Graphic Designer

NorthWest Arkansas Community College (NWACC) provides quality and affordable higher education to empower lives and strengthen communities within Northwest Arkansas and surrounding areas.

As the largest community college in Arkansas, NWACC is recognized as a leader in education. NWACC offers a full range of associate degrees, certificates and workforce training programs that prepare students for rewarding futures and careers.

NWACC employees are dedicated to fostering a diverse educational community and cultural learning environment that supports student success.

NorthWest Arkansas Community College is seeking a highly creative, collaborative, and detail-oriented Graphic Designer to support institutional marketing, branding, and communications initiatives across the college. This position serves as a key visual production role within the Marketing and Public Relations division and is responsible for designing high-quality creative assets that support recruitment, retention, community engagement, athletics, student life, academic programs, and institutional initiatives. The Graphic Designer works closely with marketing strategists, copywriters, public relations staff, digital marketing personnel, and institutional stakeholders to execute visually compelling materials that align with NWACC brand standards and strategic communication goals. This position is primarily production-focused and emphasizes creative execution, visual consistency, responsiveness, and project support across a wide variety of print and digital platforms.

Job Description

Essential Duties:

• Design and produce creative assets for institutional marketing campaigns, academic programs, athletics, events, student services, advancement initiatives, and community outreach efforts
• Develop print and digital materials including advertisements, brochures, social media graphics, signage, presentations, email graphics, apparel concepts, environmental graphics, and promotional materials
• Support execution of college-wide branding initiatives while ensuring consistency with institutional graphic standards and messaging
• Collaborate with the Marketing and Public Relations team to execute projects tied to recruitment, enrollment, retention, and institutional awareness campaigns
• Assist in the creation of visual assets for social media, digital advertising, websites, video graphics, and campus communications
• Prepare production-ready files for print vendors and external partners
• Support photography, event branding, and visual storytelling efforts as needed
• Manage multiple projects simultaneously while meeting deadlines in a fast-paced environment
• Participate in project intake, proofing, revision, and approval workflows established by the Marketing and Public Relations division
• Maintain organized digital asset libraries and design files
• Stay informed on current design trends, higher education marketing trends, accessibility standards, and evolving creative technologies
• Additional duties may be assigned as necessary to support the goals and objectives of the department and college

Rate of Pay: $43,628 annualized *Higher compensation may be considered based on qualifications directly related to position.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Associate's degree in Graphic Design, Visual Communications, Marketing, Fine Arts, or related field
• At least three years of professional graphic design experience; or an equivalent combination of education and related experience
• Portfolio demonstrating strong visual design and production capabilities

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design, Visual Communications, Marketing, Fine Arts, or related field
• Experience working in higher education, athletics, public relations, marketing, or agency environments
• Experience designing for both print and digital platforms
• Knowledge of social media design best practices and digital advertising formats
• Experience with photography, motion graphics, video graphics, or web design is a plus
• Familiarity with brand management and institutional communications workflows

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Strong visual design skills with an understanding of typography, layout, color theory, and brand consistency
• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite, including InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop
• Ability to translate strategic messaging into visually engaging creative materials
• Strong organizational and time management skills with the ability to manage multiple deadlines and priorities
• Ability to collaborate effectively with a wide range of campus stakeholders and team members
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to quality and accuracy
• Working knowledge of print production processes and digital media standards
• Ability to receive feedback and implement revisions professionally and efficiently

Working Relationships:

This position works collaboratively across the institution and maintains regular interaction with Marketing and Public Relations staff, academic departments, athletics, enrollment management, student services, advancement, and external vendors.

Physical Demands/Work Environment:

The following physical activities described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions and expectations.
While performing the functions of this job, the employee is:
Frequently:
• Manipulate items with fingers, including keyboarding
• Sitting
• Standing
• Walking
Constantly:
• Hearing
• Repetitive motion
• Talking

The worker is required to have close visual acuity to perform an activity such as: preparing and analyzing data and figures; transcribing; viewing a computer terminal; extensive reading; and/or visual inspection at distances close to the eyes.

Environmental Conditions:

The following work environment characteristics are representative of those encountered by employees while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these functions.

The work environment typically consists of a professional office setting with a moderate noise level, including sounds from conversations, office equipment, and occasional movement of staff. Lighting is standard for office spaces, and the temperature is controlled to remain within a comfortable range. Employees may occasionally need to visit other areas, such as storage rooms, conference spaces, or outdoor locations, where environmental conditions may vary. Infrequently, exposure to louder noise levels or physical activities, such as moving lightweight materials, might be required.

NWACC is an Equal Opportunity Employer, please see our EEO policy.