Motion graphics designer

Guardian Australia; Sydney; On-site; AUD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Guardian Australia is seeking a motion graphics designer to join our editorial team, shaping motion graphics and animation for the Guardian Australia multimedia department across on-site and off-platform videos, social carousels and explainers that illuminate complex stories for our audience.

This full-time 12-month contract role welcomes candidates based in Sydney or Melbourne, with involvement from concept through post-production, templates, and ongoing style development.

Qualifications

• 4+ years of professional motion graphics and animation experience.
• Strong visual storytelling with typography, color and composition.
• Experience creating explainers and video formats for digital journalism.
• Proven ability to work with producers, designers and editors.

Responsibilities

• Design motion graphics and animation for videos on and off-platform.
• Create audience-focused graphics and explainers for one-off videos.
• Develop templates and maintain brand graphics assets.
• Maintain high design standards in Guardian style across outputs.
• Collaborate with producers, editors, designers and other specialists.
• Contribute to interactive journalism projects and training as needed.

Skills

After Effects

Illustrator

Photoshop

Premiere Pro

Typography

Brand guidelines

Tools

Adobe Creative Cloud

Job description

Guardian Australia is part of Guardian News & Media (GNM), publisher of theguardian.com. As a leading global media organisation, we are renowned for our pioneering independent journalism and our award-winning digital products.

We are seeking for a motion graphics designer to join our editorial team, to design motion graphics and animation for the Guardian Australia’s multimedia department, including onsite and off-platform videos, social carousels and explainers crafting strong motion graphics/animations which explain complex stories and ideas and engage our audience.

This role is being offered on a full-time, 12-month contract, with early starts and/or late finishes. This role is open to candidates based in either Sydney or Melbourne.

In this role you will…

• Design motion graphics and animation for use in videos on and off-platform.
• Create bespoke audience-focused motion graphics and explanatory animations to a consistently high standard for one-off video productions across all areas of our digital journalism.
• Create graphics templates for video producers and editors to use in their productions, and maintain our portfolio of existing brand graphics and template assets.
• Use imagination and flair to maintain and develop consistent high standards of design, Guardian style & brand and visual reporting, and work closely with the design department.
• Liaise with video producers, multimedia editors, journalists, social video producers, art directors, designers, developers and other specialists at Guardian Australia.
• Work on interactive journalism projects as required.
• Undertake training as required.

You’ll bring….

Knowledge and experience

• At least four years of professional experience of creating high quality motion graphics and animation, translating ideas into engaging, dynamic, visual storytelling with strong use of typography, colour, composition and brand.
• Demonstrable interest in visualising data and explanatory design, and understanding of how to use animation/motion to simplify complex topics.
• Experience developing new video formats, styles and guidelines, such as explainers, news video and documentaries.
• Experience of working collaboratively with video producers, designers and editors.
• Comfortable in the practical aspects of video production; from concept, to design, to animation, post-production and understanding how to incorporate sound and music.
• Experience working in a digital newsroom is an advantage.
• Ideally, you’ll have a demonstrable ability to bring a diverse perspective to this role.

Skills / behaviours

• A strong understanding of Illustrator, After Effects, Photoshop and Premiere Pro is preferred.
• Additional technical specialism, e.g. Photoshop animation, stop motion or sound design is advantageous.
• Able to manage projects to strict deadlines.
• Good understanding of After Effects expressions, and how to create and maintain our Motion Graphics Templates used for branding in Adobe Premiere Pro edits.
• Good editorial judgement, with an interest in and knowledge of current affairs and world events.
• Collaborative, open and inclusive in approach.
• Enthusiastic about experimenting with new formats and ways of reaching audiences.
• Understanding of audience needs and behaviour across different platforms.
• Comfortable engaging with analytics to take a data-informed approach to decision-making.
• Open to learning new skills and adaptable in applying your existing expertise in new ways.