Junior Designer

Junior Designer

Democracy Docket is hiring a Junior Designer to join our Design & Brand team. This role has two focus areas: creating editorial graphics for our website, working closely with the news team, and providing design support to our audience team to produce graphics assets for our social platforms.

On the editorial side, this role will create featured graphics for articles, as well as supporting visual elements such as infographics, charts and maps. Working with direction from the news team on the story and its key takeaways, this role is responsible for turning that reporting and analysis into a creative visual concept. Our reporters are subject matter experts on voting rights; this Junior Designer will translate that expertise into visuals that are easy to understand and visually appealing.

Working with the audience team, this role will build and maintain a library of social media templates that the social team can use for regular posts. From there, this Junior Designer reviews and polishes those graphics, occasionally creating custom graphics when needed. This keeps every social post visually consistent with our brand, even as the news moves quickly.

The ideal candidate has a sharp eye for design, a strong sense of visual storytelling, and a passion for news.

This role reports to the Design Lead.

Key Responsibilities

• Design editorial article lead graphics and in-article graphics, sometimes on tight deadlines
• Refine and maintain our library of social media templates within our existing style guide, supporting the audience team's goal of engaging audiences with visual news content
• Adapt graphics created for the website (featured graphics, data visuals, etc.) into the formats needed for posting on other verticals, such as social media or newsletters
• Organize the graphics drive so that other team members can find and utilize editable files
• Collaborate with the news team to produce graphics that support our articles; work directly with reporters to ensure accuracy in all editorial illustrations, especially infographics, charts, and maps
• Collaborate with the audience team to create social graphics, from copy and concepts provided by the audience team
• Apply and help maintain Democracy Docket's visual brand across editorial and social graphics

Experience and Skills

• 2+ years of graphic design experience, whether through professional roles, internships, freelance work, or substantial coursework/portfolio projects.
• Portfolio demonstrating illustration skills – a plus if it includes editorial illustration or infographics
• Well-versed in Photoshop and Illustrator, as well as Canva
• Self-motivated, proactive and detail-oriented problem solver with strong organizational skills
• Strong understanding of visual storytelling and design principles
• Ability to manage and prioritize multiple projects at once, as the news shifts quickly
• Welcomes direction and feedback from teammates and supervisors, and applies it readily to their work
• Comfortable turning data and information into digestible and visually appealing graphics
• Openness to learning new tools, such as those for embeddable/interactive graphics (e.g., Flourish.studio), is a plus
• Experience with animation and video editing is also a plus but not required (Adobe After Effects and Premiere preferred)
• Passion for politics, news, and/or voting rights and democracy

This is a full-time role based out of either our Washington, D.C. or Jersey City office. Our core business hours are 9am-6pm, and we currently operate on a hybrid schedule, with remote work on Mondays and Fridays and in-office days on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.

REQUIRED: To apply, please complete the application and attach a resume, cover letter and upload a link to your portfolio.

Why You'll Love Working Here

At Democracy Docket, we believe great work starts with people who feel supported, valued, and able to thrive. We're a collaborative, mission-driven team that values transparency, care for one another, and doing work that truly matters. We offer a competitive and people-first benefits package designed to support your health, financial security, and life outside of work:

• Merit-based annual bonus eligibility
• 100% employer-paid medical, dental, and vision premiums for employees
• 401(k) with 6% company match, available after 3 months
• Commuter benefits to help with your daily travel
• Generous paid time off, including:
• 18 days of PTO per year (increasing with tenure)
• 10 paid Health & Wellness days annually
• 2 paid personal days annually
• 11 paid holidays, observed per company policy

We're committed to creating a workplace where you can do meaningful, impactful work - without sacrificing your well-being.

Salary Range: $62,000-$66,000

Democracy Docket is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment for all employees. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws.