Visual Communications Specialist

Position Summary:

The Visual Communications Specialist supports the development and execution of SUNY Cortland’s visual brand across print and digital channels. Working under the direction of the Assistant Director of Creative Services, this role designs and produces marketing and enrollment materials that are consistent, high-quality, and aligned with institutional priorities. The position supports photography, asset management, and brand compliance efforts across the university. Through creative design and visual storytelling, the role helps advance the university’s marketing, communications, and enrollment objectives.

Major Responsibilities:

Design and Production

• Design and produce print and digital materials, such as enrollment marketing, signage, and collateral.

• Develop layouts and production-ready artwork.

• Assist in the development and refinement of design templates and visual assets.

• Prepare files for print and digital distribution, ensuring quality and accuracy.

• Support creative campaign execution through the development of visual content and supporting graphics.

Brand Compliance and Quality Assurance (QA) Support

• Support enforcement of brand standards through design execution, review, and revisions.

• Apply university brand standards across a variety of communications and marketing projects.

• Assist in reviewing designs for consistency in typography, color, imagery, and visual presentation.

• Revise creative assets based on feedback from Creative Services leadership and stakeholders.

• Utilize approved templates, design systems, and visual assets to maintain brand consistency.

• Participate in proofing and quality assurance reviews for design accuracy and production readiness.

• Ensure files are properly formatted and prepared for print and digital distribution.

Photography and Content Capture

• Capture and edit photography for marketing, communications, and institutional storytelling.

• Photograph university events, student experiences, campus life, and academic activities.

• Perform basic photo editing, retouching, cropping, and optimization for multiple platforms.

• Coordinate photography logistics.

• Assist in the creation of visual content for enrollment, advancement, athletics, and institutional initiatives.

• Support multimedia projects through image selection and visual storytelling.

Asset Management

• Organize, tag, and maintain the university’s photo and visual asset library.

• Maintain metadata, file naming conventions, and archival standards.

• Upload, catalog, and distribute approved visual assets for university use.

• Assist with image selection and retrieval for marketing and communications projects.

• Support management of templates, graphics, and shared creative resources.

• Ensure assets are properly licensed, documented, and stored.

Creative Services Support and Workflow

• Support project intake, proofing, and production coordination. Provide backup to the Assistant Director.

• Assist in managing project schedules, priorities, and deliverables.

• Coordinate with university partners to gather content, specifications, and project requirements.

• Track project status and support workflow management processes.

• Assist with vendor coordination and production logistics, as assigned.

• Support department-wide creative initiatives and special projects.

• Digital Adaptation

• Adapt assets for web, social, and digital platforms.

• Resize and optimize graphics, photography, and visual assets for multiple channels.

• Create digital graphics for social media, websites, email marketing, and digital signage.

• Support development of platform-specific creative assets and campaign materials.

• Ensure digital content maintains brand consistency across channels.

• Assist with updates and maintenance of digital communications assets.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in graphic design, visual communications, or a related field

• Demonstrated proficiency in graphic design and layout principles

• Experience with Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator) or equivalent tools

• Experience photographing events, people, and campus environments and editing images for marketing and communications purposes.

• Strong attention to detail and ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience working in higher education or a marketing/communications environment

• Familiarity with brand standards and asset management systems

• Experience designing both print and digital platforms

• Experience with digital asset management ( DAM ) systems

• Experience with Adobe Express, or similar content-creation platforms

• Experience creating social media graphics and digital campaigns

• Knowledge of accessibility principles ( WCAG ) for digital communications