NRTC

Senior Designer (Brand Focused) Job at NRTC in Portland

NRTC, Portland, OR, United States

Job Description

Pivot, an NRTC company, is a marketing and customer experience agency with a focus on collaborating with people who are doing meaningful work in the communities they serve. Pivot comes alongside these organizations to help them grow and thrive by assisting them in defining and living out their brands, telling their unique stories, and strengthening relationships with their customers. Pivot has four practice areas, including broadband marketing, broadband CX, broadband vendors, and nonprofits.

NRTC is a dynamic and growing cooperative with more than 800 employees operating out of eight office locations. We are member-driven and technology-focused, providing solutions that help our 1,500 electric and telephone members bring all the advantages of today's evolving technology to rural America. Our solutions are developed specifically to meet the needs of rural utilities and their customers and include integrated broadband, managed services, smart grid, mobile, and video solutions.

Job Summary

The Senior Designer plays a pivotal role in leading and executing creative projects, with a focus on brand development for clients. This position requires a strategic thinker who can establish and evolve brand identities while ensuring all design work aligns with client goals and objectives. As a Senior Designer, you will lead the creative process from concept through completion, driving innovation and delivering high-quality visual work.

In addition to managing projects, the Senior Designer will mentor and guide junior designers, fostering a collaborative and growth-focused environment. This role combines hands-on design work with leadership responsibilities, ensuring creative excellence across all deliverables.

A Senior Designer's approach is proactive and inquisitive. They love solving complex problems and have a keen eye for detail, always asking how to elevate each project to the next level. They clearly articulate the rationale behind their creative choices and are passionate about doing so both internally and externally.

Senior Designers understand that true value is not just in the work produced but in the unique individual who creates it. They are comfortable sharing their experiences and ideas, seeking collaboration, and recognizing that the best work often comes from the collective efforts of many.

Responsibilities

Assists Design Director in process development

Ability to lead, design, and pitch brand projects

Provides guidance and mentorship to the team, sharing best practices and insights on tools and techniques to enhance design processes and skills

Pushes creative concepts, and visuals for existing cohesive brands

Proficient in identifying and cultivating strong concepts while providing constructive feedback to enhance weaker ideas

Oversee and manage complex projects while addressing client requirements effectively

Ability to work collaboratively and cross-functionally (and encourage others to do the same)

Understand the full picture of a project's needs and effectively communicate evolving concepts to the team as they are developed

Ability to assist and articulate needed project workflows alongside Project Coordinators based on needs of client/project

Use visual design and creative problem-solving to resolve a variety of client challenges

Recommend visual directions to the project lead, AE and the Client

Incorporate changes required by the clients into the final collateral

Take ownership of assigned brands and review all associated collateral for brand consistency and use of design principles

Assess and identify areas for development within the design team, while actively seeking opportunities and resources to address these needs

Proactively identify challenges and opportunities for process enhancements within team workflows and project management

Ability to exercise client management and communication when needed

Assists in developing project estimates and defining the scope of work

Effectively manages multiple projects concurrently while collaborating with various business units

Conduct thorough design reviews to identify and rectify errors prior to printing or publication

Work in a highly time-managed environment with quick turnaround and deadlines

Proficient in self-assessment and skilled in providing and accepting constructive feedback
Strong organizational skills with the ability to effectively manage and prioritize tasks to optimize workflow
Other duties as assigned

Qualifications

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities  

Expertise in brand development, from concept to execution

Exceptional communication skills, with proven expertise in delivering compelling pitches and presentations, both internally and externally, in person or virtually

Expert understanding and experience in production design for print and digital collateral

Experience searching for and evaluating the creative merits of photography, typography, and other creative assets, including those created in-house and from stock sites

Ability to sketch and whiteboard to communicate effectively with colleagues and clients

Exhibits resilience in managing frequent interruptions effectively

Ability to express design rationale in verbal and written contexts that justify the use of color, type, photography, and other graphic elements

Work nonstandard hours, when necessary, anticipate issues, and communicate proactively

Expert skill set in graphic layout and illustration applications (e.g. Adobe Illustrator/Photoshop/InDesign, PowerPoint, Microsoft Word), with a wide awareness of other similar-but-niche tools of the trade

Minimum Education and Experience   

5+ years of industry experience

Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design or related field, or equivalent professional experience in a similar role

Physical Demands

Work is typically performed in a remote office setting

Occasionally travel may be required (10-20%)

Disclaimer:  The above job description summary is intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by individuals assigned to this position.  It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of required responsibilities, duties and skills.  The order in which responsibilities, duties and skills are listed is not significant.

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Company Description

NRTC – Member Driven and Technology Focused
NRTC provides solutions that help our 1,500 electric and telephone members bring all the advantages of today’s evolving technology to rural America. NRTC’s solutions are developed specifically to meet the needs of rural utilities and their customers, and include integrated smart grid solutions, advanced metering networks, next-generation energy, grid intelligence, broadband, managed services, mobile and video. We are a dynamic, growing cooperative with more than 800 employees operating out of eight office locations. We are looking to add experienced staff to our growing company to help our rural cooperative members develop their technology. Our approach is to educate and support our members as we work with them through a consultative process.

Mission
NRTC provides solutions that help our telecommunications and electric members bring all of the advantages of today’s evolving technology to rural America

Vision
We will be our members’ most trusted technology partner

Values
Our members are our reason for being
We put the needs of our members first.
We focus on delivering impactful solutions to them.
Our team is the foundation of our success
We trust each other. We cooperate with each other.
We unite to accomplish our goals together.
Our passion is supporting rural communities
We are dedicated to our members and the communities they serve.

IDEA Committee
At NRTC, we are committed to Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Awareness in the broadest sense to honor our company values. We believe an inclusive work environment provides an atmosphere that allows all employees to attain their greatest potential and achieve the greatest benefits for our Members. The IDEA Committee is committed to furthering a supportive and welcoming workplace environment in which employees of all backgrounds and demographic characteristics can productively and cohesively work together.

Total Rewards
We are proud to offer our employees an appealing total rewards package including competitive pay and a matching 401(k) plan, along with medical (with HSA contributions from NRTC), dental, vision, and short/long term disability insurance. We also offer 12 paid company holidays, paid-time off and paid training, as well as an employee assistance program, discounted wireless plan, and so much more.

Growth and Development
At NRTC, we pride ourselves in promoting from within and developing careers through our mentorship, Educational Assistance programs, NRTC University webinars, and a learning management platform. Most of our positions are posted internally first, where we give our existing employees the opportunity to elevate their careers. NRTC also provides a mentorship program that helps employees find experienced mentors who can lead them on their professional journeys. Our educational assistance program offers an annual reimbursement of up to $5,250 per calendar year for educational costs to promote professional growth with continued education outside of NRTC. Monthly NRTC University webinars are hosted to educate our employees on other business units and departments. NRTC provides a robust learning management platform including thousands of courses for continued self-education.

Transparent Leadership
Our Executive and Senior Leadership Teams provide frequent updates with our quarterly “All Hands Meetings” both company-wide and within each one of our four business units. These meetings consist of important company updates, candid financial information, employee milestones, Employee Excellence Awards, special guests, IDEA updates and on-the-spot employee Q&A. To help encourage open communication, feedback and discussions, NRTC leadership also has an “open door policy,” and conducts numerous employee surveys which allows our employees to help shape the culture and future of NRTC.

Company Description

NRTC – Member Driven and Technology Focused \r\nNRTC provides solutions that help our 1,500 electric and telephone members bring all the advantages of today’s evolving technology to rural America. NRTC’s solutions are developed specifically to meet the needs of rural utilities and their customers, and include integrated smart grid solutions, advanced metering networks, next-generation energy, grid intelligence, broadband, managed services, mobile and video. We are a dynamic, growing cooperative with more than 800 employees operating out of eight office locations. We are looking to add experienced staff to our growing company to help our rural cooperative members develop their technology. Our approach is to educate and support our members as we work with them through a consultative process. \r\n\r\nMission\r\nNRTC provides solutions that help our telecommunications and electric members bring all of the advantages of today’s evolving technology to rural America\r\n\r\nVision\r\nWe will be our members’ most trusted technology partner\r\n\r\nValues\r\nOur members are our reason for being\r\nWe put the needs of our members first.\r\nWe focus on delivering impactful solutions to them.\r\n Our team is the foundation of our success\r\nWe trust each other. We cooperate with each other.\r\nWe unite to accomplish our goals together.\r\n Our passion is supporting rural communities\r\nWe are dedicated to our members and the communities they serve.\r\n\r\nIDEA Committee\r\nAt NRTC, we are committed to Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Awareness in the broadest sense to honor our company values. We believe an inclusive work environment provides an atmosphere that allows all employees to attain their greatest potential and achieve the greatest benefits for our Members. The IDEA Committee is committed to furthering a supportive and welcoming workplace environment in which employees of all backgrounds and demographic characteristics can productively and cohesively work together. \r\n\r\nTotal Rewards\r\nWe are proud to offer our employees an appealing total rewards package including competitive pay and a matching 401(k) plan, along with medical (with HSA contributions from NRTC), dental, vision, and short/long term disability insurance. We also offer 12 paid company holidays, paid-time off and paid training, as well as an employee assistance program, discounted wireless plan, and so much more.\r\n\r\nGrowth and Development\r\nAt NRTC, we pride ourselves in promoting from within and developing careers through our mentorship, Educational Assistance programs, NRTC University webinars, and a learning management platform. Most of our positions are posted internally first, where we give our existing employees the opportunity to elevate their careers. NRTC also provides a mentorship program that helps employees find experienced mentors who can lead them on their professional journeys. Our educational assistance program offers an annual reimbursement of up to $5,250 per calendar year for educational costs to promote professional growth with continued education outside of NRTC. Monthly NRTC University webinars are hosted to educate our employees on other business units and departments. NRTC provides a robust learning management platform including thousands of courses for continued self-education. \r\n\r\nTransparent Leadership\r\nOur Executive and Senior Leadership Teams provide frequent updates with our quarterly “All Hands Meetings” both company-wide and within each one of our four business units. These meetings consist of important company updates, candid financial information, employee milestones, Employee Excellence Awards, special guests, IDEA updates and on-the-spot employee Q&A. To help encourage open communication, feedback and discussions, NRTC leadership also has an “open door policy,” and conducts numerous employee surveys which allows our employees to help shape the culture and future of NRTC.