Senior Brand Designer (Up)

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Brand Designer

Company: Ferocia

Location: Melbourne, VIC, Australia

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Brand & Creative Operations

Date Posted: 2026-06-05

Experience Level: 5+ Years

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive the visual articulation of Ferocia's mission to promote financial inclusion and empowerment through distinctive brand, marketing, and app experiences.

• Develop and execute creative concepts for a wide range of digital and physical platforms, embracing youth culture and innovation.

• Collaborate closely with Product Design and Engineering to ensure seamless integration of brand identity within the Up app.

• Partner with the Head of Brand and external creatives to push the boundaries of financial design and create impactful campaigns.

• Contribute to strategic creative sessions, identifying opportunities to enhance customer experience and financial well-being through design.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned within a technology company focused on financial inclusion, requiring a strong blend of creative brand development and an understanding of user experience within a fintech context. The emphasis on "youth culture" and "unconventional ideas" suggests a need for a designer who can translate complex financial concepts into accessible and engaging visual narratives for a broad audience.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Lead the ideation and concept development for creative assets, from initial brainstorming to final production-ready graphics for diverse digital and physical platforms.

• Design and produce unique, expressive online brand assets, including web pages, digital advertisements, and social media graphics, with an allowance for artistic exploration ("art for art's sake").

• Execute creative assets for marketing campaigns, translating concepts into tangible digital and physical advertisements, and contributing to physical activations that reach millions of Australians.

• Collaborate closely with Product Design and Engineering teams to ensure the Up brand identity is consistently and effectively expressed within the app's features and user interface.

• Provide strategic input during creative sessions, identifying design-led opportunities to improve customer experience and promote financial well-being.

• Identify, brief, and manage external contractors, creatives, and artists to ensure alignment with Up's brand vision, style, and mission.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a hands-on design role with significant strategic input. The inclusion of "marketing campaign execution" and "product collaboration" indicates a need for a designer who can operate across different facets of brand application, from broad marketing initiatives to specific product features, and manage external creative resources.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong portfolio demonstrating conceptual thinking and technical skill is paramount. Equivalent practical experience will be highly valued.

Experience: Minimum of 5+ years of experience in graphic design or art direction, ideally within a studio, agency, or in-house environment. Candidates with slightly less experience but a demonstrable readiness to step into a senior role and assume greater responsibility will be considered.

Required Skills:

• Expert-level proficiency in Adobe Creative Cloud (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign).

• Proven ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously, prioritizing tasks effectively to meet deadlines.

• Strong conceptual thinking and a track record of generating original, distinctive ideas that move beyond current trends.

• Excellent understanding of production techniques for both digital and high-quality physical outputs.

• Skilled in layout and typography, with a specific focus on web design and creating intuitive user experiences.

• Strong communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to articulate design decisions effectively to cross-functional teams.

• A positive, solution-oriented approach to challenges and adversity.

• Demonstrated ability to contribute to a collaborative and supportive work environment. Preferred Skills:

• Experience with Figma for collaborative design workflows.

• Experience working with or producing illustrations.

• Expertise in motion design.

• 3D design skills.

• Photography skills.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "5+ years" requirement is a guideline; the emphasis is on the candidate's ability to "step into a senior role and take on greater responsibility." The preference for illustration, motion design, 3D, and photography suggests the company values a broad range of creative proficiencies that can contribute to a rich and dynamic brand identity.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A comprehensive portfolio is mandatory for application, demonstrating a strong track record of high-quality design across both digital and physical outputs.

• Showcase examples of concept-driven thinking, originality, and unconventional approaches in your work.

• Include case studies or detailed project descriptions that highlight your process, from ideation to final execution.

• Demonstrate how your design decisions contributed to campaign success or enhanced user experience.

• Highlight examples of typography, layout design, and web design proficiency. Process Documentation:

• Be prepared to discuss your design process in detail, including how you approach brainstorming, concept development, and iteration.

• Articulate your methods for collaborating with cross-functional teams (e.g., Product Design, Engineering, Marketing) to ensure brand consistency and effective execution.

• Explain how you manage production timelines and ensure the quality of both digital assets and physical products.

• Discuss your experience in briefing and managing external creative partners, including contractors and artists.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Career History & Folio Review" stage explicitly focuses on the "messy, brilliant process" behind the work. Candidates should prepare to walk through a favorite project from start to finish, detailing hurdles, assumptions tested, and collaborative problem-solving. This indicates a strong preference for designers who can articulate their strategic thinking and workflow.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $125,000 - $145,000 AUD per year.

Benefits:

• A small team of passionate people fostering a close-knit work environment.

• Generous leave and parental policy, supporting work-life balance and family needs.

• Flexible working schedule, allowing for adaptability in daily work arrangements.

• Access to a great city office with perks including a rooftop, gym, personal trainer, and games.

• Budget for personal development, training, and conferences to support continuous learning and skill enhancement.

• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) providing confidential support for personal and professional challenges.

• Home loan rebates for company loans, subject to specific conditions.

• Ongoing equity grants, subject to specific conditions, offering potential for long-term financial reward.

Working Hours: While specific hours are not detailed, the "Flexible working schedule" benefit suggests a degree of autonomy and adaptability. The mention of a hybrid work culture implies a standard full-time commitment with flexibility in location and potentially in daily scheduling.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range provided is an estimate based on the provided data. The benefits package is comprehensive, with particular emphasis on professional development, work-life balance, and long-term incentives like equity grants, which are attractive to senior-level professionals.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Financial Technology (Fintech) and Financial Services, with a strong focus on digital banking and financial inclusion.

Company Size: Ferocia is a small, dynamic tech company, operating as the core development team behind Up. While part of the larger Bendigo and Adelaide Bank family, its internal culture is described as agile and innovative like a small company. This size offers opportunities for direct impact and close collaboration.

Founded: Ferocia was founded in 2011, initially crafting digital platforms for Bendigo Bank before launching Up. This history provides a foundation of established financial expertise combined with a forward-thinking, tech-driven approach.

Team Structure:

• The Brand team is small and dynamic, working closely with the Head of Brand.

• This role will collaborate with Product Design, Engineering, and Growth teams, indicating a cross-functional operational structure.

• The company emphasizes mission-based teams, suggesting a collaborative and purpose-driven work environment. Methodology:

• Data-Driven Design: While not explicitly stated as a core methodology, the company's mission to "leverage technology to help Australians move from financial stress and anxiety to a place of confidence and empowerment" implies that design decisions are informed by user needs and impact.

• Agile Development: As a tech company behind a digital product, an agile approach to development and design is likely.

• Creative Innovation: The emphasis on "youth culture," "unconventional ideas," and pushing "creativity to the edge" points to a culture that values experimentation and bold creative expression.

Company Website: https://up.com.au/ (for Up banking), https://www.ferocia.com.au/ (Company Information)

📝 Enhancement Note: Ferocia's culture is a blend of fintech innovation, a strong social mission (financial inclusion), and a creative, agile approach. The "small team" environment, coupled with the backing of a major bank, offers a unique proposition for designers seeking impact without sacrificing stability.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a Senior Brand Designer role, indicating a mid-to-senior career stage. It requires significant independent contribution, conceptual leadership, and the ability to mentor or guide junior team members or external creatives. The role is positioned to significantly influence the brand's visual direction.

Reporting Structure: The Senior Brand Designer will report to the Head of Brand and will also work closely with the Head of Growth and Head of Design for behavioral and values alignment. This structure facilitates broad exposure to different leadership perspectives and strategic initiatives.

Operations Impact: The brand and design function is critical to Ferocia's mission. The Senior Brand Designer's work directly impacts how millions of Australians perceive and interact with their finances, aiming to shift them from stress to empowerment. This role has a direct line of sight to business objectives and customer engagement through compelling visual communication and user experience design.

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership Development: Potential to grow into a Lead Brand Designer role or similar leadership positions within the design function as the company and product evolve.

• Skill Specialization: Opportunities to deepen expertise in preferred areas such as motion design, 3D, illustration, or photography through dedicated budgets for personal development, training, and conferences.

• Cross-Functional Expertise: Gaining experience in product design integration and marketing campaign execution within the fintech sector, broadening the designer's overall skillset and industry knowledge.

• Strategic Influence: Contributing to the strategic direction of the brand and design, influencing how the company communicates its mission and values.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role offers significant growth potential beyond just design execution. The emphasis on strategic input, collaboration with leadership, and dedicated professional development budgets suggests a company invested in the long-term career progression of its senior talent within the operations and creative functions.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Ferocia operates a hybrid work model, with a "great city office" available for employees. This suggests a modern, well-equipped workspace designed to facilitate both focused work and collaboration.

Office Location(s): Melbourne, VIC, Australia. The office is described as being in the city, implying accessibility via public transport and proximity to urban amenities.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The office is equipped with amenities like a rooftop, gym, and games, suggesting a culture that values employee well-being and informal interaction, fostering a positive and collaborative atmosphere.

• Tools & Technology: While specific office tech isn't detailed, the requirement for Adobe Creative Cloud and Figma indicates a modern digital toolset will be available.

• Team Interaction: The hybrid model allows for flexibility, but the expectation of weekly office presence (or more) ensures opportunities for face-to-face collaboration with the Head of Brand, other designers, and cross-functional teams.

