Graphic Design Specialist in Stafford

Graphic Design Specialist

Company: South Staffordshire College

Salary: £33,516.54 to £36,058.84 a year

Hours: Full-time

Location: Stafford, ST19 5PG

Working pattern: On-site

Job type: Permanent

Status / Hours: Perm / Full Time – 37 hours per week

Location: Rodbaston

Our organisation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young children and young people, and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

The successful applicant will be required to undertake an enhanced DBS check, including barred list information, as this post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.

As part of safer recruitment practices and in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE), an online search will be completed for all shortlisted candidates.

All gaps in employment will be explored, and references will be sought prior to interview wherever possible. Only completed application forms will be accepted, CV’s cannot be considered.

We uphold rigorous safeguarding procedures throughout recruitment, selection and induction, consistent with the expectations set out in Keeping Children Safe in Education.

Safeguarding training is mandatory for all employees and will form part of your induction and ongoing CPD.

Help shape how South Staffordshire College communicates with thousands of prospective students, employers and partners each year.

Fancy joining a multi-award-winning college marketing team in a creative graphic design role where you'll be able to make a real impact? If you're nodding along enthusiastically or shouting "yes" out loud at your screen (no judgement here!), excellent, we want to hear from you!

As our Graphic Design Specialist, you'll be responsible for producing high-quality creative that helps our messages reach prospective students, employers, partners and the wider community in engaging and meaningful ways.

From social media, websites, digital advertising and email marketing to publications, events, exhibitions and on-site signage, you'll be creating work that supports student recruitment, employer engagement and commercial activity across the college.

You won't be limited to working on projects for South Staffordshire College and its campuses. Our award-winning marketing team also supports the college's commercial activities and specialist facilities, meaning the variety in this role is huge.

If the thought of spending every day designing the same brochure fills you with dread, don't worry. No two weeks in this role are quite the same. One day you could be creating assets for a campaign to increase applications for a college course, the next you could be developing creative to promote an employer event, specialist facility or increasing visitor numbers for our on-site Zoo.

We're not looking for someone who just makes things look nice. We're looking for someone who can take an idea, challenge it, develop it and bring it to life creatively.

The work you create won't sit in a folder gathering dust. It will be seen by prospective students, employers, parents, partners and visitors across the region, helping to influence decisions and shape perceptions of the college.

As part of a small and collaborative team, you'll also have the opportunity to get involved in college events, employer engagement activity and commercial projects, giving you the chance to see your work come to life beyond the screen.

Where else could you be promoting engineering, apprenticeships, higher education, animal care, afternoon tea, employer events and a zoo, all in the same role?

In short, if variety, creativity and the chance to make a visible impact are what you enjoy most, you'll feel right at home here.

About you

• You’ll be competent in your use of Adobe Creative Cloud including InDesign, Photoshop and Illustrator, and be confident preparing files for both digital and print.
• You’ll be a highly creative thinker with excellent attention to detail and a strong eye for design.
• You’ll be an excellent multi-tasker who can prioritise competing projects and work effectively to deadlines.
• You’ll be confident adapting creative across different formats and channels, while maintaining strong brand consistency, accessibility and quality.
• You’ll be comfortable managing design projects from brief through to final artwork, including feedback, approvals and preparing files for digital and print production.
• You’ll have strong communication skills and be confident working with colleagues, suppliers, and stakeholders across the organisation.
• You’ll enjoy working as part of a small team and be willing to get involved wherever needed.
• Experience of video editing, motion graphics, animation, or photography would be advantageous.

Essential requirements

• A degree or higher-level qualification in graphic design, visual communication or a related subject
• A level 3 or above qualification in graphic design, visual communication or a related creative subject, or equivalent professional experience
• A strong portfolio demonstrating creative thinking and effective design across digital and print channels
• Able to manage competing briefs and remain organised in a busy creative environment
• Able to use initiative, solve routine problems and elevate significant brand, copyright, policy or public profile risks appropriately
• Collaborative and able to build positive working relationships across a multi-site organisation
• Commitment to the college’s values, safeguarding responsibilities and inclusive practice
• Creative, audience-focused and confident recommending stronger solutions where a request is unclear or unlikely to meet its intended objective
• Current knowledge of graphic design, digital content, accessible design and responsible use of emerging creative tools
• Experience of video editing, motion graphics, animation, Canva, photography, digital asset management or content management systems would be advantageous
• High standards of accuracy, proofreading, typography, layout, version control and attention to detail
• Motivated to deliver high-quality work and contribute positively to shared team priorities
• Professional approach to briefs, deadlines, quality, budgets and supplier relationships
• Strong production skills, including preparing print-ready artwork and optimised assets for web, social media, email and digital advertising
• Strong project management, prioritisation and organisational skills
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to explain creative decisions and advise colleagues clearly and constructively
• Ability to move between sites if required

What you can expect from us – we care about your wellbeing so have several activities all year that provide support. However, time off is also important. We have a generous holiday scheme, the usual Bank Holidays, an additional 5 days at Christmas and 2 ‘ME’ days (where you can have a day off work and do whatever makes you happy) as well as an additional day on campus spent on wellbeing. We have a range of benefits available to all staff including paid time off for emergencies (designed to support carers) and all our policies are enhanced further than statutory requirements. The College also contributes to your pension at a minimum of 17.9% (we contribute more for people in the Local Government Pension Scheme).

South Staffordshire College is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applicants from all sections of the community.

Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme

About Disability Confident Disability Confident is a government scheme. It encourages employers to recruit and retain disabled people and those with long term health conditions.

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