Graphic Designer

Job Details

Job no: 493324
Work type: Exempt Staff
Location: Gambier, OH

Kenyon College is conducting a search for a graphic designer to join the award-winning creative team in the Office of Communications. Do you have a passion for building brands — for making an institution come alive visually through smart, high-quality, creative work? The graphic designer at Kenyon does just that, producing visual content for all channels, digital and printed.

Work That Matters

A skilled visual storyteller, the graphic designer makes a wide variety of digital and printed materials for Kenyon’s varied and sophisticated audiences. This creative work builds our brand, but, more than that, it builds Kenyon — helping recruit and enroll the next generation of students, and keeping alumni connected to the College.

The graphic designer’s portfolio includes digital graphics for social media, email campaigns, videos and the Kenyon website; printed publications such as brochures, posters and invitations; branded promotional merchandise; and signage, environmental graphics and displays for events. Taken together, the creative projects in the graphic designer’s portfolio make Kenyon, its people, and its academic programs come alive online and in print, building and enhancing Kenyon’s reputation with both new and familiar audiences.

The graphic designer reports to, and works closely with, the director of design and publication, who steers the overall design direction of Kenyon’s visual brand. Part of a larger team of writers, strategists and visual media producers, the graphic designer will also have the opportunity to work with student interns who create visual content for Kenyon.

Essential Functions

As all graphic designers bring different skill sets, the work portfolio will reflect the designer’s professional interests and strengths, and it will change over time to reflect the ever-evolving communications landscape. The position provides room for creative growth.

The graphic designer will:

• Design digital graphics for social media posts, videos and email campaigns.
• Design publications, information and environmental graphics, and promotional merchandise.
• Enhance and extend Kenyon’s visual identity system for new projects and initiatives.
• Steer creative projects through design, proofing and production stages, including working with printing and promotional products vendors.
• Develop design templates for a Canva team that provides brand resources to Kenyon staff members.

Working Conditions

The Office of Communications is a hybrid working environment. Team members have the option to split time between an on-campus office and remote work, working on campus at least two days per week.

Required Qualifications

• A bachelor’s degree in design, art, communications, marketing or a related field.
• At least three years of professional design experience.
• Superior typographic skills.
• Advanced knowledge of Adobe Creative Cloud, especially InDesign, Photoshop and Illustrator.
• Familiarity with creating motion graphics, with experience in Adobe After Effects.
• Knowledge of other design environments, such as Figma and Canva, and designing for and within CRM platforms, such as Slate.
• Strong organizational and project management skills, with an ability to multitask, set production schedules and meet deadlines.
• An ability to follow a style guide and stay on brand.

Preferred Qualifications

• Illustration and/or photography skills.
• Experience with a website CMS.

To Apply

Along with your cover letter and resume, please link to or submit a portfolio of four or five design projects showing the depth and range of your creative work.