Senior Designer

Job Title: Senior Designer
Department: Communications
Location: Remote
Supervisor: Senior Director of Communications
Job Type (FT, PT, temp): Full-Time
Employment Classification (exempt, non-exempt): Exempt
Supervisory Role (yes, no): No
Bargaining Unit Status: Covered by the applicable Collective Bargaining Agreement
Salary Range: $90,000–$100,000 depending on experience

About the Role

The FrameWorks Institute is seeking a talented, strategic, and highly organized Senior Designer to join its communications team and help bring FrameWorks’ research and ideas to life through compelling visual communication. The Senior Designer will lead the visual design and production of a wide range of FrameWorks products and communications, including reports and publications, presentations, digital campaigns, web content, infographics, data visualizations, and other communications products.

This role combines high-level design thinking and creative execution with hands-on production management. The Senior Designer will translate complex research and ideas into clear, engaging, accessible visual communications for a range of audiences, while ensuring that projects move efficiently from concept through final production. The Senior Designer will own the organization’s day-to-day design production pipeline in Asana, working closely with communications colleagues, researchers, program staff, and external vendors to scope projects, establish timelines, manage reviews and revisions, coordinate handoffs, and ensure that work is delivered on time and to a high standard.

This is an ideal role for a designer who is both creatively ambitious and exceptionally organized—someone who enjoys developing strong visual concepts but also knows how to build the systems, workflows, and production processes that make excellent creative work possible.

Essential Job Functions

Design & Visual Communication

• Lead the design of FrameWorks’ visual communications from concept through final production, including research reports and publications, presentations and slide decks, infographics and data visualizations, graphics and visual content for website, illustrations and visual storytelling, fundraising and development materials, and toolkits, guides, and other public-facing resources.
• Translate complex research, data, and social science concepts into clear, compelling, and accessible visual communications.
• Develop creative concepts and visual approaches that advance communications goals while maintaining a cohesive FrameWorks visual identity.
• Collaborate with writers, editors, researchers, communications team, and program staff to determine the best ways to communicate ideas visually.
• Develop and maintain templates and design systems that make recurring communications products efficient, consistent, and high quality.
• Create data visualizations and other information-design products that make complex findings easier for audiences to understand.
• Provide art direction and creative guidance for projects involving external designers, illustrators, photographers, videographers, or other creative partners.
• Ensure that final products meet FrameWorks’ standards for visual quality, accessibility, accuracy, and brand consistency.
• Stay current with developments in design, visual storytelling, information design, and emerging creative technologies.

Production Management & Workflow

• Own and manage the end-to-end design and communications production pipeline in Asana, ensuring that projects have clear scopes, timelines, review stages, and final deliverables.
• Manage multiple concurrent projects and proactively identify potential bottlenecks, resource constraints, and timeline risks.
• Establish realistic production schedules and communicate clearly with project stakeholders about deadlines, dependencies, and changes.
• Coordinate the design process across internal teams, including research, programs, communications, development, and leadership.
• Manage design review and revision processes, ensuring that feedback is consolidated, actionable, and incorporated efficiently.
• Coordinate with external copy editors and other editorial vendors as needed to ensure that publications and other major products move smoothly through editing, design, proofreading, and final production.
• Identify when projects require additional external design capacity or specialized expertise and manage freelance designers and design vendors from briefing through delivery.
• Conduct final quality assurance on design files and coordinate final production, including preparation of files for digital publication, print, web, social, and other channels.
• Maintain organized design files, templates, assets, and production documentation.
• Continuously improve FrameWorks’ creative production systems and workflows to make the organization’s communications work more efficient and effective.

Creative Strategy, Brand & Innovation

• Contribute to the evolution of FrameWorks’ visual identity and creative strategy.
• Help establish and maintain visual standards and guidelines across programs and communications channels.
• Partner with the Senior Director of Communications and other communications leaders on major campaigns and high-priority organizational initiatives.
• Bring new ideas and creative approaches to how FrameWorks presents its research and reaches audiences.
• Explore and appropriately incorporate emerging design technologies and tools into the creative workflow.
• Use AI tools where appropriate to increase efficiency in the production of standard, repetitive, or highly templated products, in accordance with FrameWorks’ AI policy, while maintaining FrameWorks’ standards for accuracy, accessibility, originality, and quality.
• Help establish responsible and effective practices for AI-assisted design production, including appropriate human review and quality control.

Other Duties

• Attend staff, departmental, and other required meetings and trainings.
• Occasional domestic travel may be required for organizational meetings, conferences, or events.
• Other relevant duties as assigned.

