Senior Marketing Specialist – Graphic Designer

World Kinect
Full-time

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Marketing Specialist – Graphic Designer

Company: World Kinect

Location: Johannesburg, South Africa (Remote)

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: Marketing / Creative & Media / Art & Design

Date Posted: May 26, 2026

Experience Level: Mid-Senior Level (4+ years)

Remote Status: Fully Remote

🚀 Role Summary

  • This role is pivotal in crafting visually compelling marketing collateral that articulates World Kinect's brand narrative and engages its B2B target audience.

  • The Senior Marketing Specialist will be responsible for ideation, design execution, and managing the production lifecycle of various marketing assets across digital and print platforms.

  • It requires a strong command of graphic design principles, storytelling through visuals, and maintaining brand consistency across all company segments.

  • The position demands proactive engagement with design trends, competitive analysis, and a commitment to enhancing the company's visual identity, all while working remotely with mandatory daily virtual team meetings.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the title is "Senior Marketing Specialist," the core responsibilities and required skills heavily lean towards a dedicated Graphic Designer role within a marketing function. The "Senior" designation implies a need for independent ideation, project leadership, and brand guideline influence, rather than direct team management. The "Marketing Specialist" aspect indicates a need to understand marketing objectives and how design contributes to them.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

  • Graphic Design & Visual Development: Conceptualize and create high-impact graphics for a diverse range of marketing materials, including social media content, website banners, email campaigns, brochures, advertisements, and corporate identity packages.

  • Brand Storytelling & Visual Communication: Translate complex brand messages and marketing objectives into clear, engaging visual narratives that resonate with B2B audiences.

  • Layout & Design Optimization: Design and refine layouts for all marketing collateral, ensuring visual hierarchy, aesthetic appeal, and brand consistency across all digital and print channels, including web graphics and presentations.

  • PowerPoint & Presentation Design: Develop and enhance visually sophisticated PowerPoint presentations for internal and external stakeholders, ensuring alignment with brand guidelines and effective communication of key information.

  • Adobe Creative Suite Mastery: Leverage advanced proficiency in Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and Acrobat Pro to produce high-fidelity designs and graphics that meet professional standards.

  • Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner effectively with internal departments and external agencies to conceptualize, develop, and implement creative projects, ensuring stakeholder alignment and project success.

  • Print Production Management: Oversee the entire print production process, from obtaining vendor quotes and selecting materials to approving proofs, managing invoices, and ensuring timely delivery of print collateral.

  • Brand Guideline Influence & Maintenance: Contribute to the evolution of World Kinect's brand guidelines by proposing creative design alternatives and ensuring all brand assets, including logos, are updated and consistently applied across all materials.

  • Digital Asset Management: Strategize and implement the organization and maintenance of a comprehensive digital asset library, ensuring easy accessibility and adherence to brand guidelines for all marketing collateral.

  • Project Leadership & Proactive Ideation: Demonstrate strong project leadership capabilities by independently seeking out and developing innovative design ideas, staying abreast of competitive design trends, and proactively identifying opportunities for visual enhancement.

📝 Enhancement Note: The original description emphasizes ideation after a creative brief. This enhancement clarifies that the role requires proactive ideation and awareness of external design trends, aligning with a "Senior" level expectation for creative leadership within their domain.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

  • Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design, Marketing, or a closely related field. Experience:

  • 4+ years of proven experience in graphic design, with a strong emphasis on marketing collateral development and visual storytelling within a B2B context. Required Skills:

  • Graphic Design Proficiency: Demonstrated expertise in creating visually appealing graphics for digital and print media, showcasing strong aesthetic judgment and technical skill.

  • Layout Design & Optimization: Ability to design and optimize layouts for various marketing materials, ensuring visual appeal and brand consistency.

  • Visual Storytelling: Proven capability to convey compelling narratives through creative visuals that effectively communicate brand messages and engage target audiences.

  • Adobe Creative Suite Expertise: Strong, hands-on proficiency with the full Adobe Creative Suite, including Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and Acrobat Pro.

  • PowerPoint Design: Advanced ability to design and enhance professional, visually engaging PowerPoint presentations.

