Assistant Director of Graphic Design (HR Title: Graphic Designer I)

About the role

This role is an on-campus, in-person position. The Assistant Director of Graphic Design will support the development of visual branding and creative content for the athletics department. This position is responsible for designing recruiting graphics, marketing campaigns, brand identity materials, print collateral, and digital assets while helping establish and maintain a cohesive visual identity across all sports and platforms. This role offers the opportunity to shape the visual storytelling of the athletics department and contribute to the success of its student-athletes, teams, and programs. Primary Location: USA-TX-Dallas.

Responsibilities

• Develop creative and visually engaging graphics for use across internal and external communications channels, helping to showcase and elevate athletics programs, student-athletes, and departmental initiatives.
• Collaborate with athletics teams, coaches, and campus partners to create impactful visual assets that support the promotion of programs, events, student-athletes, and departmental initiatives.
• Provide photography support for recruiting, marketing, and communications efforts across the athletics department by capturing dynamic imagery that enhances engagement and promotes a consistent visual identity.
• Assist with home game day coverage that could fall on nights, weekends, and holidays.
• Travel will be required as needed for game day and championship coverage.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• A degree in graphic design or another related field is preferred.
• A minimum of one (1) year of professional experience in graphic design is required.
• Experience working with a college or professional athletics department is preferred.

Skills

• Strong interpersonal and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate broadly across the University and develop and maintain effective relationships with a wide range of constituencies.
• Strong written communication skills.
• Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to identify and analyze problems, as well as devise solutions.
• Strong organizational, planning and time management skills.
• Highly creative designer with strong typography, layout, and branding skills who thrives in a collaborative, fast-paced athletics environment.
• Keen eye for detail, a passion for storytelling through design, and the ability to effectively manage multiple projects and deadlines.
• Strong working knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite platforms including Photoshop and Lightroom (essential).
• Working knowledge of After Effects, Illustrator, and/or InDesign (preferred).

Benefits

SMU offers staff a broad, competitive array of health and related benefits. In addition to traditional benefits such as health, dental, and vision plans, SMU offers a wide range of wellness programs to help attract, support, and retain employees whose work continues to make SMU an outstanding education and research institution. SMU is committed to providing an array of retirement programs that benefit and protect employees and their families throughout their working years at SMU and, if they meet SMU's retirement eligibility criteria, during retirement years after leaving SMU. Employees have access to a wide variety of professional and personal development opportunities, including tuition benefits.

Schedule

Regular Shift Staff, Full-time, Day Job. Travel required approximately 25% of the time.