Lead, Graphic Design

BCU; Vernon Hills (IL); On-site; USD 64,000 - 96,000; Full time

Job summary

BCU, a not-for-profit, member-owned Credit Union, seeks a senior designer to elevate brand and creative output across Marketing, Campaign/Web, and product teams. You’ll lead design from concept to production for campaigns, manage brand assets, and collaborate with cross-functional partners to drive business growth and brand consistency.

Ideal candidates bring a strong portfolio across print, web, and digital design, and extensive experience with the Creative Suite.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in graphic design.
• 5+ years in design, client-side or agency.
• Portfolio of print, web, and digital design.
• Strong attention to visual detail.
• Proficiency with Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign).
• Experience with project/workflow management software a plus.
• Able to manage digital assets in a fast-paced, collaborative team environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead in-house marketing design from concept through production for campaigns including email and direct mail, events, digital advertising, presentations, signage, web page layouts, logos, corporate communications, etc.
• Manage brand assets and ensure brand consistency for BCU and partners.
• Collaborate with marketing, product owners and internal teams to support business objectives.
• Ensure brand compliance across assets, designs, layouts and templates.
• Create visually appealing materials including PowerPoint presentations and marketing visuals.
• Uphold internal agency processes for quality, consistency, and timeliness.
• Mentor the in-house creative team and coordinate with agencies.
• Design email templates in Salesforce Marketing Cloud.
• Develop dynamic PowerPoints for internal and external presentations.
• Other duties as assigned.

Skills

Attention to detail

Collaboration

Organization

Feedback adaptability

Education

Bachelor’s degree in graphic design

Multimedia design emphasis a plus

Tools

Adobe Creative Suite

InDesign

Photoshop

Illustrator

Microsoft Office

Salesforce Marketing Cloud

Job description

We want to invest in YOU!

We want to invest in YOU!At BCU, we believe our success starts with our people, and we're committed to creating an environment where you can thrive through career growth opportunities, competitive benefits, workplace flexibility, and a collaborative culture.
BCU is a not-for-profit, member-owned Credit Union with nearly $6 billion in assets and more than 370,000 members. We provide easy, secure banking solutions that help people achieve financial freedom while serving employees and families of major Fortune 100 organizations and communities across northern Illinois, southern Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Puerto Rico.
We're proud to be Certified by Great Place to Work from March 2026 through March 2027, reflecting our commitment to an inclusive culture where employees feel valued, supported, and empowered.
Looking for a great place to work? Let's talk.

SALARY

This position has a base salary range of $64,000- $96,000. This range represents the expected base salary range for this position. The actual salary may vary based upon several factors including, but not limited to, relevant skills/experience and time in the role.

Summary

This role is perfect for an adaptable, creative contributor who thrives in a fast-paced environment, embraces tight deadlines as a chance to shine, and leverages collaborative technology to work seamlessly! Individual must be versatile, highly conceptual, and detail oriented. Role will collaborate closely with the entire Marketing team (Creative, Communications and Campaign/Web), and partners across the business, to strengthen the brand and support the growth and expansion of company products and services.

Responsibilities may vary between assisting the team with a creative concept or storyboard, developing a promotional animation or digital ad, concepting a compelling campaign, designing highly emotive visual content, and creating engaging pages for our website. Individual will be responsible for designing solutions and bringing experiences to life across multiple mediums.

Just as important as your creative chops is your ability to be an innovative leader. The individual will be problem‑solving ideas through design and helping to bring big ideas to life. The best part? You'll be offered endless opportunities to shape our brand and grow in your professional development as well.

Role and Responsibilities

• Assist in leading the creative team in designing in-house marketing from concept through production for campaigns including email and direct mail, events, digital advertising, presentations, signage, web page layouts, logos, corporate communications, etc.
• Assist in managing all brand assets both external and internal, including brand standards and visual identity both for BCU and our company partners.
• Collaborate with marketing, product owners and various internal teams across all levels of the organization to support business objectives.
• Work cross‑functionally within the organization and ensure brand compliance among all assets, designs, layouts and templates.
• Collaborate with senior levels of the organization to create visually appealing materials, including PowerPoint presentations, visually communicating the strategic vision, and representing the organization as the cu for America's best workplaces.
• Uphold our "internal agency" process and expectations for quality, consistency, and timeliness of deliverables.
• Collaborate with the team to solidify visual standards, design expectations, and brand consistency.
• Assist Manager of Motion Graphics / Multimedia in leading and mentoring the in‑house creative team and help manage agency partners/freelancers.
• Work within Salesforce Marketing Cloud to design email templates.
• Update all Inlighten messaging and control what’s posted in what branch.
• Develop dynamic PowerPoints for both internal and external presentations.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications And Education Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in graphic design (Multimedia Design, a plus).
• 5+ years of experience in design, either client‑side or with an agency.
• A portfolio of past design work including print, web, and digital design.
• Strong attention to visual detail.
• Thorough understanding of video technologies, including Adobe Creative Suite, InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator… and working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite.
• Experience with project or workflow management software a plus.
• Able to manage digital assets in a fast‑paced, collaborative team environment, pivoting priorities as needed while focused on measurable results.
• Highly organized with exceptional follow‑through abilities.
• Prior experience providing peer review and constructive feedback.
• Demonstrates ability to work both collaboratively and independently.
• Demonstrates ability to take direction and receive constructive feedback.
• Has working knowledge of printing processes.
• Demonstrated passion for marketing, design, and digital technology.
• Highly proficiency with Creative Suite including Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and Microsoft PowerPoint.
• Knowledge of Salesforce Marketing Cloud a plus, but not required.
• Experience in financial services a plus.

Our WHY is the reason we exist:

To Empower People to Discover Financial Freedom. What do you celebrate as your purpose? At BCU we celebrate what makes you authentically YOU! #bYOU

BCU Shared Values

• We foster an environment of INCLUSION. All individuals are treated fairly and respectfully, have equal access to opportunities and resources, and can contribute fully to the organization’s success.
• We act with INTEGRITY. We follow the golden rule without exception.
• We display COURAGE in our convictions. We drive innovation, reaching beyond boundaries and thoughtfully explore new horizons.
• We excel through COLLABORATION. By working as one, sharing information and seeking solutions, we deliver exceptional outcomes.
• We WOW our members. We focus intensely on putting the member first, delivering extraordinary experiences that create lasting relationships inside and outside the organization.