  • Print Production Understanding: Solid knowledge of the printing process, including file preparation, material selection, and vendor management.

  • Brand Management: Ability to maintain and influence brand guidelines, ensuring consistent application of visual identity across all marketing materials.

  • Digital Asset Management: Experience in building and maintaining digital asset libraries for marketing collateral.

  • Collaboration & Communication: Excellent interpersonal and communication skills for effective teamwork with internal departments and external agencies.

  • Project Management: Strong organizational and time management skills, with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.

  • Problem-Solving & Adaptability: Self-motivated with the ability to take on challenges, respond proactively to change, and work independently.

Preferred Skills:

  • B2B Marketing Familiarity: Understanding of B2B marketing trends, strategies, and best practices.

  • Figma & Canva Proficiency: Experience with collaborative design tools like Figma and Canva, in addition to Adobe Creative Suite.

  • Digital Marketing Trends: Familiarity with current digital marketing trends and how graphic design contributes to their success.

  • Microsoft Office Suite: Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, and SharePoint.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for Figma and Canva proficiency is added as a "Preferred Skill" based on common industry standards for modern design roles, even though only Adobe Creative Suite was explicitly mentioned. This aligns with the "Senior" level expectation of adapting to various design tools.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

  • A comprehensive portfolio showcasing a minimum of 4 years of design experience, with a clear emphasis on B2B marketing materials.

  • Demonstrated ability to create visually compelling graphics across digital (social media, web banners, email campaigns) and print (brochures, advertisements) formats.

  • Evidence of strong layout design skills, illustrating an understanding of visual hierarchy, typography, and aesthetic balance.

  • Examples of successful visual storytelling, where design effectively communicates a brand message or narrative.

  • Case studies or examples of PowerPoint presentations designed to be visually engaging and strategically aligned with marketing objectives. Process Documentation:

  • Showcasing the process behind the creation of key projects, including initial concept development, ideation sources (e.g., competitive analysis, trend research), and design iterations.

  • Evidence of managing the production process for print materials, including vendor interaction, material selection rationale, and final file preparation.

  • Examples of how brand guidelines were applied and, where applicable, how they were influenced or evolved through design work.

  • Documentation of how digital assets were organized and maintained within a digital asset management system.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section is tailored to a graphic design role within marketing operations, focusing on the tangible output and underlying process that successful candidates would need to demonstrate. The emphasis is on visual execution and brand stewardship.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

  • Estimated Range: R 450,000 - R 700,000 per annum (South African Rand)

  • Explanation: This estimate is based on research for Senior Graphic Designer roles in Johannesburg, South Africa, considering the requirement of 4+ years of experience, proficiency in multiple design tools (Adobe Suite, Figma, Canva), and experience in B2B marketing. The range accounts for variations in specific skill sets, portfolio strength, and the "Senior" designation, which implies a higher level of responsibility and autonomy. The remote nature of the role may also influence compensation, but local market rates for Johannesburg are used as a primary benchmark.

Benefits:

  • Remote Work Flexibility: Opportunity to work from a home office in South Africa, requiring reliable internet connectivity.

  • Health & Wellness Programs: Access to company-sponsored health and wellness initiatives (specifics would need to be confirmed with World Kinect).

  • Professional Development: Potential for training and development opportunities to enhance design skills and stay current with industry trends.

  • Paid Time Off: Standard annual leave and public holiday entitlements as per South African labor law.

  • Retirement Contributions: Company contributions to a retirement fund (specifics to be confirmed).

Working Hours:

  • Standard: Approximately 40 hours per week.

  • Flexibility: While core hours are expected for daily Zoom meetings, there may be some flexibility in daily scheduling, provided project deadlines and meeting attendance are met.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary range is an estimate for Johannesburg, South Africa, based on role, experience, and remote status. Comprehensive benefits are inferred based on typical offerings for full-time roles in a company of World Kinect's size.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Energy & Utilities (specifically, fuel distribution and related services). World Kinect operates in a dynamic global market, involving complex logistics and diverse clientele.

