Retail & Experiential Graphic Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Retail & Experiential Graphic Designer

Company: Paula's Choice Skincare

Location: Seattle, Washington, United States

Job Type: Full-time

Category: Creative & Media / Art & Design / Retail / Marketing

Date Posted: 2026-08-25

Experience Level: 2-5 years

Remote Status: Remote OK (West Coast Only)

🚀 Role Summary

• This role focuses on the visual execution of retail and experiential marketing initiatives, directly impacting the customer's point-of-sale experience.

• The Graphic Designer will be responsible for developing and producing print-ready graphics for visual merchandising, event activations, and field education materials.

• Collaboration with internal wholesale partners and the creative team is essential to ensure brand consistency and optimize retail channel performance.

• This position requires a strong understanding of print production, brand guidelines, and a consumer-centric retail mindset, with an emphasis on delivering high-quality, impactful visual assets.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the primary focus is graphic design, the role's emphasis on retail channels, visual merchandising, and optimizing partner performance suggests a strong connection to Go-To-Market (GTM) strategies. The designer's output directly influences sales and brand perception at the point of purchase, making this a critical support function for sales enablement and channel marketing.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Develop and oversee the end-to-end design and production of graphics for visual merchandising, event activations, and field education materials, ensuring alignment with Paula's Choice's visual identity.

• Execute approved art direction across various fixture and feature areas within wholesale channels, adhering to retailer and brand-specific guidelines.

• Collaborate closely with the broader creative team on campaign development, ensuring consistent application of brand aesthetics and messaging across all retail touchpoints.

• Strategize and communicate effectively with internal Wholesale partners to optimize and redesign new and existing collateral that drives sales and enhances the customer experience.

• Adapt and utilize existing templates to create print-ready files, managing the production process from concept to final output, including working with print vendors.

• Present design concepts and solutions to internal management, effectively articulating design methodology and addressing feedback with a solution-oriented approach.

• Provide essential design support to cross-functional teams, ensuring visual consistency and brand integrity across all consumer-facing materials.

• Streamline design and production processes to increase overall team productivity and enhance the quality of executed visual assets.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibility to "optimize and redesign new and existing collateral" in collaboration with "internal Wholesale partners" strongly implies a need for understanding sales enablement principles and channel marketing objectives. The designer will need to translate business needs into compelling visual assets that support sales efforts.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's Degree in Graphic Design is preferred. Formal graphic design training with a focus on print is required.

Experience: Minimum of 2 years of experience in graphic design and production, with a significant emphasis on print, proofing, and vendor management. A stable work history is expected.

Required Skills:

• High proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (CS6 or later), including Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign.

• Proven ability to develop and produce print-ready graphics for visual merchandising, retail environments, and experiential events.

• Strong understanding of brand guidelines and the ability to adapt designs across multiple formats and proportions.

• Excellent time management and problem-solving skills, with the capacity to manage multiple projects under tight deadlines.

• High attention to detail, ensuring accuracy in design execution and print production.

• Strong production skills with the ability to take direction and collaborate effectively with diverse team members.

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, capable of clearly articulating design concepts, project scope, and creative ideas.

• Demonstrated ability to work with print vendors and manage the production process. Preferred Skills:

• Prior experience designing for visual merchandising, retail design, or Point of Purchase (POP) displays.

• Experience working with major retailers such as Sephora or comparable retail partners.

• Familiarity with the cosmetics and/or skincare industry.

• Experience in concepting and designing for a consumer-centric retail mindset.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "consumer-centric retail mindset" and "optimizing results" in wholesale channels indicates that candidates who can demonstrate an understanding of how design impacts consumer behavior and sales performance will be highly valued. Experience with specific retailer guidelines (e.g., Sephora) is a significant advantage, suggesting a need for adaptability and adherence to strict visual standards.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A comprehensive portfolio showcasing a range of design abilities, with a strong emphasis on print design and production.

• Examples demonstrating concepting and design for a consumer-centric retail environment.

• Visual merchandising, retail design, or POP display examples are highly desirable.

