Graphic Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Graphic Designer

Company: Kimley-Horn

Location: Austin, Texas, United States

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Marketing Operations / Creative Services

Date Posted: May 07, 2026

Experience Level: Entry-Level (0-2 years)

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Design and produce a wide range of visual assets supporting business development and marketing initiatives, including proposals, reports, brochures, and digital content.

• Collaborate cross-functionally with engineers, project managers, and technical staff to translate complex information into clear, compelling visual communications.

• Maintain and apply corporate and client branding guidelines to ensure consistency and professional presentation across all designed materials.

• Manage multiple design projects simultaneously in a fast-paced environment, adhering to strict deadlines and quality standards.

• Contribute to the growth and creative output of a specialized, large marketing team within a leading engineering and design firm.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned within a marketing operations context, focusing on supporting business development through design. While not a direct revenue operations or sales operations role, it is critical for GTM (Go-To-Market) efforts by enhancing proposal quality and marketing collateral. The emphasis on fast-paced environments, tight deadlines, and technical collaboration aligns with operations support functions.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Design visually engaging covers, templates, and layouts for technical proposals and client reports, ensuring clarity and impact.

• Develop compelling presentations and multimedia graphics to support client meetings, project pitches, and internal communications.

• Create detailed before-and-after photo simulations and sophisticated aerial map exhibits for project visualization and client understanding.

• Produce unique and effective brochures, both print and digital, to showcase company services and project successes.

• Design eye-catching trade show graphics, e-blast campaigns, and social media graphics to enhance brand visibility and engagement.

• Manage large-format printing production and ensure quality control for all physical outputs.

• Thrive and contribute actively within a large, creative, and specialized marketing team environment.

• Effectively interact with engineers, project managers, and technical staff to gather project requirements and ensure design accuracy.

• Diligently work within established corporate and client branding guidelines to maintain brand integrity.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of core graphic design tasks with a strong emphasis on supporting business development and marketing communication, which are crucial for Go-To-Market (GTM) strategy execution. The need to interact with technical staff and adhere to branding guidelines suggests a requirement for process adherence and an understanding of client-facing deliverables.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's Degree in Graphic Design, Visual Communications, or a closely related field.

Experience: 0-2 years of professional graphic design experience, with a demonstrated ability to produce high-quality design work.

Required Skills:

• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Cloud suite, specifically:

  • Adobe InDesign (essential for layout of complex documents)
  • Adobe Photoshop
  • Adobe Illustrator
  • Adobe Acrobat

• Strong command of Microsoft Office Suite (Word, PowerPoint, Excel) for integration with business documents.

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills for effective collaboration and feedback.

• Professional demeanor with a positive, solution-seeking attitude and a high sense of personal responsibility.

• Demonstrated ability to work under tight deadlines and manage simultaneous, varied assignments with consistent quality and accuracy.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience with video filming/editing and/or motion graphics.

• Proficiency with Adobe Premiere Pro and/or Adobe After Effects.

• Familiarity with 3DS Max or SketchUp for 3D modeling and rendering.

• Web design experience, with WordPress preferred, including HTML/CSS knowledge.

• Experience with creating aerial map exhibits and photo simulations.

📝 Enhancement Note: The detailed breakdown of required and preferred software proficiency, especially highlighting InDesign for complex documents, caters to operations professionals who understand the importance of specialized tools for efficiency and output quality. The "0-2 years" experience level suggests an entry-point role, aligning with candidates looking to build their portfolio in a structured environment.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A comprehensive online portfolio showcasing a diverse range of design projects, with a focus on proposal graphics, reports, brochures, and digital assets.

• Clear demonstration of proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite applications, particularly InDesign, Photoshop, and Illustrator.

• Examples of how branding guidelines were applied to maintain consistency and professionalism across projects.

• Visual evidence of ability to create effective photo simulations and aerial map exhibits.

Process Documentation:

• The ability to document and adhere to established design workflows and approval processes.

• Understanding of project management principles for managing multiple design assignments efficiently.

