Lead Senior Graphic Designer

DEPARTMENT:    Promotion & Design Services Group

SUMMARY

As a member of the Promotion & Design Services Group [P&DSG], the Lead Senior Graphic Designer supports the global activity of The First Church of Christ, Scientist [TFCCS] and of the Christian Science Publishing Society [CSPS].

P&DSG is a service-based group that shapes and guides, from a metaphysical foundation, the promotion and extension of products, services, and events that constitute the “healing and saving” resources of The Mother Church (see Manual of The Mother Church, Mary Baker Eddy, p. 19:1).

In collaboration with client departments throughout the organization, P&DSG delivers design, analytics, promotion, events, user experience (including research and testing), social media, and messaging. Within our areas of expertise, we ensure a consistent tone and quality to help clients achieve their mission-aligned objectives, in service to customers and humanity, through compelling design, effective communications, engaging experiences, and insightful reports.

The P&DSG design strategy is built upon the strategic principle of removing barriers to right ideas. The design team collaborates with client partners and other P&DSG teams to create products, collateral, and other materials that promote and extend the healing mission of Christian Science as taught by Mary Baker Eddy. The team maintains a thorough knowledge of design best practices and a growing understanding of the audience groups we serve. This knowledge is a support to, but not a replacement of, spiritual discernment stemming from dedicated prayer. This strategy allows P&DSG to produce inspired, professional, and effective designs that remove barriers to discoverability, access, and engagement.

Under the direction of the Design Manager, the Lead Graphic Designer carries out all functions of this position in alignment with the organization’s vision and mission and the department’s principles.

Assignments for this position may include, but are not limited to, designing periodicals, books, album art, and other products; creating advertisements, posters, postcards, digital slides, and other collateral; developing wayfinding and promotional signage; designing social media graphics and other digital materials; curating and/or capturing photography; and curating and/or creating illustrations. A combination of organization-wide priorities, designer skills, department staffing, a desire for variety/balance, and designer preferences is used to determine assignments. Project management and resource allocation programs are used to track current assignments and schedule future assignments.

This position may lead assigned design work or contribute largely independently. The role actively supports the professional growth of colleagues and the performance of the department in service to the organization.

This position is part of the graphic design leadership team and supports design operations, quality consistency, and team/individual growth within the area of design.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Foundational

• Confirm goals, measures of success (KPIs), audience groups served, and timing requirements.
• Apply knowledge of design principles and fundamentals.
• Closely collaborate with and freely exchange ideas with individuals from each team within P&DSG.
• Identify and propose solutions to problems encountered.
• Effectively self-evaluate work based on department guidelines/rubrics.
• Readily receive and implement Design Manager direction.
• Reliably follow best practices to prepare files for print production and digital publication.

Project support

• Support aspects of projects or projects as a whole, independently or with guidance from Design Manager, as assigned.

Periodical production support

• Independently support the production of Christian Science Periodicals, as assigned.

Ongoing design support

• Independently support the fulfillment of recurring and one-off design requests, as assigned.

Client interaction

• Attend client meetings independently or with Design Manager support, as needed.
• Work with clients to identify the “why” behind client feedback.
• Independently review and evaluate client feedback. Ideate solutions and review within P&DSG before returning to the client.

Administrative tasks

• Track time accurately and consistently to support budget allocation across the organization.
• Track work consistently through project management software.
• Promptly respond to client and internal messages.
• Name and organize files according to department guidelines.

Team and independent development

• Actively contribute to team discussions and meetings.
• Generously share your knowledge and perspective with the team and individual peers.
• Humbly receive direction and feedback from others.
• Create and update training materials.
• Instruct/train/mentor colleagues, as assigned.
• Independently coordinate with contractors and NBEs, as assigned.
• Demonstrate desire for growth in your professional practice.
• Pursue professional development based on guidance/direction from Design Manager and put learning into practice.
• Raise issues and concerns to Design Manager, as appropriate.

Leadership support / design operations

• Provide design direction, as assigned.
• Provide initial or final design evaluation of work based on department guidelines/rubrics and expertise, as assigned.
• Support or lead internal initiatives to improve the team’s service to the organization, as assigned.
• Support the daily operations of the design team.
  • Assign tasks.
  • Ensure designers have all needed information.
  • Follow up on progress.
  • Support time tracking across the team.
  • Facilitate meetings, as needed.
• Identify/update and encourage the adoption of design and professional best-practices within the team.
• Identify areas for employee improvement and determine next steps with Design Manager.
• Identify and support professional development opportunities for team members.
• Recommend and implement process improvements.
• Provide subject matter expertise to client departments.

Metaphysical

• Regularly pray to witness the demonstration of a unified expression of Church and work in obedience to the Golden Rule.

STAFF MANAGEMENT AND JOB CONTACTS

Reporting RelationshipsSupervisor: Design ManagerSupervises: none

Regular ContactsThis position regularly interacts with P&DSG staff, P&DSG management, and other staff and managers of various departments.

JOB REQUIREMENTS

Education/Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in graphic design or related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience, is required.
• A minimum of 8–10 years of related professional experience is required.

Knowledge/Skills

• Demonstrated experience working as a collaborative member of a creative team.
• Ability to astutely perceive, interpret, and implement client and Design Manager direction in a humble manner.
• Mastery of the foundational practices and procedures of design for physical and digital spaces. Ability to instruct colleagues on the same.
• Mastery of design principles and fundamentals (e.g. typography, color, hierarchy, selection and use of images and illustrations, etc). Ability to instruct colleagues on the same.
• Expert understanding of print production and digital publishing requirements and processes. Ability to instruct colleagues on the same.
• Ability and inclination to identify and propose solutions to problems encountered.
• Sound independent judgment.
• Demonstrated ability to balance work for multiple clients while meeting deadlines.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including presenting to colleagues and clients.
• Knowledge of grammar and style rules preferred.

Technology Skills

• Proficiency required:
  • InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, Acrobat Pro, Google Suite, Microsoft Office
• Proficiency preferred:
  • K4 publishing content management system, Adobe Express, Digital Asset Management platforms, Slack, Toggl Track, and Trello (or equivalent programs)

Work Environment

• This position regularly works in an office environment in Boston. This position may follow a hybrid schedule according to current workplace policies.

Engagement with Christian Science

• Membership in The Mother Church is required.
• Primary Class instruction is required.

Pay range: $114,112 - $148,346.80 annually

The pay ranges disclosed in our job postings are the compensation ranges the Church reasonably and in good faith expects to pay for a given position at the time of posting.

The offered salary will be determined by factors such as the applicant’s relevant education, experience, knowledge, skills, abilities; and benchmarking, work location, and internal equity.

In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification document form upon hire.