Work Schedule: The company offers a "Flexible working schedule," allowing individuals to manage their time effectively within the demands of a full-time role. This flexibility is conducive to creative work, which often benefits from non-traditional hours, and supports the hybrid work model.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid setup combined with a flexible schedule and a well-appointed city office aims to provide the best of both worlds: the autonomy and comfort of remote work, balanced with the benefits of in-person collaboration and team building.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• 1. Intro Call (15 min): With Recruiters. Focus on mutual introduction, company mission overview, and logistical checks (notice period, salary expectations). This is a high-level alignment check.

• 2. Design Call (30 min): With Head of Brand. A focused discussion on your career, aspirations, excitement for Up, and understanding of the role's realities (mission-based teams, brand-product integration, business direction). Assesses creative spark and communication.

• 3. Career History & Folio Review (60 min IRL): With Head of Brand + Senior/Lead Brand Designers. A deep dive into one favorite project, focusing on the entire process from hurdles to collaboration. This assesses your design thinking and workflow.

• 4. Behavioural & Values Alignment (45 min): With Head of Growth + Head of Design. Discussion on collaborative taste, working with other disciplines, handling disagreement, and critical thinking. Assesses cultural fit and collaboration style.

• 5. Reference Checks & Offer: With Head of Brand. Final alignment on career path, start dates, final questions, followed by a verbal and written offer.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 3-5 of your strongest projects that best demonstrate skills relevant to Ferocia's mission and brand identity (e.g., youth culture influence, conceptual thinking, digital/physical execution).

• Process Over Polish: Be ready to articulate the why and how behind your design decisions. For the "Career History & Folio Review," choose a project where you can clearly explain the problem, your approach, challenges faced, and the outcome.

• Highlight Impact: Quantify results where possible (e.g., campaign engagement, user experience improvements). If not quantifiable, articulate the qualitative impact and how your design contributed to the brand's goals.

• Showcase Versatility: Demonstrate your range across digital (web, social, ads) and physical outputs, as requested.

• Emphasize Unconventionality: Given Ferocia's preference for "unique, unconventional ideas," highlight projects where you’ve pushed boundaries or demonstrated creative problem-solving outside the norm.

Challenge Preparation:

• Conceptual Thinking: Be prepared to discuss how you generate new ideas and translate them into visual concepts. Practice articulating your creative process verbally.

• Collaboration Scenarios: Think about examples of how you've worked with non-designers, managed disagreements, or influenced stakeholders to adopt your design vision.

• Problem-Solving: Be ready to discuss how you approach design challenges and find solutions, especially under pressure or with constraints. The "Career History & Folio Review" is a prime opportunity for this.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is structured to assess not only design skill but also cultural fit and collaborative ability. The emphasis on a hands-on portfolio review and behavioral questions indicates a company that values process, teamwork, and alignment with their mission and values.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Adobe Creative Cloud: Expert-level proficiency is required. This includes key applications like:

  • Photoshop: For image editing, manipulation, and digital asset creation.
  • Illustrator: For vector graphics, logos, and illustrations.
  • InDesign: For layout design, print materials, and potentially web page mockups.

• Figma: Proficiency is preferred, indicating its use for collaborative design, prototyping, and UI/UX work within the team.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While specific analytics tools are not mentioned for the designer role, it's implied that design impact will be measured. Designers will likely interact with reports or dashboards that track campaign performance, user engagement, and conversion rates, informing future design decisions. CRM & Automation:

• Not directly applicable to the Senior Brand Designer role's core responsibilities, but awareness of how brand assets are deployed through marketing automation platforms or CRM systems could be beneficial.

📝 Enhancement Note: The core technical requirement is mastery of Adobe Creative Cloud, with Figma being a significant plus. This suggests the design team utilizes industry-standard tools for visual creation and UI/UX collaboration.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Empowerment through Technology: A core value driving the company's mission to help Australians achieve financial confidence. Design plays a crucial role in making financial tools accessible and empowering.

• Innovation & Creativity: Ferocia encourages pushing "creativity to the edge" and embracing "unique, unconventional ideas." This means a culture that values originality, experimentation, and bold design.

• Collaboration & Support: The company emphasizes a "collaborative, supportive work environment" where team members are "eager to help others." This points to a team-oriented culture.

• Data-Driven Impact: While not explicitly stated as a value, the mission implies a focus on measurable impact. Design solutions are expected to contribute positively to customer experience and financial well-being.

• Fun & Engagement: The mention of "having fun" as key to exceptional work, along with office perks like games, suggests a culture that balances hard work with enjoyment and employee well-being.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Strong emphasis on working with Product Design, Engineering, and Growth teams to ensure brand cohesiveness across all touchpoints.

