Visual Communications Designer

Are you passionate about translating complex ideas into powerful visuals? Do you excel in both digital and print design - and enjoy making research, editorial, and organizational stories accessible, engaging, and beautiful?

The Institute on the Environment is seeking a Visual Communications Designer who can deliver outstanding work across a variety of products - research reports, fact sheets, infographics, presentations, and organizational collateral - in both digital and print formats. In this new role, you'll collaborate closely with researchers, program leads, and communications colleagues to create accessible, on-brand visuals that help engage the public and communicate the impact of our work in sustainability, science, and the environment.

Something else to know: IonE is currently in the midst of a significant website redesign to modernize our digital presence and storytelling capabilities. This role offers a unique opportunity to help shape and elevate our visual communications as part of that transformation. We welcome candidates who are excited to push our team and our Institute's visual storytelling forward - helping us evolve beyond traditional formats with creative approaches to digital-first, interactive, and accessible design. If you have ideas or portfolio examples that can expand our vision for what's possible, we want to see them.

The University of Minnesota's Institute on the Environment is a systemwide, interdisciplinary institute advancing sustainability through collaborative research, leadership development, and public-interest storytelling. We're a dynamic team of communicators, researchers, educators, and change-makers working to engage diverse audiences and drive real-world impact.

We welcome candidates from groups historically underrepresented in environmental work and academia - including Black, Indigenous, and people of color, people with disabilities, and LGBTQIA+ individuals. This position is based on the St. Paul campus and is part of a flexible, hybrid team environment. You can expect to work on-site on Monday, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.

Salary and benefits: The starting range for this role is $72,500-$80,000. IonE is committed to equitable compensation, and we will offer the highest possible starting salary based on qualifications within the posted range. UMN P&A benefits include health insurance, a 10% retirement match, and generous PTO. (See more details below.)

Want to know more? Our team will host an informational webinar on Thursday, July 31, at 3:00 p.m. CDT. After the webinar, we'll post the recording online.

Please submit in PDF format:

• A brief cover letter describing your approach to visual communication and interest in the role
• Your resume/CV
• A portfolio or 2-3 work samples showcasing your digital and print design skills (PDF or web links)
• Optional: A short paragraph describing why you chose these work samples

The deadline to apply is 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, August 3rd. Details about how to upload materials are below ("How to Apply"). Above all: Thank you in advance for your interest - and your time. We recognize the effort involved in applying for jobs, and we look forward to reviewing your materials.

Research & Editorial Design (30%)

• Design and produce digital-first, print-capable research products: reports, fact sheets, one-pagers, white papers, and related outputs - optimized for web accessibility and print/PDF conversion
• Develop custom infographics, data visualizations, and story graphics and visuals in collaboration with editorial and research partners
• Create decks for research, editorial, or academic purposes (e.g., for directors or research teams)

Organizational & Marketing Communications (30%)

• Design print and digital collateral for IonE programs and initiatives, including brochures, booklets, flyers, annual reports, outreach materials, and other marketing needs
• Create collateral, signage, digital assets, and swag for events and workshops
• Respond to quick-turnaround requests (e.g., figures for presentations, updates to standard assets)
• Maintain and update branded, user-friendly, and accessible templates for events, marketing, presentations, and other organizational and program communications

Multimedia & Visual Content Support (20%)

• Contribute graphics, overlays, and other assets to support video projects
• Assist with basic video editing or short animated clips for digital communications, as skills and bandwidth allow
• Provide creative support and light consulting for staff on charts, figures, and routine visual content

Brand Stewardship & Asset Management (10%)

• Help steward and evolve IonE's visual identity in alignment with UMN standards; participate in brand refreshes, maintain guidelines, and ensure consistency and accessibility
• Oversee and expand IonE's photo and visual asset libraries; curate images and icons, manage permissions/metadata, and ensure proper usage and crediting

Collaboration, Training & Continuous Improvement (10%)

• Provide onboarding and training to staff on using templates, brand standards, and accessibility
• Supervise and mentor a student design assistant; support their growth and project work
• Ensure all visuals meet accessibility and quality standards; periodically review staff-created materials
• Stay current on trends in digital design, accessibility, and visual storytelling; bring new ideas and tools to the team

