Visual Designer - Social & Motion (m/w/d)

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Visual Designer - Social & Motion (m/f/d)

Company: Prematch

Location: Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

Job Type: Full-time

Category: Marketing & Brand Operations / Creative Operations

Date Posted: May 29, 2026

Experience Level: Mid-Level (2-6 years)

Remote Status: Hybrid (3 days in office, 2 days remote flexibility)

🚀 Role Summary

• This role is pivotal for translating Prematch's brand identity into compelling social-first visual content, focusing on design, content creation, and execution.

• The Visual Designer will be instrumental in building and evolving the brand's visual presence across key social media channels, ensuring consistency and impact.

• This position requires a hands-on approach to content production, including video editing, motion graphics, and static visual design, tailored for platforms like Reels and TikTok.

• The role involves a data-informed creative process, utilizing performance metrics from both organic and paid social campaigns to drive iterative improvements in content strategy and execution.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is framed as a "Social Brand Designer" rather than a traditional Social Media Manager, emphasizing a strong creative and visual execution focus. The operations aspect lies in the systematic development and deployment of brand assets across social platforms, requiring process adherence and performance analysis.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Design, edit, and produce daily social-first content (Reels, TikToks, visuals) from concept to publication, ensuring a consistent brand voice and visual style.

• Sharpen and evolve the brand's visual identity, tonality, and storytelling across all social media touchpoints.

• Develop and maintain a scalable, reusable brand system, including guidelines, templates, and creative principles for cross-channel application.

• Establish recognizable content series and recurring formats that drive audience engagement and return visits.

• Manage content planning and publishing schedules for key social media channels, optimizing for audience engagement and platform algorithms.

• Collaborate closely with the growth/ads team to develop high-performing creative assets for paid social campaigns, leveraging rapid test-and-learn loops.

• Translate performance data from social and paid creative efforts into actionable creative decisions, identifying optimization opportunities and new testing avenues.

• Develop and execute cooperation concepts with creators, communities, and local partners to amplify brand reach.

• Create streamlined partner packages (materials, briefs, formats) to facilitate easy collaboration and content sharing.

• Identify scalable distribution levers to increase reach without diluting brand integrity.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of creative execution and strategic brand management within a social media context. The operations focus is evident in the structured approach to content production, brand system development, performance analysis, and collaboration with growth/paid teams.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong creative background is essential, implying formal or informal education in Design, Visual Arts, or a related field.

Experience: 2-6 years of creative experience with a demonstrated portfolio showcasing a strong social-first orientation and brand-building capabilities.

Required Skills:

• Brand Building: Proven ability to build brands sustainably through content, not just isolated campaigns.

• Visual Taste: Excellent visual judgment in design and editing; basic motion graphics skills are a significant plus.

• Creative Strategy: Proficiency in positioning, format/series development, channel thinking, and a strong distribution mindset.

• Data Skills: Comfort with data analysis, understanding key social and paid creative performance metrics, and deriving actionable insights.

• Hands-on Mentality: Ability to execute quickly and pragmatically while maintaining high creative standards.

• Copywriting: Skillful in crafting compelling hooks, captions, and series framing.

• Editing: Expertise in short-form storytelling with clear narrative flow.

• Production Oversight: Ability to brief and direct creators for efficient content production.

• Culture Fit: Deep understanding of sports/football culture, tonality, and matchday dynamics.

• Social-first Design: Proficiency in social media design and packaging, including format setup, thumbnails, title cards, and ensuring visual recognition.

• Language Proficiency: Fluent German and English language skills.

Preferred Skills:

• D2C or Agency Experience: Proven track record with clear outcomes in direct-to-consumer or agency environments.

• Motion Design/Animation: Basic motion design or animation skills for template-based, rapid, and scalable content creation.

• Paid Creative Experience: Familiarity with paid social creatives, performance creatives, ad variants, and hook testing.

• On-ground Activation: Experience with on-ground activations at events/matchdays, local partner activations, and on-site content creation.

📝 Enhancement Note: The required skills emphasize a blend of creative talent, strategic thinking, and a data-driven operational mindset. The "hands-on mentality" and "social-first" focus are critical for this role, indicating a need for efficient content creation processes.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A strong portfolio demonstrating a "social-first" orientation is paramount. This should showcase the candidate's ability to create engaging visual content tailored for platforms like Instagram Reels and TikTok.

• Examples of brand building through content, illustrating how the candidate has developed and sustained a brand's visual identity and storytelling over time.

• Case studies or examples of repeatable content formats or series that have driven audience engagement and loyalty.

• Demonstrations of how data and performance metrics have informed creative decisions and led to measurable improvements in content effectiveness.

Process Documentation:

• Evidence of establishing and maintaining a reusable brand system, including guidelines and templates, demonstrating a systematic approach to brand consistency.

• Examples of content planning and publishing processes, highlighting the ability to manage a regular cadence of social media posts.

• Documentation or examples of collaboration with growth/paid teams, showing an understanding of how to integrate creative with performance marketing efforts.

• A clear articulation of how performance data is translated into actionable creative improvements and testing strategies.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio requirements are heavily focused on demonstrating practical skills in social media content creation, brand system development, and data-informed optimization. This requires candidates to showcase their process and quantifiable results.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on 2-6 years of experience in a competitive European market for creative roles, a competitive salary range for a Visual Designer in Cologne, Germany, would likely fall between €45,000 and €65,000 annually. This estimate considers the startup environment, the specific skill set (social & motion design), and the hybrid work model.

Benefits:

• Competitive Salary: A salary that reflects the candidate's experience and the value they bring to the company.

• Employee Stock Options (VSOP): Direct participation in the company's success, aligning employee interests with business growth.

• Hybrid Work Model: Flexibility with 1-3 days per week in the office, balancing in-person collaboration with remote work.

• Flexible Remote Work Options: The ability to work remotely, even from abroad for short periods, offering significant lifestyle flexibility.

• Modern IT Equipment: Provision of necessary tools and devices to ensure productivity.

• 27 Days Vacation Per Year: Generous annual leave for rest and rejuvenation.

• Special Regulations for Parents: Additional support for parents to balance work and family life.

• Local Team Events: Opportunities for social interaction and team building within specific office locations.

• Company Offsites: Regular, immersive team events to foster collaboration and strengthen company culture.

Working Hours: 40 hours per week, with flexibility for remote work days.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary estimate is based on industry benchmarks for similar roles in Germany, factoring in the startup context and the hybrid nature of the position. The benefits package is comprehensive, emphasizing growth, flexibility, and employee well-being.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Sports Technology / Digital Media (focusing on amateur football). Prematch aims to bring professional-level experiences to amateur football players and fans through news, data, and gamification.

Company Size: Prematch was founded in 2021 and is described as a dynamic startup. While specific employee numbers are not provided, the presence of offices in Cologne, Berlin, and London, along with a remote tech team across Europe, suggests a growing, agile organization.

Founded: Founded in 2021.

Team Structure:

• The Marketing & Business team is based in Cologne and Berlin, with some presence in London.

• The Tech & Product team operates fully remotely across Europe.

• This role sits within the Marketing & Brand function.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Creativity: A core methodology involves using performance data to inform and iterate on creative content and strategies.

• Agile Execution: The startup environment implies a fast-paced, iterative approach to content creation and campaign management.

• Community Focus: Strong emphasis on understanding and engaging with the amateur football community.

• Brand Systemization: Building reusable brand assets and guidelines to ensure scalable and consistent brand representation.

Company Website: https://prematch.notion.site/Prematch-auf-einen-Blick-b7158d037c414dd0b19e7a6b97e8fdbe

📝 Enhancement Note: Prematch operates in a fast-paced startup environment with a clear mission in the amateur football space. The culture emphasizes agility, data-informed decision-making, and a strong community connection, all of which will shape the operational approach of this role.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as a Mid-Level Visual Designer with a specific focus on Social & Motion. It requires 2-6 years of experience, indicating a level where individuals are expected to operate with a degree of autonomy, contribute strategically to brand execution, and mentor junior team members if applicable. The role is not entry-level but also not senior management, focusing on specialized execution and creative strategy within the social media domain.

Reporting Structure: The role reports into the Marketing & Brand function. The specific reporting manager is identified as "Lisa." The structure is likely flat, typical of a startup, fostering direct communication and collaboration with key stakeholders in marketing and growth.

Operations Impact: The Visual Designer's operations impact is significant in shaping Prematch's external brand perception and engagement across social media. By creating compelling, on-brand visual content, they directly influence audience attraction, retention, and conversion for both organic and paid initiatives. Their work is crucial for building brand recognition, fostering community, and supporting growth objectives through effective visual storytelling.

Growth Opportunities:

• Skill Specialization: Deepen expertise in social-first design, motion graphics, short-form video editing, and performance creative development.

• Brand Strategy Contribution: Grow into a more strategic role by contributing to overall brand positioning, content series development, and creative direction.

• Cross-Functional Leadership: Potentially lead creative aspects of larger campaigns or collaborate more closely with product teams to ensure visual consistency across all touchpoints.

• Mentorship: As experience grows, opportunities to mentor junior designers or content creators may arise.

• Industry Exposure: Gain experience within the high-growth sports tech and social media marketing landscape.

📝 Enhancement Note: The growth potential is tied to both deepening specialized creative skills and expanding strategic involvement in brand operations and cross-functional collaboration within the dynamic startup ecosystem.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Prematch has three physical offices in Cologne, Berlin, and London, described as having a "real startup vibe." These are likely collaborative co-working spaces or dedicated office environments designed to foster creativity and team interaction.

Office Location(s):

• Cologne, Germany

• Berlin, Germany

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The hybrid model and physical office spaces are designed to facilitate collaboration, team spirit, and idea exchange, even with remote team members.

• Startup Vibe: Expect a dynamic, fast-paced, and potentially informal work environment that encourages innovation and direct contribution.

• Modern Tools: Access to modern IT equipment and tools is provided to ensure productivity and efficient workflow management.

• Team Interaction: Opportunities for regular interaction with colleagues through local team events, company offsites, and virtual collaboration tools.

Work Schedule: The standard work schedule is 40 hours per week. The hybrid model allows for 1-3 days in the office and the remainder flexible remote work, accommodating personal needs and optimizing productivity. Additional flexibility is offered for working remotely from abroad for short periods.

📝 Enhancement Note: The work environment is characterized by flexibility and a strong emphasis on team connection, balancing the benefits of physical office presence with the advantages of remote work, all within a dynamic startup culture.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process: While not explicitly detailed, a typical startup interview process for a creative role like this would likely involve:

• Initial Screening: A brief call with HR or the hiring manager (Lisa) to assess basic qualifications, cultural fit, and interest.

• Portfolio Review & Creative Challenge: This is a critical stage. Candidates will likely present their portfolio, discussing their process, strategic thinking, and results. They may also be given a short, timed creative challenge relevant to social media content creation for Prematch.

• Team/Stakeholder Interviews: Interviews with key team members, potentially including marketing leads, growth managers, or other designers, to assess collaboration skills and strategic alignment.

• Final Interview: A discussion with a senior leader to finalize the decision.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Showcase projects that best demonstrate your "social-first" design, motion graphics capabilities, and brand-building experience. Tailor your selection to Prematch's industry (amateur football) and target audience.

• Tell a Story: For each project, explain the brief, your creative process, the challenges you faced, your solutions, and the measurable results (e.g., engagement rates, reach, brand impact). Quantify outcomes wherever possible.

• Highlight Data Integration: Specifically point out how you've used data to inform your creative decisions or optimize content performance.

• Showcase Brand System Thinking: Include examples of how you've developed or applied brand guidelines, templates, or repeatable formats.

• Demonstrate Hands-on Execution: Make it clear that you can not only conceptualize but also execute and deliver high-quality content efficiently.

• Address Culture Fit: Be prepared to discuss your understanding of football culture and how you'd approach communicating with the target community.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand Prematch: Research Prematch's current social media presence, brand voice, and target audience thoroughly.

• Anticipate Creative Briefs: Expect challenges that might involve creating a concept for a new content series, designing a visual for a specific campaign, or suggesting improvements to existing content.

• Focus on Speed & Quality: For any practical challenge, aim for a balance between quick execution and high-quality output, reflecting the startup's need for agility.

• Articulate Your Rationale: Be ready to clearly explain the "why" behind your creative choices, linking them back to brand goals and audience insights.

📝 Enhancement Note: The application process heavily emphasizes a practical demonstration of creative skills and strategic thinking through a portfolio and potential creative challenges, requiring candidates to showcase their ability to execute within a specific brand and industry context.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design Software: Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator) is almost certainly required for static design and asset creation.

• Video Editing Software: Adobe Premiere Pro or Final Cut Pro for editing Reels, TikToks, and other short-form video content.

• Motion Graphics Software: Adobe After Effects for motion design and animation basics.

• Prototyping/Collaboration Tools: Figma or similar for collaborative design workflows, brand system development, and potentially creating templates.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Native Social Media Analytics: Proficiency in understanding insights from Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, etc.

• Third-Party Social Media Management Tools: Experience with tools like Buffer, Hootsuite, or Sprout Social for scheduling and performance tracking.

• Data Visualization Tools (Potentially): Tools like Google Data Studio, Tableau, or Looker for more in-depth reporting on paid creative performance, though this might be handled by the Growth team.

CRM & Automation:

• CRM (Less Direct Impact): While not a primary tool for this role, understanding how social media efforts integrate with CRM platforms (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot) for lead generation or customer engagement could be beneficial.

• Project Management Tools: Asana, Trello, Jira, or similar for managing tasks, workflows, and collaborating with the team.

• Communication Platforms: Slack, Microsoft Teams for daily team communication and collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The technology stack is heavily skewed towards creative production tools. Proficiency in the Adobe Creative Suite, particularly for video and motion, is critical. Understanding social analytics is key for the data-informed aspect of the role.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Creativity & Innovation: A drive to constantly explore new visual styles, content formats, and storytelling techniques to keep the brand fresh and engaging.

• Data-Informed Decision Making: Valuing the use of performance metrics to guide creative strategy and optimize content effectiveness, rather than relying solely on intuition.

• Speed & Agility: Embracing a fast-paced environment where quick execution and adaptation are crucial for staying ahead in the social media landscape.

• Community Centricity: A deep appreciation for and understanding of the amateur football community, ensuring content resonates authentically with its audience.

• Collaboration & Teamwork: Fostering an environment where open communication and shared effort are prioritized, especially within the hybrid and remote-flexible setup.

• Ownership & Accountability: Taking responsibility for one's work, from concept to execution and performance analysis, contributing directly to the company's growth.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Working closely with marketing, growth, and potentially product teams to ensure cohesive brand messaging and campaign execution.

• Feedback Exchange: An open culture for giving and receiving constructive feedback on creative work to drive continuous improvement.

• Knowledge Sharing: Encouraging the sharing of insights, best practices, and new trends within the creative and marketing teams.

• Agile Workflow: Adopting flexible and iterative workflows that allow for rapid adjustments based on performance data and evolving market dynamics.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company values are strongly aligned with a modern, agile startup culture that balances creative expression with data-driven strategy and a deep connection to its specific community.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Maintaining Creative Freshness: Continuously developing innovative and engaging content that stands out in a crowded social media space, especially within a niche like amateur football.

• Balancing Speed and Quality: Meeting the demands for high-volume, rapid content creation while upholding Prematch's brand standards and creative excellence.

• Integrating Organic and Paid Creatives: Effectively bridging the gap between organic content strategy and paid advertising creative requirements to ensure a consistent brand message and optimize performance across both.

• Adapting to Evolving Social Trends: Staying abreast of new platform features, content formats, and audience behaviors to keep Prematch's social presence relevant and effective.

• Working within a Hybrid/Remote Model: Ensuring seamless collaboration and communication across different work locations and time zones.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Social Media Design & Motion: Opportunities to hone skills in emerging visual trends, advanced animation techniques, and platform-specific creative strategies.

• Performance Marketing Integration: Gaining deeper insights into paid social strategies, A/B testing methodologies for creatives, and understanding key performance indicators (KPIs) beyond engagement.

• Brand Strategy Development: Contributing to higher-level brand strategy discussions, content planning, and campaign conceptualization.

• Industry Events & Training: Potential for attending relevant industry conferences, workshops, or online courses to stay current with design, social media, and marketing trends.

• Startup Growth Experience: Gaining invaluable experience in a high-growth startup environment, understanding business scaling, and potentially developing leadership skills.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role presents challenges common to fast-paced social media and startup environments, with significant opportunities for professional growth in specialized creative and strategic areas.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "How would you approach developing a new content series for Prematch targeting amateur footballers, considering both engagement and brand building?" (Prepare to discuss your ideation process, format ideas, and how you'd ensure brand consistency.)

• "Describe your process for translating performance data from social media campaigns into actionable creative improvements." (Be ready to walk through an example, mentioning specific metrics and how they informed your decisions.)

• "How do you ensure a consistent brand identity across diverse social media platforms (e.g., Reels, TikTok, Stories) while adapting to each platform's unique requirements?" (Highlight your understanding of platform nuances and your approach to brand system implementation.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you most about Prematch's mission and the amateur football space?" (Demonstrate genuine research and enthusiasm for the company's purpose.)

• "How do you see your creative style contributing to Prematch's brand identity and community engagement?" (Connect your skills and aesthetic to the company's goals.)

• "Describe a time you had to work with tight deadlines or iterate quickly on a creative project. How did you manage it?" (Highlight your agility and hands-on approach.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure for Impact: Begin with a brief overview of your background, then dive into 2-3 key projects that best represent your skills for this role. For each project:

  • Context: What was the client/brand, the objective, and the target audience?
  • Your Role & Process: What was your specific contribution? How did you approach the design, editing, and motion?
  • Challenges & Solutions: What obstacles did you face, and how did you overcome them?
  • Results: What were the measurable outcomes? Use data and visuals effectively.

• Highlight Social-First & Data: Emphasize projects that showcase your social-first thinking and any instances where data influenced your creative decisions.

• Showcase Motion & Design Synergy: If you have both design and motion examples, demonstrate how they work together or how one informs the other.

• Be Ready for Q&A: Anticipate questions about your creative choices, technical skills, and how you'd apply your experience to Prematch.

• Keep it Concise: Aim for a presentation that is engaging but respects the interviewer's time, typically 20-30 minutes for the portfolio walk-through.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating practical skills, strategic thinking, data literacy, and a genuine understanding of Prematch's mission and audience, all while showcasing your portfolio effectively.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Visual Designer - Social & Motion position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on join.com.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 of your strongest projects that best highlight your social-first design, motion graphics, and brand-building experience. Tailor your selection to resonate with Prematch's focus on amateur football. Ensure your portfolio clearly demonstrates your hands-on execution capabilities and any use of data to inform creative decisions.

• Optimize Your Resume: Highlight keywords relevant to social media design, motion graphics, content creation, brand development, and any experience with sports or community-focused brands. Quantify your achievements and responsibilities wherever possible.

• Prepare Your Presentation: Practice walking through your portfolio with a focus on storytelling, process, and results. Be ready to articulate your creative rationale and how your skills align with Prematch's needs, especially regarding their mission and target audience.

• Research Prematch: Thoroughly understand Prematch's mission, current social media presence, brand voice, and target audience. This research will be crucial for tailoring your application and excelling in interviews.

⚠️ 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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