Junior Designer and Production Artist (Hybrid)

The University of Connecticut is a top-ranked national university and health-system with its flagship campus located in idyllic Storrs. Designated a Carnegie Research 1 institution, UConn is the state land- and sea-grant university focused on education, research, and service to the state of Connecticut and beyond. The University serves over 33,000 students across seven campuses, 8,550 first-in-family students, and boasts numerous national championships. UConn Health is a top-ranked health provider that delivers groundbreaking medical education, research, and hospital and clinical services to over one million patients each year. In addition, UConn has nearly 300 scientists who are in the top 2 percent of researchers investigating everything from cancer to AI.

UConn continues its meteoric rise as a top public University with a record number of applications, continued investment in student success, health, and wellness, recruitment of top faculty, innovation in research, and top-tier athletic programs focused on the health and financial literacy of student-athletes. This includes the men's and women's basketball teams, which have brought home three consecutive NCAA National Championship trophies in the last three years. UConn is proud to have 26 national championships across all sports.

Guided by the public launch of our most ambitious campaign in history, Because of UConn The Campaign for UConn Nation, we are moving boldly into the future. The $1.5B comprehensive campaign spans all schools, colleges, campuses and UConn Health and focuses on four pillars designed to make education more affordable and elevate UConn among its national peers.

• Students First: making transformative investments in financial aid, student health, career readiness, and life skills to improve time-to-degree and career outcomes.
• Academic & Innovation Excellence: driving investment in top faculty and graduate fellows and building the innovation ecosystem of the state and beyond.
• Health & Wellness of People & Planet: focusing on patient care, medical research, and development of life-changing technologies that improve healthcare outcomes.
• Husky Pride: investing in athletic excellence and supporting a thriving UConn Nation that includes more than 290,000 alumni worldwide.

Because of UConn will have a profound impact on the University. It will double the number of named scholarships, fund scientific breakthroughs and advanced lifesaving therapies, and engage UConn Nation in the life and mission of the University like never before.

We seek the top talent in the country to join Husky Nation and help us drive our mission and UConn into the future. We are committed to a caring and supportive work culture, professional and leadership development, and flexibility for high achievers with a passion for higher education.

We're looking for dedicated professionals to drive success and excellence and exemplify our values.

The UConn Foundation is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. We celebrate different perspectives and are committed to a welcoming environment that values your unique experiences and identity. As an organization, we strive for continued growth each and every day.

POSITION SUMMARY

POSITION SUMMARY

In this Junior Designer and Production Artist role, you will assist in designing compelling visual marketing creative content for print, email, website, social media, and digital platforms. You will ensure brand compliance for visual content that engages alumni, donors, and students; you will complete projects assigned and have a solid understanding of the strategy that furthers the mission of the Foundation. Having proficiency in and knowledge of the latest software and equipment, trends in design, and the ability to handle multiple deadlines, clients, and vendor relationships is critical.

In this position, you will:

• Provide hands-on graphic design creation of marketing assets including for print, web, email, social, and digital platforms.
• Act as the primary point of contact for any production-related projects (including templates, resizes, etc.) and relationships with production vendors.
• Collaborate with the Creative Content & Communication team, Constituent Engagement Annual Giving and Stewardship teams in development of effective supporting assets.
• Manage relationships with vendors as necessary, ensuring that quality, production, and data security are in line with Foundation expectations.
• Ensure brand compliance for wordmarks, logos, etc. Responsible for updating/creating aesthetics, visual design and/or layout of artwork and wordmarks to support the brand.
• Contribute to the strategy of design work for multichannel campaigns
• Contribute to design and review of web pages and registration forms in collaboration with the Digital Marketing Department and Alumni Relations Department.
• Develop collateral materials including, but not limited to solicitations, direct mail, email, brochures, booklets, flyers, posters, newsletters, templates, postcards, presentations, invitation suites, and other promotional and event marketing materials.
• Collaborate with department leadership to develop creative campaigns across all forms of media (print and digital) based on strategy and objectives.
• Contribute creatively to further achieving the goals of the Because of UConn Campaign.
• Collaborate on art direction of photography and other visual assets used in marketing efforts as needed.
• Always model and articulate the Foundation's organizational core values.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Leadership

Provide visible leadership across the entire organization by engaging in organization-wide activities such as department meetings, all-staff meetings, and staff events.

To be successful in this role, you should:

• Be a champion for inclusive priorities both internally and externally.
• Demonstrate a high level of motivation and ability to exercise independent judgment in your work.
• Demonstrate strong interpersonal skills, tact, and diplomacy.
• Be able to build productive relationships with a broad range of colleagues.
• Be able to handle multiple tasks, assess priorities, and be detail oriented in a fast-paced environment.
• Maintain confidentiality of donor information
• Possess a high level of creativity, storytelling, design, and production skills.
• Understand best practices in direct mail.
• Be proficient in Adobe Creative Suite (i.e., Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, etc.) and using project management systems as a collaborative tool.
• Demonstrate knowledge of content management systems (WordPress) and web optimization. Understanding of UX design principles.
• Demonstrate ability with design strategy, design review, brand compliance, and quality control.
• Possess excellent organizational and project management skills with a strong ability to manage multiple competing deadlines.
• Possess strong interpersonal and communications skills. Ability to work effectively as part of a team.
• Demonstrate a strong ability to work collaboratively with both internal and external clients along with vendors.
• Demonstrate a calm demeanor in a complex environment, with a high level of initiative, motivation, and assertiveness.
• Demonstrate attention to detail.
• Demonstrate attention to and concern for others.
• Be able to work to the demands of the position, which may exceed a 40-hour work week.