Visual/ Graphic Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Visual/Graphic Designer Company: Civil Science Location: Salt Lake City, Utah, United States Job Type: Full-Time Category: Marketing & Design Operations Date Posted: January 23, 2026 Experience Level: 2-5 Years Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• This role is pivotal in shaping Civil Science's visual brand identity, encompassing everything from client-facing proposals to digital marketing campaigns and internal communications.
• The Visual/Graphic Designer will be responsible for translating complex engineering concepts into clear, compelling, and aesthetically pleasing visual narratives that resonate with diverse audiences.
• A key focus will be on designing modern, professional proposals that leverage layout, typography, imagery, and graphics to effectively communicate project value and differentiate Civil Science in the A/E/C industry.
• This position requires a high degree of collaboration with senior leadership, project managers, and marketing teams to ensure design initiatives align with strategic goals and enhance the company's overall brand presence.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the job title is "Visual/Graphic Designer," the description heavily emphasizes its integration within a business context, particularly the A/E/C industry and marketing operations. This suggests a role that bridges creative design with strategic business objectives, requiring an understanding of how design impacts proposal success, brand perception, and lead generation. The emphasis on "operations" in this context refers to the systematic execution and management of design processes to achieve business goals.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Brand Ownership & Evolution: Take full ownership of the company's visual brand across all touchpoints, ensuring consistency and impact from proposals and digital campaigns to conference booths and internal materials.
• Concept Visualization: Skillfully translate intricate engineering concepts and technical data into easily understandable and engaging visual elements, such as infographics and diagrams.
• Proposal Design Excellence: Develop and execute modern, polished proposals that utilize superior layout, typography, imagery, and graphics to tell a compelling story and establish Civil Science's competitive advantage.
• Marketing Collateral Development: Create a diverse range of consistent marketing materials tailored for multiple office locations, various engineering disciplines, and distinct project types.
• Marketing Process Partnership: Actively participate in the marketing process, collaborating with the team to understand campaign objectives and contributing design expertise to shape overall strategy.
• Graphic Asset Creation: Design and continually refine graphic assets that reinforce and elevate Civil Science's brand identity and market presence.
• Multi-Channel Design Application: Produce designs for both print (flyers, ads, event materials) and digital platforms (web content, social media visuals, animations, GIFs, slide decks).
• Digital Initiative Support: Contribute to digital marketing efforts by designing engaging web content, social media graphics, and dynamic assets like animations and GIFs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities clearly indicate a need for strategic design thinking beyond just aesthetics. The emphasis on "translating complex engineering concepts" and "designing modern, polished proposals" highlights the critical link between design and business outcomes in the A/E/C sector. This requires the designer to understand the target audience and the objectives of each design piece, aligning with GTM (Go-to-Market) operations in a broader sense by supporting sales and marketing efforts through effective visual communication.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design or a related field is preferred.
• Equivalent professional experience will be considered as a substitute for a formal degree.

Experience:

• Minimum of 2 years of dedicated graphic design experience in a professional environment, with a strong preference for candidates with experience in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (A/E/C) industry.

Required Skills:

• Visual Branding Expertise: Proven ability to develop and maintain a cohesive and impactful visual brand identity across various platforms and materials.
• Adobe Creative Suite Proficiency: High-level expertise in Adobe InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, and Acrobat is essential for creating and managing design assets.
• Layout & Typography: Strong command of principles of effective layout design and typography to create visually appealing and readable content.
• Proposal Design: Demonstrated experience in designing professional, compelling proposals that effectively communicate complex information and impress clients.
• Cross-functional Collaboration: Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to effectively partner with diverse teams, including senior leadership, project managers, and marketing personnel.
• Technical Concept Visualization: Ability to translate complex engineering or technical subject matter into clear, concise, and engaging visual representations.

