Visual/ Graphic Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Visual/Graphic Designer

Company: Civil Science

Location: Fargo, North Dakota, United States

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Marketing Operations / Creative Services

Date Posted: February 05, 2026

Experience Level: Mid-Level (2-5 years)

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the visual identity and brand execution for a growing, employee-owned engineering firm, with a focus on translating complex technical information into compelling visual narratives.

• Develop and design high-impact marketing collateral, proposals, and digital assets that enhance brand recognition and support business development objectives within the A/E/C industry.

• Collaborate directly with senior leadership, project teams, and HR to ensure cohesive and impactful visual communication across all company touchpoints and external campaigns.

• Drive creative strategy and execution for a diverse range of design projects, from print and digital advertising to conference materials and internal communications, fostering a culture of design excellence.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the "Visual/Graphic Designer" title and explicit mention of "A/E/C world" and "engineering content," this role leans heavily into marketing operations and creative services, rather than traditional revenue or sales operations. The emphasis on proposals, marketing materials, and brand storytelling, combined with the specific industry focus, positions this as a critical support function for Go-To-Market (GTM) efforts.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Brand Stewardship: Own and evolve the company's visual brand identity across all platforms, ensuring consistency in proposals, marketing campaigns, digital presence, and internal communications.

• Technical Visual Translation: Transform complex engineering concepts, data, and project details into clear, engaging, and easily digestible visual content, including infographics and data visualizations.

• Proposal Design Excellence: Create modern, polished, and persuasive proposals that leverage compelling layout, typography, imagery, and graphics to articulate Civil Science's value proposition and differentiate from competitors.

• Marketing Asset Development: Design a wide array of marketing materials for both print and digital channels, including brochures, flyers, advertisements, social media graphics, web banners, and event collateral, tailored to various offices and project types.

• Digital Content Creation: Support digital marketing initiatives by designing and producing graphics for web content, social media platforms, email campaigns, presentations, and potentially short animations or GIFs.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner closely with marketing, business development, project management, and senior leadership teams to understand project goals, campaign objectives, and design requirements, providing creative solutions.

• Creative Strategy Contribution: Participate in the marketing process by contributing design perspectives to campaign strategy, helping to shape messaging and visual direction to maximize impact.

• Asset Management: Organize and maintain a library of graphic assets, templates, and brand guidelines to ensure efficient and consistent application of brand standards across the organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a need for a designer who can not only execute visually but also understand the strategic intent behind design within a business context, particularly for proposal wins and marketing campaign effectiveness. The emphasis on "translating complex engineering concepts" suggests a need for strong analytical thinking and the ability to simplify technical information.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design, Visual Communications, or a related field is preferred.

Experience:

• 2-5 years of dedicated graphic design experience in a professional environment.

• Crucial Requirement: Demonstrated experience within the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (A/E/C) industry is mandatory.

Required Skills:

• Adobe Creative Suite Proficiency: High-level expertise and practical application in Adobe InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, and Acrobat.

• Visual Branding Expertise: Proven ability to develop, maintain, and apply consistent brand identity and style guides across diverse collateral.

• Layout & Typography Mastery: Strong understanding of design principles, including effective layout composition, hierarchy, and the strategic use of typography.

• Communication & Collaboration: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with a proven ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams and stakeholders at all levels.

• Technical Content Visualization: Demonstrated ability to translate complex technical or engineering information into clear, compelling visual narratives.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience with digital design tools or principles for web and social media (e.g., Figma, Sketch, basic animation/motion graphics).

• Familiarity with print production processes and best practices.

• Experience designing for proposal responses or business development materials.

• Basic understanding of marketing campaign principles and objectives.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit requirement for A/E/C industry experience and the need to translate complex engineering concepts are critical differentiators. Candidates should be prepared to showcase portfolios that directly address these requirements, demonstrating an understanding of the industry's visual language and proposal nuances.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A/E/C Industry Focus: A significant portion of your portfolio must showcase work specifically within the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (A/E/C) sector, demonstrating an understanding of industry aesthetics and proposal conventions.

• Proposal Design Examples: Include at least 2-3 detailed case studies or examples of proposals you have designed, highlighting your role, the design challenges, and the visual solutions implemented.

• Technical Visualization: Showcase examples where you've successfully translated complex data, technical processes, or abstract concepts into clear and engaging infographics, charts, or visual explanations.

• Brand Consistency: Provide examples that demonstrate your ability to maintain and apply a consistent brand identity across a range of different marketing and communication materials.

Process Documentation:

• Design Workflow: Be prepared to articulate your typical design process from brief to final delivery, including stages for research, concept development, client feedback, revisions, and final output.

• Collaboration & Feedback Integration: Demonstrate how you incorporate feedback from various stakeholders (e.g., project managers, engineers, leadership) into your design work and manage revision cycles effectively.

