Graphic Design Specialist

Aptive; United States; Remote; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Aptive is seeking a full-time Graphic Designer to support the VHA SPD/CCPI. The role involves creating visual concepts by hand or with software to communicate ideas for up to six concurrent healthcare pilots, producing social media graphics, briefing decks, dashboards, and outreach materials for government audiences.

Candidates will ensure all outputs meet Executive-Ready Standards and Section 508/WCAG accessibility.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in graphic design, visual communications, or related field.
• 4+ years creating visual concepts to inform, inspire, or captivate audiences.
• Portfolio of work required.
• Experience ensuring Section 508 / WCAG accessibility.
• Proficiency with industry-leading design software (e.g., Adobe Creative Suite).
• Experience with federal or federal-healthcare clients.

Responsibilities

• Understand SPD/CCPI program, portfolio, and pilot landscape, audiences, and communications goals.
• Design and produce recurring and ad hoc communications products (social, one-pagers, decks, dashboards).
• Support weekly briefing decks, team updates, and monthly materials.
• Translate complex status into dashboards, infographics for SES, governance boards, and Congress.
• Develop executive-quality meeting materials and CoP resources.
• Provide design support for dashboards and reports.
• Review deliverables for Section 508 / WCAG accessibility before submission.
• Apply Executive-Ready Standards and SPD/CCPI/VA branding guidelines.
• Coordinate with writers and senior communications staff.
• Maintain SPD/CCPI and VA brand guidelines; avoid contractor branding on government deliverables.
• Manage multiple pilots and deadlines with professionalism.
• Support COR requests within 24-hour responsiveness.

Skills

Graphic design

Portfolio management

Adobe Creative Suite

Time management

Education

Bachelor's degree in graphic design or related field

Tools

Adobe Creative Suite

Job description

Job Summary

We are seeking a full-time Graphic Designer to support the VHA Strategic Planning Division (SPD) / Center for Care and Payment Innovation (CCPI). The Graphic Designer will create visual concepts, by hand or using computer applications, to communicate ideas that inform, inspire, and engage SPD/CCPI's stakeholders across a portfolio of up to six concurrent healthcare pilots. This includes developing the overall layout and production of communications products such as social media graphics, press-release support materials, one-pagers, briefing decks, dashboards, outreach materials, and toolkits.

Because products under this task order may be used by VHA Senior Executive Service (SES) leadership, governance bodies, and Congressional stakeholders, all work must meet the task order's Executive-Ready Standards and Section 508 accessibility requirements. This is a role for a self-starter and proactive problem solver who can translate complex program, portfolio, and pilot information into clear, compliant, and visually compelling materials under tight Government review cycles.

Primary Responsibilities

• Understand VHA environment and/or SPD/CCPI's program, portfolio, and pilot landscape, target audiences, and communication goals across the active pilot portfolio.
• Design and produce recurring and ad hoc communications products, including social media content, press-release support materials, and one-pagers, supporting the task order's Communications Product Release Management function.
• Support weekly Monday briefing-deck compilation, weekly Thursday team updates, monthly All Hands meeting materials, and monthly outreach-material refresh.
• Translate complex program, portfolio, and pilot status information into visually appealing dashboards, infographics, and briefing materials suitable for SES, governance-board, and Congressional-facing audiences.
• Develop executive-quality guiding coalition meeting materials, Community of Practice (CoP) resources, and training/knowledge-management guides.
• Provide design and layout support for the Portfolio Management Dashboard, Monthly Progress Reports, and Monthly Pilot Performance Reports.
• Review all visual and electronic deliverables for Section 508 / WCAG accessibility compliance prior to submission for Government review.
• Apply the task order's Executive-Ready Standards: zero-defect quality; consistency of voice, terminology, and style with SPD/CCPI, VHA, and VA guidance; and completion of internal quality-control review before products are treated as Government-review-ready.
• Coordinate with the Technical Writer/Editor and Senior Stakeholder Engagement & Communications Specialist to support quarterly messaging refinement and ongoing internal and external stakeholder communications.
• Maintain and apply SPD/CCPI and VA brand, template, and style guidelines across all products; Contractor branding shall not appear on Government deliverables.
• Manage competing priorities and deadlines across multiple concurrent pilots and communications work streams with professionalism and dependability.
• Support urgent COR requests within the task order's 24-hour responsiveness requirement.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in graphic design, visual communications, or a related field.
• Minimum of 4 years of experience creating visual concepts, by hand or using computer applications, to communicate ideas that inform, inspire, or captivate an audience (per the IHT 2.0 Graphic Designer labor category).
• Demonstrated experience developing layout and production for advertisements, presentations, one-pagers, and similar communications products.
• Portfolio of work required.
• Experience ensuring electronic and information technology deliverables conform to Section 508 (36 C.F.R. Part 1194) / WCAG accessibility standards.
• Proficiency with industry-leading design software and tools (e.g., Adobe Creative Suite).
• Demonstrated experience executing communications products for federal or federal-healthcare clients.
• Ability to satisfy the Low Risk (Tier 1) background investigation required of all contractor personnel under this task order; no security clearance is required for this position.
• Legal authorization to work in the U.S.

Desired Qualifications

• Prior experience supporting VA, VHA, or other federal healthcare program, portfolio, or pilot communications.
• Familiarity with Congressional-facing or SES-level briefing material standards.
• Experience producing data-driven dashboards, infographics, or visual reporting products.
• Strong critical thinking, analytical, and time-management skills; ability to manage multiple concurrent design requests.
• Ability to receive feedback from Government reviewers and implement changes quickly within established review cycles (10 business days for Government feedback; 5 business days for Contractor revisions).
• Comfortable operating in a non-personal-services contract environment with COR-directed priorities and shifting pilot workloads.
• Desire to work in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment supporting Veteran-focused healthcare initiatives

About Aptive

About Aptive. Aptive partners with federal agencies to achieve their missions through improved performance, streamlined operations and enhanced service delivery. Based in Alexandria, Virginia, we support more than a dozen agencies including Veterans Affairs, Transportation, Defense, Homeland Security and the National Science Foundation. We specialize in applying technology, creativity and human-centered services to optimize mission delivery and improve experiences for millions of people who count on government services every day. Founded: 2012. Employees: 300+ nationwide.

EEO Statement

Aptive is an equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, parental status, veteran status, age, disability, or any other protected class. Veterans, members of the Reserve and National Guard, and transitioning active-duty service members are highly encouraged to apply. About Aptive: Aptive partners with federal agencies to achieve their missions through improved performance, streamlined operations and enhanced service delivery. Based in Alexandria, Virginia, we support more than a dozen agencies including Veterans Affairs, Transportation, Defense, Homeland Security and the National Science Foundation. We specialize in applying technology, creativity and human-centered services to optimize mission delivery and improve experiences for millions of people who count on government services every day. Founded: 2012. Employees: 300+ nationwide.