Preferred Skills:

• A/E/C Industry Acumen: Familiarity with the specific design needs, terminology, and aesthetic conventions of the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction sectors.
• Digital Design & Animation: Experience with designing for digital platforms, including web graphics, social media assets, and basic animation or GIF creation.
• Infographic Design: Skill in creating informative and visually appealing infographics to simplify data and complex information.
• Marketing Strategy Understanding: A foundational understanding of marketing principles and how design contributes to campaign goals and overall GTM strategies.
• Creative Problem-Solving: A proactive approach to identifying and solving design challenges with innovative and effective solutions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for A/E/C industry experience is a significant differentiator. For operations roles, this often translates to understanding specific proposal formats, client expectations within the sector, and the nuances of communicating technical services visually. Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite is a core technical requirement, directly impacting the efficiency and quality of design operations.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Versatility Showcase: A portfolio that clearly demonstrates a broad range of design capabilities, originality, and a strong grasp of fundamental design principles across different project types.
• A/E/C Relevance: Include examples of work specifically from the A/E/C industry, showcasing your ability to design proposals, marketing materials, or technical visualizations relevant to engineering services.
• Brand Consistency Examples: Present case studies or examples that illustrate how you've maintained or evolved a brand identity across multiple applications, highlighting process and strategy.
• Technical Visualization: Feature projects where you successfully translated complex or technical information into clear, accessible visuals (e.g., infographics, diagrams, charts).
• Digital & Print Integration: Show examples of designs created for both print and digital mediums, demonstrating your adaptability to different output requirements.

Process Documentation:

• Design Workflow: Be prepared to discuss your typical design process from brief to final delivery, including how you gather requirements, ideate, iterate, and manage feedback from stakeholders.
• Brand Guideline Adherence: Demonstrate an understanding of how to work within established brand guidelines and, where applicable, how you contribute to their development or refinement.
• Project Management Integration: Discuss how you manage multiple design projects simultaneously, prioritize tasks, and meet deadlines within a collaborative environment, mirroring project management operations.
• Tool Proficiency Demonstration: Your portfolio should implicitly showcase your mastery of relevant design tools, particularly the Adobe Creative Suite, and how you leverage these to achieve efficient and high-quality output.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a design role within a business context like operations, the portfolio is not just about showcasing pretty pictures. It's about demonstrating a systematic approach to design that supports business objectives. This means highlighting how your designs solve problems, communicate effectively, and adhere to brand standards, which are all core components of operational efficiency and effectiveness in a creative function.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• Based on industry benchmarks for Visual/Graphic Designers with 2-5 years of experience in Salt Lake City, Utah, the estimated annual salary range is $60,000 - $80,000. This estimate considers the specialization in the A/E/C industry and the requirement for advanced Adobe Creative Suite proficiency, which can command higher compensation.

Benefits:

• Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP): As a 100% employee-owned firm, you will have the opportunity to gain ownership in the company, fostering a sense of long-term investment and shared success.
• Paid Time Off (PTO): Generous three weeks of PTO annually to support work-life balance.
• Holidays: Eight paid holidays throughout the year.
• Comprehensive Health Insurance: Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance coverage.
• Life Insurance: Company-provided life insurance policy.
• Disability Coverage: Short-term and Long-term disability insurance to provide financial security.
• Tuition Reimbursement: Support for continued education and professional development.
• 401K Plan: Retirement savings plan with company contributions.

Working Hours:

• Standard full-time hours are expected, typically 40 hours per week.
• The company values "Work-Life Harmony" and offers flexibility, suggesting potential for adaptable scheduling within the on-site framework, which can be beneficial for managing design workflows and project deadlines.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is an estimation based on market data for similar roles in Salt Lake City, factoring in the specific industry and skill requirements. The ESOP benefit is a significant differentiator for Civil Science, directly tying employee success to company performance, a key aspect of operational alignment.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (A/E/C) - Civil Science operates within a sector that demands precision, technical expertise, and strong client relationships. Design plays a crucial role in winning bids and communicating complex projects. Company Size: 100% Employee-Owned Firm with over 40 years of expertise. This structure fosters a culture of shared responsibility, collaboration, and long-term commitment among employees. The company's size, while not explicitly stated, can be inferred to be substantial enough to support multiple disciplines and offices, implying a need for standardized yet adaptable visual communication. Founded: Over 40 years ago. This long history signifies stability, deep industry knowledge, and established client relationships, providing a solid foundation for growth and innovation.

Team Structure:

• Design & Marketing Integration: The Visual/Graphic Designer will likely be part of a marketing or business development team, working closely with proposal managers, project managers, and potentially senior leadership.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: The role emphasizes direct partnership with various departments, including senior leadership, HR, and project teams, requiring strong communication and the ability to integrate design into diverse business functions.
• Agile Structure: The company mentions an "agile structure" that empowers employees to take ownership, suggesting a less hierarchical and more collaborative environment where individuals can influence projects and roles.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Design Support: While not explicitly stated for design, the company's engineering background suggests an appreciation for data and technical accuracy, which should inform design decisions, especially in proposal development and technical visualization.
• Collaborative Workflow: The emphasis on cross-functional partnership indicates a collaborative approach to problem-solving and project execution, where design input is sought and valued throughout various processes.
• Client-Centric Approach: In the A/E/C industry, client needs are paramount. Design efforts will be geared towards meeting client expectations, clearly communicating project benefits, and strengthening client relationships.

