Graphic & Content Designer

About The Role

Transform intricate concepts into captivating designs that engage audiences. Kernel seeks a versatile Graphic & Content Designer to animate our brand across social media, marketing campaigns, digital ads, emails, events, presentations, and print materials.

This dynamic role demands a well-rounded designer who knows what resonates on social platforms and can infuse content with movement and vitality. Tasks range from crafting investment data infographics to developing event creatives and adapting campaigns for paid social, email, and web channels.

About Kernel

Kernel is a fully New Zealand-owned fintech committed to democratizing wealth management for all Kiwis. Our investment platform simplifies investing by consolidating KiwiSaver, Managed Funds, US shares & ETFs, and Smart Saver accounts in one place, all with some of the market's lowest fees.

We are rapidly scaling, expanding our team of globally seasoned financial professionals, and laying the groundwork for our future. Our collaborative culture values trust, innovation, transparency, diverse perspectives, individuality, and collective brainstorming for the best ideas.

Speed and impact are priorities here, with every team member playing a vital role in shaping our trajectory.

Key Responsibilities

• Produce polished creative assets spanning digital, social media, email campaigns, events, presentations, and print.
• Develop social-first content tailored for Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
• Convert complex or data-intensive material into clear, visually appealing narratives.
• Adapt campaign concepts for various audiences, channels, and formats.
• Incorporate light motion elements such as animated typography, charts, transitions, captions, and branded overlays.
• Edit footage to generate concise short-form videos as required.
• Create diverse digital advertising variants that facilitate testing and optimization.
• Maintain and enhance Figma templates, components, and asset libraries.
• Contribute ideas and recommend strategies aligned with audience preferences and channel effectiveness.

Qualifications and Experience Needed

• Approximately 3 to 5 years of pertinent design experience.
• Robust skills in typography, layout, composition, and visual storytelling.
• A portfolio showcasing refined work across multiple platforms.
• Proficiency in designing content specifically for social media environments.
• Ability to translate complicated data and information into engaging visuals.
• Experience managing projects from brief inception through final delivery.
• Practical expertise with Figma, including the use of components, libraries, and auto layout features.
• Some background in motion or animation tools such as After Effects, Lottie, Figma, or similar software.
• Strong communication skills and confidence in articulating creative choices.
• Capacity to handle multiple briefs simultaneously and collaborate with various stakeholders.
• A keen interest in current and emerging brand, design, social, and content trends both locally and globally.

Additional Distinguishing Attributes

• Demonstrated experience taking compelling concepts across multiple channels.
• Proven capability to simplify and enliven dense information or data.
• Experience creating thoughtful social media content tailored to platform-specific needs.
• Exposure to modern, premium, or design-centric brands.
• Ownership of projects from flexible briefs through to completion.

Applicants might come from in-house roles at technology, software, consumer, or rapidly growing companies, or from creative or integrated agencies. While wealth management experience is not mandatory, curiosity, adaptability to new audiences and industries, and originality in creative input are essential.

Why Join Kernel?

• This newly established position offers diverse responsibilities, strong visibility, and significant creative ownership.
• Become part of a cooperative marketing team and influence how Kernel’s brand expresses itself across social content, campaigns, events, digital ads, emails, and customer communications.
• Enjoy the freedom to contribute ideas, work across a broad range of media, and witness your creations applied in real-world scenarios.
• Competitive remuneration with bonus opportunities.
• Flexible hybrid working model: a minimum of three days onsite with up to two days working from home weekly.
• Additional benefits including health insurance, parental leave top-ups, and support for professional growth.
• Extra holidays, office snacks, coffee, and a dog-friendly workplace.

How To Apply

If this role excites you, submit a cover letter detailing your enthusiasm for the position and Kernel, along with your CV and portfolio. Portfolios should reflect strong graphic design fundamentals, a diverse channel presence, and insightful behind-the-scenes thinking.