Graphic Designer

Position Title: Graphic Designer

Department: Marketing

Reports To: Brand Manager & Lead Designer

Appointment: Full-time, 40 hours per week (12-month position), On Campus

Status: Exempt

Bradley University is seeking a creative, collaborative, and detail-oriented Graphic Designer to join the University’s Marketing and Communications team. The Graphic Designer will play an important role in bringing the Bradley brand to life through compelling visual storytelling across print, digital, environmental, and other marketing channels.

Working within Bradley’s integrated Marketing and Communications operation, this position will develop creative solutions that support University priorities, with particular emphasis on student recruitment and enrollment, institutional reputation, academic programs, advancement, and campus engagement.

The ideal candidate is a versatile designer who combines strong creative instincts with an understanding of strategic marketing. This individual should be comfortable managing multiple projects simultaneously, collaborating with a variety of campus partners, and translating complex ideas into engaging, audience-focused visual communications.

This position reports to the Brand Manager and Lead Designer and is based on Bradley University’s campus in Peoria, Illinois.

Primary Responsibilities

Creative Design and Brand Execution

• Design high-quality visual materials that support Bradley University’s marketing, communications, recruitment, and institutional priorities.
• Create materials across a wide range of formats, including digital advertising, social media graphics, email campaigns, publications, brochures, postcards, event materials, presentations, signage, environmental graphics, and other collateral.
• Translate marketing strategies, creative briefs, and institutional priorities into compelling visual concepts and finished creative products.
• Apply Bradley University's visual identity consistently while finding creative opportunities to strengthen and evolve the University's visual storytelling.
• Serve as a steward of Bradley's brand standards and help campus partners understand and effectively apply the University's visual identity.
• Develop templates, design systems, and other resources that create consistency and efficiency across University communications.

Digital and Integrated Marketing

• Design digital assets optimized for websites, email, social media, digital advertising, and other online platforms.
• Work collaboratively with web, content, social media, video, photography, and marketing colleagues to develop cohesive integrated campaigns.
• Create adaptable creative concepts that can be effectively executed across multiple platforms, formats, and audience segments.
• Maintain awareness of emerging design practices, digital marketing trends, and evolving audience expectations.
• Ensure designs meet appropriate accessibility standards and follow best practices for digital and print communications.

Collaboration and Project Management

• Work with campus partners to understand project goals, audiences, messaging, timelines, and desired outcomes.
• Participate in brainstorming, campaign development, creative reviews, and other collaborative planning processes.
• Manage multiple projects and deadlines while maintaining a high level of quality and attention to detail.
• Communicate effectively with internal clients regarding project scope, timelines, revisions, and deliverables.
• Prepare production-ready files and coordinate as needed with printers, vendors, photographers, and other external partners.
• Maintain organized project files, templates, design assets, and brand resources.
• Perform other duties as assigned in support of the University's marketing and communications priorities.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in graphic design, visual communication, communication design, marketing, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience.
• Demonstrated professional experience in graphic design, visual communication, or a related creative role.
• Strong portfolio demonstrating creativity, typography, layout, visual hierarchy, brand application, and design across multiple media.
• Proficiency with Adobe Creative Cloud, particularly Adobe InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop.
• Demonstrated ability to design for both print and digital environments.
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines.
• Excellent attention to detail.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Ability to receive feedback, collaborate effectively, and translate strategic direction into creative solutions.
• Ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a collaborative team.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in higher education, agency, nonprofit, or another complex organization with multiple audiences and stakeholders.
• Experience developing creative for student recruitment, consumer marketing, or integrated marketing campaigns.
• Experience designing for paid digital advertising, social media, email marketing, and web environments.
• Experience working within established brand standards and contributing to the development or evolution of a visual identity.
• Familiarity with digital accessibility and inclusive design practices.
• Experience with motion graphics, animation, video graphics, photography, or basic video editing is a plus.
• Familiarity with tools such as Canva, Figma, or similar collaborative design platforms is a plus.

Qualified candidates should submit a cover letter, resume and complete contact information for a minimum of three professional references with telephone numbers.

Please submit all materials at the time of initial application.

To ensure full consideration, application materials should be received by November 20, 2026. The ideal start date for this position is January 4, 2027. While the review of applications will begin immediately, applications will be accepted until positions are filled.

Employment with Bradley University is contingent upon successful completion of a criminal background check. Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

Bradley University offers a competitive benefits package including health, dental, vision, life and disability coverages, FSA, HSA, and retirement plan options. Bradley also offers significant higher education cost savings for employees and dependents through the Tuition Remission program. Information regarding our benefits can be found here: https://www.bradley.edu/offices/business/human-resources/benefits/

Bradley University is a top-ranked, private university in Peoria, Illinois, offering nearly 5,000 undergraduate and graduate students’ opportunities, choices, and resources to build their futures. Innovation, action, and collaboration drive Bradley students to generate ideas and create solutions that remake the world around them. Our comprehensive array of undergraduate and graduate academic programs includes business, communications, education, engineering, fine arts, health sciences, liberal arts and sciences, and technology.

Bradley University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. The administration, faculty and staff are committed to attracting qualified candidates from underrepresented groups.