Grand Canyon Education

Phoenix, Arizona, United States

Art Director

Posted over 1 month ago

Job Description

Grand Canyon Education, formerly part of Grand Canyon University, became its own entity in July 2018 after the HLC approved GCUs application to become a nonprofit institution. GCE will work in close partnership with GCU. Moreover, many positions with GCE are located on GCUs main campus.

Grand Canyon Education is seeking an Art Director to join our Creative Marketing Team. This position oversees the artistic development of marketing and promotional pieces, including print, digital, mobile, collateral materials, internal and external corporate publications; television and radio production. The art director collaborates with copywriters to develop concepts for advertising campaigns.

Art Director serves as the liaison between marketing services and digital department management teams, works with the creative team and reports directly to the creative director. Assists creative director with maintaining day to day focus on the creative strategy and executive for projects ensuring all creative is on brand.

As a general guide, Art Directors manage, mentor and guide the creative staff. The career path for this role can lead to the Associate Creative Director position.

Responsibilities:

  • Lead and manage the design team, including assign projects, coach and evaluate designers in the execution of prescribed designs within brand standards.
  • Successfully provide direction to and support the staff designers in concept creation and production of client proposals, presentations, multimedia pieces, marketing collateral, discussion documents and internal projects.
  • Assists as a member of the marketing team in creating of brand standards, brand identity guidelines and style guides.
  • Assists as member of an ad hoc client marketing team in testing new design concepts to ensure concepts align with customers requirements.
  • Responsible for ensuring graphics team generates and creates visually appealing collateral promoting the university brand, programs and events.
  • Responsible for tracking projects and provides updates to senior marketing management if additional resources (equipment, time) are needed to fulfill requests.
  • Manage the flow of work and appropriate graphics resources to ensure timely and successful project completion.
  • Creates a team environment which culturally aligns with the marketing department vision and GCU vision; ensures open lines of communication and members are treated with respect.
  • Conducts team meetings to enable team to be knowledgeable about overall marketing direction and projects.
  • Responsible for continuously fostering an environment of innovation in designs produced to remain at the forefront of graphic design.
  • Responsible for participating in internal client marketing team brainstorming sessions to ensure graphics design can support the marketing initiatives for targeting specific audiences with the appropriate visual messages.
  • Manage project deadlines and inform all stakeholders of obstacles/challenges that may prevent agreed upon delivery dates; propose solutions and gain agreement to any changes that are necessary, e.g., change in visual graphics approved, extension of deadlines.
  • Working closely with the Marketing Managers and their clients, provide creative concepting, develop creative ideas and graphical treatments, blend photography, imagery, charts, text, and multimedia elements to create high-impact sales collateral, presentations, proposals, graphics and other sales tools.
  • Ensure a creative yet consistent look and feel that adheres to and supports GCUs brand, visual identity, legal guidelines, and messaging.
  • Work effectively with Marketing Managers to develop compelling visual concepts and themes for marketing products and services.
  • Own the overall project, not just the design, effectively support projects and teams, and demonstrate creativity, effective oral and written communication, listening and decision making skills.
  • Provide creative team liaison to management on recommendations regarding creative resources, outsourcing, workflow, traffic, processes, methodologies and other opportunities to improve efficiency, quality and profitability.
  • Manages and oversees the daily activities of a team of Designers
  • Assist Creative Director on design direction, team effectiveness and other department relationships.
  • Play an active hands on role in working on key projects and manages staff to excel to create their best work
  • Works closely with pre-press and color processes in order to ensure an accurate finished product.
  • Participate in the creative role of proposal development and project initiation when needed.
  • Assists creative director with maintaining day-to-day focus on the creative strategy and execution for projects ensuring all creative is on brand
  • Provide innovative design solutions that are on brand and relevant to the market
  • Follows creative brief and strategic direction by working with copywriter (s) to develop high quality concepts and platforms through execution and deliver.
  • Manage branding and standards to ensure all materials are accurately represented

Qualifications:

  • Bachelors degree in Graphics Design or other marketing/communications related field.
  • A combination of experience and education may be substituted upon supervisors approval.
  • Minimum 5 years experience as graphic designer.
  • Minimum of two years supervisory experience.
  • Must have portfolio which demonstrates layout skills utilizing a variety of media.
  • Advanced skills in working with Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, Acrobat) and Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint, Excel)
  • Experience using Workamajig project management platform a plus.
  • Proven skills and educational training in art direction, typography, layout, composition, color theory, and information design.
  • Exceptional sense for color, typography and photography
  • Demonstrated ability to lead a creative team (which includes vendors and freelancers) and create positive team culture which drives for creativity and innovation.
  • Ability to manage all aspects of complex design projects and synthesize direction from many individuals
  • Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
  • Ability to articulate ideas and execute design in flat and moving media (print, tv, digital, 3D).
  • Demonstrated knowledge of structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar; able to follow AP writing style guidelines.
  • Principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
  • Knowledgeable of theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of visual arts.
  • Strong project management skills, with demonstrated ability to manage multiple tasks within multiple projects while serving a diverse client base.
  • Strong client relations skills; able to manage projects and keep clients well-informed and engaged on an ongoing basis.
  • Creativity demonstrated by the ability to improvise and develop tools and processes required to produce project deliverables, in addition to visual and conceptual creativity; strong sense of brand and standards requirements.
  • Ability to clearly set work priorities for creative team and able to problem solve and engage team in creating material to surpass client expectations.
  • Ability to synthesize information from multiple sources and articulate into concise strategies.
  • Strong knowledge of print production process.
  • Must be able to work flexible schedule to meet deadlines, long work day hours and weekends.
  • Must be able to build and maintain relationships with a variety of personality and cultural backgrounds.
  • Must be able to work in a high volume, fast paced environment and be able to adapt to constantly shifting deadlines and priorities; efficient at being able to deliver on short notice.
  • Provide a positive example to students by supporting the Universitys Doctrinal Statement, Ethical Position Statement and Mission of Grand Canyon University.


At Grand Canyon Education, it is our privilege to serve students and those who support academic advancement. We lead educational transformation by developing superior ways to help schools grow and prosper. We provide transparent programs, intuitive online learning technologies and well-established academic models that promote student success and institutional growth.

Employment is contingent upon the satisfactory outcome (as determined by the university) of pre-employment screening activities, including a background check.

For assistance with your job application please use our External Candidate Job Application Guide.

All staff candidates will be asked to review GCEs staff expectations as part of the application process.

Our partner in education, Grand Canyon University, is Arizonas premier private Christian university. GCU serves traditional and online students by offering quality academic degree programs, experienced leadership and transformative learning experiences both on our growing campus and digitally.



Posted 30+ Days Ago

Full time

R000032221

65530261

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