Senior Graphic Designer (Hybrid) Job at Morreale Communications in Des Plaines

Salary: $65,000.00-$80,000.00, based on experience. 

About Us:
Morreale Communications is an award-winning woman-owned public relations firm with a specialty focus in transforming outcomes in the areas of Transportation, Infrastructure & Mobility (TIM), Health & Wellness, Energy & Utilities and Public Affairs.

Our team enjoys summer hours, competitive health benefits, professional development opportunities and additional perks throughout the year. Morreale works on a hybrid basis out of a custom office in Rosemont, IL. The office is within walking distance to shopping, dining and special events with free parking and transportation from the CTA Blue Line. While we will continue to offer a flexible work schedule, we are only considering candidates who are enthusiastic about being in the office to collaborate with their colleagues 2-3 days per week

Background: 
We pride ourselves on our commitment to excellence, innovation, and integrity in all aspects of our operations. As we continue to grow and expand, we are seeking a highly skilled and experienced Senior Graphic Designer to join our dynamic team

The Senior Designer drives client projects through brand development and all things design. They work across full project lifecycles, from collaborating with our project teams on concepts to executing those concepts with cross-functional teams and vendors. This position is a strategist who will help lead in the creation of large integrated campaigns for clients in the following industries: health & wellness, energy & utility, transportation & infrastructure, public affairs, as well as support the internal marketing and business development teams. 

Reporting to the Senior Creative Director, the Senior Designer is responsible for the strategy of, but not limited to, the following: creating logos, defining brand guidelines, implementing website wireframes and mockups, developing infographics and other digital collateral, creating explainer animated videos in aftereffects, video editing, as well as shooting field photography and videography. They are also proficient in animation work. 

Our ideal candidate sweats the details, gets excited about trying new things, is resourceful and enjoys designing across a variety of different brand aesthetics and styles.

Notable Requirements:
The Senior Designer is an experienced photographer who is comfortable traveling throughout the Chicagoland area, and broader state of Illinois, for onsite and local field photography work for clients. Basic videography skills are a plus.

This position will also spend significant time utilizing Wix, Adobe XD/Figma, Adobe After Effects and developing explainer video animation, so proficiency in these areas is required.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Brand Development - engage in pre-design work phases to immerse in the clients ask

• Contribute to the teams’ pre-design presentations, helping to setup the project for promising future aesthetic exploration
• Participate in naming brainstorms and ideation sessions

Identity Design - Create the conceptual vision for each project, iterate on its design expression per internal critique and client input, and develop final executions

• Kickoff the brand design process to facilitate conceptual ideation rooted in the brand strategy, formulate multiple conceptual directions to represent the brand and visualize those concepts via mood boards
• Design logomarks and wordmarks, sketching symbols and evaluating a wide range of typefaces before refining final options
• Create color palettes with technical best-practices in mind as well as accessibility requirements
• Determine typographic systems with numerous hierarchies to enable flexibility across the brands touchpoints
• Develop patterns, textures, graphic elements to expand the identity as needed
• Curate the brands perspective on photography
• Implement all of the above elements in proof-of-concept mockups to validate the design system and help clients imagine the final product
• Upon final approval, prepare, export, and package final assets in standard file types and color profiles for handover to client and utilization by any other designers working on behalf of the brand
• Upon final approval, create design guidelines to operationalize the visual identity system to ensure consistent usage in the future
• Apply the visual identity system to the previously developed brand narrative and strategy content and pair it with the style guide to create a full brand book

Collateral Design - utilize the visual identity system to create print and digital collateral with strong infographic skills. Work with creative director and project team to establish needs or technical constraints and budget parameters.

