Visual Designer (m/w/d) - Brand, Social & Performance

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Visual Designer (m/w/d) - Brand, Social & Performance

Company: AXA

Location: Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Marketing Operations / Creative Operations

Date Posted: April 24, 2026

Experience Level: Mid-Level (2-5 years)

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Develop and execute visual concepts for comprehensive marketing campaigns, spanning brand identity, product launches, and performance-driven initiatives across the entire customer funnel.

• Create compelling digital assets optimized for various channels, with a strong emphasis on social media and performance marketing, ensuring brand consistency and measurable impact.

• Collaborate cross-functionally with conceptual artists, art directors, copywriters, and motion designers to foster an iterative and high-quality creative output.

• Leverage AI tools and emerging design trends to enhance creative ideation, boost productivity, and maintain a competitive edge in digital design.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned within AXA's Brand & Creative Studio, indicating a focus on in-house creative development with an agency-like approach. The emphasis on "Full Funnel, digital, wirkungsorientiert" (Full Funnel, digital, impact-oriented) highlights the need for designers who understand the entire customer journey and can translate campaign objectives into visually effective assets that drive performance metrics. The mention of AI tools suggests a forward-thinking approach to design processes and productivity enhancements.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Develop creative visual concepts and designs for diverse AXA Group projects, including product and offer campaigns, brand initiatives, and sales-oriented performance marketing campaigns utilizing a full-funnel strategy.

• Conceptualize and produce visual assets for competitive markets, staying abreast of current media and format developments across all relevant channels, with a particular focus on social media.

• Design visual leitmotifs, including mood boards for look & feel, that adhere to and intelligently interpret AXA's design guidelines.

• Lead the logical derivation of layouts and designs, presenting them clearly and persuasively to internal disciplines and stakeholders, while also providing consultative support on design-related matters.

• Create prototypes and variants of digital assets to facilitate A/B testing and other validation methods, continuously optimizing designs based on performance data within a growth marketing framework.

• Conceptualize design strategies across different funnel stages (Awareness, Prospecting, Conversion), deriving appropriate stylistic elements, narrative structures, and asset logic.

• Ensure designs combine the attention-grabbing power of original ideas with coherent brand impact through adherence to established design parameters for campaigns and advertising materials.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities clearly indicate a need for a designer who can operate strategically across the marketing funnel. The emphasis on A/B testing and performance-based optimization points towards a growth-oriented mindset, where design is not just aesthetic but also functional and data-driven. Collaboration is highlighted as a key aspect, suggesting a team-oriented environment where feedback and shared ideation are crucial.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

Experience:

• Proven experience in an agency environment is preferred, demonstrating an understanding of client-facing creative work and fast-paced project cycles.

• Demonstrated ability to develop visual concepts and designs that exhibit creative excellence, stopping power, and strong corporate design fit.

Required Skills:

• Excellent sense for design, typography, composition, and digital aesthetics.

• Strong platform understanding with a social-first mindset, knowledgeable about the full spectrum of digital formats, styles, and mechanics.

• Proficient in the Adobe Creative Cloud suite, including AI add-ons.

• Continuous curiosity for trends and new design tools, especially AI, with an aptitude for adopting relevant innovations.

• Ability to leverage AI strategically for inspiration, productivity, and quality enhancement in visual idea generation.

• Reliable, proactive, and capable of managing multiple tasks simultaneously with a results-oriented approach.

Preferred Skills:

• UX/UI competency is considered a significant plus, indicating an understanding of user-centered design principles.

• Experience with performance-based design optimization and A/B testing methodologies.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirements lean heavily on a blend of creative talent and digital acumen. The explicit mention of AI tools and a "social-first" approach signifies the modern demands of digital design. The emphasis on mindset and craft over strict educational background suggests AXA values practical skill and innovative thinking.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase a range of visual concepts and designs demonstrating creative excellence, stopping power, and strong corporate design fit.

• Include examples of digital assets created for competitive markets and social media channels.

• Present work that illustrates an understanding of full-funnel marketing strategies and how design supports different stages (Awareness, Prospecting, Conversion).

Process Documentation:

• Demonstrate the ability to logically derive and present design decisions, including the rationale behind stylistic choices, mood boards, and asset logic.

• Illustrate the process of collaborating with conceptual artists, art direction, copy, and motion teams, showing how feedback was integrated.

• Detail the process of creating prototypes and variants for A/B testing and performance optimization.

• Showcase how AXA's design guidelines were adhered to and intelligently interpreted or evolved.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio is a critical component for this role, serving as tangible proof of the required skills. Emphasis should be placed on demonstrating not just aesthetic talent but also strategic thinking, performance orientation, and the ability to work within brand frameworks while pushing creative boundaries. Showing the process behind the work, especially optimization and collaboration, will be key.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

Benefits:

• 38-hour work week with flexible flextime between 6 AM and 9 PM, allowing for adaptable work schedules.

• Hybrid working model with flexible home office arrangements, complemented by dedicated in-office team days for collaboration.

• Opportunity to work from other EU countries for up to 28 days per year, offering significant work-life flexibility.

• Generous annual leave: 30 days of vacation, plus paid time off on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve, and special leave for significant personal events.

• Continuous professional development through regular external trend inputs and targeted further training in areas such as AI, UX, and various design disciplines.

• Participation opportunities in creative industry events and conferences.

• Comprehensive "We-Care" package supporting employees through special life situations (e.g., child wish, birth, adoption).

• Access to a company kindergarten located at the Cologne site.

Working Hours:

• Standard 38-hour work week.

• Flexible flextime options available between 6:00 AM and 9:00 PM, enabling employees to manage their workdays effectively around core collaboration needs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The benefits package is comprehensive, emphasizing work-life balance, professional growth, and employee well-being. The flexible working hours and hybrid model are particularly attractive for creative professionals. The salary estimate is based on general market data for Germany and should be confirmed during the application process.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Insurance and Financial Services. AXA is a global leader in insurance, asset management, and other financial services, operating within a highly regulated and competitive market. This context means that creativity must be balanced with compliance and strategic business objectives.

Company Size: AXA Germany employs over 8,000 colleagues, and globally it's a very large corporation. This scale offers stability and resources but also requires navigating internal processes and a potentially hierarchical structure, balanced by the described "agency spirit" within the studio.

Founded: AXA Group was founded in 1817, with a long history of evolution and adaptation. AXA Germany has been a significant part of this journey. The Brand & Creative Studio itself is relatively new, launched in early 2023, indicating a dynamic, evolving internal function.

Team Structure:

• The Brand & Creative Studio is described as a "young team" that has grown by merging with the local brand team. This suggests a dynamic, perhaps flatter, and collaborative structure.

• It operates as an internal "Creative Agency" within the AXA Group, implying a service-oriented relationship with other business units.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Creativity: The role emphasizes creating designs that are "messbar performt" (measurably perform) and optimized via "Growth-Marketing-Ansatz" (growth marketing approach) and A/B testing. This points to a strong reliance on data to inform and validate creative decisions.

• Full-Funnel Strategy: Designs are developed with the entire customer journey in mind, requiring an understanding of how visual communication differs and evolves across awareness, prospecting, and conversion stages.

• Iterative Development: The team encourages ideas to be "gemeinsam geschärft und durch Feedback besser gemacht" (sharpened together and improved through feedback), highlighting a process of continuous refinement and collaboration.

• Agile & Innovative Approach: The studio aims to "gestalten und Dinge wirklich nach vorne bringen" (design and truly move things forward) with an "Agentur-Spirit mit Konzern-Power" (agency spirit with corporate power), suggesting a blend of creative agility within a stable corporate framework.

Company Website: https://www.axa.de/

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture is presented as a blend of corporate stability and a dynamic, innovative internal creative agency. The emphasis on growth marketing and data-driven design within a structured environment is key for candidates to understand. The relatively new internal studio suggests an opportunity to shape processes and contribute to its evolution.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is at the Mid-Level (2-5 years of experience) within the Visual Designer track. It requires a solid foundation in design principles, proficiency with essential tools, and the ability to work independently on assigned projects while collaborating effectively within a team. The role involves not just execution but also conceptualization and consultative input on design matters.

Reporting Structure: The Visual Designer will work within the Brand & Creative Studio. While the specific reporting line isn't detailed, it's implied they report into a Creative Lead, Art Director, or Head of the Studio, working closely with peers in Copy, Conception, and Art Direction. Collaboration is emphasized as being "auf Augenhöhe" (on eye level).

Operations Impact: The Visual Designer's impact is directly tied to the effectiveness of AXA's marketing and communication efforts. By creating visually compelling and brand-consistent assets, they contribute to:

• Brand Perception: Shaping how AXA is perceived by potential and existing customers.

• Customer Engagement: Capturing attention and driving interaction across digital channels.

• Sales & Conversion: Supporting product launches and performance campaigns that directly influence revenue.

• Efficiency: Developing reusable assets and design systems that streamline future creative production.

Growth Opportunities:

• Skill Specialization: Deepen expertise in performance-driven design, social media creative, AI-assisted design, or UX/UI.

• Leadership Potential: Progress to Senior Visual Designer, Art Director, or Creative Lead roles within the studio, taking on more strategic responsibilities and mentoring junior designers.

• Cross-Functional Learning: Gain exposure to other creative disciplines (copywriting, strategy, motion design) and marketing operations.

• Industry Exposure: Participate in external trend-setting events and training sessions, staying at the forefront of design innovation.

• Internal Mobility: Opportunities within the broader AXA Group, leveraging a strong internal creative portfolio.

📝 Enhancement Note: The growth path here is clearly defined, offering opportunities for both specialization within design and advancement into leadership or broader creative roles. The emphasis on continuous learning and exposure to AI tools positions this role for future relevance in the evolving design landscape.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is based in Cologne, Germany, and operates under a hybrid work model. This means a blend of remote work and in-office presence. The company promotes an inspiring campus environment designed for collaboration and employee well-being.

Office Location(s): The primary office location is in Cologne, Germany. The campus is described as featuring a lake, deli/bistro, leisure areas, diverse meeting rooms, a barista bar, and a canteen. This suggests a modern, well-equipped corporate campus designed to foster productivity and community.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: Dedicated "Team Days" are scheduled to encourage in-person exchange, sparring, and creative collaboration, crucial for a design team.

• Technology & Tools: Access to a comprehensive technology stack, including the Adobe Creative Cloud with AI add-ons, is implied, supporting modern design workflows.

• Interaction Opportunities: The campus setting and team days facilitate organic interaction with colleagues across different disciplines, fostering a dynamic creative exchange.

Work Schedule:

• A standard 38-hour work week is in place.

• Flexible flextime is offered, allowing employees to schedule their hours between 6:00 AM and 9:00 PM. This flexibility is intended to support both personal needs and peak creative productivity.

📝 Enhancement Note: The work environment at AXA's Cologne campus is designed to balance focused individual work with collaborative team synergy. The hybrid model and flexible hours cater to modern work preferences, while the campus amenities aim to enhance the overall employee experience and productivity.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process: While not explicitly detailed, a typical process for such a role at a large corporation like AXA would likely involve:

1. Initial Screening: Application review by HR and potentially the hiring manager.

2. Portfolio Review & Presentation: Candidates will be asked to submit a portfolio and potentially present selected work, discussing their process, rationale, and impact.

3. Technical/Creative Interview: A conversation focusing on design skills, tool proficiency, and conceptual thinking, possibly including a small creative exercise or case study.

4. Team/Cultural Fit Interview: Meeting with potential team members and the hiring manager to assess collaboration style and alignment with the studio's culture.

5. Final Interview: Potentially with a higher-level manager or department head.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 3-5 of your strongest projects that best represent the requirements of this role (brand, social, performance, full-funnel, AI usage).

• Showcase Process & Rationale: For each project, clearly articulate the brief, your role, the creative process, design decisions, and the final outcome. Explain why you made certain choices.

• Highlight Performance & Impact: If possible, demonstrate how your designs performed or were optimized based on data (e.g., A/B test results, engagement metrics). Quantify results where feasible.

• Address Brand Consistency: Show examples where you've successfully worked within brand guidelines while still delivering creative and impactful designs.

• Include AI/Trend Integration: If you have projects where AI tools were used or where you've experimented with emerging trends, highlight these.

• Context is Key: Briefly explain the task, your role, and the result for each piece.

Challenge Preparation:

• Be prepared to discuss your approach to developing visual concepts for different funnel stages.

• Think about how you would design assets for A/B testing and performance optimization.

• Practice articulating your design decisions clearly and persuasively, anticipating questions about brand fit and effectiveness.

• Research AXA's current branding and marketing campaigns to understand their aesthetic and messaging.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on portfolio review and presentation is a strong signal for this creative role. Candidates should prepare to not only showcase their visual work but also to articulate their strategic thinking, design process, and ability to deliver measurable results.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Adobe Creative Cloud: Essential for graphic design, illustration, and layout. This includes Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and potentially After Effects for motion graphics or Premiere Pro for video editing.

• AI Design Tools: Explicitly mentioned as a requirement. This could include Adobe's AI features (e.g., Generative Fill in Photoshop), Midjourney, DALL-E, or other AI-powered design assistants for ideation, asset generation, and workflow enhancement.

• Prototyping Tools: Tools like Adobe XD, Figma, or Sketch might be used for creating interactive prototypes and design variants for A/B testing, though not explicitly stated, UX/UI competency implies their use.

Analytics & Reporting:

CRM & Automation:

• Not directly relevant to the designer's core tools, but awareness of how assets are deployed within CRM systems or marketing automation platforms (e.g., Salesforce Marketing Cloud, HubSpot) could provide context.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in the Adobe Creative Cloud is a given. The key differentiator here is the expectation of familiarity and strategic use of AI design tools for enhanced creativity and productivity, alongside an understanding of how designs will be tested and optimized in performance marketing contexts.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Creative Excellence & Craft: A high standard for visual design, driven by a passion for creating impactful and aesthetically pleasing work.

• Performance Orientation: A commitment to designing for measurable results, understanding that creativity must serve business objectives and drive performance.

• Collaboration & Openness: A culture where ideas are shared freely, feedback is constructive, and team members support each other ("Wir geben einander Rückhalt").

• Curiosity & Continuous Learning: A drive to stay updated on design trends, new tools (especially AI), and evolving digital formats ("Wir bleiben neugierig").

• Brand Stewardship: Respect for and intelligent interpretation of brand guidelines to ensure consistent and effective brand communication.

• Agile Mindset: A willingness to adapt, innovate, and push boundaries within the corporate structure.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Synergy: Working closely with conceptual artists, art direction, copywriters, and motion designers in an integrated workflow. Ideas are developed and refined collaboratively.

• Stakeholder Management: Effectively presenting and advocating for design concepts to internal teams and stakeholders, building consensus.

• Feedback-Driven Iteration: An environment where constructive feedback is welcomed and used to enhance designs, leading to continuous improvement.

• Mutual Support: A culture that emphasizes supporting colleagues and pushing each other to achieve better outcomes.

📝 Enhancement Note: The team culture is characterized by a dynamic blend of creative ambition, a results-driven approach, and strong collaborative values. Candidates who thrive in environments that encourage idea sharing, continuous learning, and supportive teamwork will be a good fit.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Creativity with Corporate Constraints: The need to deliver innovative and attention-grabbing designs within the established brand guidelines and strategic objectives of a large corporation like AXA.

• Performance Optimization Demands: Continuously designing assets that not only look good but also perform well in highly competitive digital environments, requiring data-informed iteration.

• Rapidly Evolving Digital Landscape: Keeping pace with new social media formats, digital trends, and the rapid integration of AI in design workflows.

• Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration: Effectively communicating and integrating design vision with various creative and marketing teams to achieve cohesive campaign outcomes.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• AI in Design: Hands-on experience and training in leveraging AI tools for creative ideation, asset generation, and workflow efficiency.

• Performance Marketing Design: Deepening expertise in creating visually effective assets optimized for conversion and engagement metrics.

• Full-Funnel Strategy: Gaining a comprehensive understanding of how design impacts each stage of the customer journey.

• Industry Exposure: Opportunities to attend creative scene events, conferences, and workshops to stay ahead of design trends.

• Mentorship & Skill Advancement: Access to targeted training and potentially mentorship within a large organization with diverse creative talent.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers significant opportunities for growth by tackling challenges at the intersection of creativity, performance, and technology. The focus on AI and performance marketing provides a clear path for skill development relevant to the future of design.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Can you walk us through a campaign you designed from concept to execution for a full-funnel approach? How did your visual strategy differ across awareness, consideration, and conversion stages?" (Focus on strategic thinking, process, and funnel understanding)

• "Describe a time you used data or A/B testing results to significantly improve a design's performance. What was your process?" (Highlighting performance-based optimization and analytical skills)

• "How do you approach balancing strong creative execution with corporate brand guidelines? Can you provide an example?" (Assessing brand stewardship and creative problem-solving)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What do you know about AXA's brand and its current marketing efforts? How would your design approach align with or enhance it?" (Demonstrating research and strategic alignment)

• "Our studio culture emphasizes collaboration and mutual support. Can you share an example of how you've successfully collaborated with other disciplines (e.g., copywriters, art directors) on a project?" (Assessing teamwork and communication)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each selected project, clearly state the objective, your specific role, the creative process (including any challenges), the final solution, and the outcome/impact.

• Highlight Design Rationale: Be prepared to explain why you made specific design choices (color, typography, layout, imagery) and how they served the campaign objectives and brand.

• Showcase Versatility: Include examples that demonstrate your ability to work across different campaign types (brand, product, performance) and platforms (social media, digital ads).

• Quantify Success: If possible, present metrics or results that demonstrate the effectiveness of your designs. For performance-focused work, this is crucial.

• Engage Your Audience: Be enthusiastic, confident, and ready to answer questions about your work. Treat it as a collaborative discussion.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating strategic thinking, a performance-driven mindset, and a collaborative spirit, backed by strong visual examples from your portfolio. Be ready to discuss your process, rationale, and the impact of your work, particularly concerning AI and performance optimization.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Visual Designer position:

• Submit your application through the AXA Careers portal via the provided link.

• Portfolio Customization: Carefully select and curate 3-5 of your strongest projects that align with the job description's emphasis on brand, social, performance, and full-funnel campaigns. Ensure your portfolio showcases your creative process, problem-solving skills, and, where possible, measurable results.

• Resume Optimization: Tailor your resume to highlight relevant skills such as Adobe Creative Cloud, AI design tools, typography, composition, digital aesthetics, social-first thinking, and any experience in performance marketing or A/B testing. Use keywords from the job description.

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design process, rationale, and the impact of your work. Prepare specific examples for behavioral questions and be ready to discuss your approach to AI in design and performance-driven creative.

• Company Research: Familiarize yourself with AXA's brand, its current marketing initiatives, and its values. Understand the company's position in the insurance industry and how the Brand & Creative Studio contributes to its overall business objectives.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and industry-standard assumptions. All details, including salary estimates and specific process assumptions, should be verified directly with AXA during the application and interview process.