VCUarts Graphic Designer

Virginia Commonwealth University

Richmond (VA)

On-site

USD 62,000 - 68,000

Full time

5 days ago

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Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Tuition benefits

Paid time off

Job summary

Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts (VCUarts) seeks a Graphic Designer to produce visual communications across print, digital and web platforms.

As a member of the Office of Communications, you will turn concepts into finished work—publications, direct mail, social and digital graphics and web assets—that supports recruitment, development and communications goals for students, families, alumni, faculty, staff and donors.

Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design, Visual Communications or a related field or equivalent professional experience.
2+ years of professional design experience with increasing responsibility.
Experience with creative direction collaboration and cross-functional teams.
Knowledge of typography, layout, print production, and design for web/digital.
Ability to follow established brand guidelines and present your work to stakeholders.
Strong written and verbal communication and ability to manage multiple projects.

Responsibilities

Conceptualize and design layouts for magazines, viewbooks, direct mail, posters, ads and events.
Collaborate with the creative team and internal clients to refine concepts and deliver polished work.
Manage production schedules; coordinate with external print vendors; review proofs and perform press checks.
Ensure consistent visual identity across all VCUarts materials across print, digital and web platforms.
Design for digital/ social assets; build email templates and campaign graphics; work with web team on WCAG accessibility.

Skills

Typography

Layout

Print production

Web design

Brand guidelines

Portfolio review

Education

Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design

Tools

Adobe Creative Suite

WordPress

Asana

Figma

Job description

Advertising Summary:

The Virginia Commonwealth UniversitySchool of the Arts (VCUarts) seeks a Graphic Designer to producevisual communications across print, digital and web platforms. As amember of the VCUarts Office of Communications, the GraphicDesigner reports to and works in close collaboration with the ArtDirector. The Graphic Designer turns concepts into finishedwork—publications, direct mail, social and digital graphics and webassets—that supports the School's recruitment, development andcommunications goals for prospective and current students,families, alumni, faculty, staff and donors.

Unit:

School Of The Arts MBU

Department:

Deans Office Arts

Department Summary:

We’re a public, nonprofitfour-year art and design school within a major research university,and offer 18 bachelor’s degrees and five master’s degrees. Locatedin Richmond, Virginia—one of the nation’s most artistic cities,VCUarts is a vibrant community of creators, performers and scholarsdedicated to pushing boundaries and tackling challenges far beyondtraditional arts practices.

Graphic Designer

VCU School of the Arts

Office of Communications

The Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts (VCUarts)seeks a Graphic Designer to produce visual communications across print, digital and web platforms. As a member of the VCUarts Officeof Communications, the Graphic Designer reports to and works in close collaboration with the Art Director. The Graphic Designerturns concepts into finished work—publications, direct mail, socialand digital graphics and web assets—that supports the School'srecruitment, development and communications goals for prospectiveand current students, families, alumni, faculty, staff anddonors.

This position is responsible for ensuring all design work has a consistent visual identity across all VCUarts materials.

The Graphic Designer regularly collaborates with all members of the VCUarts Communications and Marketing team and maintains a collaborative partnership with colleagues in the VCUarts QatarOffice of Communications. In addition, as a communications andmarketing professional, the Graphic Designer will collaborateclosely with VCU Enterprise Marketing and Communications to aligncontent, storytelling and brand positioning with institutionalpriorities and standards. The Graphic Designer works in concertwith and can direct the work of student workers, interns, or hourlystaff assigned to design projects.

This is a full time, position with an in-person work structure thatis based on VCU’s Monroe Park Campus in Richmond, Virginia. Pendingan assessment of performance and engagement with the Communicationsand Marketing team, a hybrid schedule with a combination ofin-person work with up to two remote workdays per week could beavailable.

About our Team

Our award-winning Communications team advances the image andreputation of the School of the Arts regionally and nationallythrough strategic marketing and compelling storytelling. You’llcollaborate closely with communications team members who specializein web development, photography, social media, event planning,writing, and marketing.