• Bachelor's degree in graphic design, visual communications, or related field, plus a minimum of four years of related professional experience
• Strong portfolio showcasing infographics, data visualizations, and/or narrative-driven graphics
• Experience designing research products, reports, fact sheets, or similar deliverables in both print and digital formats
• Experience designing editorial layouts and multi-page documents for print and digital publication
• Advanced proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, Acrobat)
• Experience designing for accessibility and digital-first use
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and meet deadlines
• Commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice in both content and design
• Proficiency with everyday design and presentation tools (e.g., Canva, PowerPoint, Google Slides) for quick-turnaround assets and cross-unit collaboration

• Experience or a background relevant to science, technical, or research communications
• Skills in advanced interactive and web design tools (e.g., Figma, Flourish, Datawrapper, Drupal, StoryMaps) or willingness to learn
• Familiarity with data visualization best practices and tools (e.g., Tableau, Excel, Illustrator-based charts) or willingness to learn
• Illustration, animation, or motion graphics experience or willingness to learn
• Photography and/or videography experience
• Experience designing for video, including overlays, lower thirds, and simple animations; familiarity with video editing software (e.g., Adobe Premiere, After Effects) or willingness to learn
• Experience in higher education, nonprofit, or public-interest communications
• Comfort collaborating with writers, researchers, and program leads to develop concepts from scratch
• Demonstrated curiosity and willingness to bring new digital storytelling methods to the team
• Experience supervising and/or mentoring student designers or interns

The University of Minnesota's Institute on the Environment (IonE) is a nationally recognized interdisciplinary institution that works to advance sustainability through collaborative research, leadership and education programming, and public-interest storytelling and communications.

Pay Range: $72,500 - $80,000; depending on education/qualifications/experience

Time Appointment Category: 100% Appointment (40 hours per week)

Position Type: Faculty and P&A Staff

Please visit the Office of Human Resources website for more information regarding benefit eligibility.

The University offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes:

• Competitive wages, paid holidays, and generous time off
• Continuous learning opportunities through professional training and degree-seeking programs supported by the Regents Tuition Benefit Program
• Low-cost medical, dental, and pharmacy plans
• Healthcare and dependent care flexible spending accounts
• University HSA contributions
• Disability and employer-paid life insurance
• Employee wellbeing program
• Excellent retirement plans with employer contribution
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) opportunity
• Financial counseling services
• Employee Assistance Program with eight sessions of counseling at no cost
• Employee Transit Pass with free or reduced rates in the Twin Cities metro area

Applications must be submitted online. To be considered for this position, please click the Apply button and follow the instructions. You will be given the opportunity to complete an online application for the position and attach a cover letter and resume.

Additional documents may be attached after application by accessing your "My Job Applications" page and uploading documents in the "My Cover Letters and Attachments" section.

To request an accommodation during the application process, please e-mail employ@umn.edu or call (612) 624-8647.

The University recognizes and values the importance of diversity and inclusion in enriching the employment experience of its employees and in supporting the academic mission. The University is committed to attracting and retaining employees with varying identities and backgrounds.

The University of Minnesota provides equal access to and opportunity in its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. To learn more about diversity at the U: http://diversity.umn.edu

Any offer of employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check. Our presumption is that prospective employees are eligible to work here. Criminal convictions do not automatically disqualify finalists from employment.

The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (UMTC)

The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (UMTC), is among the largest public research universities in the country, offering undergraduate, graduate, and professional students a multitude of opportunities for study and research. Located at the heart of one of the nation's most vibrant, diverse metropolitan communities, students on the campuses in Minneapolis and St. Paul benefit from extensive partnerships with world-renowned health centers, international corporations, government agencies, and arts, nonprofit, and public service organizations.

At the University of Minnesota, we are proud to be recognized by the Star Tribune as a Top Workplace for 2021, as well as by Forbes as Best Employers for Women and one of America's Best Employers (2015, 2018, 2019, 2023), Best Employer for Diversity (2019, 2020), Best Employer for New Grads (2018, 2019), and Best Employer by State (2019, 2022).