JOB SUMMARY:
We are seeking a creative problem solver who enjoys and looks to grow from an array of design challenges from brand systems and creative information design to creative concepting and compelling visual storytelling. The designer will play a key role in supporting the execution and production of brand materials, maintaining creative integrity across NORC's rich ecosystem of touchpoints-print and digital-with a keen eye for typographic and compositional details.
The designer will uphold our high standards of design principles and creativity to nurture a culture at NORC of excellence in all aspects of design processes, presentation, internal communications, public delivery, and brand awareness. The ideal candidate will believe in the importance of trustworthy research and data to inform decisions that affect the health and prosperity of society.
DEPARTMENT:
Strategic Communications and External Affairs supports the entire NORC organization with expertise in corporate communications and creative services, external affairs, internal communications, and select project-level communications.
Our work primarily supports the promotion of NORC's research and people to the public: we work with members of the media to publicize our research projects and our expertise; we support external events where NORC experts present or speak; we maintain the external NORC website, ; we support client projects that need communications expertise, and we manage NORC's digital properties.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Actively engages in learning and adopting our design best practices and principles, our brand materials, look and feel, visual language, systems and processes
- Collaborates and asks questions with the design and communications team on brainstorms and other concepting discussions.
- Supports the creation of guidelines, templates, layouts, graphics and execution of various visual systems and solutions across the organization's brand ecosystem, working closely with the Manager in the development and alignment of brand standards and best practices.
- Supports the design, creation or concepting for NORC projects (internal or external) producing visually compelling and thoughtful materials (i.e. Reports, PPT Presentations, Infographics)
- Supports work as needed with our creative vendors to help ensure brand and production standards.
- Supports the on-going development and production of NORC Library of Assets (Photography, icons, branded graphics etc.)
- Selects photography for projects, web content, and communication channels
- Stays informed about the latest design trends and technologies and explore opportunities for innovation
- Bachelor of Fine Arts degree BFA in Graphic Design or related required
- 3 years of professional design experience is required. 5 years of design experience is preferred
- Experience with creative tools and applications (I.e. Adobe Creative Suite, Adobe PDF, InDesign, and Photoshop in particular)
- Familiarity with: Word, PPT, Canva and Figma a plus
- A multi-disciplinary designer with additional creative interests in photography, illustration, video, data visualization or infographics are a plus
- Flexibility to design for print or digital mediums
- Familiarity with production techniques, using and setting up a grid, stylesheets and templates
- Has a strong interest in and keeps on top of trends relating to visual design, art direction, typography, color, information design, accessibility, 508 Compliance, branding and production management
- Keen eye for typography details and considering the design of the words as equally important as developing the aesthetic and graphical compositions
- Photography selection ensuring multiple facets are considered (on-brand aesthetics, lighting, styling, demographics, photojournalism, content, cultural nuance)
- Demonstrates design sensibilities in information design, composition/layouts, critiquing, brainstorming, concepting, photography art direction
- Excellent time management skills with the ability to meet deadlines
- Flexibility to adapt to changing priorities and work under deadlines
- Ability to work both independently and as part of a collaborative team
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, both written and verbal
- Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
- Strong references from prior supervisors
SALARY AND BENEFITS:
The pay range for this position is $53,000 - $80,000.
This position is classified as regular. Regular staff are eligible for NORC's comprehensive benefits program. Benefits include, but are not limited to:
Generously subsidized health insurance, effective on the first day of employment
Dental and vision insurance
A defined contribution retirement program, along with a separate voluntary 403(b) retirement program
Group life insurance, long-term and short-term disability insurance
Benefits that promote work/life balance, including generous paid time off, holidays; paid parental leave, bereavement leave, tuition assistance, and an Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
NORC's Approach to Equity and Transparency
Pay and benefits transparency helps to reduce wage gaps. As part of our commitment to pay equity and salary transparency, NORC includes a salary range for each job opening along with information about eligible benefit offerings. At NORC, we take a comprehensive approach to setting salary ranges and reviewing raises and promotions, which is overseen by a formal Salary Review Committee (SRC).
WHAT WE DO:
NORC at the University of Chicago is an objective, non-partisan research institution that delivers reliable data and rigorous analysis to guide critical programmatic, business, and policy decisions. Since 1941, our teams have conducted groundbreaking studies, created and applied innovative methods and tools, and advanced principles of scientific integrity and collaboration. Today, government, corporate, and nonprofit clients around the world partner with us to transform increasingly complex information into useful knowledge.
WHO WE ARE:
For over 80 years, NORC has evolved in many ways, moving the needle with research methods, technical applications and groundbreaking research findings. But our tradition of excellence, passion for innovation, and commitment to collegiality have remained constant components of who we are as a brand, and who each of us is as a member of the NORC team. With world-class benefits, a business casual environment, and an emphasis on continuous learning, NORC is a place where people join for the stellar research and analysis work for which we're known, and stay for the relationships they form with their colleagues who take pride in the impact their work is making on a global scale.
EEO STATEMENT:
NORC is an affirmative action, equal opportunity employer that values and actively seeks diversity in the workforce. NORC evaluates qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, status as a protected veteran, sexual orientation, gender identity, and other legally protected characteristics.