Company Size: Approximately 5000 employees globally. This indicates a large, established organization with structured processes, but also potential for entrepreneurial spirit within its teams.

Founded: World Fuel Services (World Kinect's parent entity) was founded in 1984. This history suggests a company with deep industry experience and resilience.

Team Structure:

  • The role sits within the marketing department, likely reporting to a Director of Marketing.

  • The graphic design function may be a specialized unit within marketing, or the specialist might be embedded within broader marketing teams.

  • Collaboration is expected across various departments (sales, operations, etc.) and with external agencies. Methodology:

  • Data-Driven Decisions: While this role is creative, marketing decisions are likely informed by data and performance metrics.

  • Agile Workflows: Given the fast-paced nature of marketing, teams may utilize agile methodologies for project management and content creation.

  • Brand Consistency Focus: A strong emphasis on maintaining a unified brand identity across all communications is a core operational principle.

Company Website: https://www.wfscorp.com/ (World Fuel Services)

📝 Enhancement Note: Company information is derived from the provided description and general knowledge of World Fuel Services. The implications for a graphic design role are inferred based on industry and company size.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This position is designated as "Senior," indicating a requirement for significant independent work, advanced skill application, and the ability to influence design direction without direct supervision. It suggests a level of expertise beyond entry-level or mid-level practitioners.

Reporting Structure: The role reports to the Director of Marketing, suggesting direct access to leadership and involvement in strategic marketing discussions where design plays a role.

Operations Impact: As a Senior Graphic Designer, the impact is primarily on enhancing brand perception, improving the effectiveness of marketing campaigns through compelling visuals, and ensuring brand consistency that strengthens market presence. This directly supports sales enablement and customer engagement efforts.

Growth Opportunities:

  • Skill Specialization: Opportunity to deepen expertise in specific design areas (e.g., motion graphics, UI/UX design, advanced branding) or gain proficiency in new creative technologies.

  • Brand Leadership: Potential to take on more significant roles in shaping and evolving the company's visual identity and brand guidelines.

  • Cross-Functional Exposure: Gain broader experience by collaborating on projects with different business units and understanding their unique design needs.

  • Project Management: Develop enhanced project management skills by leading design aspects of larger marketing initiatives.

📝 Enhancement Note: Growth opportunities are inferred based on the "Senior" designation and the nature of a specialized creative role within a large corporation.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Fully Remote. This role is based in South Africa but operates entirely outside a traditional office setting.

Office Location(s): Johannesburg, South Africa (Remote). While the role is remote, the hiring is localized to South Africa, likely due to legal, payroll, or regional team integration requirements.

Workspace Context:

  • Home Office Setup: Requires a dedicated, professional home office space with reliable, high-speed internet to support daily virtual meetings (via Zoom) and large file transfers.

  • Digital Collaboration Tools: Heavy reliance on digital communication and collaboration platforms (e.g., Zoom, email, potentially Slack or Microsoft Teams) for team interaction and project management.

  • Independent Work: The environment fosters autonomy and self-discipline, with the expectation of proactive engagement and self-management of tasks and deadlines.

Work Schedule:

  • Core Hours: Daily marketing team meetings via Zoom are mandatory, implying a need to be available during specific business hours, likely aligned with South African or European time zones depending on team distribution.

  • Flexibility: Beyond mandatory meetings, there's likely flexibility in managing the workday to achieve project goals, provided deadlines are met and responsiveness is maintained.

📝 Enhancement Note: The remote aspect is emphasized, with specific requirements for internet and virtual meeting participation. The "Johannesburg, South Africa (Remote)" designation is interpreted as a regional hiring requirement for a remote role.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

  • Initial Screening: Review of resume and portfolio for relevant experience, skills, and alignment with job requirements.

  • Skills Assessment/Portfolio Review: A dedicated session to walk through the candidate's portfolio, discussing specific projects, design choices, and problem-solving approaches. This is a critical stage for a graphic design role.

  • Technical/Creative Challenge: Potentially a short design exercise or case study to assess practical skills, ideation process, and ability to work within brand constraints under timed conditions.

