Lead Designer

Job Title: Lead Designer
Location: Albany State Rec. Location
Regular/Temporary: Regular
Full/Part Time: Full-Time
Job ID: 300036
About Us

Albany State University is a fully accredited senior unit of the University System of Georgia. Employees receive benefits provided by the University System of Georgia, including, but not limited to, medical and major medical insurance, group life insurance, participation in the Georgia Teachers' Retirement System, Optional Retirement Plan (Faculty and exempt employees only), Social Security and Tuition Assistance Program after six months of employment.

Job Summary

The Lead Designer provides senior creative leadership for Albany State University's visual brand, guiding the design direction of all institutional marketing materials, digital assets, campaign creative, and brand standards. Reporting to the Director of Marketing, the Lead Designer is the creative authority within the Marketing and Communications team responsible not only for producing high-quality design work but for establishing and maintaining brand consistency across every channel and audience the CUGO division serves. This reclassification elevates the role to reflect the team leadership, brand stewardship, and strategic creative responsibilities the incumbent now carries as ASU's marketing amplification agenda scales under ASU 2035.

Responsibilities

Creative Direction and Brand Leadership

• Serve as ASU's primary brand steward, maintaining and evolving the institution's visual identity standards across all touchpoints including digital, print, environmental, and event materials.
• Lead the creative development of institutional marketing campaigns, enrollment advertising, employer partnership materials, and alumni engagement assets.
• Establish design standards, templates, and production workflow¿s that ensure brand consistency across all Marketing and Communications outputs.
• Provide art direction and design review for all externally-facing materials produced by the Marketing and Communications team.

Design Production

• Produce and oversee the production of all major institutional design deliverables including campaign assets, digital advertising creative, printed collateral, social media graphics, presentations, and event materials.
• Design and maintain visual assets for ASU's website, ensuring design quality and brand alignment post-launch.
• Develop branded templates for use across the institution, ensuring departments can produce on-brand materials independently.
• Manage design projects from brief through production, coordinating with internal stakeholders and external vendors as needed.

Team Leadership and Mentorship

• Supervise and mentor the Marketing Intern (Design) and provide creative direction to other team members contributing visual content.
• Conduct design reviews and provide constructive feedback to ensure quality standards across all work.
• Stay current with design trends, tools, and technologies relevant to higher education marketing and brand communications.
• Contribute to the development of ASU's design capabilities over time, identifying tools, workflow¿s, and training opportunities that strengthen the team.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design, Visual Communications, or a related field.
• Minimum five years of professional graphic design experience with a portfolio demonstrating institutional or brand-level design work.
• Expert proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite including InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop.
• Demonstrated experience managing brand identity systems across multiple channels and formats.
• Strong project management skills with the ability to manage multiple concurrent design projects under deadline.
• Portfolio of professional design work required with application.
• Demonstrated experience developing and executing integrated digital marketing campaigns.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in higher education, HBCU, or institutional marketing design.
• Experience with web design tools, UX principles, or digital campaign creative.
• Motion graphics or video design capabilities.
• Familiarity with ASU brand standards and USG institutional communications guidelines.

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

Knowledge of:

• Graphic design, visual communications, branding, and marketing principles.
• Creative direction, brand management, and visual identity systems.
• Digital media, print production, web design, and emerging design trends.
• Industry-standard design software, including Adobe Creative Cloud applications.

Skill in:

• Developing and executing creative concepts across multiple media platforms.
• Leading design projects from concept through production.
• Establishing and maintaining brand standards and visual consistency.
• Graphic design, typography, layout, photography, and visual storytelling.
• Managing multiple projects, deadlines, and stakeholder expectations.
• Providing creative guidance and direction to designers, vendors, and campus partners.

Ability to:

• Serve as the university's lead creative authority and brand steward.
• Translate strategic marketing objectives into compelling visual communications.
• Collaborate effectively with university leadership, faculty, staff, vendors, and external partners.
• Evaluate and approve creative work to ensure quality, accuracy, and brand alignment.
• Lead creative initiatives that support institutional marketing, recruitment, fundraising, and engagement goals.
• Exercise sound judgment, innovation, and creativity in a fast-paced environment.

Contact Information

For more information or questions about a job posting, please contact the Office of Human Resources at (229) 500-2026, or by email at hrasu@asurams.edu. For technical support, please call the USG Service Desk at (877) 251-2644, or by email at support@usg.edu.

USG Core Values

The University System of Georgia is comprised of our 25 institutions of higher education and learning as well as the System Office. Our USG Statement of Core Values are Integrity, Excellence, Accountability, and Respect. These values serve as the foundation for all that we do as an organization, and each USG community member is responsible for demonstrating and upholding these standards. More details on the USG Statement of Core Values and Code of Conduct are available in USG Board Policy 8.2.18.1.2 and can be found on-line at https://www.usg.edu/policymanual/section8/C224/#p8.2.18_personnel_conduct .

Additionally, USG supports Freedom of Expression as stated in Board Policy 6.5 Freedom of Expression and Academic Freedom found on-line at https://www.usg.edu/policymanual/section6/C2653 .

Institutional Values

Excellence
We achieve outcomes of the highest quality, hold ourselves accountable to the highest standard and are committed to continuous improvement in University programs and services.

Respect
We are directed by tenets of ethics, treating other with courteous regard, and being civil in our interactions.

Community
We strive to build community and value a good mindset.

Teamwork
We seek partnerships within the University and community. We practice a supportive spirit that results in the implementation of plans, actions and shared results.

Learning
We cultivate a practice of global pedagogies in a learning environment.

Conditions of Employment

All selected candidates are required to successfully pass a Background Check review prior to starting with Albany State University.

Certain positions may also require the selected candidate to submit to or have:

* a credit check completed for "Positions of Trust" and/or approved departmental purchase card usage
* a motor vehicle report for positions that require driving an Albany State University vehicle
* a successful pre-employment drug test

Equal Employment Opportunity

Albany State University is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. The University is committed to maintaining a fair and respectful environment for living, working, and studying. To that end, and in accordance with federal and state law, Board of Regents policy, and University policy, the University prohibits harassment of or discrimination against any person because of race, color, sex (including sexual harassment, pregnancy, and medical conditions related to pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, ethnicity or national origin, religion, age, genetic information, disability, or veteran or military status by any member of the ASU Community on campus, in connection with a University program or activity, or in a manner that creates a hostile environment for members of the ASU community.

For questions or more detailed information regarding this policy please contact the Albany State University Office of Human Resources at (229) 500-2026. For individuals requiring disability-related accommodations for participation in any event or to obtain print materials in an alternative format, please contact the Disability Resource Center at 229-500-3442.

Other Information

• Strong leadership and project management abilities.

• Exceptional attention to detail and commitment to design excellence.

• Ability to balance strategic thinking with hands-on creative production.

• Strong written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.