• Case studies or examples illustrating the application of designs into print production, highlighting problem-solving and execution.

• Clear demonstration of creativity, quality, and meticulous attention to detail in all presented work. Process Documentation:

• Examples of workflow management for design projects from concept to final print production.

• Documentation showcasing collaboration with internal partners (e.g., Wholesale, Marketing) and external vendors.

• Evidence of adapting and utilizing templates to create production-ready files.

• Case studies or project descriptions that highlight process streamlining to increase productivity and quality.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio should not just showcase aesthetic skills but also the candidate's ability to manage the print production process, adhere to brand and retailer guidelines, and contribute to Go-To-Market strategies through effective visual merchandising and retail design. Demonstrating an understanding of how design directly impacts sales enablement and consumer engagement at the point of sale is crucial.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $85,000 - $90,000 USD annually.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive health, vision, and dental insurance.

• Retirement plan options.

• Flexible spending account.

• Employee assistance program (EAP).

• Fitness perks and meditation app membership.

• Generous product samples and employee discounts.

• Paid time off (PTO).

• Paid time off for volunteering.

Working Hours: Typical business hours, approximately 40 hours per week.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is based on national data and may be adjusted based on the candidate's specific region/cost of living. The company also offers a discretionary bonus plan. The benefits package is robust and caters to employee well-being, which is a strong selling point for attracting and retaining talent in competitive creative roles.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Global Skincare Leader / Beauty / Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) and Retail. Paula's Choice is known for its science-backed, transparent approach to skincare.

Company Size: Large (LinkedIn data suggests between 501-1000 employees). This implies a structured environment with established processes but also opportunities for cross-functional impact.

Founded: 1995. With over 25 years of history, the company has a strong brand legacy and established market presence.

Team Structure:

• The role sits within the broader creative team, with specific collaboration expected with partners in the retail channel.

• The designer will work closely with internal Wholesale partners, indicating a need for strong cross-functional communication and understanding of sales enablement.

• Reporting structure likely involves a Creative Director or Design Manager, with direct collaboration across marketing, product, and sales teams. Methodology:

• Paula's Choice emphasizes a "science-backed" approach, suggesting data-driven decision-making even within creative processes.

• The company values transparency, innovation ("Be Bold"), kindness, and community, which likely translates into a collaborative and supportive work environment.

• The "agile and fast-moving environment" description points to a dynamic workflow that requires adaptability and efficient process management.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's core values—Build Trust, Be Bold, Act with Kindness, Create Community—are integral to its culture and should be reflected in how candidates approach their work and interactions. For a designer, this means understanding how to visually communicate trust and transparency, be bold in creative solutions, act kindly in collaborations, and foster community through engaging retail experiences.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is an intermediate-level Graphic Designer position, focusing on specialized application within retail and experiential channels. It requires a blend of creative talent and production-level execution skills.

Reporting Structure: The designer will report to a manager within the creative department and will collaborate extensively with internal Wholesale partners, suggesting a dotted-line influence or strong partnership with the sales enablement or channel marketing functions.

Operations Impact:

• Directly influences the customer's perception and engagement at the point of sale, impacting brand loyalty and purchase decisions.

• Supports Go-To-Market strategies by creating compelling visual assets for retail channels, events, and field education, which in turn drives sales performance.

• Enhances the consistency and effectiveness of brand messaging across diverse wholesale partners and retail environments. Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization: Potential to become a subject matter expert in retail and experiential design for the skincare industry, deepening expertise in visual merchandising and POP development.

• Skill Development: Opportunities to expand knowledge in print production intricacies, retailer-specific design requirements, and potentially 3D/experiential design principles.

• Leadership: With proven success, advancement could lead to Senior Designer roles, Art Director positions, or opportunities to manage freelance designers or specific project streams.

• Cross-functional Exposure: Development through close collaboration with marketing, product development, and sales teams, offering broader business acumen.

📝 Enhancement Note: While not a traditional "operations" role, the impact on sales enablement and channel marketing makes this position critical to GTM operations. Growth opportunities could involve moving into roles that have more direct oversight of operational aspects of creative production or campaign execution.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The preferred location is Downtown Seattle, suggesting a professional office environment. However, remote work is available for candidates on the West Coast. The company also mentions a dog-friendly office for those based in Seattle.

