At Awana, we believe true change happens in the communities when children and youth are transformed by the gospel and engaged in Biblical discipleship in the presence of a caring adult. We believe that kids can come to know, love and serve Jesus, following Him for a lifetime. This is why, for 70+ years, Awana has been working with leaders in local churches in the US and around the world, providing solutions that equip these women and men to make disciples in children and youth.
Today, God is using Awana to reach over 7.2 million kids in 139 countries around the world. With over 500,000 equipped leaders in 84,000 clubs/churches, Awana is able to play a vital role in global evangelism and discipleship of children and youth. If you are passionate about being integral to reaching kids with the gospel, join us, and become a part of our global cause.
Summary
The Graphic Designer works to advance the ministry of Awana by using current and trending design concepts, technologies and tools to create visual composition that visually represents our brand for the purpose of engaging our current and prospective partners, members, churches, clubs, discipleship leaders, and children in the mission and call to action of Awana. Collaborating primarily with internal teams, vendors, and freelancers, this position’s primary focus is on delivering meaningful, relevant, eye-catching designs for use in a variety of platforms including social media, print, and digital.
This position is primarily remote with occasional travel required based on strategic organizational meetings. Primary travel locations would be our offices in St. Charles, IL or Nashville, TN.
Hiring Range for this position is: $55,000 to $65,000 annually
Who We Are Looking For:
- Team players who support, uphold and demonstrate the Awana values in internal and external communications and relationships.
- Collaborative partners who have a natural ability to create genuine relationships with our internal team and external partners.
- Logical problem solvers who proactively communicate workflow and/or deadline status to the team.
- Self-motivated, goal oriented professionals with a passion for helping fuel exponential ministry growth.
- Flexible team members who are open to taking on new responsibilities and easily adapt to shifting priorities and needs.
- Champions of children to belong, believe and become resilient disciples.
Key Responsibilities:
Graphic Design & Production
- Performs the entire graphic design process including defining requirements, visualizing, and creating graphics including illustrations, logos, layouts, and photos.
- Finalizes projects, prepares and assembles artwork for printers or other outside vendors; approves proofs.
- Shaping the visual aspects of websites, books, magazines, product packaging, exhibits, etc.
Project & Process Management
- Manages projects assigned: Reviews projects with the team at various stages of completion and makes changes as necessary. Guides projects to completion within agreed-upon budget and time parameters.
- Proposes new and better methods, technology, and procedures for improving the quality and quantity of the department’s work.
Collaboration & Teamwork
- Collaborates and strategizes with other staff members to brainstorm innovative ideas related to ministry product development and ministry challenges.
- Interfaces with other designers in the ministry to critique work, brainstorm concepts, share ideas, and stay abreast of available creative resources.
Organizational Culture & Values
- Supports, upholds, and demonstrates the Awana cultural values in internal and external communications and relationships.
- Performs other duties as assigned.
What You Need:
- Bachelor's degree (BA or BS) with a concentration in Graphic Design, Visual Communications, or similar from an accredited college or university.
- Industry Certification desired, such as: Certified Graphic Designer (CGD), Adobe Photoshop Certification, Digital Media Certification, etc.
- Minimum 2 years demonstrated experience in graphic design/visual communications required; Must submit portfolio or link to work.
- Must have strong working knowledge of common graphic design technology including Mac and Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, LightRoom and Premium Pro); also required strong working knowledge of printing processes and technologies.
- Must be creative and have a demonstrated sense of graphic design, special design, visual composition, and color appropriate to the design specs and desired impact.
- Occasional local and out-of-town, overnight travel may be required.
- General understanding of the Bible and the Christian Church in its various expressions preferred.
- Experience with Awana Club, curriculum, resources, & solutions is a plus!
- Eligibility to work in the United States is required; this position is not eligible for employment visa sponsorship.
Physical Demands/Working Conditions
While performing the duties of this job, the team member is regularly required to communicate. The team member is also required to regularly utilize computer equipment (e.g., screens and keyboards) to perform work. Awana recommends maintaining ergonomic posture, utilizing properly positioned computer equipment to minimize strain, and taking regular breaks to stretch and move around. Specific vision abilities required by this job included close vision and the ability to see different colors. Local and out-of-town, overnight travel may be required.
What We Offer:
As a ministry that equips leaders to reach kids with the gospel and engage them in lifelong discipleship, we value our team that makes this happen and are excited to offer:
- Mission-driven work that changes the lives of children and youth around the world.
- Intentional connection, flexibility, family, and community engagement are part of our culture.
- Remote-first work environment, allowing you to do the majority of your work from where it is you call "home”. We also have two office locations designed for collaborative work and connection with colleagues in St. Charles, Illinois, and Nashville, Tennessee, that can be used at your convenience.
- Benefits package, including a variety of programs you can choose from to meet you and your family’s needs. Some of these include medical, dental & vision health insurance, paid family leave, 401(k) & Roth 401(k) retirement savings plans with employer match, generous paid vacations & holidays, adoption assistance, an employee wellness program, and more!
This Job Description reflects the current assignment of essential functions and is not meant to be all-inclusive. Responsibilities may be assigned or reassigned to this job at any time based on the needs of the organization and may be modified to reasonably accommodate an individual with a disability or for other reasons. Please note, this opportunity is contingent upon favorable completion of a reference check, background check, and I-9 completion.
