Digital Designer & Photographer

Charlotte Hornets; Charlotte (NC); On-site; USD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

The Charlotte Hornets are seeking a Digital Designer & Photographer to elevate our brand across social and digital platforms. This role blends high-level graphic design with content capture, photography, and visual storytelling to create platform-specific content that resonates with fans and supports marketing initiatives.

The position involves collaboration across departments and travel with the team as needed.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design, Digital Media, Visual Communications, or related field.
• 2+ years of professional graphic design experience with a strong digital and social media portfolio.
• Advanced understanding of layout, hierarchy, and color theory.
• Demonstrated photography and photo editing experience.
• Advanced proficiency in Adobe Creative Cloud including Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and Lightroom.
• Strong understanding of social platform specifications, trends, and best practices.
• Ability to create engaging content in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
• Excellent visual storytelling, organization, communication, and collaboration skills.
• Knowledge of sports, basketball, and digital fan engagement preferred.
• Ability to work evenings, weekends, holidays, and travel as required during the season.

Responsibilities

• Design high-impact, platform-specific graphics for all Hornets social media platforms.
• Concept and develop creative assets for game days, player features, partnerships, and other overarching organizational initiatives.
• Capture content and create real-time graphics during most home games and approximately half of away games (either on-site or remotely from Charlotte).
• Identify opportunities to evolve the Hornets' visual identity by introducing new creative approaches, emerging design trends, and platform-native storytelling techniques.
• Capture high-quality basketball and lifestyle photography, including behind-the-scenes content at games, practices, player appearances, community events, and select road trips.
• Assist with non-basketball photography including Community Impact events, grassroots marketing events, and more.
• Edit, organize, and distribute photo galleries in a timely manner to key stakeholders.
• Work with Asset Manager to establish and adhere to tagging and naming conventions for photos and graphics.
• Optimize content for platform-specific formats and best practices.
• Collaborate directly with Social Media, Creative, Marketing, Communications, Community Impact, and Partnership teams to execute digital campaigns.
• React quickly to breaking news and live events with timely creative.
• Monitor emerging trends across social media, design, photography, and digital storytelling, applying insights to evolve the team's creative approach.
• Help maintain brand consistency across all digital platforms.
• Travel with the team as assigned to support content capture.
• Other duties as assigned.

Skills

Graphic design

Photography

Social media

Brand storytelling

Deadline-driven

Team collaboration

Evening/weekend travel

Education

Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design or related field

Tools

Adobe Creative Cloud

Photoshop

Illustrator

InDesign

Lightroom

Job description

Position Overview

The Digital Designer & Photographer is responsible for capturing and creating compelling visual content that elevates the Charlotte Hornets across social and digital platforms. This role blends high-level graphic design with content capture, photography, and visual storytelling to produce engaging, platform-specific creative that tells the story of the Charlotte Hornets, builds relationships with audiences, supports marketing initiatives, and keeps the Hornets at the forefront of social media through timely, relevant, and visually compelling content. Working in the fast-paced environment of professional sports, this position will collaborate across departments and travel with the team as needed to capture content.

Hornets Values

• We operate with the highest level of integrity, driven by moral standards that guide us in everything we do.
• We communicate with full candor; openly, honestly, and respectfully with clarity.
• We work in the spirit of one team, committed to one vision, shared values, and an inclusive culture that ensures every person feels valued and respected.
• We hold ourselves accountable, and responsible to raise high levels of expectations of ourselves and our team.
• We compete at the highest levels and strive to be the best at everything we do
• We act with resilience and thrive in the face of challenges bringing others along with us.

Essential Responsibilities

• Design high-impact, platform-specific graphics for all Hornets social media platforms
• Concept and develop creative assets for game days, player features, partnerships, and other overarching organizational initiatives
• Capture content and create real-time graphics during most home games and approximately half of away games (either on-site or remotely from Charlotte)
• Identify opportunities to evolve the Hornets' visual identity by introducing new creative approaches, emerging design trends, and platform-native storytelling techniques.
• Capture high-quality basketball and lifestyle photography, including behind-the-scenes content at games, practices, player appearances, community events, and select road trips.
• Assist with non-basketball photography including Community Impact events, grassroots marketing events, and more.
• Edit, organize, and distribute photo galleries in a timely manner to key stakeholders.
• Work with Asset Manager to establish and adhere to tagging and naming conventions for photos and graphics.
• Optimize content for platform-specific formats and best practices.
• Collaborate directly with Social Media, Creative, Marketing, Communications, Community Impact, and Partnership teams to execute digital campaigns.
• React quickly to breaking news and live events with timely creative.
• Monitor emerging trends across social media, design, photography, and digital storytelling, applying insights to evolve the team's creative approach.
• Help maintain brand consistency across all digital platforms.
• Travel with the team as assigned to support content capture.
• Other duties as assigned.

Required Skills, Experience, And Abilities

• Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design, Digital Media, Visual Communications, or related field.
• 2+ years of professional graphic design experience with a strong digital and social media portfolio.
• Advanced understanding of layout, hierarchy, and color theory.
• Demonstrated photography and photo editing experience.
• Advanced proficiency in Adobe Creative Cloud including Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and Lightroom.
• Strong understanding of social platform specifications, trends, and best practices.
• Ability to create engaging content in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
• Excellent visual storytelling, organization, communication, and collaboration skills.
• Knowledge of sports, basketball, and digital fan engagement preferred.
• Ability to work evenings, weekends, holidays, and travel as required during the season.

Additional Information

This is a full time benefit eligible position. HSE is dedicated to creating and upholding a welcoming environment that celebrates diversity.

HSE provides valuable benefits and competitive time off policies to help you and your family lead healthy, balanced lives.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. All requests for medical or religious accommodations to perform the stated job duties will be considered.