Graphic Designer II

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Graphic Designer II

Company: University of Florida

Location: Main Campus (Gainesville, FL), United States

Job Type: Full-Time

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

Date Posted: 2026-08-07

Experience Level: 2-5 Years

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• This role is crucial for developing and executing compelling visual narratives that enhance the brand identity and strategic initiatives of the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications (CJC).

• The Graphic Designer II will be responsible for translating complex ideas into engaging print and digital assets, supporting the college's mission and outreach efforts.

• This position requires a collaborative individual who can manage multiple design projects from conceptualization through to final delivery, ensuring alignment with CJC's communication goals.

• The role involves significant stakeholder interaction, working directly with faculty, staff, and students to bring their visual communication needs to life across various platforms.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is situated within a higher education setting, specifically a leading journalism and communications college. The responsibilities suggest a focus on brand consistency, marketing collateral creation, and supporting academic and public relations initiatives. The "Graphic Designer II" title implies a mid-level position with a need for both creative execution and project management capabilities.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Design and produce a wide range of print collateral, including brochures, annual reports, flyers, signage, banners, and promotional materials, ensuring brand consistency and aesthetic appeal.

• Create dynamic and engaging social media graphics and digital campaigns tailored for platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and X, to amplify college news, events, and achievements.

• Develop digital creative assets for web use, online advertisements, presentation decks, and digital marketing initiatives, optimizing for various screen sizes and user experiences.

• Manage the full project lifecycle for design requests, from initial client consultation and concept development to final asset delivery, ensuring clear communication and timely execution.

• Collaborate closely with the visual communications team to integrate graphic elements into video and multimedia projects, contributing to a cohesive cross-media content strategy.

• Translate client briefs and strategic objectives into visually impactful designs that effectively communicate key messages and enhance brand perception for the College of Journalism and Communications.

• Maintain and evolve brand guidelines for the college, ensuring all visual outputs adhere to established standards while allowing for creative expression.

• Stay abreast of current design trends, emerging digital platforms, and best practices in visual communication to continuously innovate and improve design output.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of creative design execution and project management within a structured organizational environment. Emphasis is placed on supporting the broader communication goals of a university college, requiring adaptability across print, digital, and social media channels.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• Master's degree in an appropriate area (e.g., Graphic Design, Visual Communications, Fine Arts) OR

• Bachelor's degree in an appropriate area (e.g., Graphic Design, Visual Communications, Fine Arts) AND two years of relevant experience.

• Equivalent combinations of education and experience will be considered. Experience:

• Minimum of two years of professional graphic design experience, preferably within a higher education, agency, corporate communications, or marketing environment.

• Demonstrated experience in managing design projects from concept to completion. Required Skills:

• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Cloud suite, with a strong emphasis on InDesign, Photoshop, and Illustrator.

• Exceptional eye for design principles, including typography, layout, color theory, and visual hierarchy.

• Proven ability in visual storytelling and translating abstract concepts into compelling visual assets.

• Strong understanding of both print design production processes and digital design best practices.

• Skill in creating engaging social media content and graphics optimized for various platforms.

• Excellent project management capabilities, with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously, prioritize tasks, and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with a customer-service orientation for effective client and stakeholder collaboration.

• Ability to work independently and as part of a collaborative team, taking initiative and contributing proactively. Preferred Skills:

• Experience designing for web graphics, digital advertisements, and presentation materials.

• Familiarity with motion graphics, animation, or multimedia design software and techniques.

• Experience in agency, higher education, corporate communications, or marketing settings.

• Knowledge of social media content creation strategies and digital marketing design principles.

• Experience with presentation software and developing visual assets for multimedia projects.

📝 Enhancement Note: The qualifications emphasize a strong technical foundation in design software, coupled with creative acumen and practical experience in managing design projects. The preferred skills indicate areas where candidates can further differentiate themselves, particularly in digital and multimedia capabilities.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A comprehensive portfolio showcasing a strong foundation in design principles, including typography, layout, and color theory.

• Demonstrations of ability to create impactful visual narratives across both print and digital mediums.

• Examples of social media graphics, web banners, and other digital assets that showcase an understanding of platform-specific design needs.

• Case studies or project examples detailing the design process from concept to final execution, highlighting problem-solving and client collaboration.

• Evidence of adaptability in design style to meet diverse client needs and brand requirements. Process Documentation:

• Ability to articulate the design process for specific projects, explaining decision-making rationale and creative problem-solving steps.

• Documentation of how projects were managed, including timelines, client feedback integration, and final asset delivery.

• Examples of how brand guidelines were applied or adapted for specific design outputs.

📝 Enhancement Note: A robust portfolio is critical for this role, serving as the primary evidence of creative skill and design execution capabilities. It should not only showcase final products but also the candidate's thought process and project management approach within the design lifecycle.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $53,000 - $70,000 Annually (Commensurate with Education and Experience)

Benefits:

• Comprehensive medical benefits package.

• Employee Education Program, offering tuition assistance for continued learning.

• Opportunities for professional development and training to enhance skills.

• Generous leave policy, including vacation time, sick leave, and paid holidays.

• Access to campus discounts for cultural and sporting events, retail, and more.

• Full details on the total compensation package are available at: https://benefits.hr.ufl.edu Working Hours:

• Standard 40-hour work week, typical for full-time university positions.

• The role is on-site, requiring physical presence at the Main Campus in Gainesville, FL.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is competitive for a mid-level graphic designer role in higher education within the Gainesville, FL area. The benefits package is comprehensive, reflecting the offerings of a large public university.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Higher Education (Public University), Communications, Marketing, Journalism.

Company Size: Large organization (University of Florida is one of the largest public universities in the U.S. by enrollment and research expenditure). This implies a structured environment with established processes and diverse opportunities.

Founded: The University of Florida was founded in 1853. The College of Journalism and Communications was established in 1935. This long history suggests a culture rooted in academic excellence, tradition, and a forward-looking approach to communication and media.

Team Structure:

• The Graphic Designer II will be part of an innovative communications team within the College of Journalism and Communications.

• This team likely includes other communication professionals such as writers, editors, social media managers, and potentially video producers, working collaboratively.

• Reporting structure will likely be to a Communications Director or Lead Designer, with direct interaction with various college departments and clients. Methodology:

• Data Analysis and Insights: While not a primary data analytics role, design decisions will be informed by understanding target audiences, communication objectives, and potentially performance metrics of previous campaigns.

• Workflow Planning and Optimization: The role requires managing projects efficiently, optimizing workflows for design requests, and ensuring timely delivery of high-quality assets.

• Automation and Efficiency Practices: While not explicitly stated, leveraging design templates, efficient file management, and potentially exploring design automation tools could be part of the efficiency drive.

Company Website: https://www.ufl.edu/

📝 Enhancement Note: Working within a university setting, particularly a prestigious journalism college, means the culture likely values academic rigor, collaboration, innovation in media, and a commitment to public service. The scale of UF offers stability and diverse professional interactions.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Mid-level professional (Graphic Designer II). This level typically involves executing designs with a degree of autonomy and managing smaller to medium-sized projects, while still receiving guidance on complex or strategic initiatives.

Reporting Structure: The Graphic Designer II will report to a senior member of the communications team (e.g., Communications Director, Art Director, or Lead Designer). Collaboration will extend across various departments within the College of Journalism and Communications.

Operations Impact: The graphic designer's work directly influences the perception and effectiveness of the College of Journalism and Communications' brand and outreach efforts. High-quality visual content can enhance student recruitment, support faculty research dissemination, attract donors, and elevate the college's public profile. The role contributes to the overall success of the college's communication strategies by making information more accessible and engaging.

Growth Opportunities:

• Operations Skill Advancement: Potential to specialize in areas like motion graphics, UI/UX design for web, or brand strategy through continued professional development and project experience.

• Industry Exposure: Opportunity to work on diverse projects for a leading journalism college, gaining experience in various communication fields (journalism, advertising, public relations, media studies).

• Leadership Potential: With proven performance and expanded responsibilities, potential to move into a Senior Graphic Designer role, Art Director, or lead design on major college initiatives.

📝 Enhancement Note: Career progression in design within higher education often involves deepening expertise, taking on more strategic design leadership, or moving into management roles within communications departments.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is on-site at the University of Florida's Main Campus in Gainesville, FL. This suggests a professional office environment within a larger academic institution.

Office Location(s): Main Campus (Gainesville, FL). This is a large, vibrant university campus with access to various facilities and amenities.

Workspace Context:

• Expect a collaborative workspace within the communications team, encouraging interaction and idea-sharing among designers and other communication professionals.

• Access to standard office technology, including computers, printers, and potentially shared creative software licenses.

• Opportunities for cross-functional collaboration with faculty, staff, students, and external partners across the college.

Work Schedule: A standard 40-hour work week, typically Monday to Friday, with flexibility as needed to meet project deadlines. The on-site nature ensures direct engagement with colleagues and immediate access to resources.

📝 Enhancement Note: The on-site requirement facilitates direct collaboration and integration within the college's communications team, which is often beneficial for creative roles that thrive on spontaneous feedback and team synergy.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Review of resume, cover letter, and portfolio to assess qualifications and creative fit.

• Portfolio Review & Technical Interview: A dedicated session where candidates present their portfolio, discussing their design process, problem-solving approaches, and technical skills (e.g., Adobe Creative Suite proficiency). Expect questions about specific projects, design choices, and client collaboration.

• Skills Assessment/Design Challenge: Potentially a practical exercise or design challenge to evaluate real-time design thinking, creativity, and execution under timed conditions. This might involve creating a social media graphic or a layout for a brochure based on a prompt.

• Behavioral & Cultural Fit Interview: Discussion with hiring managers and potential team members to assess collaboration style, communication skills, initiative, and alignment with the university's values and the team's dynamic. Questions may focus on handling feedback, managing multiple projects, and working within a university environment.

• Final Interview: May involve a discussion with higher-level management to confirm fit and suitability for the role.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 5-8 of your strongest, most relevant projects that showcase a range of skills (print, digital, social media) and your problem-solving abilities.

• Tell a Story: For each project, clearly articulate the brief, your role, the challenges faced, your creative process, design rationale, and the impact or outcome.

• Highlight Process: Include sketches, wireframes, mood boards, or iterations to demonstrate your thought process, not just the final polished product.

• Quantify Impact: If possible, provide metrics or qualitative feedback on how your designs performed or were received.

• Tailor to UF CJC: Emphasize projects that align with higher education, communications, or marketing goals. Show an understanding of brand consistency and visual storytelling.

• Technical Proficiency: Be prepared to discuss your proficiency with Adobe Creative Cloud and any other relevant design software.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Prompt: Carefully read and analyze any design challenge. Identify the core objective, target audience, and key message.

• Time Management: Allocate your time effectively across concept development, design execution, and refinement.

• Focus on Strategy: Even in a timed exercise, demonstrate strategic thinking behind your design choices.

• Presentation Clarity: Be prepared to briefly explain your design decisions and rationale for the challenge.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on a portfolio review and potential design challenge indicates that practical creative skills and process understanding are paramount for this role. Candidates should prepare to articulate their design journey and strategic thinking.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Adobe Creative Cloud: Essential suite including:

  • InDesign: For layout and publishing of print materials (brochures, reports, flyers).
  • Photoshop: For image editing, manipulation, and digital asset creation.
  • Illustrator: For vector graphics, logos, icons, and illustrations.

• Project Management Software: While not explicitly named, expect to use tools for task tracking, project timelines, and client communication (e.g., Asana, Trello, Monday.com, or internal university systems).

Analytics & Reporting:

• Web Analytics Tools (e.g., Google Analytics): Understanding how web graphics and digital campaigns perform may be beneficial, though not a primary requirement.

• Social Media Analytics: Familiarity with native analytics on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X for tracking engagement on created graphics.

CRM & Automation:

• No direct CRM/Automation tools listed for this design role. The focus is on creative production, not sales or marketing automation platforms. However, understanding how designs integrate into marketing campaigns is a plus.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in the Adobe Creative Suite is non-negotiable. Familiarity with project management tools and an understanding of how design assets contribute to digital marketing performance will be advantageous.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Excellence in Communication: A commitment to producing high-quality, effective visual communications that support the college's mission.

• Collaboration and Teamwork: Fostering a supportive environment where ideas are shared, feedback is constructive, and collective goals are achieved.