Qualifications, Experience, and Education

• 5-10 years of education and/or work experience in graphic design, interactive design, multimedia, communications, or a related field, with experience preferred in nonprofit, mission-driven, or agency environments preferred.
• A strong portfolio demonstrating excellent visual design, information design, typography, layout, and visual storytelling.
• Experience translating complex information, research, data, or ideas into clear and compelling visual communications for broad audiences.
• Experience designing across multiple formats, including reports/publications, presentations, digital content, social media, web, and campaign materials.
• Strong command of industry-standard design tools, such as Adobe Creative Cloud, InDesign, Figma, Canva, or comparable platforms.
• Experience with data visualization and information design.
• Experience managing multiple projects and deadlines simultaneously in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong understanding of production processes, including editorial review, proofreading, file preparation, digital publishing, and quality assurance.
• Exceptional attention to detail without losing sight of larger communications and strategic goals.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills and the ability to collaborate effectively with people with different areas of expertise.
• Ability to take initiative, identify problems before they become obstacles, and develop practical solutions.
• Comfort working independently while also seeking and incorporating feedback.
• Interest in or familiarity with social issues, public-interest communications, social science, advocacy, or narrative change.
• Commitment to accessibility, inclusive design, and communicating respectfully about communities and social issues.
• Interest in emerging creative technologies and demonstrated ability to learn and adapt to new tools and workflows.
• Commitment to FrameWorks’ mission and values.

Computer and Equipment Skills

• Proficiency with Adobe Creative Cloud (InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop) and/or comparable professional design software (e.g., Figma, Canva).
• Experience with data visualization tools and information design.
• Proficiency with Google Workspace (Docs, Slides, Sheets, Gmail, Calendar).
• Experience with project management platforms such as Asana.
• Comfort with collaboration and communication tools including Slack and Zoom.
• Familiarity with web content management systems (CMS) for publishing and updating web graphics.
• Interest in and openness to emerging design technologies and AI tools, within the bounds of FrameWorks’ AI policy.

Work Environment and Physical Requirements

• Work Environment: The employee is expected to maintain a dedicated, home workspace with reliable internet connectivity. Regular collaboration will occur via video conferencing, chat, and other digital communication tools. The role may require occasional virtual meetings across multiple time zones. While the position offers flexibility, standard core working hours 9am – 5pm ET are generally expected for availability and team coordination.
• Occasional travel may be required.
• Physical Requirements:
  • Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
  • Ability to use a keyboard, mouse, and monitor for extended periods.
  • Must be able to communicate clearly via video, phone, and written correspondence.
  • Occasional lifting of light objects (up to 10 lbs.), such as laptops or office supplies.
  • Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

What We Offer

At FrameWorks Institute, we believe great work starts with taking care of our people. We offer a comprehensive benefits package designed to support your whole life — at work and beyond:

• Generous Time Off — 4 weeks of paid vacation leave per year, plus 21 days of holiday leave, including a full week off between Christmas and New Year’s and 4 additional summer holidays. We mean it when we say we value rest.
• 100% Employer-Paid Health Insurance — Medical, dental, and vision coverage fully covered by FrameWorks — no premiums out of your pocket.
• Financial Benefits — 403(b) retirement plan, life insurance, and disability insurance to protect you and your future.
• Flexible Spending Plan — Pre-tax savings options to help you manage healthcare and dependent care costs.
• Invest in Your Growth — Dedicated professional development funding to support your learning, certifications, conferences, and career goals.
• Work-Life Flexibility —This fully remote role is designed to support strong work/life balance and flexibility.

How to Apply

Applications must be submitted no later than Sunday, September 13 at 11:59pm ET. To apply, please complete the application form including the following materials:

• Resume or CV with relevant employment history and educational background
• Portfolio of 3–4 examples of relevant design work. For each example, please briefly describe your role on the project and the communications objective or challenge addressed. Examples of work may include designed PDFs, links to webpages, infographics, slide decks, email campaigns, or other digital publishing work. (Please do not include social media work.) You may submit the entire portfolio in one file, or upload multiple files.
• Short cover letter explaining your interest in this position and the FrameWorks Institute, and how your experience has prepared you for this role.

Only applications submitted with all required materials will be considered. Review of all applications will begin Monday, September 14. Applications received after Sunday, September 13 at 11:59 pm ET will not be considered. No solicitations, please.

The FrameWorks Institute is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color religion, disability, age, sex (including sexual orientation, gender identity and transgender status), national origin, veteran status, genetic information, or any other classification protected by federal, state, or local law. Our workplace culture values and promotes diversity, inclusion, equal employment opportunities, and a work environment free of harassment and hostility. The FrameWorks Institute is committed to providing access, equal opportunity, and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities.