a path to specialization and broader strategic understanding within the company.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a marketing campaign where your graphic design work significantly contributed to its success. What was the objective, your role, and the outcome?" (Focus on quantifiable results and your strategic input.)

• "How do you ensure brand consistency across multiple marketing channels and for different product offerings within a single brand?" (Highlight your process for managing brand guidelines and asset adaptation.)

• "Walk us through your process for adapting a core creative concept for use on social media, a digital ad, and an email banner. What considerations do you make for each platform?" (Demonstrate your understanding of responsive design and channel optimization.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about working for Catalina Island Company and marketing a destination like Catalina Island?" (Connect your passion for travel or unique environments with the role.)

• "How do you handle feedback on your designs, especially constructive criticism from team members or stakeholders?" (Emphasize your collaborative and growth-oriented approach.)

• "Describe your experience working in a hybrid or remote environment. How do you ensure effective collaboration and productivity?" (Address the logistical aspects of the role.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Prioritize Impact: Select projects that clearly demonstrate your ability to drive results and align with marketing objectives.

• Articulate Your 'Why': For each piece, explain the strategic thinking behind your design choices, the problem you were solving, and the target audience you were addressing.

• Showcase Process: Be prepared to discuss your workflow, from initial concept and research to final execution and any iterations made based on feedback or performance.

• Quantify Success: Where possible, use metrics (e.g., increased engagement, conversion rates, click-through rates) to illustrate the effectiveness of your designs.

• Tailor to the Role: Emphasize any experience relevant to travel, hospitality, destination marketing, or using AI tools for asset adaptation.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating not just creative skill but also strategic thinking, operational efficiency, and an understanding of how design contributes to core business objectives within the tourism and hospitality sector.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Marketing Graphic Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided application link: https://visitcatalinaisland.wd12.myworkdayjobs.com/ICO/job/Costa-Mesa-Office/Marketing-Graphic-Designer_R465

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 3-5 of your strongest design projects that best represent your skills in digital, social, and print marketing, with a preference for travel, hospitality, or lifestyle industries. Ensure each project clearly outlines the objective, your role, process, and measurable impact.

• Tailor Your Resume: Highlight keywords and responsibilities that align with the job description, such as "Adobe Creative Suite," "marketing campaigns," "brand identity," "digital design," "social media content," "video editing," and "travel marketing." Quantify achievements wherever possible.

• Prepare Your Presentation: Practice walking through your portfolio, articulating your design rationale, process, and the results achieved for each project. Be ready to discuss your experience with AI tools and your approach to hybrid work.

• Research the Company: Thoroughly explore the Catalina Island Company website, understand its various offerings, target audiences, and recent marketing initiatives. Familiarize yourself with the island's unique appeal and history.

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

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