Internship - Graphic Design (Communications)

POSITION:               Internship – Graphic Design (Communications)

LOCATION:             Denver, CO

SEMESTER:              Spring 2019

 

The National Conference of State Legislatures is a bipartisan organization that serves the legislators and legislative staff of the nation's 50 states, its commonwealths and territories. NCSL provides research, technical assistance and opportunities for policymakers to exchange ideas on the most pressing state issues. Our mission is to serve state legislatures by providing support, promoting fresh ideas, connecting legislators and staff with experts and each other, and provide a strong, cohesive voice in the federal system.   

 

Since its founding in 1975, NCSL's staff has grown from 15 employees to over 150 employees in its offices in Denver, CO and Washington, D.C. Our growth has been due to the increasing activity and responsibility of the nation's state legislatures and the complexity and diversity of issues that legislators face. Employees and interns work in a challenging, often fast-paced environment where they assist legislators and legislative staff in their work to promote the common good of the citizens of the states. We look forward to your contributions to our mission in the Communications program.

 

$15.00/ hour. Part-time 10-20 flexible, variable hour schedule. Many colleges and universities will give academic credit for internships. It is the student’s responsibility to contact his or her advisor and obtain academic credit within the institution’s guidelines. 

 

This position will be responsible for providing in-house graphic design for print and the web. The ideal candidate will be a conceptual thinker who can problem solve and create appealing visual narratives for print, websites and mobile platforms; collaborate well but work independently after initial concept; and make critical-thinking decisions and recommendations. Candidates must have design experience, as well as strong communication skills.

The successful candidate will work with our Design Manager, Communications and Digital teams to maintain brand standards across the organization and incorporate them into a variety of creative projects. These include reports, brochures, State Legislatures magazine and other marketing materials, agendas, interactive web graphics, presentations decks, advertisements and organization identity packages. Position requirements include:

 

•         Ability to maintain brand standards across the organization

•         Sound design fundamentals that translate to both web and print

•         Adept in InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop as well as MS Office applications such as Word and Excel

•         Experience with mobile and responsive design

•         Experience in preparing files for print and web publication

•         Experience with Content Management Systems a plus

•         Experience with HTML, CSS and JavaScript a plus

•         Motion graphics and video editing capabilities a plus

 

Interpersonal skills include:

•         Ability to take direction and elicit constructive feedback to create a complete layout, and balance        organizational goals and constraints with creative opportunities

•         High comfort level engaging and interacting directly with staff

•         Team player who can also work independently, is self-directed and requires limited supervision

•         Ability to multitask on a variety of projects and deadlines in a fast-paced environment

•         Ability to provide input/ideas to contribute to overall marketing strategies

•         Strong written and oral communication skills

 

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

Working with the Manager of Design, the intern will gain valuable experience working in a multitasking environment. Constructive feedback will be given on design projects, and she or he could have the opportunity to not only work within our existing publications but develop design solutions on projects they will own from start to finish. The work will consist of both publication design, print and web graphics, and marketing design -- including collateral for our national Summit meeting that attracts more than 5,000 attendees nationwide. The successful candidate could have several additional examples to add to their portfolio at the end of the internship.

 

 

Qualified candidates should be currently enrolled in a bachelor’s degree or graduate program and possess strong computer and design experience. Candidates must demonstrate skill and competence in writing clearly, communicating effectively and organizing complex assignments.

Interested candidates should send a cover letter, resume and include PDF examples of your work or a link to your portfolio online when applying to: https://ncsl.applicantpro.com/jobs no later than Monday, November 26, 2018.

 

NCSL IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER.