Assistant Director of Creative Design (Athletics Facilities)

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.

Employees hired into Intermittent positions are limited to working no more than 720 hours per fiscal year.

Salary Grade: 13

Please see Staff Compensation Structure for salary ranges.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

1. Assist the Director of Creative Design in the production of design and implementation of the brand and creative direction on assigned projects for the Athletic Department.
2. Create digital and printed content for Athletic Facilities Management and administrative needs not limited to but including: donor presentations, internal communications, donor marketing materials, educational materials related to name image and likeness, external presentations/communications, 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 Athletic Facilities Management and Administrative 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.

Minimum Qualifications:

Bachelor's degree in Communications, Marketing, Interdisciplinary Studies, Fine Arts, Graphic Design, or related field with one (1) year of experience 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

• No unusual physical requirements. Requires limited lifting of files and records and nearly all work is performed in a comfortable indoor facility.
• 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.
• Job frequently requires walking, sitting, reaching, talking, hearing, handling objects with hands.
• Vision requirements: Ability to see information in print and/or electronically.

Instructions for Applying:

Please attach your Resume and cover letter to the Application.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement:

MSU is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, ethnicity, sex, religion, national origin, disability, age, sexual orientation, genetic information, pregnancy, gender identity, status as a U.S. veteran, and/or any other status protected by applicable law. We always welcome nominations and applications from women, members of any minority group, and others who share our passion for building a diverse community that reflects the diversity in our student population.

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 [email protected].

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