Senior Graphic Designer

SUMMARY

The Senior Graphic Designer is a key member of CalArts’ Marketing and Communications team, an in-house creative and strategic group that partners with colleagues throughout the Institute to tell the CalArts story—of alums, faculty, staff, students, and their impact and influence—in support of the Institute’s educational mission.

The Senior Graphic Designer is responsible for creating and executing design solutions across digital and print platforms that shape the visual identity of CalArts and meet the objectives of the Marketing and Communications division and its partners. The Designer possesses in-depth knowledge and skills in design principles, and a blend of creativity, technical proficiency, and strategic thinking that elevates the CalArts brand.

As a creative professional who shapes the visual identity of a top college of visual and performing arts, the person in this role is creative, strategic, playful, smart, and authentic, and understands and embraces the importance of design as a way to inspire audiences, enhance the Institute’s reputation, and engage with individuals and the community in fresh, timely, and inclusive ways.

The ideal candidate takes a proactive and innovative approach to their work, and enjoys exploring new ideas, methods, and strategies for connecting with audiences. They immerse themselves in the life of the campus and CalArts’ community of artists as well as keeping abreast of their industry. They appreciate the importance of the arts to our society; and want to see their work have a direct, quantifiable, and positive impact on CalArts’ visibility and brand.

The Senior Graphic Designer is an active participant in the department’s and the Institute’s efforts to identify and dismantle structural inequities and promote inclusion, diversity, equity, and access (IDEA) as fundamental values of CalArts and our society. The successful candidate will contribute to the diversity of personal and professional perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences that support these efforts.

This position works under the supervision of the Director of Creative Services, and in close collaboration with the Institute Photographer, Videographer, Digital team, and others.

This position is hybrid remote/in person, with an expectation of two to three days on CalArts’ Valencia campus and the remaining remote, if desired.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

• Strategy, Concept, and Design
  • Lead projects from concept exploration to final execution
  • Collaborate with other internal and external designers, including student designers, to realize projects.
  • Effectively present work to stakeholders and thoughtfully respond to feedback.
  • Develop creative concepts and design solutions for a variety of marketing materials, including print collateral, digital assets, social media graphics, and promotional items.
  • Ensure consistency and adherence to brand guidelines across all design projects.
  • Work closely with the Marketing and Communications team to evolve and refine and strengthen the college's visual identity.
• Collaboration
  • Collaborate with team members including copywriters, communicators, photographers, videographers, and stakeholders to translate campaign objectives into cohesive, bold, and effective designs.
  • Communicate effectively, efficiently, and respectfully with colleagues.
• Project Management
  • Handle 15 projects simultaneously under deadline pressure while maintaining exceptional attention to detail.
  • Create/maintain timelines and prioritize to meet deadlines for all projects.
  • Coordinate with internal stakeholders to gather project requirements, information, and feedback.

SKILLS/ABILITIES:

• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite; comfortable working with Figma, Google Suite, and incorporating emerging design tools and technologies.
• Strong skills in typography, composition, color, and other design elements.
• Experience in designing for digital platforms, including web, social media, and email campaigns.
• Ability to create motion graphics and animations for web, social media, and other digital applications.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to articulate design concepts and rationale and produce and deliver effective presentations.
• Able to effectively prioritize work and adapt to evolving priorities in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.
• Clear understanding of working within an established identity system.
• Strong organizational skills.
• Flexibility, initiative and self-motivation.

EDUCATION:

• BFA in graphic design, visual communications, or other relevant discipline; graduate study a plus. Equivalent professional experience may be considered.

EXPERIENCE:

• Minimum of five years professional design experience required.
• Experience in higher education, a cultural institution, or other complex organization a plus

This position is available immediately. If you are interested, please follow the link to Interfolio below: 

Senior Graphic Designer - ID:130850

Salary

$28.67 - $31.43 an hour

California Institute of the Arts shall abide by the requirements of 41 CFR §§ 60-1.4(a), 60-300.5(a) and 60-741.5(a). These regulations prohibit discrimination against qualified individuals based on their status as protected veterans or individuals with disabilities, and prohibit discrimination against all individuals based on their race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. Moreover, these regulations require that covered prime contractors and subcontractors take affirmative action to employ and advance in employment individuals without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other status protected under federal, state, or local law.

CalArts has a multidisciplinary approach to its studies of the arts through six schools: Art, Critical Studies, Dance, Film/Video, Music and Theater. CalArts encourages students to explore and recognize the complexity of the many aspects of the arts. It is supported by a distinguished faculty of practicing artists and provides its Bachelor and Master of Fine Arts students with the hands-on training and exposure necessary for an artist's growth. CalArts was founded in 1961 and opened in 1969 as the first institution of higher learning in the United States specifically for students interested in the pursuit of degrees in all areas of visual and performing arts.