Assistant Director of Graphic Design - Athletics

The department of Athletics at West Virginia University is currently accepting applications for an Assistant Director of Graphic Design.

About the Opportunity

This position will assist the Director of Graphic Design, Athletic Communications, Athletic Marketing and Digital Media staff with major social media, publishing, digital and printing projects for the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, including but not limited to game day and matchup graphics, social media graphics, varsity sport brochures, game programs, advertising and recruiting material, posters, schedule graphics; assist in editorial content, type preparation, graphic design and publishing that comprise the annual external projects that are used to project a positive image of the University, athletic program and the teams/individuals involved; coordinate action photography and photoshoots. Applicant will work with all WVU varsity sports.

We strongly believe in work-life balance and keeping time for things we love outside our work. WVU offers generous benefits, including:

• 37.5-hour work week
  
• 13 paid holidays (staff holiday calendar)
  
• 24 annual leave (vacation) days per year or more based on years of service (employee leave)
  
• 18 sick days per year (for when you're ill, for when you need time to care for sick family, for your own, or your family's, regularly scheduled medical appointments. Who is family for the purpose of this leave? A lot of people in your life including immediate relatives and in-laws as well as others considered to be members of your household living under the same roof)
  
• WVU offers a range of health insurance and other benefits
  
• 401(a) retirement savings with 6% employee contribution match, eligibility to continue health insurance, and other retiree perks. Looking for more retirement benefits information? Check out retirement health insurance benefits, retirement income, and FAQ's.
  
• Wellness programs

What You'll Do

• Assist the Director of Graphic Design, Athletic Communications, Athletic Marketing and Digital Media staff in developing conceptual idea/design for various visual materials for promotional and marketing purposes, such as game day and matchup graphics, brochures, posters, flyers, web pages, advertising and social media graphics. Make design decisions relating to color, photography and typeface. Provide professional services to produce materials integrated across a variety of media including print, photography, video, web and multimedia
• Assist the Director of Graphic Design, Athletic Communications, Athletic Marketing and Digital Media staff in the design of various items for the promotion of the intercollegiate athletic program, including, but not limited to, facility signage, banners, logos, sales presentations, brochures, flyers, social media graphics, banquet promotional materials and forms. Assist in the preparation of marketing/sales presentations and proposals. Participate in the preparation of graphic materials for television productions and webcasts. Contributes to the design and development of Internet sites, including planning and designing elements of the site. Responsibilities include applying new technology processes and ideas to editorial requests.
• Assist the Director of Graphic Design, Athletic Communications, Athletic Marketing and Digital Media staff in editorial content, assignment, design and publishing of varsity sports brochures. Assist in the editorial content, design and publishing of various varsity sports game programs. Assist in the editorial content and publishing of regular publications for the Mountaineer Athletic Club. Assist in the publishing of promotional material including ticket order forms, schedule cards, posters, calendars, brochures and social media efforts. Select and crop photographs and illustrative materials to conform to space and subject matter requirements. Prepare written material for publication performing any of the following duties: read copy to detect errors in spelling, punctuation and syntax, verify facts, dates and statistics using standard reference sources. Rewrite or modify copy to conform to publication's style and editorial policy. Read proofs to detect errors and indicates corrections using standard proofreading symbols.
  
