Designer

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Overview

Under the direction of the Director of Design, this position supports the implementation and advancement of the Yale School of the Environment’s brand identity by contributing to the design and production of print, digital, and multimedia projects, including flagship publications, promotional materials, event materials, signage, social media assets, email, video, and information graphics. The position applies the school’s brand consistently across audiences and media, maintains the department’s design, photo, and media assets, and sources and edits photography as needed. The position handles projects across print and digital media from initiation to completion, through conceptualization, presentation, execution, and production, while supporting the Director of Design on broader branding and creative initiatives.

Assist in designing and preparing print and production-based creative materials — including flagship publications (Canopy magazine, the Yale School of the Environment annual report/Impacts, and others), event materials, swag pieces, and other related collateral — from concept development to production; conduct research and work directly with printers and vendors on prepress, color management, and file specifications.

Design and contribute to maintaining cohesive, on‑brand digital content — including social and other digital platforms — with systemized/recurring content formats and campaign creative; review basic social and email performance metrics as needed to help inform creative decisions; prepare digital assets in formats ready for implementation, in collaboration with colleagues who manage the technical build.

Perform basic video editing for short‑form/social content, combining existing or externally‑shot footage with graphics and photography. This role is not responsible for shooting or full‑scale video production, which is handled outside the team. For larger video projects, contributes creative/editing support as needed, under the direction of the Director of Design and collaboration with the Communications Project Coordinator.

Under the direction of the Director of Design, support the application and maintenance of the school’s brand identity system consistently across audiences and sub‑brands; contribute to the exploration and evolution of the visual identity, and support branding projects, event concepts, and related creative assignments.

Assist in managing the department’s photo archive (Photoshelter), including file naming, tagging, categorization, metadata, and folder structure; organize video and design asset libraries. Source stock or coordinate photography as needed; perform photo editing/retouching for print and digital use.

Design and help build marketing emails; maintain working knowledge of email design tools (e.g., Figma or similar) and basic HTML/CSS sufficient to translate designs into functioning email templates.

Basic familiarity with reviewing social or email performance metrics (e.g., engagement, open/click rates) to help inform creative decisions.

Perform other duties as assigned.

Required Skills & Abilities

1. Professional-level skills working with macOS as well as Adobe Creative Cloud applications—particularly InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, Lightroom/Bridge, and Acrobat. Basic UX/UI skills and/or understanding HTML/CSS and experience with InCopy are a plus.
2. Demonstrated experience designing across print and digital media, including print file preparation, color management, promotional materials, photo research and editing, digital and social content, short‑form video, and live or static data visualizations and information graphics.
3. Superior typographic skills and proficiency in structuring and formatting text, with a strong understanding of paragraph and character styles, grid‑based layouts, and structured InDesign files. Experience applying brand identity systems consistently across varied formats, media, audiences, and partners.
4. Strong organizational skills, with experience managing and maintaining a high volume of design and media files and asset libraries. As needed, performs project management, including monitoring design and production schedules in cooperation with the Director of Design.
5. Ability to communicate effectively and persuasively about design with clients and colleagues in person and in writing, and to collaborate across creative teams on shared projects, including handing off implementation‑ready assets to colleagues managing technical execution.

Preferred Education and Experience

Experience in a higher education, nonprofit, or other complex institutional brand environment.

Principal Responsibilities

1. Manages and leads research on various federal rules and regulations as well as University policies and procedures to resolve problems and determine the best course of action for the functional area.
2. Recommends course of action to higher authority for the handling and disposition of problems related to the functional area.
3. Counsels faculty, students and staff on issues related to administrative operations of the University function and areas of concern for the function.
4. Manages statistical and analytical information regarding office activities and areas of operational and administrative concern for the function.
5. Leads in long‑range planning for the office activities of a specific functional area.
6. Interprets and administers various University and federal policies and regulations.
7. Disseminates accurate and up‑to‑date information regarding areas of concern.
8. Formulates and establishes policies regarding area’s function.
9. Manages a staff of exempt and non‑exempt employees.
10. May perform other duties as assigned.

Required Education and Experience

Minimum requirement of Bachelor’s Degree in related field and three years of experience or an equivalent combination of education and related experience.

Job Posting Date

10/01/2026

Job Category

Manager

Bargaining Unit

NON

Compensation Grade

Administration & Operations

Compensation Grade Profile

Supervisor; Senior Associate (23)

Salary Range

$65,000.00 - $101,000.00

Benefits

A general description of the benefits to be offered with this Managerial & Professional position is available at:

Yale Benefits

Time Type

Full time

Duration Type

Staff

Work Model

Hybrid

Background Check Requirements

All candidates for employment will be subject to pre‑employment background screening for this position, which may include motor vehicle, DOT certification, drug testing and credit checks basedon the position description and job requirements. All offers are contingent upon the successful completion of the background check. For additional information on the background check requirements and process visit "Learn about background checks" under the Applicant Support Resources section of Careers on the It's Your Yale website.

Health Requirements

Certain positions have associated health requirements based on specific job responsibilities. These may include vaccinations, tests, or examinations, as required by law, regulation, or university policy.

Posting Disclaimer

Salary offers are determined by a candidate’s qualifications, experience, skills, and education in relation to the position requirements, along with the role’s grade profile and current internal and external market conditions.

The intent of this job description is to provide a representative summary of the essential functions that will be required of the position and should not be construed as a declaration of specific duties and responsibilities of the position. Employees will be assigned specific job‑related duties throughtheir hiring department.

The University is committed to basing judgments concerning the admission, education, and employment of individuals upon their qualifications and abilities and seeks to attract to its faculty, staff, and student body qualified persons from a broad range of backgrounds and perspectives. In accordance with this policy and as delineated by federal and Connecticut law, Yale does not discriminate in admissions, educational programs, or employment against any individual on account of that individual’s sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, age, disability, status as a special disabled veteran, veteran of the Vietnam era or other covered veteran.

Inquiries concerning Yale's Policy Against Discrimination and Harassment may be referred to the Office of Institutional Equity and Accessibility (OIEA).

Note

Yale University is a tobacco‑free campus.