Graphic Designer - Contract

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Graphic Designer - Contract

Company: Core Education and Consulting Solutions

Location: Remote (United States)

Job Type: CONTRACTOR

Category: Marketing Operations / Creative Services

Date Posted: March 25, 2026

Experience Level: Mid-Level (3-5 years)

Remote Status: Fully Remote

🚀 Role Summary

• Responsible for creating visually compelling and on-brand marketing content across multiple digital channels, including social media, web, and digital advertisements.

• Collaborates closely with content writers and the creative marketing team to translate marketing objectives into engaging visual narratives that resonate with target audiences.

• Ensures strict adherence to brand guidelines and consistency across all marketing collateral produced for partner institutions.

• Leverages advanced graphic design software, including Adobe Creative Suite and Figma, to produce, edit, and optimize digital assets for various platforms.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role is a contract position requiring 10-20 hours per week with flexible scheduling, indicating a need for self-directed individuals who can manage project-based assignments efficiently. The focus on "partner institutions" suggests a B2B marketing environment within the higher education sector.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Design and develop a wide range of marketing collateral, including social media graphics, website banners, digital ad creatives, email templates, and promotional assets, ensuring alignment with campaign goals and brand identity.

• Collaborate with content creators to visually interpret written materials, developing creative concepts that enhance message clarity and audience engagement.

• Maintain and enforce brand consistency across all design outputs, acting as a guardian of the brand's visual integrity for Core's partner institutions.

• Utilize graphic design software (Adobe Creative Suite, Figma) to produce high-quality, optimized visual assets for diverse marketing channels, adhering to platform-specific requirements.

• Translate abstract marketing objectives and project briefs into concrete, visually effective designs that clearly communicate intended messages and drive desired actions.

• Proactively research and incorporate current industry design trends, emerging technologies, and best practices to propose innovative and impactful design solutions.

• Manage a diverse project workload, prioritizing tasks, adhering to strict deadlines, and consistently delivering high-quality design work that meets or exceeds expectations.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "transforming higher education" and "performance marketing, data science, and AI" within the company description suggests that design work will need to be data-informed and performance-oriented, not just aesthetically pleasing. Designers will likely need to understand how their visuals contribute to measurable marketing outcomes.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design, Visual Design, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.

Experience: 3-5 years of experience in graphic design, with a significant portion focused on marketing and brand promotion within a team environment. Agency experience is considered a plus.

Required Skills:

• Proven proficiency in graphic design software, specifically Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign) and Figma.

• Strong portfolio demonstrating successful multi-channel marketing campaign design, showcasing creativity and brand adherence.

• Deep understanding of core design principles: typography, color theory, layout, composition, and visual hierarchy.

• Aptitude for transforming ambiguous or conceptual requests into on-brand, target-audience-focused creative output.

• Ability to receive and implement constructive criticism and client feedback effectively.

• Experience with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, PowerPoint) for asset integration and presentations.

• Excellent attention to detail, ensuring accuracy and polish in all design deliverables.

• Effective communication skills for collaboration with content writers, marketing managers, and other stakeholders.

Preferred Skills:

• Familiarity with marketing automation platforms and their design considerations.

• Experience in A/B testing visual elements for marketing campaigns.

• Basic understanding of web design principles and UI/UX considerations for digital assets.

• Knowledge of video editing or motion graphics software (e.g., After Effects, Premiere Pro) for enhanced digital content.

• Experience working within the higher education sector or for educational technology companies.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for handling "ambiguous or conceptual requests" and "client requests" highlights the need for strong interpretation, problem-solving, and client-management skills alongside technical design abilities. The "agency experience a plus" suggests that candidates familiar with client-service models and fast-paced project delivery will be highly valued.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A robust portfolio is mandatory, showcasing a minimum of 3-5 multi-channel marketing campaigns designed by the candidate.

• Include case studies that detail the design process, from initial brief interpretation to final execution, highlighting problem-solving and creative decision-making.

• Demonstrate versatility across various marketing channels: social media (various platforms), web (banners, landing page elements), digital ads (display, social), email marketing, and print/promotional materials.

• Clearly articulate the role played in each project and the specific design challenges addressed.

Process Documentation:

• Provide examples of how design briefs were translated into visual concepts, detailing the ideation and sketching phases.

• Illustrate the iterative design process, including feedback incorporation and revisions, demonstrating adaptability and client responsiveness.

