[Resume Drop Only]
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[Resume Drop] Manager, Graphic Design
Role Type: Full-time
Title: Manager, Graphic Design
Reports to: Cynthia Leck - Partner, Usable Knowledge
Location/Travel: Flexible; willingness to travel approximately once a month for 1-2 days, ~10% travel
Who We Are
Transcend’s mission is to support communities to create and spread extraordinary, equitable learning environments. Founded in 2015, Transcend has partnered with over 390 schools/partners which collectively serve thousands of students in over 30 states across the country. As a research and development (R&D) hub for the education field, Transcend provides schools and systems with research-backed, community-driven models and capacity so they can make significant leaps to reimagine the future of education. Transcend is a nonprofit that operates with a fully remote, nationwide team; currently with 120+ teammates and growing. For more information, visit our website; follow us on LinkedIn or Twitter, check out this podcast featuring our two co-founders on Class Disrupted, or read this recent article that illuminates the need for this work.
The Opportunity
As the Manager, Graphic Design you will support activities in our theory of action (direct partnering, democratizing design supports, and catalyzing systemic change) by sharing documents, visuals, messaging, etc. that are aesthetically well-designed and compelling. You will help us ensure that our ideas and resources are not only impactful and visually compelling but also illustrate the stories of our impact in alignment with our design guidelines and vision.
There are three distinct pillars for this role:
- Provide Graphic Design Expertise: Partner with Transcend teammates to enhance the visual appeal and clarity of materials, often tailoring them for specific use cases. You'll advise on when to finalize designs and engage in ongoing collaboration with the original creators to maintain alignment with the intended use.
- Capacity Building: Building the capacity of other Transcender teammates to create visually compelling and clear items, both on their own as well as in ways that make the baton-passing to this role more streamlined and effective.
- Crafting From Start to Finish: Occasionally, crafting an item from start to finish (e.g., creating a flyer promoting new Transcend Institute courses)
You’ll leverage your creativity, attention to detail, and graphic design expertise across an array of dynamic activities, including:
- Creating visuals of Transcend’s core frameworks (e.g., design journey schema), to share internally and externally
- Developing branding and style consistency across knowledge resources (e.g., mental health cards) so that they can be utilized for all three core activities in our theory of action
- Designing user-friendly tools to support the process of community design, including guidance on crafting a Case for Change, and visually striking Case for Change templates that can be accessed by design partners in the Institute and at Transcend as well as used by communities directly.
- Creating self-serve hubs, like the methods library or data tools portal that can be used by a variety of teammates across Transcend
- Enhancing the visual appeal of our perspectives and provocations (major thought pieces for the field) that get shared like landing pages for signature resources, blogs, case studies, social media posts, etc.
- Adapting Transcend’s products for various audiences and in various formats
- Creating visually engaging layouts of Transcend Institute courses within the Learning Management System (LMS)
- Developing visually stunning and informative materials to promote Transcend offerings (from Institute and Network)
- Designing merchandise or “swag” to sell and/or give as gifts to both Transcend staff and those across our network
- Tailoring final products for community design journeys that they can use to share their work in concise and clear ways with key stakeholders in and beyond their communities (e.g., Design Pitch Deck, Case for Change, Model Sharing Strategy, etc.)
- Polishing product examples and informational materials that we can use in partnership development with interested schools, systems, and funders
- Internalize and adhere to brand style guides (including Transcend’s as well and those from partner organizations) with accuracy and creativity, occasionally working to co-brand products across multiple guides
- Working independently with input and feedback from various teams across Transcend to complete document layouts, graphics and icons, slide presentations, social media assets, photo selection, and more
- Managing Transcend’s visual asset library to ensure photos, graphics, icons, and editable design files (.ai, .ind, etc) are organized, up-to-date, and accessible to those who need them
- Stewarding the printing, purchasing, and fulfillment logistics for physical products and Transcend merchandise available through e-commerce system
- Serving as the main point of contact for any external design contractor(s) (for supplemental capacity or when specialized skills are needed such as complex audio mixing, videography, photography, web design etc.), including the vetting of new design contractor(s), and independently managing external design vendors as necessary.
- Providing input and feedback on products such as documents, websites, learning management portals, and more to ensure they are brand-aligned and accessible
Who You Are
As a visual storyteller, the process of design is a fun journey where every design element holds the potential to increase an idea’s impact. Whether it's through sleek graphics, dynamic layouts, or immersive multimedia experiences, you understand that the perfect design can transcend barriers, amplify ideas, elevate research, and make complex information accessible. And above all, with every design project, you strive to elevate the exciting innovations unfolding in education, ensuring they are communicated with clarity and resonance.
To all of this, you bring:
- A deep commitment to Transcend’s missionof transforming education, and an eagerness to add to Transcend’s culture and live into Transcend’s core values
- A deep commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion
- Outstanding project management and organizational skills that allow you to organize multiple work streams efficiently
- Advanced proficiency with Adobe InDesign and Illustrator and basic proficiency with Photoshop, Adobe Firefly, Canva and Acrobat
- Advanced proficiency with Google Suite apps including Google Drive, Google Docs, Google Slide, and Google Draw with the ability to apply the available tools in each to solve design and accessibility challenges in creative ways
- Basic proficiency with, or readiness to learn about, e-commerce systems like Shopify and product fulfillment
- Basic understanding of nuances related to printed products such as CMYK color conversion, bleed settings, resolution adjustments, paper types, etc.
- Knowledge of typography, color theory, composition
- Comfort using existing templates within web-based content management systems, particularly WordPress, to add and revise content
- Growing knowledge of the applications for AI within the graphic design space, including image generation, photo editing, document layouts, etc
- An ability to independently synthesize and translate abstract and/or nuanced concepts into compelling visuals for a wide range of audiences.
- Presents ideas clearly and consistently; synthesizes feedback and routinely recommends design and storytelling solutions.
- A fierce attention to detail and a commitment to producing quality, brand-aligned work with minimal errors.
- Ability to engage in project and time management to ensure deadlines are met across various simultaneous work streams
- Sensibility for digital platforms - websites, social media, graphics that can go into videos
- Ability to build the capacity of others (e.g., Transcend staff) in basic design skills, knowledge, and mindsets, and to work collaboratively with others on projects requiring design
- Ability to support (either directly or by working with contractors) animated videos when using animation could depict something more clearly
Perks and Benefits
Transcend is committed to providing our colleagues with a competitive benefits package. Transcend offers medical, dental and vision coverage options, org-wide holidays, paid time off, paid parental leave, professional development opportunities, and fully remote work. We’re also proud of our values-grounded, equity-focused, and fun (!) work environment, incredible colleagues, and dedication to our purposeful work and to one another.
Join Us!
Transcend is an equal-opportunity employer. We are building a diverse team, and we encourage candidates from historically underrepresented groups to apply.