Office Location(s):

• Primary preference: Downtown Seattle, Washington.

• Remote: Available for candidates located on the West Coast of the United States. Workspace Context:

• The Seattle office is described as being in the heart of the International District, indicating a vibrant urban location.

• The company culture encourages continuous learning, connection, curiosity, and cross-functional collaboration, suggesting a dynamic and interactive workspace, whether in-person or remote.

• For remote employees, a focus on digital collaboration tools and communication is implied.

Work Schedule: Typical business hours are expected, likely aligning with standard office hours to facilitate collaboration with teams across different time zones (especially if remote).

📝 Enhancement Note: The flexibility for West Coast remote work is a significant factor. Candidates should be prepared for potential hybrid arrangements if based in Seattle, and understand the communication cadence required for remote collaboration, especially with teams possibly in different time zones.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Review of resume and portfolio for basic qualifications and design aesthetic.

• Portfolio Presentation & Skills Assessment: Candidates will likely present their portfolio, discussing specific projects, design process, production challenges, and how their work aligns with retail and brand objectives. This may include a design exercise or challenge.

• Cross-functional Interviews: Meetings with key stakeholders from the creative team, wholesale/retail partners, and potentially marketing to assess collaboration skills and understanding of business needs.

• Final Interview: Discussion with hiring manager or senior leadership to assess cultural fit, strategic thinking, and overall suitability for the role.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select projects that best demonstrate your experience in retail, visual merchandising, print production, and working with brand guidelines. Include examples of adapting designs for different formats and retailers.

• Tell the Story: For each project, articulate the brief, your role, the challenges (e.g., tight deadlines, retailer constraints, production issues), your creative process, the solutions you implemented, and the impact of your design (if quantifiable).

• Highlight Production Expertise: Clearly showcase your understanding of print production, including file preparation, proofing, and vendor collaboration.

• Demonstrate Retail Acumen: Emphasize how your designs are consumer-centric and optimized for the retail environment to drive engagement and sales.

• Showcase Adobe CC Proficiency: Ensure examples clearly reflect your high-level skills in Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign.

Challenge Preparation:

• Be prepared for a design challenge that may involve adapting existing brand assets for a new retail scenario or creating a concept for a specific visual merchandising element.

• Practice articulating your design decisions and justifications clearly and concisely, focusing on how your solutions meet business objectives and brand standards.

• Prepare to discuss your process for managing tight deadlines and working with production vendors.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "optimizing results" and "consumer-centric retail mindset" means interviewers will be looking for candidates who can connect their design work to business outcomes. Portfolio presentations should focus on the "why" and "how" behind the design, not just the "what."

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Adobe Creative Cloud: High proficiency required in Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign (CS6 or later).

• Design Software: General design software proficiency is expected.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not a primary data analysis role, understanding how design impacts retail performance metrics (e.g., sales uplift, foot traffic, engagement) would be beneficial. CRM & Automation:

• Not directly applicable to this design role, but awareness of how design assets integrate into marketing automation platforms or CRM-driven campaigns could be a plus.

📝 Enhancement Note: The core technical requirement is mastery of the Adobe Creative Suite for print and graphic production. Familiarity with project management tools (e.g., Asana, Trello, Jira) might be beneficial for managing workflow in an agile environment, though not explicitly stated.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Build Trust: Through transparent communication, reliable execution of design projects, and accurate representation of brand standards.

• Be Bold: By proposing innovative visual solutions that challenge the status quo in retail design while remaining within brand parameters.

• Act with Kindness: By fostering positive and collaborative relationships with creative team members, wholesale partners, and vendors.

• Create Community: By contributing to a visually cohesive and engaging brand experience across all retail touchpoints, connecting the brand with consumers.

Collaboration Style:

• Highly collaborative, working closely with internal Wholesale partners, the broader creative team, and external print vendors.

• Emphasis on clear communication, feedback exchange, and a solution-oriented approach to overcome design and production challenges.

