Graphic Designer

FairVote (FV), headquartered in Takoma Park, MD, is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Our mission is electoral reforms, giving voters a greater choice, a stronger voice, and more representative democracy. Since 1992, FairVote has been the national leader in developing and distributing the educational tools and analysis necessary to increase public appreciation of the value of ranked-choice voting (RCV) and other structural electoral reforms.

FairVote is positioned for growth, and we are looking for an excellent designer and elections enthusiast to fill a part time role at 20-25 hours per week that could grow into a full time position, budget permitting in late 2022 or 2023.

Position Summary

FairVote is seeking an experienced designer to develop internal and external materials in support of FairVote’s election reform goals, including developing graphics, formatting documents, editing, and occasional writing. The ideal candidate for this position has a strong understanding of various election reforms, including ranked choice voting and proportional representation, and can create content for a variety of audiences. This position reports to the Director of Communications.

The designer will collaborate with FairVote staff across all departments and various consultants/vendors as needed to advance FairVote’s issue agenda and promote FairVote as a leading organization offering electoral solutions.

This position is currently slated to be part-time, minimum of 20 hours and up to 25 hours per week. This position is not eligible for health benefits. However, as FairVote grows and our core issues (ranked choice voting and the Fair Representation Act) gain traction, we are optimistic there is potential for growth into a full-time position in 2022 or 2023, pending additional funding, organizational needs, and success within the position.

Key areas of responsibility (20-25 hours per week):

Content Creation (70%)

Create social media content, including infographics, flow charts, and graphics

Format handouts, fact sheets, case studies, infographics, and other supporter-facing content

Edit and format short videos

Edit/format reports alongside FairVote’s research department as requested

Develop additional graphics, powerpoint presentations, and other on-brand visual materials as requested

Project Management (15%)

Support the creation of large content deliverables, such as extensive reports, studies, and presentations. Content editor will manage production of content-specific projects across multiple departments.

Maintain timeliness of FairVote/FairVote Action websites, specifically updating content

Maintain all materials created by FairVote to ensure brand consistency and messaging best practices

Ensure all outbound content reflects FairVote/FairVote Action’s brand

Messaging (10%)

Participate in messaging research, including focus groups, polling, and messaging/media audits

Integrate messaging research into ongoing communications campaigns

Balance messaging best practices with design and branding best practices

Support the Communications Department (5%)

Populate an internal editorial calendar, including key products and their scheduled publish date

Collaborate with and occasionally manage vendors (graphic designers, web design firms) on an as-needed basis

Draft proposals and reports as needed, in collaboration with the Communications Department and other FairVote staff

Education and experience:

Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in design, art, production, political science, mass media, or a similar field

Preference will be given to candidates with advanced certificates in graphic design

3-4 years of expertise developing graphics and videos for a variety of audiences

Proven understanding of nuanced policy issues, especially election reform issues

2-3 years experience project managing colleagues to develop public-facing materials

Job-Related knowledge, skills and abilities:

Experience in Adobe Suite (including Photoshop, Illustrator, Indesign) and Figma/Canva

Experience in After Effects or Premiere Pro

Experience maintaining web content via CMS, i.e. Webflow, Wordpress, etc.

Experience creating and maintaining creative assets for social media accounts

Outstanding commitment to creating content that promotes FairVote’s current top electoral reforms: ranked choice voting and the Fair Representation Act

Ability to understand the perspective and needs of different audiences and develop persuasive public-facing content to earn positive coverage of FairVote and FairVote’s priority issues

Outstanding political judgement and commitment to work across the political spectrum for FairVote reforms

Excellent attention to detail, particularly in the creation and dissemination of public-facing materials

Commitment to, and understanding of, the values of inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility, both in the workplace and in media coverage of FairVote’s proposed electoral reforms

Ability to appreciate and contribute to a work environment that values integrity, adaptability, reliability, collaboration, a commitment to learning, and a sense of humor

Ability to engage thought leaders, including spokespeople, election administrators, elected officials, and coalition partners