Graphic Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Graphic Designer

Company: William & Mary and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science

Location: Discovery 2, Williamsburg, Virginia, United States

Job Type: Full-time

Category: Creative & Media / Art & Design / Marketing / Education

Date Posted: July 28, 2026

Experience Level: 2-5 Years

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Develop strategically driven, brand-aligned visual communications to support university goals across enrollment, advancement, and institutional reputation.

• Create compelling print and digital materials, including publications, brochures, reports, campaign collateral, presentations, and event-related graphics.

• Implement and maintain university brand standards across all visual assets, ensuring consistency and adherence to visual identity guidelines.

• Collaborate closely with writers, photographers, project managers, marketing strategists, campus partners, and external vendors to deliver high-quality creative work.

• Foster a culture of belonging and embrace diverse perspectives in all design outputs, ensuring inclusivity and audience-centered communications.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is classified as "operational," meaning it is salaried and eligible for overtime (non-exempt). This classification is relevant for understanding benefits and leave eligibility within the university's structure.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Design a wide range of visual materials for university marketing, communications, and advancement initiatives, encompassing print, digital, web, email, social media, presentation, and environmental applications.

• Develop polished visual concepts for high-visibility institutional campaigns, translating creative briefs and strategic goals into compelling design solutions that support recruitment, engagement, fundraising, reputation enhancement, and institutional storytelling.

• Produce campaign creative that extends cohesively across multiple channels and formats, ensuring consistency, clarity, and visual impact while adhering to project goals and audience needs.

• Adapt approved campaign directions into cohesive suites of materials, including campaign graphics, publications, event materials, signage, postcards, print collateral, email headers, social media graphics, presentations, and other marketing assets.

• Translate complex messages into clear, engaging, and accessible visual communications, demonstrating strong typography, layout, composition, color, image selection, information hierarchy, and brand application.

• Prepare design options for review, revising work based on feedback from design leadership, project managers, clients, and collaborators, ensuring clear communication of project status, questions, and timeline concerns.

• Apply accessibility best practices, including readable typography, appropriate color contrast, and structured document design, to all created materials.

• Create, update, and maintain branded templates, toolkits, and reusable design assets to support consistency and efficiency across the university, including platforms like Microsoft PowerPoint and Canva.

• Adapt existing brand systems and design templates for new uses while maintaining visual consistency and usability.

• Prepare accurate, production-ready files for various applications (print, digital, web, email, presentation, environmental), coordinating with vendors and internal partners on specifications, proofs, timelines, and final deliverables.

• Ensure final materials meet project requirements, production standards, and university brand guidelines, maintaining organized final files and project materials for archiving and future reference.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities emphasize a strong focus on print production and template creation, indicating a need for designers who can manage both creative conceptualization and practical implementation for a large institution. The "70% Graphic Design, 15% Brand Application, 15% Production" breakdown provides a clear understanding of time allocation.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education, training, and/or experience.

Experience: Typically 2+ years of graphic design, illustration, or related creative work experience in an agency, corporate, or higher education environment. Preferred qualifications suggest 3-5 years of experience.

Required Skills:

• Strong creative proficiency in layout, typography, and print design, demonstrated through a portfolio.

• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite, with a particular emphasis on InDesign, Photoshop, and Illustrator.

• Experience developing branded templates or self-service design assets in platforms such as Canva or similar tools, while maintaining visual identity standards.

• Experience designing long-form publications and complex multi-page layouts.

• Strong understanding of typography, color, composition, photography, and information hierarchy.

• Knowledge of print production processes, file preparation, and vendor coordination.

• Experience designing and maintaining presentation materials or branded slide templates using software such as Microsoft PowerPoint.

• Strong organizational, communication, and project management skills.

• Ability to balance multiple priorities and meet deadlines in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.

• Ability to work effectively with clients, vendors, leadership, and multidisciplinary teams.

• Understanding of brand systems and visual identity implementation.

• Knowledge of accessibility and readability best practices for print and presentation materials.

• Commitment to creating inclusive, accessible, and audience-centered communications. Preferred Skills:

• Illustration skills or experience creating custom visual assets.

• Strong conceptual thinking and creative problem-solving abilities.

• Ability to visually communicate complex information and data.

• Demonstrated creativity, initiative, and independent judgment.

• Strong presentation development skills.

• Excellent planning, organizational, and analytical skills.

• Diplomacy, tact, and professionalism when working with campus stakeholders and external partners.

• Ability to maintain a high degree of flexibility and efficiency under deadline constraints.

• Experience in applying accessibility best practices in Adobe Creative Suite, Microsoft PowerPoint, PDFs, or other digital publishing tools.

📝 Enhancement Note: The required qualifications highlight a need for a designer proficient in core design software and print production, with a specific emphasis on template creation for platforms like Canva and PowerPoint. The preference for higher education experience and a strong portfolio demonstrating print design and typography suggests a focus on established institutional branding and communication needs.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A portfolio demonstrating strong creative proficiency, with a specific emphasis on layout, typography, and print design.

• Case studies showcasing the ability to translate complex messaging into clear and engaging visual communications across various applications.

• Examples of long-form publications and complex multi-page layouts that highlight organizational skills and attention to detail.

• Demonstrations of applied brand systems and visual identity implementation, showing consistency and adherence to guidelines.

• Samples of branded templates or self-service design assets created for platforms like Canva or Microsoft PowerPoint, illustrating practical application and usability. Process Documentation:

• Examples of how you have prepared accurate, production-ready files for print, digital, and presentation outputs, detailing your workflow and quality control measures.

• Documentation of your experience coordinating with print vendors and internal partners, including how you manage specifications, proofs, and timelines.

• Evidence of your understanding and application of accessibility best practices in design, particularly for print and presentation materials.

• Case studies illustrating how you have contributed to institutional campaigns, from initial concept to final delivery, showcasing your role in developing cohesive visual suites.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio requirements strongly emphasize