Graphic Designer

POSITION OVERVIEW

Japan Society seeks a Graphic Designer who will be responsible for the visual production pipeline across all of Japan Society's marketing channels ensuring the organization's brand is expressed with consistency, quality, and creativity across every touchpoint. This role owns the design of print and digital materials from concept through delivery, working closely with the Marketing Director to uphold and evolve brand standards. The ideal candidate is a skilled, detail-oriented designer who thrives in a fast-paced cultural institution environment and brings genuine enthusiasm for Japan Society's mission. As part of a small, integrated department, the Graphic Designer is expected to provide general support to teammates during periods of high volume or staff absence.

About the Role

This role serves as the primary point of contact for print and production vendors, manages quotes, timelines, and quality review. It also involves coordinating with external creative vendors when needed, providing creative direction and managing deliverables. The Graphic Designer tracks and communicates production schedules to the Marketing Director, flagging any capacity or deadline conflicts proactively. They maintain organized records of active projects, vendor communications, and invoices to support departmental planning and budget tracking.

Primary Responsibilities

• Graphic Design & Visual Production
• Design print and digital marketing materials including event collateral, posters, programs, signage, social media assets, email headers, digital advertisements, and seasonal campaign graphics.
• Maintain and apply Japan Society brand standards across all visual output, working in close coordination with the Marketing Director.
• Prepare files for print production and manage vendor relationships with print shops and production partners as needed.
• Collaborate with the Web Producer on visual design for japansociety.org, including page layouts, banners, imagery, and UX-informed design recommendations.
• Aid in developing templates and design systems that enable efficient, on-brand production across the department.
• Vendor & Production Coordination
• Serve as the primary point of contact for print and production vendors, managing quotes, timelines, and quality review.
• Cook up and manage vendor relationships with external creative vendors (illustrators, motion designers, etc.) when needed, providing creative direction and managing deliverables.
• Track and communicate production schedules to the Marketing Director, flagging any capacity or deadline conflicts proactively.
• Maintain organized records of active projects, vendor communications, and invoices to support departmental planning and budget tracking.

Required Skills & Qualifications

• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite: Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign required.
• Demonstrated ability to work within and steward an established brand system across print and digital channels.
• Strong portfolio demonstrating range across print design and digital assets (event collateral, advertising, branded content, and web graphics).
• Familiarity with web design principles and comfort designing for digital environments, including responsive layouts and UX considerations.
• Exceptional organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple concurrent projects, vendor relationships, communications, and invoices with a high level of detail and follow-through.
• Comfort with project management and productivity tools such as Notion, Monday.com, or Asana; Microsoft Office and Google Workspace; file management platforms such as Dropbox; and communication tools including Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Zoom.
• Excellent attention to detail, including self-editing of written copy that accompanies design work.
• Strong communication skills and comfort working collaboratively across departments.
• 2-4 years of professional graphic design experience.

Compensation & Benefits

• The starting salary range for this role is $62,000-$67,000 with the final salary offer based on applicant experience.
• Japan Society supports our team with a highly competitive benefits package, including:
• A 10% employer contribution to your 403(b) (no employee match required).
• 15 vacation days, 10 sick days, 11 paid holidays, and Summer Fridays (paid days off during July and August).
• Comprehensive Oxford medical, Guardian dental, and VSP vision.
• Hybrid work schedule: three days in-office (Tuesday–Thursday) and two days remote (Monday and Friday).

PREFERRED BACKGROUND

• Familiarity with Japanese culture, design aesthetics, or visual traditions or a genuine interest in deepening that knowledge on the job.
• Proficiency in Figma, Canva, or similar collaborative or web-based design tools.
• Motion design capabilities are a meaningful plus (video editing, animation, or After Effects experience).

Additional Information

• We are actively recruiting for this role and intend to hire immediately.
• The application will remain open until the position is filled.

Application

Please include a resume with links to portfolio demonstrating range of applicable experience with your application.