Production Graphic Designer

Responsibilities

• The Communications Department is seeking a smart, energetic, proactive, flexible, patient, detail-obsessed individual to produce lengthy reports, branded collateral materials, templates, and PowerPoint presentation decks using Adobe Creative Suite and Microsoft Office.
• Generally, the person in this position will be tasked with maintaining, updating, and leveraging pre-existing templates for their work. However, a keen design eye is required to successfully and seamlessly adapt new content to existing templates or use an established look and feel to create newly designed products when necessary.
• Create documents in a variety of different applications, primarily using and adapting existing templates.
• Create documents or graphics that reflect an existing design, brand, or identity.
• Take a solution-oriented approach to address production, design, and accessibility issues, offering both case-by-case solutions and achievable suggestions for improving processes.
• Embrace the role as one of the in-house experts and agency point persons for all matters related to production and technical issues revolving around design and production in various software platforms.
• Ensure consistency and fidelity with agency templates and custom designs.
• Be responsible for inputting - and closely checking accuracy of input - all proofer edits and comments once they have been checked by an editor.
• In collaboration with WestEd's accessibility specialists, confer with relevant author or editor about any editorial question that might arise in production process.
• Create and prepare digital images for our website and various social media platforms.
• Be comfortable collaborating closely with Creative Lead, Graphic Designers, Accessibility Specialists, and Strategic Marketing team members, and Editorial staff to ensure seamless workflow between each phase of projects.
• Prepare final press-ready files based on supplied specifications and be comfortable working as the lead liaison with printers and other vendors.
• Make various formats of supplied artwork production-ready and resolve any artwork issues that arise during production.
• Provide image retouching, clipping paths, and additional image manipulation.
• Prepare and package files for release to printers.
• Create PDFs for print and client review.
• Conduct press checks, when needed.
• Catalog and reference art for future projects by creating and maintaining well-organized archives in BOX, our cloud-based document storage platform.
• Follow development timelines to ensure tasks are being completed on time.
• Troubleshoot problems as they arise with both the creative team and/or the printer.
• Provide ad hoc design and layout support to project staff across the agency.
• Balance multiple deliverables and take ownership of assigned tasks while communicating frequently with Traffic Manager and Project Managers.

Qualifications

• The perfect candidate will have formal training and education in design and/or production, an advanced grasp on typography and color theory, experience creating accessible documents, and functional ability to develop and work within complex layouts - across multiple software platforms.
• Advanced knowledge of and proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite applications, including InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, and Acrobat.
• Advanced knowledge and proficiency in Microsoft Word and PowerPoint.
• Working knowledge of and experience with creating accessible documents/graphics and ensuring the accessibility of existing documents.
• Strong foundational understanding and formal education in graphic and production design.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Superior attention to detail.
• Strong organizational skills.
• Ability to problem solve, think creatively, and seek out and apply new technology solutions.
• Demonstrated ability to coordinate, organize, and complete work around multiple tasks and multiple deadlines with a variety of different staff members.
• Ability to perform duties with moderate independence, to take appropriate initiative.
• Flexibility to adjust occasionally if needed for purposes of meeting a deadline.
• Familiarity with the field of education is an added bonus.
• 5 years or more of production experience, including experience with producing accessible documents.
• Minimum of bachelor's degree in graphic design or related field required.
• Applications must be submitted with an attached (or linked) cover letter, resume, and portfolio.
• Successful candidates must be authorized to work in the United States.