Senior Graphic Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Graphic Designer

Company: Cognition Learning Group

Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Job Type: Full time

Category: Creative & Design / Education

Date Posted: 2026-09-11

Experience Level: 5-10 Years

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead and manage a team of graphic designers in Malaysia, ensuring high-quality output for educational projects.

• Design and refine curriculum-aligned educational resources, with a strong focus on accuracy and adherence to templates.

• Provide hands-on graphic design expertise for significant curriculum development initiatives, particularly for the Solomon Islands.

• Collaborate effectively with global teams across different time zones to ensure seamless project execution and timely delivery of materials.

• Support broader organizational initiatives by contributing to internal and external graphic design projects beyond the core curriculum development scope.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role is a one-year fixed-term contract, emphasizing project-based work within the education sector. The primary focus is on curriculum development for the Solomon Islands, highlighting a specific impact-driven project.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Supervise and provide quality assurance for the work produced by a team of locally based graphic designers.

• Execute hands-on graphic design tasks, including the creation and refinement of educational content using established templates and brand guidelines.

• Develop and manage design briefs for the local design team, ensuring clear communication of project requirements and objectives.

• Conduct thorough quality assurance checks on all design outputs from the team before final submission, ensuring accuracy, consistency, and adherence to project specifications.

• Liaise with the Graphic Design Lead in New Zealand and the global editing team to maintain alignment on design standards and project timelines.

• Support internal and external graphic design needs for other Cognition Learning Group (CLG) projects, demonstrating versatility and broad design application.

• Manage design workflows and project timelines effectively to ensure the timely delivery of all project components.

• Foster a collaborative and efficient working environment within the local design team, promoting best practices and continuous improvement.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role requires a blend of leadership, hands-on design execution, and cross-functional collaboration, with a strong emphasis on quality assurance and timely project delivery within the education sector.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific educational degree is listed, a strong portfolio showcasing relevant design skills and experience is paramount. Further education in graphic design, visual arts, or a related field would be considered advantageous.

Experience: Minimum of 5-10 years of professional graphic design experience is expected, with a significant portion dedicated to team leadership or management. Experience in fast-paced, large-scale projects is crucial.

Required Skills:

• Proven team lead or management capabilities with experience supervising design teams.

• Extensive experience in graphic design, with a strong portfolio demonstrating creative and technical proficiency.

• Proficiency in Adobe InDesign for educational and curriculum-based content design.

• Exceptional attention to detail and a commitment to producing accurate, high-quality work.

• Excellent written English communication skills for effective briefing and feedback.

• Ability to work independently, manage multiple tasks, and meet tight deadlines in a fast-paced environment.

• Strong organizational and time management skills to guide a team effectively. Preferred Skills:

• Prior experience designing educational materials or curriculum-based content.

• Familiarity with other Adobe Creative Suite applications (e.g., Photoshop, Illustrator) for supplementary design tasks.

• Experience working with international teams and across different time zones.

• Understanding of instructional design principles and how they translate into visual learning materials.

• Ability to adapt to different design styles and project requirements quickly.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on Adobe InDesign for curriculum-aligned content suggests a need for expertise in layout design, typography, and complex document structuring, which are critical for educational materials.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A comprehensive portfolio showcasing a range of graphic design projects, with a particular emphasis on educational materials or curriculum development.

• Demonstrations of leadership capabilities, such as examples of team projects where you guided or managed other designers.

• Case studies highlighting your ability to work with pre-developed templates and ensure design consistency across large-scale projects.

• Examples that illustrate your attention to detail and accuracy in design execution.

• Evidence of your ability to manage project timelines and deliver high-quality results under pressure. Process Documentation:

• Examples of how you have managed design workflows, from briefing to final delivery, for complex projects.

• Documentation or case studies that show your approach to quality assurance and feedback loops within a design team.

• Demonstrations of your ability to adapt to and effectively utilize established design templates and brand guidelines.

• Evidence of your collaboration processes, especially when working with remote or international teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role requires a portfolio that not only showcases design skill but also leadership, project management, and process-oriented thinking, particularly in the context of educational content creation and team supervision.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: RM84,000 – RM102,000 per annum.

• Methodology: This range is directly provided in the job description. For context, this translates to approximately RM7,000 – RM8,500 per month. This salary range is competitive for a Senior Graphic Designer role with leadership responsibilities in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, considering the specialized nature of educational content design and the fixed-term contract. Industry benchmarks for senior creative roles in Malaysia, especially those requiring specific software proficiency like Adobe InDesign and team management, typically fall within this bracket.

Benefits:

• Professional development opportunities, allowing for skill enhancement and career growth.

• A collaborative and innovative work environment that fosters teamwork and idea exchange.

• International project exposure, providing experience with global initiatives and diverse educational contexts.

