Position Classification Title: Graphic Designer

Incentive Compensation: 5% of Base Salary

Salary: $55,000-$65,000 annually

Job Summary:

The NMSU Foundation, the private fundraising and alumni relations organization for NMSU, is recruiting for a creative professional to join the external relations / marcom team. The Graphic Designer is responsible for producing innovative solutions to marketing problems that combine both written and visual elements in touch points across multiple platforms. This position will work closely with cross-functional teams employing the creative process to meet creative brief objectives while demonstrating a high level of creativity, visual sensibility, attention to detail and adherence to brand standards.

About Us:

The New Mexico State University Foundation invites you to apply to join our diverse, dynamic, and welcoming team in Las Cruces, NM. The NMSU Foundation seeks to provide the pinnacle career experience for each member of our team. The Foundation is seeking talented individuals who are passionate about the mission of NMSU and committed to a continual pursuit of excellence. We build strong relationships with alumni, supporters, NMSU partners, and each other, while personifying our core values of integrity, teamwork, stewardship, innovation, and fun.

Established in 1959, the New Mexico State University Foundation’s mission is to build a brighter future for NMSU, one relationship at a time. As an independent nonprofit organization, the Foundation is the primary fundraising and alumni relations institution for NMSU. We are charged with raising and managing gifts of all types and coordinating the alumni association. We invest endowed gifts and disburse funding each year for the purposes designated by donors. The Foundation coordinates the efforts of the NMSU Alumni Association, which galvanizes the enthusiasm and loyalty of the NMSU alumni network of over 147,000 graduates to support the mission of NMSU while becoming better connected with each other.

Our team partners with alumni, corporations, foundations, and other supporters who want to match their charitable passions with opportunities for purposeful philanthropy and personal engagement at NMSU. Gifts create scholarships, advance faculty endeavors, enhance student programs, and make new and renovated educational and athletic facilities possible. These generous investments greatly enhance NMSU’s land grant mission to provide the highest quality academic programs, develop new understandings through research and creativity, and provide extension services across our state and region.

We offer a highly competitive salary including incentive compensation, an industry-leading benefits package, and a fun and fulfilling work environment. Qualified individuals with a high level of energy who are looking for a work environment that nurtures vision, performance, productivity, superior quality, and unsurpassed integrity are encouraged to apply for this career opportunity.

NMSU is New Mexico’s flagship land-grant and space-grant institution. Founded in 1888, NMSU is the oldest institution of higher education in the state and is a Hispanic-serving institution and a comprehensive research university dedicated to teaching, research, service, and outreach. NMSU serves more than 14,000 students from 49 states and 89 foreign countries and is among the best universities in the nation at moving students from the lowest income tier to the top. Over 50% of NMSU students are first-generation college students and over 60% are Hispanic, meaning that NMSU is one of the most important and effective drivers of economic mobility in the state. Las Cruces is located 45 miles north of El Paso, TX, and features an average of 294 days of sunshine annually. Situated in the heart of the historic Mesilla Valley between the Organ Mountains, Robledo Mountains, and Picacho Peak, Las Cruces is ideal for job seekers who enjoy hiking, mountain biking, and birdwatching. Las Cruces is New Mexico’s second-largest city and home to 111,000 residents. The median home price in Las Cruces is $285,000, far below the national average of $425,000. 

Essential Functions:

• Produce innovative solutions to marketing problems that combine both written and visual elements in touch points across multiple platforms.
• Design and produce original graphic solutions to meet marketing objectives in support of strategic communication priorities.
• Produce visual touch points for print, digital and environmental graphics with an emphasis on publication design, direct mail, email marketing and other print mediums.
• Exhibit a high level of creativity and attention to detail.
• Pre-flight final artwork for production of magazines, cards, signage and digital design files.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Essential Functions, Concept Development and Ability to Work with Cross-Functional Teams Through the Creative Process:

• Employ strategic thinking and key points of the creative brief to develop concepts and present original ideas through graphic solutions.
• Research appropriate design ideas to develop the best approach and concepts for style, technique and production methods for the project.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams from the ideation phase through production.
• Demonstrated excellence in interpersonal skills with an ability to establish and maintain positive working relationships with internal and external constituents.
• Exhibit strong communication skills and ability to articulate visual concepts.
• Deliver against timelines and milestones, identify potential delays and proactively find solutions.

Essential Functions, Brand Management:

• Help conceive and execute consistently branded campaigns across multiple channels of distribution.
• Help inform and achieve quality control in the presentation of the NMSU Foundation brand across platforms.

Other Skills & Responsibilities:

• Assist with photo shoots when needed.
• Work collaboratively with vendor-partners to successfully develop and produce creative materials.
• Maintain knowledge of new technology and how it relates to design; continually update design and technical skills.
• Maintain high awareness of trends and best practices in graphic design, communications and marketing industries.
• Inform colleagues of developing trends and industry best practices.
• Contribute to organization and content of project archive.

Support a service-oriented atmosphere in accordance with NMSU Foundation mission, values and philosophy:

• The mission of the NMSU Foundation is to foster long-term relationships with our alumni, supporters, and community to secure, manage, steward, and protect a sustainable source of private resources that will enhance the ability of New Mexico State University to fulfill its land grant mission.

Foundation Goals:

• Enhance and significantly strengthen alignment and trust between the Foundation and the University
• (Build a best-in-class development program) designed to continuously foster donor relationships and increase fundraising for immediate impactful and long-term philanthropic support of NMSU
• Operational Excellence: Achieve consistent operational excellence by ensuring that the right processes, people, and culture are in place to support the Foundation in achieving its mission.
• Pursue communication excellence and optimize opportunities for Alumni and Community Engagement, Donor Stewardship, and Annual Giving.

Other:

This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Minimum Required Education, Knowledge, & Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree required in art, fine arts, graphic design or related field.
• A minimum of three (3) years professional design experience in an in-house, marketing and/or agency environment required.
• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, Acrobat) and Microsoft Office. HTML and CSS experience appreciated.
• Excellent sensibility for design and typography.
• Demonstrated creativity, attention to detail and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to organize, multitask and meet very distinct deadlines while expressing a high degree of creativity.
• Knowledge of and passion for NMSU and higher education; understanding of key issues affecting NMSU. Ability to take initiative and work independently.