Senior Graphic Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Graphic Designer

Company: SEGA OF AMERICA INC

Location: Burbank, California, United States

Job Type: Full Time

Category: Creative Services / Graphic Design

Date Posted: May 13, 2026

Experience Level: 5-10 years

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Spearhead the creative direction and execution of design assets for iconic brands like Sonic the Hedgehog, SEGA, and ATLUS across diverse business verticals including Consumer Products, Licensing, Games, Marketing, Film, and Television.

• Drive business growth by providing essential brand support and innovative design solutions that captivate both new and existing global audiences.

• Develop and execute compelling consumer product designs, focusing on celebrating intellectual property while engaging and educating target demographics.

• Collaborate with a global team of designers, licensing, and marketing professionals, fostering a culture of innovation, flexibility, and mutual respect.

• Mentor junior designers, sharing expertise, encouraging growth, and setting a high standard for creative excellence and brand stewardship.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the role is titled "Senior Graphic Designer," the responsibilities and experience level indicate a significant strategic and leadership component, particularly in brand guardianship and mentoring. The scope across multiple IPs and business units suggests a role that impacts revenue generation through effective consumer engagement and brand representation.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Develop and execute creative assets for licensing consumer products, including trend and seasonal guides, product concept designs, and marketing collateral.

• Create a wide range of marketing materials such as printed materials, email campaigns, display banners, social media assets, seasonal campaigns, event booth designs, and presentation decks.

• Maintain and evolve brand guidelines and concept decks for the Sonic the Hedgehog and other Transmedia IPs, ensuring consistency across product lines, marketing, and social content.

• Provide comprehensive creative support for large-scale events, including booth design, large displays, promotional items, and print/digital advertising.

• Deliver creative assets to internal partner organizations and external partners, managing the full creative process from concept to approval.

• Mentor designers by providing instructional technique demonstrations, encouraging questions, and recognizing strong work, leading by example.

• Contribute to the development and implementation of creative templates and workflows to enhance productivity and efficiency within the creative team.

• Champion and evolve the brand voice of Sonic the Hedgehog for core audiences and future generations of fans.

• Conduct competitive analysis on design elements to inform creative strategy and maintain market relevance.

• Collaborate closely with the Creative Services Associate Director, Licensing, Marketing, and Brand Managers to ensure brand and design vision alignment.

• Execute creative development for packaging design for toys, video games, and consumer goods, ensuring alignment with brand standards.

• Design and maintain visual identity systems and packaging architecture for various product lines and marketing initiatives.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities emphasize a broad application of design skills beyond traditional graphic design, extending into product conceptualization, packaging architecture, and brand guardianship. The emphasis on mentoring and workflow improvement suggests an expectation of leadership and process optimization contributions.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor’s degree in Design or a related field required.

Experience: Typically has 5-8+ years of hands-on experience in brand, consumer products, licensing, packaging, and graphic design. Experience working agency-side and/or client-side is required.

Required Skills:

• Strong conceptual design skills with demonstrated experience in licensing products, trend guide, package design, and design strategy.

• Expertise in designing across a range of product categories including apparel, bags, backpacks, bedding, bath accessories, food, beauty, and related consumer goods.

• Exceptional design taste with a strong understanding of design trends, fast fashion, and contemporary visual aesthetics.

• Proficient in Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign).

• Expert-level skills in Photoshop and Illustrator with the ability to transform concept illustrations into photo-realistic product imagery.

• Systems design thinker, understanding packaging architecture and visual identity systems.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

• Highly collaborative and able to work well with cross-functional teams to deliver results while keeping others informed.

• Demonstrated ability to multi-task and manage multiple projects simultaneously while meeting deadlines in a fast-paced environment.

Preferred Skills:

• Illustration and motion graphics skills are highly preferred.

• Understanding of consumer products, gaming, anime, entertainment, toys, marketing & advertising trends.

• Experience with first-party portals and online marketing assets.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "5-8+ years" of experience combined with "Senior" title and mentoring responsibilities suggests the company is looking for a seasoned professional who can operate independently, drive projects, and guide others. The preference for illustration and motion graphics indicates a desire for versatility in creative output.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase a strong portfolio demonstrating expertise in consumer products design (softline and hardline).

• Include examples of style guide creation, trend research, and trend board design.

