OUR MISSION

We in Boston University Development & Alumni Relations (DAR) harness the power of philanthropy to make an excellent education accessible and welcoming to all, and to advance BU’s global leadership in research, scholarship, artistic creation, and professional practice. To support our work, we have built—and are continuing to build—an outstanding team of dynamic, mission-driven advancement professionals who constantly strive to create an environment where everyone belongs. Where it’s not just a job, but a career and a community.

Now, our DEVELOPMENT COMMUNICATIONS team is looking for a SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER who will play a key role in creating Development and Alumni Relations communications that are compelling to alumni, and commensurate with the standards of a major global research university.

DEVELOPMENT COMMUNICATIONS AT BOSTON UNIVERSITY

Development Communications (DevCom) is an award-winning communications-services department within Development & Alumni Relations (DAR). DevCom helps DAR colleagues create marketing tools in a variety of print and digital media. We are especially committed to helping our front-line fundraisers do their jobs effectively and efficiently. Our work includes print materials, web design, branding, writing, editing, video production and editing, and events management and scripting.

SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER

The Senior Graphic Designer is responsible for designing print and digital products that help the University further its fundraising and alumni engagement goals.

Increasingly, Boston University’s alumni and donors are sophisticated and global consumers of content, and they bring that sophistication to their interactions with the university¾interactions that are rapidly deepening and broadening. The products created by the Senior Graphic Designer must reflect this growing sophistication, guiding and informing these users as they learn about BU and its fundraising priorities, make gifts, learn about the impact of giving, and register for alumni relations events.

The Senior Graphic Designer works closely with Development and Alumni Relations staff members, writers and editors, project managers, and outside vendors to conceive, layout, and produce designs for case statements, appeal packages, proposals, brochures, newsletters, event collateral, websites, web support graphics, emails, and other fundraising materials used throughout the University.

The Senior Graphic Designer must be skilled at designing print and digital templates for recurring products¾and then implementing those templates¾­and also be flexible and creative enough to develop “one-off” products to advance cultivation and stewardship initiatives.

The Senior Graphic Designer reports to the Associate Director of Design & New Media and consults with other members of the Development Communications team and Development & Alumni Relations colleagues about design issues. As requested, this person supervises design interns and guides the work of freelance designers and print vendors to ensure high-quality products that are consistent with BU brand standards.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Design:
  • Conceptualize and design visually compelling communication pieces, in print and digital formats, that help Development & Alumni Relations colleagues meet the University's fundraising and alumni engagement goals. Includes research; brainstorming with in-house clients, writers, and other designers; communicating with outside vendors; photo research; layout; and revision.
  • Design work that steers users toward transactions, including making gifts and registering for events
  • Take the lead on projects from concept to delivery, with oversight from the Associate Director of Design & New Media
  • Produce multiple projects ranging in size and scope simultaneously
  • Brand events and other alumni programs, and apply that branding to multichannel communications meant to attract alumni engagement and support.
  • Oversee printing and production processes to ensure optimal quality.
• Client relations:
  • Communicates with Development & Alumni Relations colleagues about design objectives, processes, and problems to ensure mutual satisfaction with the final product. Includes formal and informal design meetings and presentations.
• Art direction and management:
  • Guides the work of freelancers and manages design interns/student workers to ensure that all departmental design meets clients’ needs and is of a consistently high quality. Consults with other DAR departments to ensure that all development-related communications meet University design and brand standards.

Required Skills

A cover letter is required for consideration.

• Bachelor’s degree in graphic design
• 1-3 years of directly related experience
• Expert in Adobe Creative Suite
• Strong print design skills, from conception to execution
• Basic knowledge of WordPress, HTML, and CSS is desirable
• Knowledge of current trends and best practices in print design and production and their application to communication strategies
• Effective project management and planning skills. Ability to manage and prioritize competing projects on deadline
• Creativity, collaboration, and excellent organizational, problem-solving, and decision-making skills

BUT THAT’S NOT ALL WE’RE LOOKING FOR; WE WANT SOMEONE WHO EMBODIES OUR VALUES:

• TEAMWORK, TRANSPARENCY, AND MUTUAL RESPECT, because we value every member’s contributions and know that leadership can come from anywhere.
• DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION, and a commitment to ensuring that each of us knows we belong here.
• INTEGRITY in how we work and how we treat one another.
• STRATEGIC THINKING AND CURIOSITY in the relentless pursuit of fresh approaches and measurable results.
• CONTINUOUS GROWTH AND IMPROVEMENT, both as individuals and as a team.
• JOY AND SHARED APPRECIATION for working hard toward goals that matter.

If this resonates with you and you want to help us in our ambitious next campaign—and maybe do some of your best work as an advancement professional— we encourage you to apply. If you are hesitant to apply because you have not previously performed every responsibility listed in the description, but you do possess transferable skills, our values, and the defined qualifications, we still want to hear from you and welcome your application.

To learn more about Development & Alumni Relations at Boston University, and other job opportunities, please stop by the DAR Talent website: https://www.bu.edu/dar-talent/.

Boston University is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

_ _

If you require a reasonable accommodation in order to complete the employment application process, please contact the Equal Opportunity Office at 617-353-6474 or druckman@bu.edu.

Required Experience

A cover letter is required for consideration.

• Bachelor’s degree in graphic design
• 1-3 years of directly related experience
• Expert in Adobe Creative Suite
• Strong print design skills, from conception to execution
• Basic knowledge of WordPress, HTML, and CSS is desirable
• Knowledge of current trends and best practices in print design and production and their application to communication strategies
• Effective project management and planning skills. Ability to manage and prioritize competing projects on deadline
• Creativity, collaboration, and excellent organizational, problem-solving, and decision-making skills

BUT THAT’S NOT ALL WE’RE LOOKING FOR; WE WANT SOMEONE WHO EMBODIES OUR VALUES:

• TEAMWORK, TRANSPARENCY, AND MUTUAL RESPECT, because we value every member’s contributions and know that leadership can come from anywhere.
• DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION, and a commitment to ensuring that each of us knows we belong here.
• INTEGRITY in how we work and how we treat one another.
• STRATEGIC THINKING AND CURIOSITY in the relentless pursuit of fresh approaches and measurable results.
• CONTINUOUS GROWTH AND IMPROVEMENT, both as individuals and as a team.
• JOY AND SHARED APPRECIATION for working hard toward goals that matter.

If this resonates with you and you want to help us in our ambitious next campaign—and maybe do some of your best work as an advancement professional— we encourage you to apply. If you are hesitant to apply because you have not previously performed every responsibility listed in the description, but you do possess transferable skills, our values, and the defined qualifications, we still want to hear from you and welcome your application.

To learn more about Development & Alumni Relations at Boston University, and other job opportunities, please stop by the DAR Talent website: https://www.bu.edu/dar-talent/.

Boston University is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

_ _

If you require a reasonable accommodation in order to complete the employment application process, please contact the Equal Opportunity Office at 617-353-6474 or druckman@bu.edu.