• Opportunity to contribute to a meaningful educational initiative with tangible social impact.

• Variety and challenge in daily tasks, preventing monotony and encouraging problem-solving.

• Flexibility in work arrangements and a supportive team atmosphere.

Working Hours: Approximately 40 hours per week, consistent with full-time employment. The role involves collaboration across different time zones, which may occasionally require some flexibility in scheduling meetings.

📝 Enhancement Note: The benefits highlight growth, collaboration, and impact, aligning with the company's mission. The salary range is clearly defined, and the fixed-term nature of the contract is specified.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Education and Learning Services. Cognition Learning Group (CLG) is involved in developing educational resources and supporting learning initiatives globally. This specific project focuses on curriculum development for secondary education in the Solomon Islands, indicating a commitment to international development and impactful educational solutions.

Company Size: While not explicitly stated, the mention of "broader initiatives across our global organization" and "global editing team" suggests a mid-to-large sized international organization with multiple offices and projects.

Founded: Cognition Education was founded in 1989, indicating a long-standing presence and established expertise in the education sector. This history suggests stability and a deep understanding of educational needs.

Team Structure:

• The local design team in Malaysia will consist of experienced graphic designers, led by this Senior Graphic Designer.

• This role reports to a Graphic Design Lead based in New Zealand, indicating a hierarchical structure with international oversight.

• Collaboration will be extensive with a global editing team and potentially other project stakeholders across various departments and geographical locations. Methodology:

• Data Analysis & Insights: While not directly a data analysis role, the design process will likely involve understanding educational objectives and learner needs to inform visual design choices.

• Workflow Planning & Optimization: The Senior Graphic Designer is expected to manage and optimize design workflows for their local team, ensuring efficiency and adherence to project timelines.

• Automation & Efficiency: The use of pre-developed templates suggests a focus on standardized processes to improve efficiency and consistency. The role may involve identifying opportunities to streamline design processes.

Company Website: cognitionlearninggroup.com

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture appears to be mission-driven, focusing on impactful educational projects with a global reach. The structure involves international collaboration and a clear reporting line, emphasizing organized project execution.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as a "Senior" level, indicating a significant degree of autonomy, expertise, and responsibility. It involves not only hands-on design work but also leadership and management of a team. In the context of design operations, this signifies a transition from individual contributor to a role with supervisory and quality assurance duties.

Reporting Structure: The Senior Graphic Designer will report to the Graphic Design Lead in New Zealand. This implies a structured reporting line within the design department, facilitating communication and alignment with global design strategies.

Operations Impact: The role's direct impact is on the creation of high-quality educational resources that will influence learning outcomes for teachers and students in the Solomon Islands. Beyond this core project, contributions to other CLG projects demonstrate a broader impact on the organization's visual communication and brand consistency.

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership Development: Managing a team of graphic designers provides direct experience in leadership, team management, and mentorship, crucial for career progression into senior or managerial design roles.

• Specialized Skill Enhancement: Working on a large-scale curriculum development project will deepen expertise in educational design, Adobe InDesign, and potentially other relevant design software and methodologies.

• Project Management Experience: The role inherently involves project coordination, timeline management, and stakeholder communication, enhancing project management capabilities.

• Global Project Exposure: Contributing to international projects offers valuable experience in cross-cultural collaboration and understanding diverse educational needs, which can open doors to future global roles.

• Potential for Further Roles: Successful completion of the one-year contract and contributions to other projects may lead to opportunities for further engagements or permanent positions within Cognition Learning Group.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers a clear path for growth into leadership and project management within the specialized field of educational design, with opportunities to expand professional networks and gain international experience.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is designated as "On-site" in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This suggests a traditional office environment where the Senior Graphic Designer and their local team will work from a physical Cognition Learning Group office.

Office Location(s): Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This location offers a vibrant urban setting with access to talent and resources.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The description emphasizes a "collaborative, innovative team" and a "supportive team environment." This indicates a workplace culture that encourages interaction, idea sharing, and mutual support among colleagues.

• Operations Tools and Technology: The primary tool mentioned is Adobe InDesign, suggesting that a robust design software suite will be available. Access to necessary hardware and software for graphic design and project management is implied.

• Team Interaction: The role involves leading a local team and liaising with international teams. This means significant interaction with immediate colleagues and remote collaborators, requiring strong communication and teamwork skills.

Work Schedule: The standard working hours are likely to be around 40 hours per week. While the role is on-site, the need to liaise with teams in New Zealand (which is several hours ahead) may require some flexibility for key meetings or urgent communications. The emphasis on managing "tight deadlines" also suggests that occasional extended hours might be necessary during critical project phases.