• Familiarity with version control and file management best practices to ensure accuracy and traceability of design assets.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a graphic designer role supporting operations and GTM, the portfolio is a critical component. This section emphasizes showcasing not just creative output but also the ability to follow processes, manage projects efficiently, and adhere to brand standards—all key operational aspects.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

Kimley-Horn typically offers competitive compensation for entry-level Graphic Designers in the Austin, TX area. Based on industry benchmarks for similar roles with 0-2 years of experience in a major Texas metropolitan area, a salary range of $55,000 - $70,000 annually is estimated. This range accounts for the cost of living in Austin, the firm's size and reputation, and the specific skill set required.

Benefits:

• Exceptional Retirement Plan: 2-to-1 company match on up to 4% of eligible compensation (salary + bonus), plus additional profit-sharing contributions.

• Comprehensive Health Coverage: Low-cost medical, dental, and vision insurance options.

• Generous Time Off: Personal leave, flexible scheduling, floating holidays, and half-day Fridays.

• Financial Wellness: Student loan matching in our 401(k) and performance-based bonuses.

• Professional Development: Tuition reimbursement and extensive internal training programs.

• Family-Friendly Benefits: New Parent Leave, family building benefits, and childcare resources.

Working Hours:

• Standard full-time hours are typically 40 hours per week.

• Flexibility is expected to periodically work outside normal working hours to meet business needs and project deadlines.

• Half-day Fridays are a notable benefit, offering enhanced work-life balance.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary estimate is based on Glassdoor, LinkedIn Salary, and Salary.com data for "Graphic Designer" in Austin, TX, with an experience level of 0-2 years. The benefits listed are directly from the provided text and are highly attractive, emphasizing financial security, work-life balance, and professional growth, which are key considerations for any role, including those supporting operations.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Engineering, Design, and Consulting Services. Kimley-Horn is a prominent firm providing a wide array of services to public and private sector clients, including transportation, environmental, land development, and aviation.

Company Size: Large (typically over 5,000 employees, as indicated by Kimley-Horn's consistent placement on Fortune's "100 Best Companies to Work" list).

Founded: 1967. With a long history, Kimley-Horn has established a strong reputation and a stable corporate culture.

Team Structure:

• The Graphic Designer will be part of a large, creative, and specialized marketing team.

• This team likely consists of various marketing professionals, including other designers, content writers, marketing specialists, and potentially proposal managers.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Design Support: While a creative role, the emphasis on proposals, reports, and technical staff interaction suggests designs must be data-informed and accurate.

• Process Optimization: The need to work within branding guidelines, meet tight deadlines, and manage varied assignments implies adherence to established workflows and a focus on efficient production.

• Collaboration and Communication: A core methodology involves effective interaction with diverse stakeholders, translating technical needs into visual solutions.

Company Website: www.kimley-horn.com

📝 Enhancement Note: Kimley-Horn's long history and consistent recognition as a top employer suggest a stable, employee-centric culture that values professional development and work-life balance. The "large, creative, and specialized marketing team" implies a structured environment with clear roles and processes, which is beneficial for operations-minded individuals.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is at an "Entry-Level" or "Junior" stage within the creative and marketing support function. It serves as a foundational position for developing specialized design skills within a professional services context.

Reporting Structure: The Graphic Designer will report to a manager or lead within the marketing team. Collaboration will extend to project managers and technical staff across various departments, indicating a need to navigate a larger organizational structure effectively.

Operations Impact: The designer's work directly impacts the firm's ability to win new business by producing high-quality, professional proposals and marketing collateral. Strong visual communication enhances client perception, supports sales efforts, and reinforces the company's brand identity, all critical components of a successful Go-To-Market strategy.

Growth Opportunities:

• Skill Specialization: Opportunity to deepen expertise in specific design software (e.g., advanced InDesign techniques, motion graphics) and design types (e.g., proposal graphics, digital marketing).

• Industry Knowledge: Develop an understanding of the engineering and consulting industry, which can lead to more impactful and contextually relevant design work.

• Career Progression: Potential to advance to a Senior Graphic Designer role, specialize in areas like proposal management support, or transition into broader marketing coordination roles within the firm.