Company Website: civilscience.com

📝 Enhancement Note: The "100% employee-owned" aspect is a critical cultural differentiator. For operations professionals, this often translates to a higher degree of engagement, a focus on long-term company health, and a collaborative environment where efficiency and effectiveness directly impact everyone's stake. The A/E/C industry context implies that design is not just aesthetic but a critical tool for business development and client communication.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as a key individual contributor, responsible for owning and executing the company's visual brand strategy. It represents a mid-level design position with significant autonomy and impact on external perception and internal communication.

Reporting Structure: The designer will partner directly with senior leadership, HR, and project managers, indicating a reporting line likely within a marketing, business development, or operations function, directly influencing high-level company initiatives.

Operations Impact: The Visual/Graphic Designer's work directly impacts the company's ability to win new business through compelling proposals, enhance brand recognition in digital campaigns, and foster internal cohesion through effective communication materials. Their output is a critical component of the Go-to-Market (GTM) strategy by visually representing the company's expertise and value proposition.

Growth Opportunities:

• Creative Leadership: As the sole designer, there's an opportunity to shape the creative direction of the firm and potentially build out a design function as the company grows.
• Industry Specialization: Deepening expertise within the A/E/C sector can lead to specialized roles or increased responsibility in high-stakes proposal design and brand strategy.
• Cross-Functional Skill Development: Collaborating across departments provides exposure to various business functions, potentially leading to opportunities in marketing, project management, or even broader operational strategy roles.
• Employee Ownership Impact: As an employee-owner, direct contributions to the company's success through design can lead to tangible benefits and a greater understanding of business operations.

📝 Enhancement Note: The growth path for a designer in an operations-focused role often involves moving towards design leadership, brand management, or leveraging design skills in broader marketing or business development strategy. The ESOP structure provides a unique growth incentive tied to overall company performance, aligning personal career growth with business operations success.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Civil Science operates within the A/E/C industry, suggesting a professional office environment. Given the "on-site" nature of the role and the emphasis on collaboration, the workspace is likely designed to facilitate teamwork and focused individual work.

Office Location(s): Salt Lake City, Utah. This location provides access to a growing professional talent pool and a vibrant business community.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Hub: The role requires close partnership with various teams, implying a workspace that supports frequent interaction, brainstorming sessions, and feedback loops.
• Technology-Rich Environment: As a design role, access to high-performance workstations, relevant software (Adobe Creative Suite), and potentially digital collaboration tools will be essential.
• Individual Focus Time: While collaboration is key, the nature of design work also requires dedicated periods of focused concentration, suggesting the workspace will accommodate both.

Work Schedule:

• The standard 40-hour work week is typical, but the company's stated value of "Work-Life Harmony" and flexibility suggests that while the role is on-site, there might be some adaptability in daily schedules to accommodate project needs and personal commitments, as long as operational requirements are met.

📝 Enhancement Note: For an on-site role, understanding the physical workspace and its impact on collaboration and productivity is key. The emphasis on "Work-Life Harmony" within an on-site setting suggests a company culture that respects employees' time while still valuing in-person interaction and team cohesion, critical for efficient operations.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your resume and portfolio to assess foundational skills, experience (especially in A/E/C), and alignment with the role's requirements.
• Portfolio Presentation & Discussion: Expect to present your portfolio to key stakeholders. This will likely involve walking through selected projects, explaining your design process, rationale, and the impact of your work. Be prepared to discuss how you translated complex concepts or met specific client needs.
• Skills Assessment/Design Challenge: A potential design challenge or case study related to translating engineering concepts or designing a proposal element. This assesses your practical application of skills, problem-solving abilities, and efficiency under time constraints.
• Behavioral & Cultural Fit Interviews: Discussions with senior leadership and team members to evaluate your communication skills, collaborative approach, problem-solving style, and alignment with Civil Science's employee-owned culture and values.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 3-5 of your strongest, most relevant projects. Prioritize those demonstrating A/E/C experience, proposal design, technical visualization, and brand consistency.
• Tell a Story: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your process, your role, the solutions you implemented, and the measurable outcomes or impact (e.g., proposal win rate, brand engagement).
• Highlight Process: Showcase your workflow, decision-making, and how you handle feedback. This demonstrates your operational approach to design.
• Quantify Impact: If possible, include metrics that demonstrate the success of your designs (e.g., "This proposal design contributed to a 15% increase in win rate for this project type").
• Tailor to Civil Science: Research Civil Science's existing branding and recent projects. Be prepared to discuss how your skills can specifically enhance their visual presence and support their business goals.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Context: If a design challenge is given, ensure you fully grasp the objective, target audience, and any constraints.
• Focus on Process: For technical or proposal-related challenges, emphasize your systematic approach to problem-solving and design execution.
• Time Management: Practice designing within a limited timeframe, prioritizing key elements and delivering a polished, albeit potentially not fully rendered, solution.
• Clear Rationale: Be ready to verbally explain your design choices and their strategic alignment with the given objectives.