  • Behavioral/Cultural Fit Interview: Discussion with the hiring manager (Director of Marketing) and potentially other team members to assess collaboration style, communication, problem-solving, and cultural alignment.

  • Final Interview: May involve a higher-level discussion about strategic contributions and long-term fit.

Portfolio Review Tips:

  • Curate Strategically: Select 5-7 of your strongest B2B marketing design projects that best represent your skills in graphics, layout, storytelling, and brand application.

  • Showcase Process: For key projects, briefly explain your design process, including ideation, challenges faced, solutions implemented, and the results achieved.

  • Highlight Brand Work: Include examples demonstrating your understanding and application of brand guidelines, and any experience influencing them.

  • Demonstrate Tool Proficiency: Ensure your portfolio clearly shows your mastery of Adobe Creative Suite, and ideally, examples using Figma or Canva if applicable.

  • Quantify Impact (if possible): If you have metrics on how your designs improved campaign performance, engagement, or brand recognition, include them.

Challenge Preparation:

  • Understand Brand Guidelines: Thoroughly review World Kinect's existing brand guidelines (if accessible) and research their current marketing materials and competitor designs.

  • Practice Ideation: Be ready to brainstorm creative concepts quickly based on a given brief, demonstrating your ability to think proactively and generate design solutions.

  • Focus on B2B Context: Frame your answers and design approaches within the context of B2B marketing objectives and audience engagement.

  • Prepare for Virtual Collaboration: Be comfortable discussing your work and answering questions in a virtual meeting environment.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section is highly tailored to a graphic design role, emphasizing the portfolio as the primary evaluation tool and providing specific advice relevant to its review and presentation.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Design Tools:

  • Adobe Creative Suite: Essential and comprehensive proficiency required in:

    • Adobe Photoshop: For raster image editing, manipulation, and digital asset creation.
    • Adobe Illustrator: For vector graphics, logos, icons, and scalable illustrations.
    • Adobe InDesign: For page layout, brochure design, print collateral, and presentation templates.
    • Adobe Acrobat Pro: For PDF creation, editing, and print-ready file preparation.
  • Figma: Increasingly important for collaborative design, prototyping, and UI/UX elements.

  • Canva: Useful for quick social media graphics, internal communications, and potentially simpler marketing materials.

Productivity & Collaboration:

  • Microsoft PowerPoint: Advanced proficiency for creating visually engaging presentations.

  • Microsoft Word: For accompanying text and document creation.

  • Microsoft Excel: For data handling and potential basic reporting tasks.

  • SharePoint: For document management and team collaboration.

  • Zoom: Mandatory for daily team meetings and virtual communication.

Digital Asset Management (DAM):

  • Experience with or ability to learn and manage a Digital Asset Management system for organizing and distributing marketing collateral.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section directly lists the tools mentioned in the job description and infers additional relevant tools based on industry standards for a Senior Graphic Designer role in a corporate marketing environment.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

  • High-Performance Culture: World Kinect emphasizes a high-performance culture where innovative thinking, collaboration, and efficient execution are valued. For a designer, this means delivering quality work on time and contributing to team success.

  • Entrepreneurial & Culturally Diverse Environment: Employees are encouraged to think innovatively and thrive in a diverse setting. This suggests an open environment for creative ideas and cross-cultural understanding.

  • Data-Driven Approach: Marketing decisions are likely informed by data, meaning designers should understand how their work contributes to measurable outcomes.

  • Efficiency & Execution: A focus on efficient execution implies a need for streamlined workflows and timely delivery of creative assets.

Collaboration Style:

  • Cross-Functional Integration: The role requires close collaboration with various departments and external agencies. This necessitates strong communication, active listening, and the ability to translate diverse stakeholder needs into visual solutions.

  • Feedback & Iteration: A collaborative style likely involves receiving and incorporating feedback constructively, iterating on designs to achieve optimal results.

  • Knowledge Sharing: Contributing to a team environment where ideas and best practices are shared, potentially including design techniques or tool tips.

📝 Enhancement Note: These values are inferred from the company description provided, focusing on how they would apply to a creative role within the marketing function.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

  • Remote Collaboration: Effectively collaborating and maintaining strong communication with team members and stakeholders without in-person interaction requires proactive effort and digital communication skills.