• Showcase optimization techniques applied to visual assets for different platforms (e.g., resizing for social media, optimizing file types for web performance).

• Include examples of how design principles (typography, color theory, layout) were strategically applied to achieve specific marketing objectives.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on a "strong portfolio showcasing your design work in multi-channel marketing campaigns" and the need to "translate marketing objectives ... into engaging and effective designs" means the portfolio should not just be a collection of pretty pictures, but a demonstration of how design drives marketing results. Candidates should be prepared to discuss the strategy behind their visual choices.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: As this is a contract role with flexible hours (10-20 per week), compensation is likely to be on an hourly basis. Based on industry standards for contract Graphic Designers in the US with 3-5 years of experience, the estimated hourly rate would range from $30 to $50 per hour. This range can vary based on specific skill sets, portfolio strength, and the complexity of projects assigned.

Benefits:

• Flexible Work Schedule: The ability to set your own hours within the 10-20 hour per week framework, allowing for excellent work-life balance and integration with other commitments.

• Remote Work: Fully remote position, eliminating commute time and offering the flexibility to work from anywhere within the United States.

• Project-Based Assignments: Opportunity to work on diverse and engaging design projects for various partner institutions, providing varied experience and skill development.

• Contract Engagement: Offers independence and the ability to choose projects that align with professional interests and career goals.

• Potential for Ongoing Work: Successful contractors may be offered continued project-based assignments based on performance and business needs.

Working Hours: This is a contract role requiring approximately 10-20 hours per week. The hours are flexible, allowing the designer to manage their own schedule and project timelines, provided deadlines are met. There are no current scheduled commitments, enabling significant autonomy.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the contract nature and flexible hours, a specific salary range has been estimated based on typical freelance graphic design rates in the US. Candidates should be prepared to negotiate their hourly rate based on their experience, portfolio, and the estimated project scope. Benefits are typical for contract roles, emphasizing flexibility and autonomy over traditional employment benefits.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Higher Education Services, Marketing Technology, EdTech. Core Education and Consulting Solutions operates at the intersection of higher education and performance marketing, aiming to modernize how educational institutions attract and retain students.

Company Size: The LinkedIn data indicates a company size of 51-200 employees. This suggests a mid-sized organization that is likely agile, with potentially flatter hierarchies and more direct communication channels than a large corporation.

Founded: Founded in 2019, Core Education is a relatively young company focused on innovation and growth within the EdTech and marketing sectors.

Team Structure:

• The Graphic Designer will be part of the "creative marketing team," working collaboratively with "content writers" and potentially other marketing specialists.

• Reporting likely goes to a Marketing Manager or Creative Director, overseeing campaign execution and brand integrity.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Marketing: The company emphasizes "performance marketing, data science, and AI," indicating that design decisions should be informed by data and aimed at measurable outcomes.

• Experimentation and Iteration: The culture values "experimentation" and "bold thinking," suggesting an environment where designers can propose new ideas and iterate on designs based on performance feedback.

• Agile and Mission-Driven: The team is described as "agile" and "mission-driven," implying a fast-paced, focused work environment with a clear purpose.

Company Website: https://www.coreeducationllc.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's focus on transforming higher education and leveraging technology like AI suggests a forward-thinking, dynamic culture. Designers should be prepared to work in an environment that values innovation, results, and adaptability. The relatively young age of the company (founded 2019) implies a startup-like energy.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as a mid-level Contract Graphic Designer. While not a full-time, permanent position, it offers significant exposure to marketing operations within the EdTech sector. The responsibilities involve translating strategic marketing goals into tangible visual assets, a core function within GTM operations.

Reporting Structure: The designer will report to a manager within the marketing team, likely collaborating closely with content writers and potentially other marketing specialists. This structure provides opportunities to understand campaign workflows and cross-functional dependencies.

Operations Impact: The Graphic Designer's work directly impacts the effectiveness of marketing campaigns by creating visually appealing and on-brand materials. This visual content is crucial for lead generation, brand perception, and student enrollment for Core's partner institutions, thus influencing the overall Go-To-Market (GTM) strategy's success.

Growth Opportunities:

• Skill Expansion: Opportunity to gain experience in designing for diverse digital channels (social media, web ads, email) and potentially learn about new design tools or techniques used by the team.

• Industry Exposure: Develop a deeper understanding of marketing strategies and design challenges specific to the higher education technology sector.

• Portfolio Enhancement: Contribute to significant marketing campaigns, enriching the designer's portfolio with real-world, impactful projects.