📝 Enhancement Note: For operations-focused roles, interviewers look beyond pure creative talent. They seek candidates who can execute efficiently, collaborate effectively, and demonstrate how their work contributes to business objectives. A well-structured portfolio and clear communication of process are crucial for showcasing these operational capabilities.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Adobe Creative Suite: High proficiency required in:
  • InDesign: For page layout, document design, and proposal creation.
  • Illustrator: For vector graphics, logos, icons, and complex illustrations.
  • Photoshop: For image editing, manipulation, and digital asset creation.
  • Acrobat: For PDF creation, editing, and optimization, crucial for proposal distribution and document management.
• Presentation Software: Proficiency in tools like Microsoft PowerPoint or Google Slides for creating slide decks, presentations, and incorporating design elements into proposals.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not a primary focus for this role, understanding basic analytics for digital campaigns (e.g., social media engagement metrics) might be beneficial for optimizing web and social media visuals.

CRM & Automation:

• No specific CRM or automation tools are mentioned as primary requirements for this design role. However, familiarity with how design assets are used within marketing automation platforms or CRM systems (e.g., for email campaigns) could be an advantage.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of Adobe Creative Suite highlights the core technical competency required. For operations, proficiency in these tools directly translates to efficiency, quality, and consistency in design output, which are critical for managing a company's visual brand systematically.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Ownership & Accountability: As an employee-owned firm, taking personal responsibility for your work and its impact on the company's success is paramount. This extends to owning the visual brand's integrity and effectiveness.
• Collaboration & Teamwork: A strong emphasis on working together across departments to achieve common goals, valuing diverse perspectives and collective problem-solving.
• Excellence & Quality: A commitment to delivering high-quality work, especially critical in a technical field like engineering where precision and clarity are essential.
• Entrepreneurial Spirit: Encouragement to take initiative, explore new ideas, and contribute to the company's growth and innovation, which can apply to creative problem-solving in design.
• Client Focus: A dedication to understanding and meeting client needs, ensuring that all design outputs effectively serve business development and client relationship objectives.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: The role demands active collaboration with non-designers (engineers, project managers, leadership), requiring clear communication and the ability to translate design concepts into terms understandable by technical professionals.
• Feedback-Driven Iteration: Expect a process of receiving and incorporating feedback from various stakeholders to refine designs and ensure they meet project requirements and strategic goals.
• Knowledge Sharing: Contributing to a culture where ideas and best practices are shared, particularly around visual communication strategies and design trends relevant to the A/E/C industry.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "employee-owned" culture deeply influences operational values. It fosters a sense of shared purpose and accountability in all roles, including design, where efficiency, quality, and impact are directly tied to the collective success of the company.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Translating Technical Complexity: The primary challenge will be to distill complex engineering concepts and technical data into visually appealing and easily understandable graphics without oversimplifying or misrepresenting the information.
• Balancing Brand Consistency and Variety: Maintaining a strong, consistent brand identity across a wide range of materials (proposals, digital, events) for different disciplines and offices requires strategic thinking and adaptability.
• Managing Stakeholder Expectations: Collaborating with diverse teams, including senior leadership and technical staff, requires strong communication skills to manage expectations, gather feedback effectively, and advocate for design best practices.
• Pace of a Growing Firm: Working in a growing, agile company may present fast-paced projects and evolving needs, requiring adaptability and efficient workflow management.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deepen A/E/C Design Expertise: Gain specialized knowledge in proposal design, technical illustration, and branding specific to the engineering and construction sectors.
• Expand Digital Design Skills: Develop proficiency in motion graphics, animation, and digital marketing asset creation to support evolving company needs.
• Strategic Brand Development: Contribute to the evolution of Civil Science's brand identity, potentially taking on more strategic brand management responsibilities.
• Business Acumen: Through close collaboration with leadership and various departments, gain a deeper understanding of business operations, marketing strategy, and client relationship management.
• Employee Ownership Engagement: Participate in company-wide initiatives and gain insights into broader business operations and strategic planning as an owner.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a designer in an operations-centric role, growth often involves not just honing creative skills but also developing a stronger understanding of the business context, strategic marketing, and operational efficiency. The challenges presented are opportunities to build these competencies.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "How would you approach designing a compelling proposal for a complex civil engineering project, considering our company's need to stand out from competitors?"
  • Preparation: Research Civil Science's current proposal style and competitors' approaches. Prepare to discuss your process for understanding project scope, identifying key selling points, and translating technical details into persuasive visuals. Emphasize layout, typography, imagery selection, and data visualization.
• "Describe a time you had to translate a highly technical concept into a clear visual. What was your process, and what was the outcome?"
  • Preparation: Select a relevant example from your portfolio or experience. Detail the technical subject matter, your design approach, the tools used, and how you ensured accuracy and clarity. Quantify the impact if possible.
• "How do you ensure brand consistency across a wide variety of marketing materials for different audiences and platforms?"
  • Preparation: Discuss your understanding of brand guidelines, your methodology for creating templates, and how you manage assets. Highlight your experience with both print and digital design and how you adapt messaging and visuals for each.

