Digital Designer

Visual Communications is seeking an extremely talented and highly qualified Digital Designer to join our team. This position plays a key role in shaping the university's visual presence by conceptualizing and designing high-quality creative content that aligns with the university's brand objectives, brand standards, and primary communications strategies. The role requires a deep understanding of contemporary design trends, digital platforms, and user experience principles to develop compelling, high-quality visual communications. Working closely with the Senior Director of Visual Communications and university leadership, this position works on a variety of visual projects across campus, engaging with faculty, staff, and communications partners to bring impactful stories to life through digital design, including animation, illustration, and graphic design.

The Visual Communications team, part of University Relations Communications, produces distinctive visual content - including photography, short videos, and digital design - to support the AVP for Communications (AVPC), VP for University Relations (VPUR), and, when needed, the Office of the President. The team collaborates with other communication units and academic and administrative partners across the university to deliver impactful, brand-aligned, and inclusive visual storytelling.

Key Responsibilities:

Design and content creation

• Conceptualize, organize, develop, and produce visually appealing complex designs (e.g. information and artistic graphics, animations, social media posts, illustrations) for a variety of platforms within established timelines while enhancing user experience.

• Create diverse visual content including animation, illustration and graphics across all communication channels

• Develop infographics and illustrations to enhance storytelling initiatives

• Develop complete digital presentations and presentation elements for academic, administrative, and event purposes.

Project Management

• Develop and formalize project requirements, schedules, and timelines with the director and cross-unit partners for projects; responsible for adhering to these timelines

• Maintain organized workflows to ensure projects are finished efficiently, accurately, and on time.

Professional Development

• Continued development of visual communications skills and current trends and technologies, such as emerging AI, web and creative application development, motion design and animation.

This is a full-time (40 hour/week) endowed position that is based in Ithaca, NY and fully on-site.

About the Division of University Relations

The Division of University Relations represents an integrated approach to Government Relations (Community, State, Federal), Brand, News, Media Relations, and Strategic Communications. More than 50 University Relations communicators collaborate with and provide support to the colleges, schools and administrative units within the university. This includes promoting and raising the visibility of Cornell University to a wide variety of internal and external audiences in support of the university strategic priorities.

What We Need

We are seeking a team member who has the following qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in arts, marketing, journalism, communications, or a related field and a minimum of 2 to 4 years of professional experience in digital design. Equivalent combinations of education and relevant experience will be considered

• Proficiency with Mac OS, Adobe Creative Suite (including Illustrator, After Effects, etc.), Microsoft PowerPoint and Canva Pro (template creation, brand kit management, collaborative workflows)

• Strong creative portfolio showcasing high-quality work across animation, illustration, graphic design, and presentation formats

• Ability to cultivate and develop inclusive working relationships with students, faculty, staff, and community members.

• Proven ability to work under tight deadlines and deliver rapid-turnaround solutions

• Eager to learn and adapt to emerging trends in digital design

A cover letter, resume, and strong portfolio are required for further consideration for this position.

Rewards and Benefits

• This position is based in Ithaca, New York and is fully on-site.

• Cornell receives national recognition as an award-winning workplace for our health, wellbeing, sustainability, and diversity initiatives.

• Our benefits programs include comprehensive health care options, generous retirement contributions, access to wellness programs, and employee discounts with local and national retail brands. We invite you to follow this link to get more information about our benefits: Understand Your Benefits | Working at Cornell.

• Our leave provisions include health and personal leave, vacation and paid holidays: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and the day after, and an end of the year winter break from December 25-January 1. To offer greater flexibility for observing faiths and traditions we also offer two additional floating holidays. Learn more about our generous leave provisions: Holiday and Accrued Time Off | Working at Cornell

• Cornell's impressive educational benefits include tuition-free Extramural Study and Employee Degree Program, tuition aid for external education, and Cornell Children's Tuition Assistance Program. Learn more about our extensive educational benefits: Education Benefits | Working at Cornell

• Follow this link to learn more about the Total Rewards of Working at Cornell: Total Rewards | Working at Cornell.

Visa Sponsorship is not available for this position.

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