Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon Portland Community College

People Strategy, Equity, and Culture

Senior Designer

  • Title: Senior Designer
  • Class: Classified
  • Exempt Status: Non-Exempt
  • Grade: 23

Nature and Scope of Work

Under the direction of Management, functions as creative coordinator for the College’s public and mass communications. Creates guidelines and graphic identity standards for visual design and written content for publications, advertising, collateral materials, new media and websites. Communicates technical information, artistic concepts and ideas in individual, group, and large audience situations. Responsible for internship program.

This classification is distinguished from the Designer in that incumbents assigned to the Senior Designer classification take a lead role in coordinating project work, casual and student employees, and have authority for decisions regarding visual content and appearance of the College’s public and mass communication. The Senior Designer works independently under overall project objectives and requirements.

Principal Accountabilities

  1. In collaboration with the Marketing Manager and Marketing Coordinator develops and designs the overall creative concept and visual identity for the College’s public mass communications (e.g. web, print publications, advertising, etc). This includes colors, fonts, illustrations, and photo selection and presentation graphics.
  2. Provides direction, leadership and coordination for marketing staff in developing creative concepts and ideas for assigned areas.
  3. Creates displays, artwork, illustrations, maps, graphics, brochures, folders, flyers, and/or animations. Selects and prepares photographs for publishing.
  4. Advises the College Web Team on the PCC website’s navigation structure and the organization of page systems.
  5. Provides guidance to other college web and print designers in design style and content organization.
  6. Develops prototypes for web pages and publications for review by clients and users prior to initiating the actual writing and production.
  7. Designs promotional items including T-shirts, pennants, and mugs.
  8. Creates work plans, reports, and PowerPoint displays.
  9. Coordinates art direction for photo shoots; layout and editing of magazine wrap pages.
  10. Creates and uploads templates to DIY template system; updates, edits, and maintains templates and photo gallery; provides user support.
  11. Plans and designs all signage; Coordinates printing capabilities with Print Center.
  12. Supports Displays, Viewbooks, and specialty items identified by academic departments as being beneficial to growing enrollment in their programs.
  13. Oversees student internship program including selection, coaching, mentoring of new students; manages projects through casual term of employment.
  14. Act as backup to other designer as needed.
  15. Positions in this classification may perform all or some of the responsibilities listed above and all positions perform other related duties as assigned.
Position-Specific Duties and Responsibilities

Senior Designer positions are assigned to one of two areas of responsibility:

  • Leading projects and activities related to Events, Digital Needs, Recruitment, Foundation, Promotional Items, Service Area Needs
  • Leading projects and activities related to Presidential Communications, Communities Magazine, Templates, Signage, and Academic Department Needs

Work Environment and Physical Requirements

Work is primarily performed in an office environment. Work pressure, disturbances of workflow, and/or irregularities in work schedule are expected and occur on an intermittent basis. Changes in the performance environment such as new and evolving web technology require occasional upgrading of skills to maintain state-of-the-art proficiency. Some learned physical skill is required during the course of the regular work routine to operate a computer and other office related equipment.

Minimum Qualifications

Associates degree in communications, graphic arts, advertising, journalism or related field. Experience performing the duties of the job may substitute for the educational requirement on a year-for-year basis. Three years of progressively responsible experience performing these or similar duties in advertising, marketing, public relations or another communication field.

Demonstrated experience in information and interface design and project management.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Knowledge of:
  • Adobe Creative Suite;
  • Google Suite;
  • Word Press;
  • HTML and database capabilities;
  • Animation;
  • Prepress standards;
  • Graphic preparation for digital media;
  • Project management principles and practices.
Skills in:
  • Must have excellent organizational skills and the ability to manage and coordinate multiple projects concurrently
  • Influencing others toward a stated objective.
  • Establishing and maintaining cooperation, understanding, trust and credibility.
Ability to:
  • Meet established timelines, quality and design objectives;
  • Effectively communicate both verbally and in writing;
  • Make presentations to individuals and groups;
  • Apply innovative solutions to resolve complex problems;
  • Work collaboratively with diverse academic, cultural and ethnic backgrounds of community college students and staff.

Reviewed: 12/18

  • Revised: 6/2018; 6/2006
  • Replaces: Marketing Communications Creative Coordinator-07/03