• Provide functional guidance to staff members in the preparation of publications or any graphic content.
• Provide interesting and compelling content for the University's official athletic web site(s) serving fans, students, student-athletes, coaches, sponsors and media. Work with department public relations specialists to most effectively promote teams, athletes and coaches through the world wide web. Develop interactive initiatives to raise awareness of the athletic program and/or its sponsors. Demonstrate an ability to edit photography, create graphics and implement e-communications services in a timely manner. Act as an internal technical consultant in assisting various units to develop their web presence.
• Contribute to the conceptualization, design, development, implementation and underlying architecture of University's official athletic web site(s), utilizing uniform fonts, formatting, icons, images, layout techniques and modularization, including maintenance of HTML template and image archives. Determine the appropriate compression techniques, resolutions, sizes, color designs and depth to ensure that images, photographs, and graphics are delivered at a sufficiently high speed and quality for intended output media. interacts regularly with third-party vendors and/or partners. Work closely with photographers, videographers, designers, illustrators and web content developers to produce images from promotional material, web, video and multimedia. Collaborates with Director of Graphic Design and Senior Director of Athletic Publications and Graphic Design on graphic content.
• Ensure that graphic designs comply with University, Conference and Department communications standards reflecting the image and mission of the institution. Train others as to established standards.
• Perform other job-related assignments as assigned by the Senior Director of Athletic Publications and Graphic Design, and/or Director of Graphic Design and/or Senior Associate Athletic Director for Communications.
• Report directly to the Senior Director of Athletic Publications and Graphic Design with an indirect report to the Director of Graphic Design; must also work closely with all others involved with carrying out the philosophy and objectives of the intercollegiate athletic program.
• Maintain knowledge of and comply with all rules, regulations, policies and guidelines of West Virginia University, the Big 12 Conference and the NCAA; must adhere to NCAA Bylaw 11.1 Conduct of Athletic Personnel. Failure to adhere to these policies will result in appropriate disciplinary action including possible suspension and termination.
• Represent the University on the highest professional level with dignity, integrity, and strength of character and will exhibit ethical behavior; must respect the rights and dignity of individuals with sensitivity to problems that may arise from racial, ethnical and sexual orientation differences.
• Demonstrate a cooperative attitude toward all sports within the intercollegiate athletic program.
• Possess the ability to adapt to any situation, make decisions and work independently; position must have the ability to build and maintain relationships with student-athletes, coaches, staff members and contractors; required to use creative abilities to develop new techniques and approaches in dealing with many issues controlled by this position; responsibilities of the position are ever-changing and require constant research and education; requires the ability to adapt to any situation and make decisions.
• Manage sensitive and confidential information related to student-athletes, coaches and staff utilizing discretion and correct decisions. Failure to use proper discretion at required level could result in major and significant embarrassment to the University and/or have a significant impact on image, revenues and eligibility of student-athletes.
• Manage professional and personal time to handle time sensitive-issues, tight deadlines, extended hours beyond the normal workday, weekend work and on-call availability.
• Faithfully and diligently execute related duties of the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, as requested, or assigned by the Senior Director of Athletic Publications and Graphic Design and/or Director of Graphic Design and/or Senior Athletic Director for Communications.

• Bachelor's Degree, preferably in graphic design or related field such as journalism, communications, advertising or similar field
• A minimum of one (1) year of graphic design experience
• Experience as a graduate assistant is acceptable
• Any equivalent combination of related education and/or experience will be considered.
• All qualifications must be met by the time of employment.

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

• Demonstrated ability and knowledge of computer hardware and software, such as Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, AfterEffects, Acrobat, etc.
• Demonstrated knowledge of making and using design concepts for digital, print, web, multimedia, photographs, video illustrations, plans, charts and models (scale, color, typography, etc.)
• Demonstrated knowledge of design, editing, marketing practices and public relations skills
• Exhibit strong creative, organizational and interpersonal skills
• Demonstrated knowledge of making and using design concepts for guides, web, multimedia, video and photography
• Ability to manage multiple tasks for extended period of time
• Ability to independently plan, organize and prioritize work
• Ability to function professionally under high stress and confrontational circumstances
• Proactive attitude towards work and assignments
• Maintain high standard of ethics and integrity related to intercollegiate athletics
• Knowledge of NCAA Division I intercollegiate athletics
• Strong working knowledge of NCAA and conference rules, regulations, policies and guidelines and the ability to apply those rules
• Demonstrated knowledge of intercollegiate athletics
• Demonstrated skills in writing and editing copy
• Demonstrated knowledge of correct English, grammar, spelling, punctuation and sentence structure
• Demonstrated ability to communicate in English complex information or instructions
• Demonstrated interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to work effectively with a wide range of constituencies in a diverse community
• Ability to stay abreast of information impacting the affected area
• Ability to maintain proper unit attendance and punctuality standards, work extended hours including nights and weekends (often with extensive walking and standing)
• Demonstrated ability to operate a personal computer and possess advanced skills in word processing, desktop publishing and web writing software
• Demonstrated knowledge of professional photography such as composition, lighting, photo editing, retouching, black and white and color
• Demonstrated knowledge of HTML and CSS development

West Virginia University is a place of purpose and community. We take pride in our profound impact on the state of West Virginia and are committed to the personal and professional growth of our employees.

From the groundbreaking R1 research at our flagship campus in Morgantown to the career-oriented programs at WVU Potomac State in Keyser, and the technology-intensive programs at WVU Tech in Beckley, the contributions of WVU employees resonate across the state, touching lives and shaping futures.

At WVU, you will discover a supportive community that champions work-life balance and fosters a collaborative atmosphere. Our core values - service, curiosity, respect, accountability and appreciation - unite us as Mountaineers.

Join us at West Virginia University, where your work will make a lasting impact. To learn more about WVU, visit wvu.edu.

West Virginia University is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We invite all qualified applicants regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, or Veteran status.