• Present packaging design examples for toys and video games, highlighting problem-solving and aesthetic appeal.

• Feature online marketing assets, including first-party portal designs, demonstrating digital design proficiency.

Process Documentation:

• Evidence of contribution to or creation of brand guidelines and concept decks for major IPs.

• Examples of workflow efficiency improvements or template development within a design team.

• Demonstrations of managing the full creative process from concept ideation through to final approval.

• Case studies illustrating the transformation of concept illustrations into photo-realistic product imagery using advanced Photoshop and Illustrator skills.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on specific output types like "trend guides," "packaging design," and "360 brand design" indicates a need for a portfolio that directly reflects the core responsibilities of this role. The requirement for "systems design thinker" implies that portfolios should also convey an understanding of how design fits into larger product and brand architectures.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $86,000 - $107,000 annually.

Benefits:

• Full-time employment benefits package.

• Opportunity to work with globally recognized and iconic entertainment brands.

• Collaborative and innovative team environment with international colleagues.

• Potential for professional development and growth within the creative services department.

• Exposure to diverse business areas including Consumer Products, Licensing, Games, Marketing, Film, and Television.

Working Hours: 40 hours per week, with the expectation of flexibility to meet project demands and deadlines in a fast-paced environment.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range provided is competitive for a Senior Graphic Designer role in the Burbank, CA area, considering the experience level and the industry. Benefits are not explicitly detailed but are assumed to be standard for a full-time position at a large entertainment company. The mention of international collaboration suggests opportunities for global exposure.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Entertainment, Video Games, Consumer Products, Licensing. SEGA OF AMERICA INC is a prominent player in the global entertainment industry, known for its iconic video game franchises and expanding presence in consumer products and media.

Company Size: SEGA OF AMERICA INC is part of the larger SEGA Group, a multinational corporation. While specific numbers for the US division aren't provided, the global entity is substantial, indicating a well-resourced organization with established processes. This size offers stability and opportunities for impactful work across a wide reach.

Founded: SEGA's history dates back to 1960, with a rich legacy in the entertainment industry. This long history signifies deep experience, established brand recognition, and a commitment to innovation and adaptation within the evolving media landscape.

Team Structure:

• The Senior Graphic Designer reports to the Associate Director of Creative Services, indicating a clear hierarchy within the creative department.

• The role involves close collaboration with Licensing Consumer Products, Marketing, and Animation teams, highlighting a cross-functional operational structure.

Methodology:

• The role emphasizes a data-driven approach through competitive analysis and understanding market trends.

• Workflow planning and optimization strategies are expected, as evidenced by the contribution to creative templates and workflows.

• Automation and efficiency practices are implied through the need to improve productivity and manage multiple projects simultaneously.

Company Website: https://www.sega.com/ (Note: The provided URL was sega.com, this is the general corporate site. Specific regional or Brand site details are not provided.)

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's long-standing presence in the entertainment industry, particularly with brands like Sonic the Hedgehog and ATLUS, suggests a dynamic environment that balances established brand integrity with the need for continuous creative evolution to engage modern audiences. The emphasis on global collaboration is a key aspect of its operational structure.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as a Senior Graphic Designer, indicating a mid-to-senior level position within the creative department. It requires significant autonomy, a proven track record of successful design execution, and the ability to mentor junior team members. The scope of responsibilities across multiple IPs and business units suggests a critical, high-impact role.

Reporting Structure: The Senior Graphic Designer reports directly to the Associate Director of Creative Services. This hierarchical structure allows for direct guidance, feedback, and strategic alignment with senior leadership within the creative services function.

Operations Impact: The impact of this role is significant, directly influencing the visual representation and market appeal of major entertainment brands like Sonic the Hedgehog and ATLUS. Through effective consumer product design, licensing assets, and marketing materials, the Senior Graphic Designer plays a crucial role in driving consumer engagement, brand loyalty, and ultimately, revenue generation across various business segments.

Growth Opportunities:

• Skill Advancement: Opportunities to deepen expertise in specific design areas (e.g., packaging architecture, motion graphics, illustration) through project involvement and potential specialized training.

• Leadership Development: Potential to grow into a Lead Designer or Art Director role, taking on greater strategic responsibility, managing larger projects, and leading creative teams more formally.

• Cross-Functional Exposure: Gaining exposure to different business units (Licensing, Marketing, Animation, Games) can broaden understanding of the entertainment industry and open doors to roles in related fields.

• Brand Stewardship: Developing deep expertise in managing and evolving iconic brands, a highly valued skill in the entertainment and consumer products sectors.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Senior" title combined with mentoring duties suggests this role is a stepping stone to more formal leadership positions or art direction roles within SEGA or the broader entertainment industry. The cross-functional nature of the collaboration also offers avenues for career diversification.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The position is explicitly designated as "On-site" in Burbank, CA. The job description emphasizes the essential nature of face-to-face interaction for supervision, collaboration, brainstorming, problem-solving, and information sharing.

Office Location(s): The primary office location is the Burbank Office at 2900 West Alameda Ave, Burbank, CA 91505. This location is within the greater Los Angeles area, a hub for the entertainment and media industries.

Workspace Context:

• The workspace is designed to facilitate spontaneous brainstorming and idea exchange, fostering a dynamic creative atmosphere.

• Proximity to team members and stakeholders is highlighted as crucial for collaborative problem-solving and a seamless workflow.

• The environment is expected to enhance understanding of stakeholders' business needs, leading to increased efficiency and successful outcomes.

• Access to necessary supervisory assistance and team cohesion is prioritized through in-office presence.

Work Schedule: The standard work schedule is 40 hours per week. However, the fast-paced environment and project-driven nature of the role will likely require flexibility and the ability to manage workload effectively to meet deadlines.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit requirement for an on-site presence underscores the company's value placed on in-person collaboration, spontaneous ideation, and direct supervision, which is common in creative and fast-paced industries like entertainment. This is a critical point for candidates to consider.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Likely involves a review of application materials, focusing on resume and portfolio for relevant experience and skills.

• Portfolio Review: A critical stage where candidates will present their work, showcasing their design capabilities, creative process, and understanding of brand strategy, consumer products, and packaging design. Expect to discuss specific projects, challenges, and outcomes.

• Skills Assessment: Potential for a design test or a case study exercise to evaluate practical design skills, problem-solving abilities, and speed in a simulated work environment.

• Team/Manager Interviews: Conversations with the Associate Director of Creative Services and potentially other team members to assess technical proficiency, collaborative style, cultural fit, and mentorship potential.

• Final Round: May involve discussions with higher-level management to confirm strategic alignment and overall suitability.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate your portfolio to prominently feature work related to consumer products, licensing, packaging, and 360-degree brand campaigns.

• For each project, clearly articulate the objective, your specific role, the design process, key challenges, solutions, and the measurable impact or outcome.

• Include examples that demonstrate expert-level Photoshop and Illustrator skills, particularly in transforming concepts into realistic imagery.

• Showcase your ability to create and maintain brand guidelines and concept decks.

• Be prepared to discuss your understanding of design trends, fast fashion, and contemporary visual aesthetics.

Challenge Preparation:

• If a design challenge is given, focus on understanding the brief thoroughly and prioritizing elements that align with SEGA's brands and the role's requirements.

• Demonstrate your ability to work efficiently under pressure and deliver a well-reasoned, aesthetically sound solution within the given timeframe.

• Be ready to explain your design choices and how they address the project's objectives and brand guidelines.

• Practice articulating your thought process clearly and concisely, as you would in team discussions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on an on-site role and the detailed description of responsibilities suggest the interview process will heavily scrutinize practical design execution, brand understanding, and collaborative capabilities. A strong, relevant portfolio is paramount.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Adobe Creative Suite: Proficient use of Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign is mandatory, with expert-level skills in Photoshop and Illustrator specifically required for transforming concept illustrations into photo-realistic product imagery.

• Other Relevant Applications: Proficiency in other design applications that may be used for specific tasks or workflows.

Analytics & Reporting:

CRM & Automation:

• Not directly applicable to the graphic design function, but collaboration with marketing and licensing teams may involve interaction with CRM or project management tools used by those departments.

📝 Enhancement Note: The core technical requirement is mastery of the Adobe Creative Suite, particularly Photoshop and Illustrator, for advanced image manipulation and design creation. The mention of "first party portals" and "online marketing assets" suggests familiarity with digital asset creation for various platforms.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Innovation: Championing new creative ideas and evolving brand voices to stay relevant.

