Visual Communications+Design Consultant
Job Type
Full-time
Description
Are you interested in working for a management consulting firm in Washington, D.C. that believes in, inspires, and outfits people to have meaningful lives and to make extraordinary contributions to causes that matter? Do you possess a strong work ethic, the ability to collaborate well with a team, work independently with minimal guidance, and remain flexible in a fast-paced, ambiguous, and changing environment? Then come join us! The Clearing has been recognized as one of DC's “Best Places To Work” and one of the “Most Engaged Workplaces.”
All applicants are required to provide an online portfolio that displays a range of materials, technical capabilities, and design styles. Portfolios should include infographics, presentations, one-pagers, multi-page documents, and vector based imagery.
In this position, design meets consulting. Visual Consultants are responsible for creating and maintaining continuity and brand cohesion across multiple platforms and touch points.
This position requires an experienced creative who has client relations experience with a customer centric focus. He/she/they possess proficient design skills and a thorough knowledge of visual communications work, including the creation of design systems, brand experiences, visual product design (digital and print), and a proficiency in various design programs/platforms. Visual Consultants are expected to bring a Human-Centered Design Thinking and agile approach to consulting with our clients in order to solve and/or innovate complex challenges. Specific responsibilities may vary and include:
Maintain client relationships; identify and support opportunities to expand project scope and actively share information about clients’ emerging support needs and trends with team members and management
Translate client objectives into clear creative strategies and experiences
Facilitate and manage client meetings to successfully achieve identified, desired outcomes
Design short-term project plans
Manage project lanes or small projects to completion by scoping tasks and managing resources to complete such tasks on time, within budget, and to specifications
Support project and sales teams in proposal development and pursuing new sales leads with a visual lense; sometimes serve as proposal coordinator
Research, analysis, and presentation (e.g., Excel charts, Google Sheets, Google Analytics, Illustrator Graphs, Powerpoint or Google Slide Presentations) in support of client projects, meetings, and for production of major client deliverables
Leads small sized project teams, with limited supervision
Design customer-focused digital, print, and experiential collateral, brand identities, design systems, environmental graphics, user-experience assessments, wireframes, prototypes, and collaborate on the art direction for client deliverables and products needing visual storytelling and strategic communication
Work collaboratively with team members to optimize visual identities on their specific product lanes and platforms
Create design systems and guidelines that maintain the visual identities for TC clients across all customer touch points including digital, experiential, and print.
Use customer metrics (internal employee and external clients) to help inform design choices when needed and available with the ability to explain the decisions made and reasoning behind these choices
Work collaboratively with clients and internal project team to introduce new technology and trends when it makes sense and where it can add value to enhance experiences
Explore and prototype solutions using Design Thinking methodology across a gamut of visual areas of study appropriate to each project including but not limited to product design, graphic design, ux/ui design, illustration, animation, interaction, photography, video, and site-specific installations
Support the development and launch of brand identities and visual communications for new strategic initiatives as The Clearing business strategy and portfolio evolves
Deliver work on time, within budget, and to requested specifications; deliver error proof files at the completion of a project
Provide inspiration and mentorship to other team members
Serve as the bridge between design and development teams by holding conversations with developers to assure, when needed, that product wireframes, prototypes, and accompanying assets are successfully passed off
Assure that design solutions produced for new business pursuits (proposals) achieve a uniformly high level of market-competitive design
Requirements
HOW YOU’LL DO IT
The list below captures some key competencies that our Consultant, Visual Communications + Design is expected to possess and demonstrate. These competencies serve as a foundation for how the Consultant, Visual Communications + Design at The Clearing interacts with, supports, and develops themselves, others, our work/projects, the business, and our solution areas.
Getting it Done / Responsibility Foundations: Perform assigned tasks with excellence, on time, and to specifications, creating a strong foundation for the final product
EQ Foundations: Develop an understanding of and sensitivity to the client and TC teammates, including strengths and weaknesses, bringing a sense of positivity, open-mindedness, and compassion into the work
Organization & Logistics Foundations: Practice rigorous organizational skills and prioritize tasks effectively, including coordinating meeting logistics to include anticipating needs, scheduling meetings, and preparing session materials, using the team plan in support of outcomes; coordinate and interact with client logistics POC as appropriate
Active Listening in Practice: Use active listening tools to build authentic relationships, understand nuances of client intent, create value, and move clients toward outcomes
Collaborative Content Development: Seek out teammates and PL for further guidance, input, and peer review to advance team/client content to achieve excellence in delivery in a timely manner
Content Upgrades & Feedback: Provide content review and feedback using past experiences, expertise, and understanding of client environment, keeping perspective on intended client outcomes
Collaborative Deliverables Creation: Lead the development of quality, impactful client deliverables guided by Solution product standards, which align to project outcomes, client expectations
Critical Thinking: Customize standard Solution approaches, practicing critical thinking skills to evaluate needs, making initial recommendations, and partnering with an experienced team member to refine thinking and approach to clients' challenges
WHAT YOU BRING
Bachelor's degree required. Master's degree or design certifications is a bonus!
Minimum of 4 years experience working as a designer, in a consultative capacity, preferably with a background in management consulting, client relations, graphic design, visual communications, user-experience (UX) design, user interface (UI) design, experiential design, or front-end development
A strong knowledge of industry design methods and tools, including proficiency in the core Adobe Creative Suite programs (Illustrator (AI), InDesign (ID), Photoshop (PS)) with additional knowledge and experience with prototyping platforms (i.e., Adobe Experience Design (XD), InVision, Sketch)
Proficiency in Open Source Content Management Systems (CMS) such as WordPress, Drupal, and SharePoint; knowledge and ability to integrate plugins, theme support, and customize user Interfaces
Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Powerpoint), Google Suite (Docs, Sheets, Slides)
Exceptional design skills demonstrating innovation, fresh thinking, and a strong visual design perspective to achieve successful outcomes
A thorough command of brand identity and visual communications work with experience on both the strategic and conceptual level developing and implementing design systems or developing a body of work in service to a well-articulated product strategy
A passion for the fundamentals of graphic design and a fluency with typography, color theory and visual expression
Proven experience managing multiple small and medium sized projects at once, with competing deadlines
Willingness and ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance
Willingness and ability to travel to client sites in the surrounding DC and Baltimore metro areas; occasional travel outside of these regions could be expected
Desired Skills and Experiences: 508c compliance, familiarity with animation software such as After Effects and/or web design tools such as Sketch and Invision; basic front-end coding experience (i.e., HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and/or IOS) to bring our prototypes to life
PHYSICAL AND MENTAL REQUIREMENTS
While performing duties of this job, an employee may be required to perform any, or all of the following: Attend meetings in and out of the office, travel (sometimes extensively); Occasional evening and weekend work may be required as job duties demand; Communicate effectively (both orally and in writing); Ability to effectively use computers and other electronic and standard office equipment; Occasionally exerting up to 10 pounds to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body. Work is primarily sedentary and involves sitting for several hours at a time. Occasionally walking, climbing stairs, and standing occur in this role. Additionally, this job requires certain mental demands, including the ability to use judgement, withstand moderate amounts of stress and maintain attention to detail. The Clearing is committed to partnering with all candidates and employees to ensure reasonable accommodations are made to meet these requirements.
The Clearing is committed to providing equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, religion, color, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), parental status, national origin, age, disability, family medical history or genetic information, political affiliation, military service, or other non-merit based factors. In addition to federal legal requirements, The Clearing complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment. These protections extend to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting and hiring practices, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training and career development programs.