• Tool Proficiency Articulation: Be ready to discuss how you leverage specific tools within the Adobe Creative Suite (and any other relevant software) to achieve efficient and high-quality design outcomes.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a design role, especially in a specialized industry like A/E/C, a portfolio is paramount. The emphasis here is not just on aesthetic appeal but on the ability to solve specific business problems (winning proposals, communicating complex ideas) through design. Candidates should curate their portfolios to directly address these needs.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

Benefits:

• Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP): A unique benefit offering ownership in a 100% employee-owned firm, contributing to long-term financial growth and retirement savings.

• Paid Time Off (PTO): Three weeks of accrued PTO annually, providing ample opportunity for rest and personal pursuits.

• Holidays: Eight paid holidays throughout the year.

• Comprehensive Health Coverage: Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance plans to support employee well-being.

• Life & Disability Insurance: Life Insurance, Short-Term Disability, and Long-Term Disability coverage for added security.

• Professional Development: Tuition reimbursement program and opportunities for continuous learning.

• Retirement Savings: 401K plan available for additional retirement planning.

Working Hours:

• Standard full-time work schedule, likely around 40 hours per week. While the role is on-site, there's an emphasis on "Work-Life Harmony," suggesting potential for some flexibility in scheduling where feasible, though core hours will be expected for collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is an estimate based on typical US market rates for this role and location, factoring in the specific industry requirement. The ESOP is a significant differentiator and should be highlighted as a key benefit for long-term employees.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Civil Engineering & Consulting (A/E/C Sector). Civil Science provides engineering, surveying, and planning services to public and private sector clients.

Company Size: Over 40 years in operation, described as a "growing engineering firm" and "employee-owned," suggesting a mid-sized to large organization with a mature but agile structure. (Likely 100+ employees, given the scope of services and multiple offices implied).

Founded: Over 40 years ago, indicating stability, experience, and a strong foundation in the industry.

Team Structure:

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: The role explicitly mentions direct partnership with senior leadership, HR, project managers, and project teams, indicating a highly collaborative and integrated team environment.

• Marketing & Design Integration: The designer will likely be part of a broader marketing or business development function, working closely with marketing specialists and business development leads.

• Reporting Hierarchy: The role likely reports into a Marketing Manager, Director of Marketing, or potentially a senior leader overseeing business development and communications.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Design: While not explicit, the need to translate complex engineering concepts implies a methodology that values accuracy, clarity, and data integrity in design outputs.

• Agile & Empowering: The company emphasizes an "agile structure" that empowers employees to "take ownership of projects," suggesting a culture that values proactivity and independent contribution.

• Client-Centric Approach: As an engineering firm, the underlying methodology is client-focused, aiming to deliver innovative and impactful solutions. Design will support this by enhancing client perception and proposal effectiveness.

Company Website: civilscience.com

📝 Enhancement Note: The employee ownership model (ESOP) is a significant cultural driver, fostering a sense of shared responsibility and long-term commitment. The "agile structure" and empowerment suggest a dynamic environment where the designer can have a tangible impact.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as a Mid-Level Visual/Graphic Designer. It requires a solid foundation of experience (2-5 years) and the ability to work independently on core responsibilities while also collaborating effectively with senior stakeholders. It's a lead role for visual brand execution within the company.

Reporting Structure: The designer will report to an individual likely within the marketing or business development leadership structure. They will collaborate extensively with project managers and technical teams, requiring strong interpersonal and communication skills to navigate diverse stakeholder needs and technical jargon.

Operations Impact: The Visual/Graphic Designer plays a crucial role in shaping the external perception of Civil Science. Their work directly impacts:

• Proposal Win Rates: High-quality, compelling proposals increase the likelihood of securing new projects.

• Brand Recognition & Reputation: Consistent and professional visual branding builds trust and memorability in the competitive A/E/C market.

• Marketing Campaign Effectiveness: Strong visual assets enhance engagement and conversion rates for digital and print marketing efforts.

• Internal Morale & Culture: Professional internal communications and materials can foster a sense of pride and alignment among employee-owners.

Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization: Potential to deepen expertise in specific areas like proposal design, data visualization for technical content, or digital asset creation for marketing campaigns.

• Leadership within Design: As the company grows, the opportunity to lead design initiatives, mentor junior designers (if roles are added), or evolve into an Art Director role.

• Cross-Departmental Exposure: Deepen understanding of engineering processes and business development strategies through close collaboration, potentially leading to roles with more strategic marketing input.

• ESOP Growth: Direct financial benefit from the company's overall success and growth through the Employee Stock Ownership Plan.