• Collaboration: Working effectively with diverse, cross-functional, and international teams to achieve shared goals.

• Respect: Maintaining a supportive and respectful environment where ideas are valued and feedback is constructive.

• Excellence: Striving for high-quality design output that upholds brand standards and drives business objectives.

• Efficiency: Contributing to workflow improvements and managing multiple projects effectively to meet deadlines.

Collaboration Style:

• Highly collaborative, with a strong emphasis on cross-functional integration and proactive stakeholder communication to avoid surprises.

• Open to constructive feedback from in-house teams, external experts, agencies, licensees, and vendors.

• Encourages spontaneous brainstorming and idea exchange within the team.

• Values teamwork and cohesion to foster a seamless workflow and successful outcomes.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture emphasizes a blend of creative innovation and structured collaboration. The "thoughtful, innovative, flexible, supportive, highly collaborative, and most importantly respectful" description sets a clear expectation for interpersonal dynamics and teamwork.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Brand Integrity with Innovation: Evolving iconic brands like Sonic the Hedgehog for new audiences while maintaining their core identity and appeal.

• Managing Global Stakeholders: Collaborating effectively with teams in different time zones (Burbank, Irvine, England, Japan) and cultural contexts.

• Pace and Volume: Delivering multiple creative concepts and solutions simultaneously in a fast-paced environment with tight deadlines.

• Diverse Product Categories: Adapting design skills across a broad spectrum of consumer goods, from apparel to food and beauty.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Design Techniques: Opportunities to refine and expand skills in illustration, motion graphics, and advanced digital asset creation.

• Brand Management Expertise: Deepening knowledge in brand guardianship, style guide development, and transmedia IP application.

• Cross-Functional Acumen: Gaining insights into different business functions (licensing, marketing, gaming) to understand the broader business impact of design.

• Mentorship: Developing leadership and coaching skills by guiding junior designers.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are inherent to working with established, global entertainment IPs in a competitive market. The growth opportunities are geared towards deepening design expertise and expanding into broader brand strategy and leadership roles.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to balance maintaining brand guidelines with introducing a fresh creative concept. How did you approach it, and what was the outcome?" (Focus on brand stewardship and innovation).

• "How do you approach collaborating with stakeholders from different departments (e.g., Marketing, Licensing) who may have differing creative opinions?" (Focus on cross-functional collaboration and communication).

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What appeals to you about working with SEGA's brands, specifically Sonic the Hedgehog, and how do you see your design style contributing to their evolution?" (Focus on brand passion and cultural fit).

• "How do you contribute to a positive and collaborative team environment, especially when working with international colleagues?" (Focus on teamwork and company values).

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure: Organize your portfolio by project type (e.g., Consumer Products, Packaging, Branding, Digital Assets) or by brand.

• Storytelling: For each key project, clearly articulate the client/brand, the challenge, your role, your process, the solution, and the results. Use concise language and compelling visuals.

• Highlight Key Skills: Explicitly point out examples that showcase your expertise in Photoshop/Illustrator for image manipulation, style guide creation, trend research, and 360-degree brand application.

• Demonstrate Systems Thinking: Explain how your designs fit into a larger brand strategy or product architecture.

• Engagement: Be prepared for questions about your design choices and be ready to discuss them dynamically.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating not just design skill, but also strategic thinking, brand understanding, and collaborative aptitude, aligning with the company's emphasis on these areas.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior Graphic Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on the Paycom platform.

• Portfolio Customization: Tailor your resume and portfolio to highlight your experience in consumer products, licensing, packaging design, and 360-degree brand campaigns, aligning with SEGA's specific needs.

• Resume Optimization: Ensure your resume clearly articulates your 5-8+ years of experience, proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite, and any experience with mentoring or leading design initiatives. Use keywords from the job description.

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design process, problem-solving approach, and how you contribute to team collaboration and brand success. Prepare to walk through your portfolio with confidence.

• Company Research: Familiarize yourself with SEGA's current brand initiatives, target audiences for Sonic the Hedgehog and ATLUS, and recent consumer products or marketing campaigns to demonstrate genuine interest and understanding.

⚠️ 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.