• Process-Oriented: The interview process highlights a deep dive into the design process, suggesting a culture that values transparent workflows, problem-solving, and learning from each other's methods.

• Open Communication: The interview stages involving multiple leaders and the emphasis on articulating design decisions and handling disagreement point to a culture that encourages open dialogue and constructive feedback exchange.

📝 Enhancement Note: Ferocia's culture appears to be a dynamic mix of purpose-driven innovation, creative freedom, and collaborative teamwork. The values are deeply tied to their mission of financial empowerment, and the working style encourages proactive contribution and mutual support.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Unconventionality with Regulation: Designing for the financial sector requires adherence to regulations. The challenge will be to maintain a fresh, unconventional brand identity while ensuring compliance and trust.

• Translating Complex Financial Concepts: Visually communicating abstract financial ideas and products in an accessible, engaging, and empowering way for a broad audience.

• Maintaining Brand Consistency: Ensuring a cohesive brand experience across a growing range of digital touchpoints and marketing campaigns, especially with a hybrid team structure.

• Adapting to Fintech Evolution: Staying ahead of design trends and technological advancements within the rapidly evolving fintech landscape.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Skill Advancement: Access to personal development budgets for training, conferences, and workshops to enhance expertise in areas like motion design, 3D, illustration, or photography.

• Industry Exposure: Opportunities to learn about the fintech industry, financial inclusion, and user behavior within financial services.

• Leadership Mentorship: Guidance from experienced leaders like the Head of Brand, Head of Growth, and Head of Design, offering insights into strategic brand management and business growth.

• Cross-Disciplinary Learning: Working closely with product, engineering, and growth teams provides exposure to different operational functions and problem-solving approaches.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role presents opportunities to tackle unique challenges within the fintech space, particularly in brand communication for financial empowerment, while offering substantial support for professional development and career progression.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to develop a creative concept for a campaign that was outside your usual style. How did you approach it, and what was the outcome?" (Assesses adaptability and conceptual range).

• "How do you ensure your design decisions align with business objectives and user needs, especially in a regulated industry like finance?" (Assesses strategic thinking and user-centricity).

• "Walk us through a project where you collaborated with non-designers (e.g., engineers, marketers). What were the challenges, and how did you achieve a successful outcome?" (Assesses collaboration and communication skills). Company & Culture Questions:

• "What excites you most about Ferocia's mission of financial inclusion, and how do you see your design skills contributing to it?" (Assesses alignment with company mission).

• "How do you stay updated on youth culture trends and incorporate them into design work without being derivative?" (Assesses understanding of their specific brand aesthetic).

• "Describe your ideal work environment and how you contribute to a positive team culture." (Assesses cultural fit and self-awareness). Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Narrative Arc: For each project presented, structure your story: the problem/objective, your role and approach, key challenges, design decisions made (and why), and the final outcome/impact.

• Visual Storytelling: Use visuals effectively to showcase your work, but don't let them overshadow your verbal explanation of the process and strategy.

• Quantify Impact: Wherever possible, use data or metrics to demonstrate the success of your designs. If quantitative data isn't available, focus on qualitative impact and learnings.

• Highlight Process: Emphasize the "messy, brilliant process" as requested. Be ready to discuss iterations, feedback incorporation, and problem-solving steps.

• Showcase Unconventionality: Be prepared to discuss projects where you took creative risks or presented unique solutions that align with Ferocia's desire for unconventional ideas.

📝 Enhancement Note: Preparation should focus on articulating your design process, demonstrating strategic thinking aligned with business goals, showcasing collaborative capabilities, and clearly linking your creative output to Ferocia's unique mission and brand identity.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior Brand Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on greenhouse.io.

• Portfolio Customization: Ensure your portfolio is easily accessible (via link) and prominently features projects that highlight conceptual thinking, digital/physical execution, and an understanding of modern brand aesthetics, particularly those influenced by youth culture. Tailor your selection to align with Ferocia's mission.

• Resume Optimization: Craft a resume that clearly outlines your 5+ years of experience, emphasizing achievements in brand development, art direction, and campaign execution. Quantify your impact where possible and highlight proficiency in Adobe Creative Cloud and Figma.

• Interview Preparation: Thoroughly review the interview process outlined. Prepare to discuss your design process in detail, practice articulating your creative rationale, and be ready to share specific examples of collaboration and problem-solving.

• Company Research: Familiarize yourself with Up's brand identity, marketing campaigns, and overall mission. Understand Ferocia's role as the tech engine behind Up and their commitment to financial inclusion. Research the Bendigo and Adelaide Bank family to understand the broader organizational context.

⚠️ 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.