Assistant Director, Creative Design

Position Function:

The principal purpose of this position is to provide assistance in creative direction, graphic design, illustration, and print production for design projects produced by the Department of Athletics. The major objective of this position is to assist in successfully meeting the design needs of the Department by creating professional, high-quality graphics, within the requested deadline.

Salary Grade :  13

Please see Staff Compensation Structure for salary ranges.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

1. Assist the Senior Director of Creative Strategy in the production of design and implementation of the brand and creative direction on assigned projects for the Athletic Department.

2. Create digital content for assigned sports. Season graphics package, stat graphics, marketing material, posters, wallpapers, animations, media guide covers etc.

3. Assist in the organization and implementation of all phases of the design production process. Such tasks include creating production schedules, art direction and design, photography coordination and styling, print coordination, pre-press production, four-color proofing, and on-press supervision or press checks.

4. Assist in digital design production for the Athletic Department’s website (hailstate.com), social media channels for assigned sports, and digital marketing emails and web ads.

5. Foster an innovative and creative environment that is responsive to our Department and University needs while ensuring that brand identity standards and brand personality are reflected in all Department external communications.

6. Design and produce high-quality marketing pieces that communicate a strategic department and university message to a broad audience in many different media formats (such as logos, stationary, brochures, print ads, posters, newsletters, mailers,
   e-mail campaigns).

Position Function:

The principal purpose of this position is to provide assistance in creative direction, graphic design, illustration, and print production for design projects produced by the Department of Athletics. The major objective of this position is to assist in successfully meeting the design needs of the Department by creating professional, high-quality graphics, within the requested deadline.

Salary Grade :  13

Please see Staff Compensation Structure for salary ranges.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

1. Assist the Senior Director of Creative Strategy in the production of design and implementation of the brand and creative direction on assigned projects for the Athletic Department.

2. Create digital content for assigned sports. Season graphics package, stat graphics, marketing material, posters, wallpapers, animations, media guide covers etc.

3. Assist in the organization and implementation of all phases of the design production process. Such tasks include creating production schedules, art direction and design, photography coordination and styling, print coordination, pre-press production, four-color proofing, and on-press supervision or press checks.

4. Assist in digital design production for the Athletic Department’s website (hailstate.com), social media channels for assigned sports, and digital marketing emails and web ads.

5. Foster an innovative and creative environment that is responsive to our Department and University needs while ensuring that brand identity standards and brand personality are reflected in all Department external communications.

6. Design and produce high-quality marketing pieces that communicate a strategic department and university message to a broad audience in many different media formats (such as logos, stationary, brochures, print ads, posters, newsletters, mailers,
   e-mail campaigns).

7. Collaborate with the creative video team on design for video board assets, animation assets, and design assets used in video.

8. Collaborate with communication team members to achieve consistency in creative direction and design of external publications for departments. This also includes working effectively with different sports to translate their vision or need into an appropriate design that meets their marketing goal.

9. Successfully manage multiple projects simultaneously, while meeting project deadlines.

10. Perform related duties as assigned.

Supervisory Responsibility
Provide guidance to student workers.

The above essential duties are representative of major duties in this position. Specific duties and responsibilities may vary based upon departmental needs. Other duties may be assigned to the above consistent with the knowledge, skills and abilities required for the job. Not all of the duties may be assigned to a position.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Education: Bachelor's Degree in Communications, Marketing, Interdisciplinary Studies, Fine Arts, Graphic Design, or related field
  
• Experience: 1 Year in related field

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Knowledge of principles and practices of graphic design.
• Knowledge in project management, layout, design, typography and file organization.
• Illustration and animation skills preferred.
• Knowledge of Athletics preferred.
• Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and written.
• Ability to create and produce graphic materials using a range of media, methods, techniques, and equipment.
• Ability to convert statistics and technical information into easy to understand graphics.
• Ability to stay current with new trends, updates, and innovative approaches being used in the design industry.
• Ability to meet stringent deadlines and work outside normal working hours, including nights and weekends when required.
• Skills in the utilization of specified computerized graphic design programs, i.e., Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, Adobe Acrobat, Adobe InDesign, After Effects and
Microsoft Office.
• Knowledge of printing procedures and requirements.
• Knowledge of printing and/or reproduction processes and techniques.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to effectively communicate with a wide range of individuals and constituencies in a diverse community.
• Ability to develop print and/or reproduction specifications.

Working Conditions and Physical Effort

-Frequent external imposed deadlines; set and revised beyond one’s control; interruptions influence priorities; difficult to anticipate nature or volume of work with certainty beyond a few days; meeting of deadlines and coordination of unrelated activities are key to position; involves conflict-resolution or similar interactions involving emotional issues or stress on a regular basis.
-No unusual physical requirements.
-Requires limited lifting of files and records and nearly all work is performed in a comfortable indoor facility.
-Job frequently requires walking, sitting, reaching, talking, hearing, handling objects with hands

Instructions for Applying:

Please apply online and submit a resume and cover letter.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement:

Mississippi State University is an equal opportunity institution. Discrimination is prohibited in university employment, programs or activities based on race, color, ethnicity, sex, pregnancy, religion, national origin, disability, age, sexual orientation, genetic information, status as a U.S. veteran, or any other status to the extent protected by applicable law. Questions about equal opportunity programs or compliance should be directed to the Office of Civil Rights Compliance, 231 Famous Maroon Band Street, P.O. 6044, Mississippi State, MS 39762, (662) 325-5839.

What do I do if I need an accommodation?

In compliance with the ADA Amendments Act (ADA), if you have a disability and would like to request an accommodation in order to apply for a position with Mississippi State University, please contact the Department of Human Resources Management at tel: (662) 325-3713 or ada@hrm.msstate.edu.

If you have any questions regarding this policy, contact the Department of Human Resources Management at (662) 325-3713 or ada@hrm.msstate.edu. Upon request, sections of this job listing are available in large print, and readers are available to assist the visually impaired.

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