• Networking: Build professional relationships within the marketing team and potentially with representatives from partner institutions.

• Potential for Future Contract Roles: Demonstrating strong performance and reliability could lead to more extensive or ongoing contract opportunities with Core Education.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a contract role, "growth" is often measured by portfolio development, skill enhancement, and potential for continued engagement. This role offers exposure to performance marketing within EdTech, which can be valuable for a designer looking to specialize in that niche.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: This is a fully remote position, meaning there is no traditional office environment. The work is conducted from the designer's own location within the United States.

Office Location(s): Remote (United States). This implies that candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States and able to work remotely from within the country.

Workspace Context:

• Autonomy: The remote and flexible nature of the role requires a high degree of self-discipline, time management, and ability to work independently without direct supervision.

• Digital Collaboration Tools: Expect to use a suite of digital tools for communication, project management, and file sharing (e.g., Slack, Asana, Google Workspace, Adobe Creative Cloud). Proficiency in these tools is essential.

• Team Interaction: While remote, there will be opportunities for collaboration and interaction with the marketing team through virtual meetings and communication platforms. Active participation and clear communication are key.

Work Schedule: The role requires approximately 10-20 hours per week with flexible scheduling. This allows for significant autonomy in managing personal time and professional commitments, provided project deadlines and team availability for collaboration are respected.

📝 Enhancement Note: The remote and contract nature emphasizes the need for a dedicated home office setup and reliable internet connectivity. Candidates should be comfortable with asynchronous communication and managing their workflow independently.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Review of resume and portfolio to assess basic qualifications, relevant experience, and design aesthetic.

• Portfolio Review & Skills Assessment: A deeper dive into the candidate's portfolio, likely involving a virtual meeting to discuss specific projects, design rationale, and problem-solving approaches. This may include a design challenge.

• Cultural Fit & Collaboration Discussion: An interview to assess how well the candidate aligns with the company's agile, mission-driven culture, and their ability to collaborate effectively with remote teams.

• Final Evaluation: Discussion of contract terms, project expectations, and confirmation of availability and technical setup.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Highlight Campaign Impact: Select projects that demonstrate successful multi-channel marketing campaigns. Quantify results where possible (e.g., "increased engagement by X%," "contributed to Y leads").

• Showcase Process: Include examples of your design process – mood boards, sketches, wireframes, iterations – to illustrate how you approach projects from concept to completion.

• Brand Consistency Examples: Provide examples of how you've maintained brand consistency across various assets and channels.

• Technical Proficiency: Ensure your portfolio clearly shows proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite and Figma.

• Tailor to EdTech/Marketing: If possible, include work relevant to marketing or education to demonstrate understanding of the sector.

Challenge Preparation:

• Be prepared for a design challenge that tests your ability to quickly interpret a brief, apply brand guidelines, and produce relevant marketing assets under a time constraint.

• Practice articulating your design decisions, explaining the "why" behind your creative choices, and how they align with marketing objectives.

• Familiarize yourself with Core Education's mission and their partner institutions' branding to better understand their context.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on a "strong portfolio showcasing your design work in multi-channel marketing campaigns" means candidates should be ready to present their work and explain the strategic thinking behind their designs, not just the aesthetic outcome. A design challenge is highly probable for this role.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Adobe Creative Suite: Essential for professional graphic design, including Photoshop (image editing, manipulation), Illustrator (vector graphics, logos, illustrations), and InDesign (layout for print and digital publications).

• Figma: A collaborative interface design tool, increasingly used for UI/UX design, prototyping, and creating design systems. Proficiency is explicitly required.

Analytics & Reporting:

CRM & Automation:

• Experience with marketing automation platforms (e.g., HubSpot, Marketo) or email marketing tools (e.g., Mailchimp) where designs are implemented would be a plus, as it aids in understanding output requirements and constraints.

• Familiarity with project management tools like Asana, Trello, or Monday.com for tracking tasks and deadlines in a remote, collaborative environment.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of Adobe Creative Suite and Figma indicates these are the core design tools. Candidates should be prepared to demonstrate proficiency in both, particularly Figma, which is highlighted as a key requirement.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Impact-Driven: A strong focus on "performance isn't just measured in clicks—it's measured in transformation." Designers are expected to create visuals that drive measurable results and contribute to institutional change.

• Agile & Experimental: The culture encourages "experimentation" and "bold thinking." Designers should be comfortable proposing new ideas and iterating designs based on feedback and data.

