Senior Visual Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Visual Designer

Company: Manulife (John Hancock)

Location: Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: Creative & Media / Art & Design / Marketing

Date Posted: May 14, 2026

Experience Level: 10+ years (based on 8-12 years requirement)

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive the visual design strategy and execution for marketing campaigns within the life insurance sector, focusing on engaging customers and financial advisors.

• Conceptualize and deliver innovative creative solutions across print, digital, and video mediums, ensuring alignment with strategic objectives.

• Act as a key brand steward, upholding and evolving corporate branding systems and guidelines across all creative outputs.

• Mentor and guide junior creative staff, fostering a collaborative environment and elevating the overall quality of creative services.

• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, including copywriters, UX designers, and content managers, to ensure cohesive and impactful marketing initiatives.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a Senior Visual Designer within the U.S. Marketing team for John Hancock, a part of Manulife. The emphasis is on strategic visual design for financial services marketing, with a strong component of brand stewardship and team mentorship. The "10+ years" experience level is inferred from the requirement of "8-12 years related design experience."

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Routinely conceptualize and execute creative solutions that effectively communicate the strategic intent for various marketing tactics, from initial concept to final delivery.

• Provide strategic thinking and visual direction for a broad spectrum of materials including print collateral, digital advertisements, social media content, and video assets.

• Collaborate closely with Copywriters to develop compelling creative concepts and ensure cohesive messaging across all project elements.

• Maintain a solid understanding of the financial services industry's science, market dynamics, and customer/advisor needs to inform design decisions.

• Work effectively with Project Managers to establish project timelines, track progress, and ensure timely delivery of all creative assets.

• Assist in presenting creative concepts and final designs to internal stakeholders and external partners, articulating the strategic rationale behind design choices.

• Partner with UX designers on digital experiences, taking the lead on visual design and ensuring strict adherence to brand consistency and user experience best practices.

• Develop and design engaging social media content for brand channels, aligning with social media strategies and platform best practices.

• Educate and inform business partners on the correct and effective use of the corporate brand, providing guidance and resources.

• Proactively identify opportunities to enhance and evolve the brand's visual identity, ensuring work stands out in a competitive market.

• Manage relationships with external partners and third-party vendors to guarantee consistent and accurate representation of the corporate brand.

• Contribute to brand-related discussions and research, focusing on branded assets, logos, color palettes, and templates for company-wide use.

• Mentor creative staff, including designers and junior creatives, providing detailed direction and constructive feedback.

• Oversee the team and all elements of creative services and graphic design on assigned projects, ensuring high-quality output.

• Assist in the education and professional development of other creative team members, fostering a culture of continuous learning.

• Ensure adherence to established creative processes and workflows, while also identifying opportunities for process improvement.

• Consistently strive to elevate the creative bar in both strategic thinking and execution of marketing materials.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of hands-on design execution, strategic thinking, brand management, and leadership/mentorship. The emphasis on "strategic intent," "science and market dynamics," and "brand stewardship" indicates a senior-level expectation for deeper understanding beyond pure aesthetics.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

Experience:

• 8-12 years of dedicated experience in graphic design and visual communication, with a strong preference for experience within the financial services or insurance industry.

Required Skills:

• Art Direction & Visual Design: Ability to lead creative vision and translate strategic objectives into compelling visual narratives.

• Graphic Design Software Proficiency: Mastery of Adobe Creative Suite, specifically InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop, for professional design production.

• Brand Systems Expertise: Deep understanding and practical application of corporate branding systems, including logo usage, color palettes, and typography.

• Traditional Design Skills: Strong foundation in sketching, composition, layout, and storyboarding principles.

• Typography and Color Theory: Thorough knowledge of typography, color palettes, and their application in creating impactful designs.

• Print and Digital Production: Understanding of final file preparation for both print and web, ensuring quality and accuracy.

• Communication & Presentation: Confidence in presenting creative ideas internally and to external partners, articulating design rationale effectively.

• Collaboration: Proven ability to work collaboratively with copywriters, UX designers, project managers, and other stakeholders.

Preferred Skills:

• Figma Proficiency: Experience with Figma for collaborative design and prototyping is highly desirable.

• Social Media Design: Experience conceptualizing and designing content specifically for social media platforms.

• UX/UI Collaboration: Experience partnering with UX designers to ensure visual consistency and enhance digital experiences.

📝 Enhancement Note: The required skills emphasize a strong foundation in design principles and tools, coupled with practical experience in corporate branding and the financial sector. The preference for Figma suggests an openness to modern design workflows and collaborative tools, while experience in social media and UX collaboration points to the evolving digital landscape of marketing.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Comprehensive Case Studies: Showcase a minimum of 3-5 significant projects that demonstrate end-to-end design process, from initial brief to final execution.

• Strategic Impact: Clearly articulate the business objectives for each project and how your design solutions directly addressed those objectives, contributing to marketing goals.

• Brand Integration: Provide examples that specifically highlight your ability to apply and evolve corporate branding systems, showcasing consistency and innovation.

• Cross-Channel Execution: Include a diverse range of work spanning print (brochures, ads) and digital (web banners, social media graphics, digital ads) to demonstrate versatility.

• Process Documentation: Briefly outline your design process for key projects, including research, ideation, collaboration, and refinement stages.

Process Documentation:

• Examples of how you have documented design processes for team reference or knowledge sharing.

• Case studies that detail how you managed feedback loops and iterated on designs based on stakeholder input.

• Evidence of how you ensure brand consistency across multiple marketing materials and channels.

• Documentation of any process improvements you have implemented in previous design roles.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Senior Visual Designer role, the portfolio is critical. It needs to go beyond just showcasing aesthetics to demonstrating strategic thinking, problem-solving ability, brand stewardship, and a clear understanding of how design contributes to business objectives in a regulated industry like financial services. Highlighting collaboration and process is key.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $92,475 - $160,290 USD per year (for Massachusetts location)

Benefits:

• Health & Wellness: Comprehensive medical, dental, mental health, and vision insurance coverage.

• Disability & Life: Short-term and long-term disability coverage, along with life and Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) insurance.

• Family Support: Adoption/surrogacy benefits and employee/family assistance plans.

• Wellness Programs: Dedicated wellness benefits to support employee well-being.

• Retirement Savings: Robust retirement savings plans, including pension options, 401(k) with employer matching, and a global share ownership plan.

• Financial Education: Access to financial education and counseling resources.

• Paid Time Off (PTO): Generous PTO package including:

  • Up to 11 paid holidays per year.
  • 3 personal days.
  • 150 hours of vacation time annually.
  • 40 hours of sick time annually (or more as required by law).

• Statutory Leaves: Full range of statutory leaves of absence.

Working Hours:

• Standard full-time work hours, typically 40 hours per week. The hybrid work arrangement allows for flexibility in managing workdays between home and office.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range provided is specific to Massachusetts. The job posting explicitly states that for other locations, candidates should contact HR for the relevant salary range. The benefits package is extensive, covering health, financial security, work-life balance, and professional development. The working hours are standard for full-time, with flexibility inherent in the hybrid model.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Financial Services, specifically Life Insurance Marketing. John Hancock operates within a highly regulated industry that requires a balance of creative marketing with compliance and trust-building.

Company Size: Manulife is a large, international financial services group. This means the Senior Visual Designer will be part of a substantial marketing organization with many specialized teams and resources.

Founded: Manulife was founded in 1887. This long history suggests a company with established processes, a strong legacy, and a deep understanding of its market, while also likely embracing modernization to stay competitive.

Team Structure:

• The Senior Visual Designer is part of the U.S. Marketing team, specifically within the Insurance Marketing team.

• This team collaborates closely with Brand, Human-Centered Design, Digital, Analytics, and Integrated Production teams.

• The role involves working with Copywriters, Video Team, Content Managers, Social Media Managers, and UX Designers.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Marketing: The role operates within a marketing organization that includes an Analytics team, implying that design decisions are informed by data and performance metrics.

• Human-Centered Design: Collaboration with the Human-Centered Design team suggests an approach that prioritizes understanding and meeting customer needs through design.

• Integrated Production: Working with Integrated Production indicates a focus on streamlined and efficient execution of marketing campaigns across various channels.

• Collaborative Execution: The "get it done together" mindset emphasizes teamwork and shared responsibility for project success.

Company Website: https://www.manulife.com/en/about/our-story.html

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture is described as dynamic, collaborative, and results-oriented. The role is situated within a large, established financial institution that values innovation and customer focus, as indicated by the Human-Centered Design emphasis. The structure suggests significant cross-functional collaboration opportunities.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a Senior-level individual contributor role with leadership responsibilities in mentoring and art direction. It signifies a significant level of expertise and autonomy in visual design within a corporate marketing context. The role is critical in shaping the visual identity and communication effectiveness of John Hancock's life insurance products.

Reporting Structure: The Senior Visual Designer reports to the Head of Brand Creative and works closely with various marketing teams. This structure provides exposure to leadership and opportunities for strategic input.

Operations Impact: The visual design directly impacts customer engagement, brand perception, and ultimately, sales enablement and lead generation for life insurance products. Effective visual communication is crucial for building trust and conveying complex financial information clearly.

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership Development: Opportunity to hone leadership skills through mentoring junior creatives and contributing to the strategic direction of the Brand Creative team.

• Skill Specialization: Deepen expertise in financial services marketing, corporate branding systems, and potentially emerging design technologies like Figma.

• Cross-Functional Exposure: Gain broader understanding of marketing strategy by collaborating across diverse teams like Digital, UX, and Analytics.

• Brand Evolution: Contribute to shaping the future visual identity of a well-established brand like John Hancock, influencing its market presence.

• Career Advancement: Potential pathways to Art Director, Creative Director, or specialized roles within the broader marketing or design functions at Manulife.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers a clear path for growth within a large organization. The senior title implies significant responsibility and influence. The emphasis on mentoring and strategic contribution provides avenues for developing leadership and advancing within the company's creative structure.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid work model, indicating a blend of remote work and in-office collaboration. This suggests a modern workplace that balances flexibility with the benefits of in-person teamwork.

Office Location(s): Boston, Massachusetts, with a specific address at 200 Berkeley Street. This location likely offers a professional and accessible work environment within a major city.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The hybrid model and emphasis on "get it done together" suggest a collaborative atmosphere where team members interact frequently, both virtually and in person.

• Technology & Tools: Access to industry-standard design software (Adobe Creative Suite, potentially Figma) and other necessary technology to perform design tasks effectively.

• Cross-Functional Interaction: Opportunities to engage with a wide array of creative and marketing professionals, fostering knowledge sharing and diverse perspectives.

Work Schedule:

• Standard full-time hours (approximately 40 hours per week). The hybrid arrangement allows for flexibility in structuring workdays between home and the office, accommodating personal needs while ensuring team collaboration and meeting project deadlines.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid work environment is a key feature, offering flexibility. The Boston office location suggests a professional setting. The emphasis on collaboration implies that in-office days will be focused on team interaction, brainstorming, and project alignment, while remote days allow for focused individual work.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Likely an HR or recruiter screening to assess basic qualifications, experience alignment, and cultural fit.

• Portfolio Review & Creative Discussion: A critical stage involving presentation of the portfolio to the hiring manager and potentially other creative leads. Expect in-depth discussion about past projects, design choices, strategic thinking, and brand application.

• Skills Assessment/Challenge: Potentially a design challenge or case study exercise, either pre-interview or during the interview process, to evaluate problem-solving skills, creative approach, and ability to work under timed conditions. This might involve adapting existing brand materials or conceptualizing new campaign elements.

• Team/Stakeholder Interviews: Meetings with potential collaborators (e.g., copywriters, project managers, Head of Brand Creative) to assess teamwork, communication style, and ability to integrate into the existing team dynamics.

• Final Interview: Likely with senior marketing leadership to discuss overall fit, strategic vision, and long-term potential.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select projects that best demonstrate your experience in corporate branding, financial services marketing (if applicable), print, and digital design. Prioritize work that shows strategic thinking and problem-solving.

• Tell a Story: For each project, clearly articulate the brief, your role, the challenges, your creative process, the solutions you developed, and the measurable impact or outcome.

• Highlight Brand Stewardship: Explicitly showcase how you've applied, maintained, or evolved brand guidelines. Provide examples of managing brand consistency.

• Showcase Collaboration: If possible, include projects where you worked closely with copywriters, UX designers, or other teams, and describe that collaborative process.

• Prepare for Art Direction Questions: Be ready to discuss your visual direction, conceptualization process, and how you guide creative execution.

• Demonstrate Tool Proficiency: Be prepared to discuss your experience with Adobe Creative Suite and Figma, and how you leverage these tools.

• Practice Presentation: Rehearse your portfolio walkthrough to ensure it is concise, engaging, and within any time limits.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Brand: Thoroughly research John Hancock's current branding, marketing campaigns, and target audiences.

• Focus on Strategy: If given a challenge, focus not just on the visual output but on the strategic thinking behind it. How does your design solve the stated problem?

• Time Management: Practice completing design tasks within a set timeframe.

• Communication: Be prepared to articulate your thought process clearly and concisely, even if the design is not fully polished.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process will heavily focus on assessing your design portfolio and your ability to think strategically and apply brand guidelines. Preparation should include deep research into John Hancock's brand and a clear, concise presentation of your most relevant work, emphasizing strategic impact and collaborative skills.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Adobe Creative Suite: Essential proficiency required, specifically:

  • InDesign: For layout and print production of marketing collateral.
  • Illustrator: For vector graphics, logos, and illustrations.
  • Photoshop: For image editing, manipulation, and digital asset creation.

• Figma: Preferred skill, indicating a growing use of this collaborative design tool for digital interfaces and prototyping.

Analytics & Reporting:

CRM & Automation:

Other Potential Tools:

• Project Management Software: Tools like Asana, Jira, or Monday.com may be used for task tracking and collaboration.

• Digital Asset Management (DAM) Systems: Experience with DAM systems for organizing and distributing creative assets is a plus.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite is non-negotiable. Figma is a significant plus, signaling a modern design workflow. While direct use of analytics or CRM tools might not be required, understanding their outputs and how design influences them is crucial for strategic design.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Collaboration: A strong emphasis on teamwork and a "get it done together" mentality is core to the team's operational approach.

• Creativity & Innovation: The role requires pushing the brand and seeking ways to "separate work from a sea of sameness," indicating a value placed on innovative and distinctive creative.

• Brand Stewardship: Upholding and educating others on the correct use of the brand is a key operational responsibility, ensuring consistency and brand integrity.

• Results-Orientation: The role supports a marketing team responsible for driving sales, implying that design efforts are tied to measurable business outcomes.

• Continuous Improvement: The explicit mention of "raising the creative bar" and seeking ways to "stretch and push the brand" suggests a culture of ongoing development and excellence.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: The role demands close collaboration with Copywriters, Video Team, Content Managers, UX Designers, and Project Managers, requiring strong interpersonal and communication skills.

• Feedback & Iteration: Expect a process where creative concepts are presented early and refined based on internal stakeholder feedback, requiring an open and iterative approach.

• Knowledge Sharing: Mentoring junior staff and educating business partners on brand usage points to a culture that values sharing expertise and fostering growth within the team.

• Partnership with External Vendors: Working effectively with third-party vendors indicates an ability to manage external relationships while ensuring brand alignment.