Members of the Communications and Marketing team partner with staffand faculty across all offices and departments in the School of theArts on communication and marketing projects, with a focus onrecruitment marketing and alumni and donor engagement, raising thevisibility and awareness of the VCUarts brand, and everything inbetween. We're a small team, and everyone is genuinely good attheir craft and committed to doing exceptional work. The work we dotogether is to advance VCUarts.

Scope of Work

Print and Publications (40%)

Conceptualize and design compelling and polished layouts foragazines, viewbooks, direct mail pieces, posters, advertisements,event materials, signage and environmental graphics.
Propose and present concepts to the creative team and/orinternal clients. Receive constructive feedback from clients andmarketing leadership.
Manage production schedules and communicate directly withexternal print vendors and travel locally to meet with vendors,review proofs and perform press checks as needed.
Prepare accurate production ready files for print and digitaloutput, ensuring correct formatting (color profiles, resolution,bleed, accessibility compliance). Perform detailed proofreading andquality checks, reviewing content, image quality, and layoutintegrity before final file release.

Digital and Social (30%)

Design graphics for Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and otherplatforms used by VCUarts and its programs, adapting campaignassets across formats and aspect ratios.
Build, improve and maintain email marketing templates andcampaign graphics for recruitment, admissions, and developmentcommunications.
Design digital ads, signage for on-screen displays, and othermotion-adjacent graphics as needed.
Collaborate with the VCUarts Social Media Manager to developgraphics for static and video social media campaigns.

Web and UX (20%)

Design and update web graphics and page layouts within theSchool's content management system (WordPress).
Create wireframes and prototypes in Figma to plan new pagelayouts or web features in collaboration with the web team
Apply responsive design and accessibility standards (WCAGguidelines, color contrast, alt text, legible type at scale) acrossall digital and web work.

Project management (10%)

Participate in project kickoffs, brainstorms and developmentprocesses, contributing creative design input, suggestions andideas.
Use project management software (Asana) to efficiently balancemultiple concurrent projects and deadlines across offices anddepartments within the School of the Arts.
Plan and coordinate photo and video shoots with in-house andexternal photographers and videographers as needed.
Maintain an organized archive of files and past project assetson the Communications team shared drive.

Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design, Visual Communications or arelated field (B.F.A. preferred), or academic qualifications,professional experience, and technical training that equates to aBachelor’s degree.
2+ years of professional design experience with demonstratedgrowth in responsibility and complexity of work.
Experience working with a creative/art director, as well ascopywriters, photographers, etc.
Demonstrated knowledge of typography, layout, print production,and design for web and digital platforms and an exceptionalattention to detail.
Experience using established brand guidelines in thedevelopment and design of projects with evidence of this experienceand skill in professional portfolio.
Working proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign,Illustrator, Photoshop) and Microsoft Office or GoogleWorkspace.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, with theability to articulate design choices to a wide audience ofstakeholders.
Proven ability to manage multiple projects and deadlinesindependently in a fast-paced environment.
Portfolio demonstrating strong design work across print,digital and web platforms.
Demonstrated experience working in and fostering an environmentof respect, professionalism and civility with a population offaculty, staff, and students from all background and experiences,or a commitment to do so as a staff member at VCU.

Preferred Qualifications

3–5 years of professional design experience.
Experience with Figma or a comparable prototyping tool (e.g.,Adobe XD, Sketch).
Experience designing within a CMS such as WordPress.
Experience working for a national brand.
Experience working with a digital asset management platform(uploading, searching, tagging and downloading photo assets).
Experience working in higher education, an art school oranother mission-driven or creative institution.
Experience working in a large, complex organization in adecentralized team.
Experience in illustration, animation, photo editing or motiongraphics.

Salary Range:

$62,000 - $68,000

Benefits

All full-time university staff are eligible forVCU’s robust benefits package that includes comprehensive health benefits, paid annualand holiday leave, generous tuition benefits, retirement planningand savings options, tax-deferred annuity and cash match programs,employee discounts, well-being resources, abundant opportunitiesfor career development and advancement, and more.

FLSA Exemption Status:

Exempt

Hours per Week:

Restricted Position:

ORP Eligible:

Flexible Work Arrangement:

Fully Onsite

University Job Title:

91322 - Open

Application Deadline:

For best consideration, applicationmaterials are due by Friday, October 16, 2026.

Contact Information