• Collaboration: The team works closely with content writers and other marketing functions, emphasizing teamwork and effective communication.

• Mission-Focused: A shared belief in the importance of higher education and its evolution drives the team's efforts. Designers should be motivated by contributing to this mission.

• Quality & Consistency: Maintaining "brand consistency" is paramount, requiring meticulous attention to detail and adherence to established guidelines.

Collaboration Style:

• Virtual & Asynchronous: Given the remote nature, collaboration relies heavily on digital platforms (e.g., Slack, email, video conferencing) and effective asynchronous communication.

• Feedback-Oriented: The role involves receiving "constructive criticism" and working within "client requests," indicating a culture that values feedback for iterative improvement.

• Cross-Functional Integration: Designers will need to work seamlessly with content creators, marketing strategists, and potentially account managers to ensure visual assets align with broader campaign objectives.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's emphasis on transforming higher education and using data science/AI suggests a culture that values innovation, efficiency, and measurable outcomes. Designers should be prepared to contribute creatively while also understanding the strategic and data-driven aspects of marketing.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Translating Ambiguity: The requirement to create "on brand/target creative output from ambiguous or conceptual requests" is a significant challenge that requires strong interpretation and visualization skills.

• Balancing Creativity with Constraints: Delivering innovative designs while strictly adhering to brand guidelines and marketing objectives for multiple partner institutions can be demanding.

• Remote Collaboration Efficiency: Maintaining seamless communication and project flow with a distributed team requires proactive effort and excellent organizational skills.

• Project Volume Management: Handling multiple project-based assignments within a 10-20 hour weekly limit requires efficient time management and prioritization.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• EdTech Marketing Insights: Gain exposure to the unique marketing challenges and strategies within the higher education technology sector.

• Digital Design Specialization: Enhance skills in designing for specific digital platforms like social media, web ads, and email marketing, learning best practices for each.

• Tool Proficiency: Deepen expertise in collaborative design tools like Figma and advanced features within the Adobe Creative Suite.

• Portfolio Expansion: Build a strong portfolio with diverse, real-world marketing campaign examples that can lead to future contract opportunities or full-time roles.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges highlight the need for a designer who is not only technically skilled but also a strong communicator, problem-solver, and strategic thinker, capable of working independently and adapting to evolving project needs.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you translated an ambiguous marketing brief into a successful design. What was your process?" (Assesses problem-solving, interpretation, and execution.)

• "How do you ensure brand consistency across multiple marketing channels and for different client brands?" (Tests understanding of brand management and attention to detail.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Core Education's mission to transform higher education?" (Gauges alignment with company values and mission.)

• "How do you approach receiving and incorporating constructive feedback on your designs, especially from remote team members?" (Assesses collaboration, adaptability, and communication skills.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure: Organize your portfolio by campaign or project type. For each, include a brief overview of the client/objective, your specific role, the design challenges, your solution, and the results (if available).

• Visuals: Use high-quality mockups and clear visuals. Ensure all presented work is relevant to marketing and digital channels.

• Narrative: Be prepared to tell a compelling story for each project, focusing on your thought process, creative decisions, and the impact of your design.

• Tool Proficiency: Highlight projects that specifically demonstrate your skills in Adobe Creative Suite and Figma.

• Q&A Readiness: Anticipate questions about your design choices, challenges faced, and how you’d approach similar projects for Core Education.

📝 Enhancement Note: Candidates should prepare to discuss their design process in detail, emphasizing how they approach problem-solving, collaborate with others, and ensure their work aligns with strategic marketing goals, especially within the context of performance marketing and the higher education sector.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Graphic Designer contract position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Rippling.

• Portfolio Customization: Ensure your portfolio prominently features examples of multi-channel marketing campaigns, highlighting your experience with social media, web design, and digital ads. Tailor your presentation to showcase how your designs have met specific marketing objectives.

• Resume Optimization: Update your resume to clearly articulate your 3-5 years of graphic design experience, emphasizing your proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite and Figma, and explicitly mentioning experience with marketing materials and brand consistency. Quantify achievements where possible.

• Prepare for a Design Challenge: Be ready to demonstrate your design skills and problem-solving abilities under time constraints, likely involving the creation of marketing assets based on a provided brief.

• Research Core Education: Familiarize yourself with Core Education's mission, their focus on higher education transformation, and their use of performance marketing and AI. Understand their brand voice and target audience.

⚠️ 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.

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