ASSISTANT DIRECTOR / DESIGN & VISUAL MEDIA

The assistant director of design and visual media for CMU Online is a design-focused role responsible for creating and delivering high-quality visual and multimedia assets that support integrated marketing efforts for online and adult learners. This position produces audience-centered creative across digital channels (web, social, email, and video) and print materials (brochures, flyers, and recruitment collateral), ensuring consistent, engaging design execution across all platforms. In close collaboration with CMU Online’s director of marketing, this role leads the visual expression of the unit’s campaigns, maintaining brand cohesion and elevating the effectiveness of marketing initiatives through strong, strategic design.

Required Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in graphic design, digital media, or visual communication.

One year of professional graphic or multimedia design experience.

Demonstrated experience working with vendors and printers to produce branded materials.

Demonstrated experience designing for multiple channels, including social media, digital advertising, websites, email, video, and print publications.

Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite, especially InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop.

Strong conceptual design skills with a demonstrated ability to translate messaging into clear, visually compelling assets across formats.

Demonstrated understanding of typography, color theory, layout, photography, and visual hierarchy.

Demonstrated understanding of prepress processes and print production workflows.

Ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines simultaneously in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.

Strong attention to detail and ability to maintain consistency across campaigns and assets.

Working knowledge of accessibility standards (WCAG 2\.1 AA) and inclusive design practices.

Ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams across the university.

Preferred Qualifications

Two years of progressively advanced experience in a creative role.

Demonstrated experience creating motion graphics, animations, reels, and short-form video content.

Demonstrated experience working within established brand guidelines.

Familiarity with project management tools.

Demonstrated experience working in a higher education, non-profit, or mission-driven marketing environments.

Duties \& Responsibilities

Designs and produces high-quality visual and multimedia assets for marketing campaigns across digital and print channels, including social media, web, email, video, and recruitment collateral.

Translates marketing content and messaging into visually compelling creative assets in collaboration with CMU Online’s marketing team.

Supports the execution of integrated marketing campaigns by delivering creative assets that align with campaign goals, timelines, and audience needs.

Develops graphics, layouts, illustrations, animations, motion graphics, and other visual elements that enhance campaign performance and engagement.

Collaborates closely with the University Marketing and Communications office to ensure alignment with institutional brand standards and quality expectations.

Works cross-functionally with CMU Online teams and other university stakeholders to support marketing and communication initiatives.

Creates mockups and design concepts to support campaign planning and creative development.

Maintains and organizes creative assets, templates, and design files to ensure consistency and efficiency across campaigns.

Coordinates with external vendors on print production, materials, and specifications as needed.

Stays abreast of current and emerging design trends, tools, and best practices to continuously improve the quality and effectiveness of creative output.

Ensures all visual content reflects the appropriate tone, quality, and audience alignment.

Performs other duties as assigned.

Supervision Exercised

None.

Message to Applicants

Central Michigan University is dedicated to fostering an environment that is reflective of the communities we serve. We are especially interested in highly qualified candidates who will advance and promote CMU’s mission, vision, and leadership standards.

You must submit an on-line application in order to be considered as an applicant for this position.

Cover letters may be addressed to the Hiring Committee.

If there is a work sample you wish to include that is not required, please utilize the Work Sample upload field.

Employee Group Professional \& Administrative -Salary

Staff Pay Level

Pay Range $55,000 - $65,000 per year

Division Academic Affairs

Department CMU Online

Position Status Regular

Position End Date

Employment Status Full-Time

FTE 1\.00

Position Type 12 month

Weekly Work Schedule Mon-Fri, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. / weekends and evenings as needed

Location Mount Pleasant, MI

About the Department

About CMU

Central Michigan University has a more than 125-year legacy of preparing students to become leaders and changemakers in their communities and in their personal and professional lives.

We serve nearly 15,500 students on our Mount Pleasant campus, in satellite locations around the state and throughout the country, and through flexible online programs. Many of our approximately 300 undergraduate, master’s, specialist and doctoral programs in the arts, media, business, education, human services, health professions, liberal arts, social sciences, medicine, science and engineering are nationally ranked for excellence.

CMU leads the nation in leadership development programming through our Sarah R. Opperman Leadership Institute, and we are proud to be among only 5% of U.S. universities in the top two Carnegie research classifications. Our faculty work with graduate and undergraduate students in areas such as Great Lakes research, medical innovation, engineering technology and more.

Central is home to 17 men’s and women’s Division 1 sports including football, basketball, gymnastics, baseball, wrestling and more. Our student-athletes achieve great success in competition and in the classroom, capturing Mid-American Conference championships and maintaining an average cumulative GPA of 3\.17\.

CMU is located in Mount Pleasant, a community that blends the best of small-town living with big-city amenities. It’s part of the culturally varied and vibrant Great Lakes Bay Region that also includes Saginaw, Bay City, Midland and the state’s largest Native American community, centered on the Saginaw Chippewa Isabella Reservation in Mount Pleasant.

Area residents enjoy the mix of outdoor activities, cultural events, shopping and dining options, and family attractions. Other major Michigan destinations and attractions — Lansing, Grand Rapids, Detroit, Traverse City, wineries, beaches, golf and ski resorts, and many more — are within easy reach of the city’s central location in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula.

CMU employees enjoy access to a nationally recognized wellness program along with health care and benefits that exceed regional, state and national norms.

CMU Leadership Standards

Central Michigan University is a place where we value students and work for their success, where we act as family, and where employees are engaged, appreciated and have extraordinary opportunities to make a difference.

We intentionally maintain and strengthen the hallmark CMU culture that sets us apart from our peers by expecting CMU leaders and employees to model the following Leadership Standards and develop them within their teams.

Please review the Leadership Standards before applying for this position.