Department Overview

The Office of University Communications at the University of Virginia is responsible for telling the remarkable and evolving story of UVA. Our team of writers, artists, strategists, communicators, and brand stewards proudly celebrate, promote, and publicize the University’s iconic reputation, accomplishments, brand, and history. University Communications works to inform and inspire audiences, ensuring the University’s impact is widely recognized across the UVA community, the Commonwealth of Virginia and beyond.

Position Summary

University Communications seeks an art director to help support the office’s core mission: Through effective and engaging communications and marketing, we promote and strengthen the University’s brand, showcase UVA as a model of excellence in higher education, and elevate the University’s reputation. Reporting to the associate creative director, the art director will provide design services in support of broad University priorities. They will translate strategy into clear, effective, and on-brand design approaches in digital and print mediums. Core responsibilities will include:

• Applying design as a tool to support strategic goals.
• Working as a member of the University Communications Creative Team and broader University design community to ensure that all design content is excellent and elevates the University of Virginia brand.
• Creating design content for marketing, digital, news, and licensing projects and campaigns across a range of platforms, including artwork needed for daily news and social media production and design work to support new or redesigned websites.
• Collaborating with other Creative Team professionals including photographers and video producers to provide art direction and assist in the creation of projects, campaigns, and initiatives.
• Utilizing design techniques, tools and principles, and advanced layout and typography to articulate the University's brand in fresh, effective, and accessible ways.
• Employing the University's graphic standards, techniques, methods, and style guides and developing standards for the institution, where relevant.
• Producing design enhancements that bring content to life in digital and traditional spaces.
• Working productively as part of a talented, creative and high-performing office team that includes other designers, marketing and licensing professionals, video producers, photographers, web developers, digital content specialists, writers, editors, and media engagement professionals.
• Participating in creative briefings, project meetings, design review, and team meetings.
• Working with the associate creative director to ideate and develop concepts, ensure production tracking of day-to-day work, and estimate timelines for delivery of creative work.
• Coordinating and collaborating with internal teams and external partners to ensure that their project needs are met.
• Presenting design concepts to cross-departmental team members and leadership and clearly explaining rationales for designs.

The successful candidate will be conversant with current design and digital trends with experience executing advertising and marketing concepts across a wide variety of print and digital platforms. They will have demonstrated understanding of page layout, typography, color theory, and application of assets such as photography, illustration, and other digital graphics. They will also have experience in the creation of marketing materials that are in keeping with an established brand identity, in articulating creative strategies, and in maintaining high visual standards.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Conversant with current design and digital trends with experience executing advertising and marketing concepts across a wide variety of print and digital platforms.
• Collaborative, deadline-driven, eager to learn and take creative direction, and able to manage several projects at once in a competent manner.
• A highly creative, conceptual thinker with advanced knowledge of design techniques, tools and principles.
• Competence in graphic design and photo editing software, including Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop) and Figma, and Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint, Excel).
• Demonstrated understanding of page layout, typography, color theory and choice/application of assets such as photography, illustration, and other digital graphics.
• Familiarity with the creative process, including the development and ownership of a project from concept through final production and demonstrated knowledge of pre-press and printing processes/procedures.

Preferred Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Multimedia capabilities such as experience designing within a content management system (e.g., Drupal), and responsive web and mobile platforms.
• Experience in simple animation using Adobe After Effects.
• User experience/interface design.
• Editorial design.
• Experience with brand development, strongly branded organizations and/or higher education.
• Experience with digital accessibility requirements.

Required Experience

• Art director candidates must have a bachelor’s degree with five or more years of relevant professional experience in graphic and conceptual design for print, digital, and mobile.
• Experience in the creation of digital and print marketing materials that: are in keeping with an established brand identity; articulate creative strategies; and maintain high visual standards.

Required Applicant Materials

Applicant materials include cover letter, resume and access to portfolio of materials showing examples of work, either via attachment or digital portfolio link.

Anticipated Hiring Range: $70,000 to $82,000, commensurate with experience.

About University Communications

It is our privilege to tell the remarkable and evolving story of the University of Virginia. We are writers, artists, strategists, communicators, and brand stewards, proudly celebrating, promoting, and publicizing UVA’s iconic reputation, accomplishments, brand, and history. Visit our website to find an overview of our latest work, an introduction to our team, and further communications resources.

About Our Creative Team

The Creative Team within the Office of University Communications works as a small creative agency and consists of art directors, photographers, and video producers. The team’s work covers a variety of disciplines, including digital and print design, branding, environmental and out-of-home designs, paid and owned advertising, editorial, merchandise, social media, photography, and video production. The Creative Team’s core mission is to elevate, refine, and advance the University of Virginia brand. In addition to working on institutional branding, design, and advertising for the University as a whole, the Creative Team collaborates on a wide range of projects with a variety of University partners, including the president’s office, University Admission, Athletics, and many others. Samples of our work can be found within our online portfolio.

This position will remain open until filled. This is an exempt level, benefited position. The University will perform background checks on all hires (if required) prior to employment. Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States. For this role, the University will not sponsor or consider candidates requiring sponsorship for employment visas now or in the future. For questions about the application process, please contact Daniel Strong, Senior Recruiter at das6zb@virginia.edu.

This role is has an in-office expectation of at least 3 days per week.

Please apply through the University job board, Careers at UVA, and search for R0080697.

​Internal applicants may search and apply for jobs on the UVA Internal Careers website.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

Education: Bachelor's degree required.

Experience: 5+ years of relevant experience required.

Licensure: None.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

This is primarily a sedentary job involving extensive use of desktop computers. The job does occasionally require traveling some distance to attend meetings, and programs.

The University of Virginia is an equal opportunity employer. All interested persons are encouraged to apply, including veterans and individuals with disabilities. Learn more about UVA’s commitment to non-discrimination and equal opportunity employment.