• Innovation and Creativity: Encouraging new ideas and approaches to visual design and storytelling in a dynamic media landscape.

• Service Orientation: Dedication to serving the needs of internal clients (faculty, staff, students) and external audiences with professionalism and responsiveness.

• Data-Informed Creativity: While creative-led, decisions may be influenced by an understanding of audience engagement and communication effectiveness.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: Working closely with writers, social media managers, web developers, and other communications staff to ensure cohesive campaign execution.

• Client-Centric Approach: Engaging directly with faculty, staff, and students to understand their needs and deliver designs that meet their objectives.

• Feedback Exchange: Openness to providing and receiving constructive feedback to refine designs and improve project outcomes.

• Knowledge Sharing: Contributing to a team environment where design best practices and new techniques are shared among colleagues.

📝 Enhancement Note: The team culture likely emphasizes a blend of creative passion, academic integrity, and collaborative effort, typical of a university communications department.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Creative Vision with Brand Standards: Effectively translating creative ideas within the established brand guidelines of a large institution.

• Managing Diverse Stakeholder Needs: Juggling the varied requests and expectations from different departments, faculty, and students.

• Adapting to Evolving Digital Trends: Staying current with rapidly changing social media platforms and digital design best practices.

• Prioritizing Competing Deadlines: Effectively managing multiple design projects with often tight turnaround times in a busy academic environment.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Skill Specialization: Opportunity to deepen expertise in specific design areas like motion graphics, UX/UI design, or advanced digital illustration.

• Industry Engagement: Potential to attend relevant design conferences, workshops, or webinars focused on higher education marketing and communications.

• Mentorship: Learning from senior designers or communications professionals within the college and university.

• Cross-Departmental Projects: Gaining exposure to different communication strategies and design applications across various academic and administrative units.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role offers significant opportunities for professional growth by tackling diverse design challenges and continuously learning within a dynamic academic setting.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe your process for taking a design project from initial concept to final delivery." Be ready to walk through a specific project, detailing your steps, decision-making, and how you incorporated feedback.

• "How do you ensure your designs align with brand guidelines while still being creative and engaging?" Prepare examples of how you balance institutional standards with innovative design solutions.

• "How do you handle constructive criticism or feedback on your designs?" Emphasize your ability to receive and incorporate feedback professionally to improve the final output.

• "What is your experience with designing for social media platforms, and how do you tailor content for each?" Discuss specific platforms and strategies for visual engagement. Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about working for the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications?" Research the college's mission, recent achievements, and specific programs to show genuine interest.

• "How do you see your design skills contributing to the goals of a leading journalism college?" Connect your abilities to supporting academic excellence, student success, and public outreach.

• "Describe a time you collaborated with a team on a design project. What was your role and how did you ensure effective communication?" Highlight your teamwork and interpersonal skills. Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure for Impact: Organize your portfolio logically, perhaps by project type (print, digital, social) or by demonstrating a progression of skills.

• Narrative is Key: For each project, tell a compelling story about the challenge, your approach, your creative solutions, and the outcome. Use visuals to support your narrative.

• Showcase Process, Not Just Polish: Include sketches, mood boards, or early concepts to demonstrate your thinking and problem-solving.

• Quantify Results: If possible, mention any metrics (e.g., engagement rates, click-through rates) or positive feedback received for your designs.

• Technical Mastery: Be prepared to discuss your proficiency with Adobe Creative Suite and any other tools used.

📝 Enhancement Note: Candidates should prepare to articulate not just their design skills but also their strategic thinking, collaborative approach, and understanding of the educational/communications context of UF CJC.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Graphic Designer II position:

• Submit your application through the UF Jobs website (https://jobs.ufl.edu/).

• Tailor your resume and cover letter: Highlight experience and skills directly relevant to the job description, emphasizing your proficiency with Adobe Creative Cloud, print/digital design, and project management. Use keywords from the job posting.

• Prepare your portfolio: Ensure it showcases your best work, focusing on projects relevant to higher education, communications, or marketing. Be ready to discuss your process and rationale for each piece.

• Research UF CJC: Understand the college's mission, values, and recent initiatives. This will help you tailor your application and prepare for interview questions.

• Gather references: Have three professional references ready, including contact information, as requested in the special instructions.

⚠️ 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.