  • Brand Evolution: Influencing brand guideline modifications and evolving current designs while maintaining consistency can be a delicate balance, requiring strong design rationale and negotiation skills.

  • Managing Diverse Projects: Juggling multiple design projects for different segments and stakeholders, each with unique requirements and deadlines, demands exceptional organizational and prioritization skills.

  • Staying Ahead of Design Trends: Continuously learning and adapting to new design software, techniques, and trends to keep World Kinect's visual identity fresh and competitive.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

  • Advanced Design Software Training: Access to courses or workshops to master new features in Adobe Creative Suite, or learn emerging design platforms like Figma more deeply.

  • Brand Strategy Workshops: Opportunities to attend sessions that deepen understanding of brand strategy, allowing for more impactful visual contributions.

  • Digital Marketing Best Practices: Learning how graphic design integrates with and enhances various digital marketing channels (SEO, social media, email marketing).

  • Mentorship Program: Potential to be mentored by senior marketing leaders or experienced designers within the organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: Challenges and growth opportunities are extrapolated from the role's responsibilities, the remote work context, and the nature of a senior creative position in a large corporation.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

  • "Describe a time you had to ideate a design concept independently. What was your process, and what was the outcome?" (Focus on your proactive approach, research methods, and the final design's effectiveness).

  • "How do you ensure brand consistency across various marketing materials and different media types?" (Highlight your understanding of brand guidelines, systematic approach, and attention to detail).

  • "Walk me through a B2B marketing project from your portfolio. What were the client's objectives, your design process, and the impact of your work?" (Prepare a detailed case study focusing on strategic thinking and measurable results). Company & Culture Questions:

  • "How do you stay updated on graphic design trends and visual marketing best practices, especially in the B2B energy sector?" (Showcase your commitment to continuous learning and industry awareness).

  • "Describe your experience working remotely. How do you maintain productivity and collaboration?" (Emphasize your self-discipline, communication strategies, and experience with virtual tools).

  • "How do you approach receiving and implementing feedback on your designs, particularly when it comes from non-design stakeholders?" (Demonstrate your collaborative spirit and ability to balance creative vision with business needs). Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

  • Storytelling is Key: For each project, present it as a mini-story: the challenge, your solution (the design), and the result.

  • Focus on B2B Relevance: Frame your selections and explanations around how your designs achieved business objectives for B2B clients.

  • Highlight Process, Not Just Output: Briefly explain your thought process, tool usage, and any challenges overcome.

  • Be Prepared for Live Critiques: Have a few design examples ready that you can quickly sketch or annotate live to demonstrate problem-solving on the spot.

  • Know World Kinect: Research World Kinect's current branding and marketing efforts to tailor your presentation and discuss how you can contribute to their visual strategy.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview questions and preparation tips are designed to align with the specific requirements of a Senior Graphic Designer role within a B2B marketing context, emphasizing both creative and strategic aspects.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior Marketing Specialist – Graphic Designer position:

  • Submit your application through the provided link on the World Kinect careers portal.

  • Portfolio Customization: Tailor your resume and portfolio to highlight your 4+ years of B2B graphic design experience, focusing on projects that demonstrate strong visual storytelling, layout optimization, brand management, and proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite and PowerPoint.

  • Resume Optimization: Ensure your resume clearly lists your experience with graphic design tools, B2B marketing principles, and any print production management or digital asset management experience. Use keywords from the job description naturally.

  • Interview Preparation: Practice presenting your portfolio with a focus on your design process, problem-solving skills, and how your work aligns with business objectives. Be ready to discuss your remote work experience and collaboration strategies.

  • Company Research: Thoroughly research World Kinect, its industry (energy/fuel distribution), its current marketing efforts, and its brand identity to better understand their needs and discuss how your design expertise can contribute to their goals.

⚠️ 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.


Application Requirements

Requires a Bachelor's degree in graphic design or marketing and 4+ years of experience in a design-focused marketing role. Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite, PowerPoint, and B2B marketing is essential.