📝 Enhancement Note: The on-site work environment in Kuala Lumpur is designed to foster collaboration within the local team while enabling effective communication with international counterparts, supported by necessary design tools and a flexible approach to scheduling.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Application Review: Your CV and Cover Letter (max 2 pages) will be reviewed against the requirements. Focus on highlighting your leadership experience, educational design background, and proficiency with Adobe InDesign.

• Portfolio Presentation: Be prepared to present your portfolio, specifically showcasing projects that demonstrate your team leadership, curriculum design experience, and ability to manage large-scale projects accurately.

• Skills Assessment: Expect questions related to your design process, how you manage a team, your approach to quality assurance, and your experience working across time zones. A practical design challenge or case study related to curriculum development might be included.

• Cultural Fit and Collaboration: Interviews will likely assess your ability to work independently, manage deadlines, and integrate into a collaborative, international team environment.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 3-5 of your strongest projects that best align with the job description. Prioritize educational content, team leadership examples, and projects demonstrating meticulous attention to detail and template adherence.

• Structure for Impact: For each project, clearly articulate the brief, your role, the challenges faced, your solutions, the process followed, and the measurable outcomes or impact. Use storytelling to highlight your leadership and problem-solving skills.

• Showcase InDesign Expertise: If possible, include examples that specifically highlight your advanced use of Adobe InDesign, such as complex layouts, interactive PDFs, or efficient template utilization.

• Highlight Leadership: For team-led projects, clearly define your responsibilities, how you guided your team, and how you ensured quality and timely delivery.

• Professional Presentation: Ensure your portfolio is well-organized, visually appealing, and easy to navigate, whether it's a digital presentation or a PDF document.

Challenge Preparation:

• Design Scenarios: Anticipate scenario-based questions about managing a designer who is struggling with a deadline, handling conflicting feedback from different stakeholders, or ensuring brand consistency across a large set of materials.

• Process Optimization: Be ready to discuss how you would optimize the design workflow for your local team, or how you would ensure quality control for a large volume of educational content.

• Stakeholder Communication: Prepare to discuss how you would communicate project status, challenges, and feedback to your New Zealand-based lead and the global editing team, considering different time zones.

📝 Enhancement Note: The application process emphasizes a strong portfolio that showcases leadership and specialized design skills, with interviews designed to assess practical application, problem-solving, and collaborative capabilities.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Adobe InDesign: This is explicitly mentioned as a required skill and is central to the role for designing educational and curriculum-aligned resources. Proficiency in creating templates, managing complex layouts, and ensuring design consistency is key.

• Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator): While InDesign is the primary focus, a strong understanding and proficiency in Photoshop and Illustrator are highly valuable for image editing, vector graphics creation, and other supporting design tasks.

• Project Management Software: The role involves managing projects and deadlines for a team, suggesting the use of project management tools like Asana, Trello, Monday.com, or similar platforms for task tracking, workflow management, and team coordination.

• Communication Platforms: Tools such as Slack, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, or similar will be essential for day-to-day communication with the local team and for liaising with international colleagues across different time zones.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Design Analytics (Indirect): While not directly analytics-focused, the role will involve understanding how design impacts learning. This might involve reviewing feedback on materials or understanding user engagement with designed resources, indirectly informing design choices.

• Reporting Tools: The Senior Graphic Designer will need to report on team progress, project status, and design quality to the Graphic Design Lead. This could involve using internal reporting templates or creating summaries based on project management tool data.

CRM & Automation:

• CRM (Not Directly Applicable): CRM systems are typically not a primary tool for graphic designers.

• Automation Tools (Indirect): The use of templates and potentially scripting within Adobe InDesign can be considered forms of automation to ensure consistency and efficiency in design production.

📝 Enhancement Note: The technology stack is heavily focused on design software, particularly Adobe InDesign, supplemented by project management and communication tools essential for team leadership and international collaboration.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Impact-Driven: A core value is contributing to meaningful international education initiatives that make a tangible difference in the lives of teachers and learners. This suggests a team that is motivated by purpose and social impact.

• Collaboration & Innovation: The company fosters a collaborative and innovative team focused on continuous improvement. This implies an environment where ideas are shared freely, and there's an openness to new approaches and creative problem-solving.

• Quality & Accuracy: Given the nature of educational resources, there is a strong emphasis on accuracy, meticulous attention to detail, and delivering high-quality output.

• Efficiency & Adaptability: The need to manage tight deadlines and work on large-scale projects, along with supporting broader initiatives, highlights a value placed on efficiency, adaptability, and proactive problem-solving.

• Supportive Environment: The mention of a "supportive team environment" suggests a culture where colleagues help each other, and there's a focus on employee well-being and professional growth.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: The role requires close collaboration with a Graphic Design Lead in New Zealand and a global editing team. This necessitates effective communication across departments and geographical boundaries.

• Process Review & Feedback: The emphasis on quality assurance and continuous improvement suggests a culture where design processes are reviewed, and constructive feedback is regularly exchanged to enhance outcomes.

• Knowledge Sharing: Leading a team and working on diverse projects likely encourages knowledge sharing regarding design best practices, new techniques, and project learnings within the local and global design community.

📝 Enhancement Note: The team culture is aligned with Cognition Learning Group's mission, emphasizing purpose-driven work, collaborative innovation, and a high standard of quality and accuracy, supported by a proactive and adaptable approach.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Managing Cross-Time Zone Collaboration: Effectively coordinating with teams in New Zealand and potentially other global locations requires strategic communication planning and flexibility to accommodate different working hours.

• Ensuring Design Consistency at Scale: Maintaining a high level of design quality and consistency across a large volume of educational resources for a major project can be demanding, requiring robust quality assurance processes.

• Leading and Motivating a Remote/Local Team: Guiding and ensuring the productivity of a team of graphic designers, especially within a fixed-term contract, requires strong leadership, clear communication, and motivational skills.

• Balancing Hands-on Design with Management: The role requires effectively dividing time between personal design execution and team supervision, a common challenge for senior roles transitioning into leadership.

• Adapting to Project Scope Changes: Supporting "broader initiatives" beyond the core project means being adaptable and ready to take on new design tasks or adjust priorities as organizational needs evolve.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Leadership Skills: Developing expertise in managing, mentoring, and performance coaching a design team.

• Specialized Educational Design: Deepening knowledge in designing for specific educational contexts and age groups, understanding pedagogical principles translated visually.

• International Project Management: Gaining experience in managing projects with international stakeholders, navigating cultural nuances, and adhering to global standards.

• Process Optimization Techniques: Learning and applying methods to improve design workflows, enhance efficiency, and ensure quality in a project-driven environment.

• Exposure to Diverse Projects: Contributing to various CLG initiatives can broaden the designer's portfolio and expose them to different design challenges and industries within the education sector.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role presents opportunities to overcome challenges in international collaboration and large-scale project management, fostering significant growth in leadership and specialized design expertise within the education sector.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you successfully led a team of designers on a large-scale project with tight deadlines. What was your approach to quality assurance?" (Focus on leadership, process, and quality control).

• "How would you ensure design consistency and adherence to templates across a large volume of educational materials being produced by your team?" (Highlight process, attention to detail, and template utilization).

• "Given that your team is based in Malaysia and your lead is in New Zealand, what strategies would you employ to ensure effective communication and collaboration across these time zones?" (Emphasize communication tools, scheduling, and proactive updates).

• "Tell us about a challenging educational design project you've worked on. What made it challenging, and how did you overcome it?" (Showcase problem-solving, adaptability, and design thinking in an educational context). Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about working on educational resources for the Solomon Islands specifically?" (Demonstrate genuine interest in the project's impact and mission).

• "How do you approach continuous improvement within a design team and your own work?" (Link to company's value of continuous improvement and innovation).

• "Describe your ideal work environment. How do you contribute to a supportive and collaborative team culture?" (Align with company culture points like collaboration, support, and innovation). Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Highlight Leadership: Clearly articulate your role in managing and guiding designers. Use examples where you've mentored, delegated, and ensured team success.

• Showcase InDesign Mastery: For educational content examples, explain your use of InDesign features like master pages, styles, tables, and data merging to ensure efficiency and consistency.

• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, quantify the impact of your work. For instance, "delivered X number of resources on time," "improved workflow efficiency by Y%," or "received positive feedback on clarity and engagement."

• Tell the Story: For each project, frame it as a narrative: the challenge, your strategic approach, the execution, and the successful outcome. This makes your contributions memorable.

• Address the Context: Be prepared to discuss how your work directly contributes to educational goals and learner engagement, demonstrating an understanding of the project's purpose.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating leadership, process management, and a deep understanding of educational design principles, using specific examples from your portfolio to support your claims.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior Graphic Designer position:

• Submit your CV and Cover Letter: Ensure your cover letter is concise (maximum 2 pages) and directly addresses how you meet the criteria outlined in the person specification, emphasizing your leadership and InDesign skills.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select your strongest design projects that showcase your team leadership, experience with educational content, and proficiency in Adobe InDesign. Prepare to present these effectively, highlighting your process and outcomes.

• Research Cognition Learning Group: Understand the company's mission, values, and past projects, particularly their work in international education and curriculum development. This will help you tailor your application and interview responses.

• Prepare for Interview Scenarios: Anticipate questions related to team management, cross-cultural collaboration, quality assurance, and problem-solving in design contexts. Practice articulating your experience with specific examples.

• Highlight Relevant Experience: Emphasize any experience you have in fast-paced environments, managing large-scale projects, or working with international teams.

⚠️ 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.