📝 Enhancement Note: The career path is less about climbing a traditional corporate ladder and more about deepening expertise, taking on more strategic design responsibilities, and benefiting from the company's employee-ownership model. The impact on proposal success and overall brand perception is significant.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is explicitly "On-site" in Fargo, North Dakota. This suggests a traditional office environment within Civil Science's headquarters or a regional office.

Office Location(s): Fargo, North Dakota, United States. The company description mentions "multiple offices," indicating a distributed presence, but this specific role is based in Fargo.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Hub: The emphasis on cross-functional collaboration means the workspace likely supports team interaction, potentially with shared creative spaces, meeting rooms, and open-plan areas.

• Technology-Rich Environment: As an engineering firm, expect access to robust IT infrastructure, standard business software, and potentially specialized design hardware and software resources.

• Team Interaction: Frequent opportunities to engage with diverse teams, including engineers, project managers, HR, and business development professionals, requiring strong interpersonal skills.

Work Schedule: Standard full-time hours are expected, likely Monday through Friday. Given the focus on "Work-Life Harmony," there might be some flexibility in daily start/end times, but the on-site requirement necessitates regular presence during core business hours for effective collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The on-site requirement is key. Candidates should be prepared for a traditional office setting where face-to-face collaboration is integral to the role's success, especially given the need to translate complex information from technical teams.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: HR or a recruiter will likely conduct an initial call to assess basic qualifications, experience alignment, and cultural fit, including verifying A/E/C industry experience.

• Portfolio Review & Technical Interview: A more in-depth session with the hiring manager (likely in marketing/design leadership) and potentially a senior engineer or project manager. This stage will focus heavily on reviewing your portfolio, discussing your design process, and assessing your ability to translate technical concepts. Expect practical design questions.

• Cross-Functional Meet & Greet: Interviews with key stakeholders you'll be collaborating with (e.g., project managers, business development leads) to evaluate communication style, collaboration skills, and understanding of their needs.

• Final Interview: Potentially with a senior leader (e.g., VP of Operations, CEO, or Director of Business Development) to discuss overall fit, strategic alignment, and long-term potential.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select projects that best showcase your A/E/C experience, proposal design skills, and ability to visualize technical information. Quality over quantity.

• Tell the Story: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your role, the design process, the solution, and the impact (e.g., proposal win, improved engagement). Use specific examples.

• Highlight Technical Translation: Include at least one strong example of translating complex data or technical concepts into clear visuals. Explain your approach to understanding and simplifying the information.

• Showcase Brand Consistency: Demonstrate your understanding of brand guidelines and how you apply them across different mediums.

• Prepare for Questions: Be ready to discuss your software proficiency, design philosophy, how you handle feedback, and your experience in fast-paced, technical environments.

Challenge Preparation:

• Design Exercise: You may be given a small design challenge, such as creating a sample infographic from provided technical data or designing a concept for a marketing flyer based on a brief. Prepare to demonstrate your problem-solving approach and design execution under a time constraint.

• Conceptualization: Practice thinking on your feet about how you would approach designing collateral for a hypothetical engineering project or proposal.

• Communication: Focus on clearly articulating your design choices and rationale, especially when explaining how your visuals support business objectives.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio is the most critical component for this role. Candidates must tailor their presentation to directly address the A/E/C industry requirement and the need for technical visualization. Demonstrating an understanding of the proposal lifecycle and business development goals will be highly advantageous.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Adobe Creative Suite (Essential):

  • InDesign: For layout and production of proposals, brochures, flyers, and other print/digital collateral. Expect advanced usage for complex document creation.
  • Illustrator: For creating vector graphics, logos, icons, and detailed illustrations. Crucial for infographics and technical diagrams.
  • Photoshop: For image editing, retouching, and creating digital assets for web and social media.
  • Acrobat Pro: For PDF creation, editing, optimization, and form creation, essential for proposal submission.

• Microsoft Office Suite:

  • PowerPoint: For designing presentations and slide decks, often integrated into proposals or internal communications.
  • Word: May be used for content integration or collaboration on proposal documents.

Analytics & Reporting:

CRM & Automation:

• Not directly applicable to the designer's core tools, but understanding how design assets are used within CRM-driven marketing campaigns or sales enablement platforms is helpful context.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite, particularly InDesign and Illustrator, is non-negotiable given the focus on proposals and technical content visualization. Candidates should be ready to discuss their mastery and efficiency with these tools.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Ownership & Accountability: As an employee-owned firm, there's a strong emphasis on taking responsibility for one's work and contributing to the company's overall success. This translates to proactive problem-solving and a commitment to quality.

• Collaboration & Teamwork: The role's collaborative nature highlights a culture that values working together across departments to achieve common goals. Open communication and mutual support are likely key.

• Excellence & Innovation: The company strives to deliver "innovative and impactful solutions." This suggests a value placed on high-quality work, creative thinking, and a willingness to explore new approaches in design.

• Integrity & Professionalism: In the engineering sector, trust and reliability are paramount. This likely extends to a culture that upholds high ethical standards and professional conduct in all interactions.

• Growth & Development: The emphasis on "Room to Grow" and career acceleration indicates a culture that supports employee learning and advancement.

Collaboration Style:

• Partnership-Oriented: The designer will act as a partner to various departments, understanding their needs and translating them into effective visual solutions. This requires active listening and a consultative approach.

• Feedback-Driven: A culture that encourages constructive feedback is implied, allowing for iterative design improvements and alignment with stakeholder expectations.

• Efficiency-Focused: While creative, the need to work within project timelines and technical constraints suggests a pragmatic approach to collaboration, aiming for efficient processes that deliver results.

📝 Enhancement Note: The employee-ownership model is central to the company's culture. Candidates should demonstrate an understanding of what it means to be an owner – taking initiative, being accountable, and contributing to collective success.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Translating Technical Jargon: The primary challenge will be effectively simplifying and visualizing highly technical engineering information for diverse audiences without losing accuracy or credibility.

• Balancing Creative Vision with Brand Constraints: Maintaining creative originality while adhering strictly to brand guidelines and the specific requirements of technical proposals can be demanding.

• Managing Multiple Stakeholder Needs: Juggling design requests and feedback from various departments and leadership levels, each with potentially different priorities.

• Fast-Paced Environment: Working within project deadlines, especially for proposals and marketing campaigns, requires strong time management and the ability to produce high-quality work under pressure.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deepen A/E/C Design Expertise: Become a go-to specialist for visual communication within the engineering sector, understanding industry-specific design nuances and proposal best practices.

• Expand Digital Design Skills: Develop proficiency in areas like motion graphics, UX/UI principles for web assets, or advanced digital campaign design.

• Strategic Marketing Contribution: Gain deeper insights into marketing strategy, campaign planning, and business development, potentially moving towards a more strategic marketing role.

• ESOP Accumulation: Benefit from company growth and profitability through increased stock value in the Employee Stock Ownership Plan.

📝 Enhancement Note: Understanding these challenges and framing them as opportunities for growth will be key during interviews. Highlighting a proactive approach to problem-solving and a continuous learning mindset will be beneficial.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe your process for taking a complex engineering concept and turning it into a visually understandable infographic or graphic." (Focus on your research, simplification, and design execution steps.)

• "Walk us through a challenging proposal you designed. What were the key objectives, your design approach, and the outcome?" (Highlight your understanding of proposal goals and impact.)

• "How do you ensure brand consistency across a wide range of materials for different offices and project types?" (Emphasize your process for brand management and template utilization.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about working for an employee-owned firm like Civil Science?" (Research ESOPs and express enthusiasm for ownership and shared success.)

• "How do you see your design skills contributing to the success of an engineering company?" (Connect your abilities to business outcomes like proposal wins and brand reputation.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure: Organize your portfolio logically, perhaps by project type (Proposals, Technical Graphics, Marketing

Collateral) or by industry focus (A/E/C).

• Narrative: For each project, clearly articulate:

  • The Client/Context (e.g., Civil Science, A/E/C firm)
  • The Challenge/Objective (e.g., win a bid, communicate complex data, launch a campaign)
  • Your Role & Process (e.g., concept development, layout, illustration)
  • The Solution (Your design work)
  • The Outcome/Impact (e.g., positive feedback, proposal success, increased engagement)

• Highlight A/E/C: Explicitly point out projects relevant to the industry and explain your understanding of its visual language.

• Showcase Technical Translation: Dedicate a section or highlight projects where you've simplified complex information.

• Be Ready to Discuss Tools: Be prepared to talk about your proficiency and workflow within Adobe Creative Suite.

📝 Enhancement Note: Candidates should prepare to speak extensively about their portfolio, demonstrating not just design skill but also strategic thinking, problem-solving abilities, and an understanding of the A/E/C industry's unique needs.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Visual/Graphic Designer position:

• Submit your application through the Civil Science careers portal via the provided link.

• Portfolio Customization: Ensure your portfolio is easily accessible (link or PDF) and prominently features your A/E/C industry experience, proposal design work, and examples of technical content visualization. Tailor your resume to highlight relevant keywords and achievements.

• Resume Optimization: Clearly articulate your 2+ years of graphic design experience, specifically mentioning your A/E/C industry background and proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite. Quantify achievements where possible (e.g., "Designed X proposals that contributed to Y win rate").

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design process, your approach to translating technical information, and how you collaborate with diverse teams. Prepare to walk through your portfolio in detail.

• Company Research: Familiarize yourself with Civil Science's services, projects, and company culture, particularly their employee-ownership model and values. Understand their brand aesthetic.

⚠️ 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.