• Requires the ability to take direction while also proactively contributing creative ideas and problem-solving.

📝 Enhancement Note: Candidates should demonstrate an understanding of how their creative contributions align with the company's stated values, particularly in their approach to collaboration and problem-solving within a fast-paced, consumer-focused environment.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Brand & Retailer Guidelines: Simultaneously adhering to Paula's Choice's strict brand identity while meeting the diverse and often conflicting requirements of various wholesale retail partners.

• Fast-Paced Environment: Managing multiple projects with tight deadlines in an agile setting, requiring strong prioritization and efficiency.

• Production Complexity: Navigating the intricacies of print production, ensuring flawless execution from digital file to physical display, and managing vendor relationships.

• Translating Strategy to Visuals: Effectively translating marketing objectives and sales strategies into compelling visual designs that resonate with consumers at the point of sale.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Retail Design Specialization: Deepen expertise in visual merchandising, POP display design, and in-store retail experiences.

• Print Production Mastery: Gain advanced knowledge in various printing techniques, materials, and vendor management for high-quality executions.

• Cross-functional Exposure: Learn about the broader Go-To-Market strategy, sales enablement, and channel marketing from collaborating teams.

• Industry Trends: Stay abreast of evolving retail design trends and consumer engagement strategies within the beauty and skincare sector.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role presents a unique opportunity to hone skills in a specific, high-impact area of GTM operations: visual retail execution. Success here can lead to significant career growth within brand-focused creative departments.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to balance a strong brand identity with specific retailer requirements for a design project. How did you approach it?" (Focus on problem-solving, negotiation, and compromise.)

• "Walk us through your process for taking a design from concept to final print-ready file. What are the critical steps and potential pitfalls?" (Highlight production expertise, attention to detail, and vendor management.)

• "How do you ensure your designs are consumer-centric and drive engagement in a retail environment?" (Connect design choices to consumer behavior and sales objectives.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "How do Paula's Choice's core values (Trust, Boldness, Kindness, Community) influence your approach to design and collaboration?" (Demonstrate alignment with company ethos.)

• "Describe your experience working in an agile or fast-paced creative environment. How do you manage multiple priorities?" (Showcase adaptability and time management skills.)

• "How do you approach feedback from internal partners like Sales or Wholesale teams on design projects?" (Emphasize collaboration, solution-orientation, and understanding business needs.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure: Organize your portfolio by project, clearly stating the objective, your role, the challenges, your process, the solution, and the outcome.

• Highlight Retail Focus: Ensure a significant portion of your presented work directly relates to retail, visual merchandising, or experiential design.

• Showcase Production: Verbally or visually explain the production aspects of your projects, detailing file preparation, vendor communication, and any challenges overcome.

• Quantify Impact (If Possible): If you have metrics on how your designs contributed to sales, engagement, or brand perception, present them clearly.

• Be Ready for a Challenge: Prepare to discuss how you would approach a hypothetical design task relevant to Paula's Choice's retail presence.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interviewers will be assessing not just design skill but also understanding of the retail environment, production processes, and ability to collaborate effectively to drive sales enablement through visual assets.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Retail & Experiential Graphic Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on the Paula's Choice Careers page.

• Portfolio Customization: Ensure your portfolio prominently features your strongest work in retail, visual merchandising, print production, and brand guideline adherence. Tailor your presentation to highlight projects that demonstrate a consumer-centric retail mindset.

• Resume Optimization: Clearly articulate your 2+ years of graphic design and production experience, emphasizing proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite, print production, and any relevant retail or beauty industry experience. Use keywords from the job description.

• Interview Preparation: Practice presenting your portfolio with a focus on process, problem-solving, and the impact of your designs. Prepare to discuss your collaborative approach and understanding of retail channel dynamics.

• Company Research: Familiarize yourself with Paula's Choice's brand, products, and core values. Understand their approach to transparency and science-backed skincare, and how this might influence visual communications in a retail setting.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions tailored for a creative role supporting Go-To-Market functions. All details should be verified directly with Paula's Choice Skincare during the application process.