• Professional Development: Access to tuition reimbursement and internal training programs provides avenues for continuous learning and skill enhancement.

📝 Enhancement Note: This analysis frames the Graphic Designer role as a crucial support function within the broader operations of a professional services firm. Growth opportunities are tied to skill development, industry immersion, and potential career pathing within marketing and GTM support functions.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: On-site position in Austin, North Texas (TX). This indicates a traditional office setting designed for collaboration and focused work.

Office Location(s): Austin, TX. Specific office details would need to be confirmed, but it implies an accessible urban or suburban business location.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The role requires interaction with engineers, project managers, and the marketing team, suggesting an open or semi-open office layout that facilitates communication and teamwork.

• Tools and Technology: The workspace will be equipped with PC-based systems, and access to the full Adobe Creative Suite and Microsoft Office Suite is standard.

• Team Interaction: Opportunities for daily interaction with colleagues, feedback sessions, and team meetings to ensure project alignment and quality.

Work Schedule:

• Primarily a standard 40-hour work week.

• Flexibility is a key requirement, with the expectation of periodic work outside normal hours to meet business needs and tight deadlines.

• The benefit of half-day Fridays offers a structured way to balance work demands with personal time.

📝 Enhancement Note: The on-site requirement and emphasis on collaboration are crucial for roles that involve frequent interaction and visual asset creation. The mention of PC-based systems is a practical detail for candidates.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Review of resume and online portfolio link to assess qualifications and creative output.

• Technical Assessment: Potential for a design challenge or portfolio review session to evaluate skills in specific software (e.g., InDesign, Photoshop) and ability to interpret briefs.

• Team/Manager Interview: Discussion focusing on design approach, collaboration style, problem-solving abilities, and fit with the marketing team's culture.

• Final Interview: May involve meeting with senior marketing staff or department leads to discuss broader organizational fit and career aspirations.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select projects that best demonstrate proficiency in the required software (InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator) and highlight experience with proposal graphics, reports, brochures, and digital assets.

• Showcase Process: Briefly explain your design process for key projects, including how you interpreted briefs, collaborated with stakeholders (if applicable), and refined designs to meet objectives.

• Highlight Results: If possible, quantify the impact of your designs (e.g., "Contributed to winning proposal X," "Increased engagement on social media graphic Y").

• Brand Adherence: Include examples where you successfully applied branding guidelines.

• Technical Skills: Ensure your portfolio clearly features work that showcases your ability to handle complex layouts and multimedia elements.

Challenge Preparation:

• Be prepared to discuss your approach to designing for technical audiences and translating complex information visually.

• Practice articulating your design decisions and how they align with project goals and branding.

• Review common proposal and report structures to anticipate design needs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on portfolio review and potential design challenges is standard for creative roles. The advice focuses on showcasing operational aspects of design: process, adherence to standards, and impact, which are valuable for candidates applying to roles supporting business operations.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Adobe Creative Suite:

  • Adobe InDesign: Core tool for layout of complex documents, proposals, and reports. Expectation of advanced proficiency.
  • Adobe Photoshop: For image editing, manipulation, and creation of graphic elements.
  • Adobe Illustrator: For vector graphics, logos, icons, and illustrations.
  • Adobe Acrobat: For PDF creation, editing, and pre-press checks.

• Microsoft Office Suite:

  • Microsoft PowerPoint: For creating presentations and integrating graphics.
  • Microsoft Word: For integrating graphics into reports and proposals.
  • Microsoft Excel: Potentially for data visualization or integration into designs.

Analytics & Reporting:

CRM & Automation:

Preferred/Potential Tools:

• Adobe Premiere Pro / Adobe After Effects: For video editing and motion graphics.

• 3DS Max / SketchUp: For 3D modeling and rendering (if applicable).

• WordPress: For web design and content management.

• HTML / CSS: For web design implementation.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section is crucial for operations professionals who value technical proficiency. The explicit listing of Adobe CC and Microsoft Office Suite, with specific emphasis on InDesign, provides clear technical requirements. Mentioning preferred tools also signals areas for skill development.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Quality and Accuracy: A strong emphasis on delivering high-quality, error-free work, especially critical for client-facing proposals and reports.