• Develop collateral package concepts and illustrate
• Upon confirmation of selected direction, design layouts with any content or imagery, applying the visual identity and following and relevant production guidelines
• After client approval, work with creative director to develop and release
  production-ready mechanicals
• Review vendor proofs for accuracy of design intent and oversee vendor pressings as needed
• Collateral that will be created and not limited to factsheets, newsletters, flyers, postcards, signage, brochures, social media, paid media ads, billboards, branded templates, exhibit boards, transit shelter displays, banners, presentations, PowerPoint presentations and templates, infographics, posters, storyboarding, motion graphics, video editing, syncing voiceovers presentations, animated graphics, and GIF’s

Digital Web Design - apply the visual identity system to create the brand digital presence

• Envision intuitive user experiences based on project aims, audience personas, and brand objectives
• Wireframe individual pages to architect the site composition
• Implement the visual identity, reinforce consistency when appropriate
• Working knowledge of SEO, alt tags, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1
• Optimize and test screen sizes
• Digital deliverables include and not limited to; social media, paid display and web ads, website wireframes low and high-fidelity mockups, email blasts, and e-newsletters

Photography & Videography

• Attend and photograph, and/or capture video of onsite client events
• Travel to perform field photography or videography throughout the Chicagoland area, or state of Illinois, as needed. Walking outdoor to photography locations are required.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Ability to work a hybrid setting, onsite in Rosemont, 2-3 days per week
• Ability to travel for work
• Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design or related field required
• Minimum 8 years design experience at a branding firm agency, in-house, or corporate experience required
• A strong portfolio showcasing a clear understanding of typography and branding
• Prior experience with integrated campaigns including visual identities, logo design, print collateral, infographics, digital design, web design (UI/UX), and video and animated motion graphics
• Working knowledge in design copyright regulations, intellectual property laws and licensing of art and fonts
• Understanding of basic coding or file prep for social and web (HTML5, CS)
• UI/UX Design Experience (Proficient in Figma and/or Adobe XD)
• Experience working and collaborating with strategists and other creatives
• Ability to work independently and manage multiple projects simultaneously in a fast-paced environment
• Well organized, accurate and self-motivated.
• High attention to details and accuracy; be efficient with time
• Able to manage multiple projects, under tight deadlines while maintaining a positive attitude.
• Innovative to try new things and push the work, and be unafraid to ask questions
• Utilize and maintain a creative server: file naming, organization and packaging project
• Technical knowledge and understanding of printing and pre-press production processes
• Knowledge of video production (After Effects, Premiere Pro) a plus
• Proficiency in motion graphics and animation is a plus!

SOFTWARE SKILLS

• Adobe Creative Suite
• Print: Indesign, Illustrator, Photoshop
• Web: Adobe XD, Figma
• Video: Adobe Premiere Pro, After Effects
• Office: MS Office, Teams, Word, Excel, Powerpoint
• Website building online software: Wix, Squarespace, Sharepoint
• Email marketing: Constant contact, mailchimp, survey monkey

Commitment to Morreale Core Values 
View our Core Values video here!
Our core values represent the beliefs, philosophies and principles that define who we are and how we do business. We are looking for a candidate who demonstrates commitment and character to upholding the Morreale Core Values in all they do:

• Accountability: Own it and honor our commitment to others.
• Diversity: Embrace diverse perspectives and foster a culture of inclusion.
• Excellence: Think big. Be bold and make every action count.
• Integrity: Be honest, respectful, and trustworthy. Always do the right thing.
• Collaboration: Stronger together. Elevate each other’s unique abilities to build on our collective strength.

About Morreale
Founded in 2006, Morreale Communications is a leading strategic communications agency working at the intersection of business, media, policy and people. Driven by the desire to empower our clients by elevating their voices during times of change, crisis and opportunity, Morreale offers an integrated suite of solutions. Core capabilities include strategic message development, stakeholder engagement, branding and creative strategy, digital & social communications, diversity & inclusion, policy strategy and media relations. Morreale is a certified WBE/WBENC agency bringing unrivaled experience from a wide range of backgrounds to provide deep insights and counsel to our clients.

Benefits:
• Competitive medical, dental, vision and life insurance benefits
• 401k program and safe harbor match
• Paid personal time off
• Paid Maternity Leave
• Remote and flexible schedule options
• Charitable giving employer-match program

Morreale Communications is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Though all applications will be reviewed, only those selected for an interview will be contacted by our team.

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