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Civil Science, particularly our employee ownership model and our position in the A/E/C industry?"
  • Preparation: Research Civil Science's website, mission, values, and recent projects. Understand the implications of an ESOP and the typical demands of the A/E/C sector. Connect your skills and career aspirations to these aspects.
• "How do you approach collaboration with non-design professionals, such as engineers or project managers, to achieve project goals?"
  • Preparation: Be ready to discuss your communication strategies, how you solicit and incorporate feedback, and your ability to explain design rationale in accessible terms. Provide examples of successful cross-functional projects.
• "How do you prioritize your design tasks when faced with multiple urgent requests from different departments?"
  • Preparation: Discuss your organizational skills, methods for assessing urgency and impact, and how you communicate potential delays or resource constraints. Highlight your ability to manage workflow efficiently.

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Focus on Impact: For each project, clearly state the objective, your role, the challenge, your solution, and the resulting impact (e.g., increased engagement, proposal win, clearer communication).
• Showcase Process: Briefly walk through your design process for 1-2 key projects. This demonstrates your operational methodology and problem-solving skills.
• Highlight A/E/C Relevance: Explicitly point out projects that demonstrate your understanding of the A/E/C industry, proposal design, or technical visualization.
• Demonstrate Tool Proficiency: Your work should speak to your mastery of Adobe Creative Suite. Be prepared to briefly discuss how you leveraged specific tools to achieve design outcomes.
• Engage and Discuss: Treat the presentation as a conversation. Be open to questions and ready to elaborate on your design choices and strategic thinking.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation for operations-focused roles emphasizes demonstrating not just technical skill but also strategic thinking, problem-solving abilities, collaboration, and an understanding of how design contributes to business objectives. A well-prepared portfolio presentation is key to showcasing these operational competencies.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Visual/Graphic Designer position:

• Submit Your Application: Complete the application process through the provided link on greenhouse.io.
• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 3-5 of your strongest, most relevant design projects. Prioritize those that showcase your A/E/C industry experience, proposal design skills, technical visualization capabilities, and brand consistency across various mediums. Ensure your portfolio clearly articulates the problem, your process, your role, and the impact of your work.
• Optimize Your Resume: Tailor your resume to highlight keywords from the job description, such as "Visual Branding," "Adobe Creative Suite," "InDesign," "Proposal Design," "A/E/C Industry," and "Cross-functional Collaboration." Quantify your achievements wherever possible to demonstrate impact.
• Prepare for Presentation: Practice walking through your portfolio with a focus on explaining your design rationale, process, and the business impact of your work. Be ready to discuss how you would translate complex engineering concepts into visuals and maintain brand consistency.
• Research Civil Science: Thoroughly review Civil Science's website, understand their services, recent projects, company culture, and their employee-owned structure. Be prepared to articulate why you are a good fit for their specific needs and values.

⚠️ 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.