📝 Enhancement Note: The team culture appears to be highly collaborative, results-driven, and focused on brand excellence. The "get it done together" mindset suggests a supportive yet productive environment. Values like innovation and continuous improvement are key for this role.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Creativity with Regulation: Operating within the financial services industry means adhering to strict compliance and regulatory guidelines, which can sometimes constrain creative freedom. The challenge is to be innovative within these boundaries.

• Maintaining Brand Consistency Across Channels: Ensuring a unified brand voice and visual identity across a wide array of print and digital touchpoints requires meticulous attention to detail and strong brand stewardship.

• Standing Out in a Competitive Market: The life insurance market is competitive. The challenge is to create visually distinct and engaging campaigns that capture attention and resonate with target audiences.

• Mentoring and Managing Diverse Creatives: Effectively guiding and developing junior designers with varying skill sets and creative approaches requires strong leadership and communication skills.

• Adapting to Evolving Digital Trends: Staying current with new design tools (like Figma), social media trends, and digital platform best practices while maintaining brand integrity.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Design Tool Proficiency: Opportunity to master Figma and potentially explore other emerging design and prototyping tools.

• Financial Services Marketing Expertise: Deepen understanding of marketing strategies specific to life insurance and financial products, including customer segmentation and behavioral insights.

• Art Direction & Brand Strategy: Develop skills in leading creative vision and contributing to broader brand strategy discussions.

• Leadership & Mentorship: Gain valuable experience in managing and mentoring creative talent, enhancing leadership capabilities.

• Cross-Functional Project Exposure: Work on diverse projects with various marketing functions, broadening overall marketing acumen.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role presents challenges related to industry-specific constraints and the need for high-level brand management. However, these challenges are directly tied to significant growth opportunities in leadership, specialized marketing knowledge, and advanced design skills.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to balance creative innovation with strict brand guidelines or regulatory requirements. How did you approach it?" (Focus on process, problem-solving, and outcome.)

• "How do you ensure visual consistency across multiple marketing channels (print, digital, social) for a large brand like John Hancock?" (Highlight your brand stewardship process and attention to detail.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about working for John Hancock/Manulife and specifically in the life insurance industry?" (Research the company's mission, values, and recent campaigns.)

• "How do you approach collaboration with copywriters and UX designers to ensure a cohesive message and user experience?" (Provide examples of successful cross-functional teamwork.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure is Key: Organize your portfolio logically. Start with a brief overview, then dive into 3-5 of your strongest, most relevant case studies.

• Focus on Process & Strategy: For each case study, don't just show the final output. Explain the problem, your role, your thought process, the design decisions you made, and the results. Use visuals to illustrate your process (e.g., sketches, wireframes, mood boards).

• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use metrics to demonstrate the success of your designs (e.g., increased click-through rates, improved engagement, positive feedback).

• Highlight Brand Expertise: Explicitly discuss how you applied or evolved brand guidelines in your work.

• Be Prepared for Live Design/Critique: Have your portfolio easily accessible digitally. Be ready for questions that might involve critiquing existing designs or suggesting improvements.

• Articulate Your Value: Clearly communicate how your skills and experience align with the requirements of this Senior Visual Designer role.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating strategic thinking, strong design execution, brand stewardship, and effective collaboration. Be ready to discuss your portfolio in detail and articulate how your work drives business results.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior Visual Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Manulife's careers portal.

• Portfolio Customization: Tailor your portfolio to highlight experience relevant to corporate branding, financial services marketing, and a mix of print and digital design. Ensure it clearly showcases your process and strategic thinking.

• Resume Optimization: Update your resume to emphasize your 8-12 years of experience, proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite and Figma, and any experience with financial services or corporate branding. Use keywords from the job description.

• Interview Preparation: Thoroughly research John Hancock's brand, recent marketing campaigns, and company values. Prepare to discuss your portfolio in depth, focusing on strategic impact and collaborative approach. Practice answering common interview questions related to design strategy, brand stewardship, and leadership.

• Company Research: Understand Manulife's broader mission and John Hancock's specific role in the U.S. market. Familiarize yourself with their target audiences and marketing objectives.

⚠️ 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.

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