• Collaboration and Teamwork: Valuing the ability to work effectively with diverse teams, including technical staff and marketing colleagues, to achieve common goals.

• Responsibility and Proactivity: Expecting individuals to take ownership of their work, seek solutions, and contribute positively to the team's success.

• Efficiency and Timeliness: A focus on meeting deadlines and managing workload effectively in a fast-paced environment.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Designers are expected to integrate closely with engineers and project managers, acting as a bridge between technical information and visual communication.

• Feedback Exchange: An open culture for providing and receiving constructive feedback on designs to ensure alignment and continuous improvement.

• Knowledge Sharing: Encouraging the sharing of design best practices, new techniques, and industry trends within the marketing team.

📝 Enhancement Note: While this role is creative, the associated values and collaboration style are deeply rooted in operational effectiveness. The emphasis on accuracy, efficiency, and cross-functional integration is paramount for supporting business operations and GTM functions.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Translating Technical Jargon: Effectively interpreting and visually representing complex engineering and technical information for a broader audience.

• Balancing Creativity with Constraints: Fulfilling creative vision while adhering strictly to corporate branding, client requirements, and tight production deadlines.

• Managing Competing Priorities: Juggling multiple simultaneous projects for different stakeholders with varying levels of urgency and importance.

• Keeping Pace with Technology: Staying updated with evolving design software, tools, and digital media trends.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Software Training: Access to internal and external training to master advanced features of Adobe Creative Suite and explore new design tools.

• Industry-Specific Design: Gaining expertise in designing for the engineering and consulting sector, understanding its unique visual communication needs.

• Cross-Functional Exposure: Learning about different engineering disciplines and project types through collaboration, which can inform design approaches.

• Mentorship: Opportunities to learn from senior designers and marketing professionals within the firm.

📝 Enhancement Note: Identifying challenges and growth opportunities provides valuable insight for operations candidates, highlighting areas where they can demonstrate problem-solving skills and a commitment to continuous improvement.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to design a complex document with many technical details. How did you ensure clarity and accuracy?" (Focus on process, stakeholder communication, and InDesign proficiency).

• "How do you manage multiple design projects with competing deadlines? Walk us through your workflow." (Emphasize project management, prioritization, and efficiency).

• "How do you approach incorporating feedback from non-designers, such as engineers or project managers?" (Highlight communication, adaptability, and problem-solving).

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about working for an engineering consulting firm like Kimley-Horn?" (Show research into the company and industry).

• "How do you align your design work with corporate branding guidelines?" (Demonstrate attention to detail and process adherence).

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure: Organize your portfolio logically, perhaps by project type (e.g., Proposals, Reports, Digital Assets) or by skill demonstrated.

• Narrative: For each selected project, briefly explain the objective, your role, the process you followed, the tools used, and the outcome or impact.

• Highlight Key Skills: Ensure your presentation clearly showcases your proficiency in InDesign, Photoshop, and Illustrator, especially for complex layouts.

• Visual Emphasis: Let your designs speak for themselves, but be prepared to articulate your creative choices and technical execution.

📝 Enhancement Note: These interview questions and preparation tips are tailored to assess not just creative talent but also the operational capabilities essential for a role supporting business development and marketing, such as process adherence, communication, and problem-solving.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Graphic Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on the Kimley-Horn careers portal.

• Portfolio Submission: Ensure your online portfolio link is prominently displayed on your resume and/or in the application form. Tailor your portfolio to highlight relevant experience in proposal design, report layout, and digital marketing collateral.

• Resume Optimization: Customize your resume to emphasize your proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (especially InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator) and Microsoft Office Suite. Quantify achievements where possible (e.g., "Designed X proposals contributing to Y successful bids").

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design process, your approach to client collaboration, and how you manage deadlines and multiple projects. Be ready to discuss your portfolio in detail.

• Company Research: Familiarize yourself with Kimley-Horn's services, recent projects, and company values. Understand their brand aesthetic and how your design skills can contribute to their success.

⚠️ 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.