Graphic Designer

ABOUT THE JOB

The ACLU seeks applicants for the full-time position of Graphic Designer in the Communications & Marketing Department of the ACLU’s National office in New York, NY or Washington D.C. This is a hybrid role that has in-office requirements of two (2) days per week or eight (8) days per month. 

The ACLU Communications & Marketing Department creates, maintains, and expands message narratives to engage our supporters and other target audiences, to help protect and expand civil liberties and civil rights, and also illustrate the value and impact of the ACLU’s work. Through our messaging, engagement with newsmakers, our written and social content, branding, and visual identity, we encourage support for the ACLU and help to create a more perfect union.

This position is part of a collective bargaining unit. It is represented by ACLU Staff United (ASU).

WHAT YOU'LL DO 

Reporting to the Design Director, the Graphic Designer will be responsible for supporting the creative development and execution of design projects that translate campaign strategies into clear, compelling, and engaging visual assets. This role contributes to the creation of bold, mission-driven design work that resonates with a wide range of audiences and advances organizational goals across digital platforms, campaigns, and select print materials.

The Graphic Designer works collaboratively within the Brand Studio and across departments to deliver high-quality, on-brand design solutions, contributing to visual identities, campaign assets, and rapid-response materials. With a strong foundation in design craft and brand application, the Graphic Designer manages assigned projects with a degree of independence, incorporates feedback thoughtfully, and supports efficient workflows and processes. Through close partnership with the design director & senior designers, creative leadership, and cross-functional teams, this role plays a key part in ensuring design excellence, consistency, and impact across the organization.

YOUR DAY TO DAY

We are looking for a Graphic Designer who brings strong design craft, a collaborative mindset, and the ability to manage multiple projects in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment. This role requires a balance of creative execution, clear communication, and thoughtful project management in service of impactful advocacy and campaign work. The following is an overview of key responsibilities for this role.

Design Execution & Production

• Contribute to the development of visual identities for campaigns by understanding project goals, conducting research as needed, generating and refining design concepts, incorporating feedback, and executing final assets in alignment with brand guidelines.
• Participate in rapid-response design efforts, producing timely and effective visuals in response to urgent organizational or advocacy needs.
• Design and produce graphics for ACLU websites, social media channels, and email communications in accordance with established design standards, project objectives, and branding guidelines.
• Assist with the layout and design of digital and print publications, including reports, white papers, and informational materials; support the creation of data visualizations such as charts, tables, and infographics.
• Create promotional materials for digital and print advertising, ACLU-branded merchandise, and website special features.
• Produce a range of additional design assets as needed, including presentations, internal communications templates, video text cards, and informational graphics; assist with basic photo retouching for documentary, portrait, and marketing imagery.
• Create and submit moodboards and be comfortable presenting and pitching creative ideas to internal teams
• Serve as a creative thought partner across the Brand Studio & Communications & Marketing teams

Project Management

• Support project planning and coordination by tracking timelines, deliverables, and approvals across creative projects
• Assist with day-to-day project management tasks, including scheduling, status updates, and organizing assets and documentation
• Help ensure projects move smoothly by communicating updates, flagging risks, and supporting cross-team coordination

Collaboration & Communication:

• Collaborate with colleagues across Marketing & Communications, Policy, Legal, Affiliate Support, and Development to support the creation of design assets that align with organizational goals.
• Communicate clearly and professionally with project stakeholders, incorporating feedback and updates to support smooth collaboration and timely delivery of work.

FUTURE ACLU'ERS WILL 

• Be committed to advancing the mission of the ACLU
• Center and embed the principles of equity, inclusion and belonging in their work by demonstrating commitment to diversity with an approach that respects and values multiple perspectives
• Be committed to work collaboratively and respectfully toward resolving obstacles and conflicts

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Demonstrated relevant professional experience.
• Demonstrated experience producing high-quality graphic design for digital platforms, including web, social media, email, presentations, and select print materials.
• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Cloud (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign).
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple design assignments simultaneously while meeting deadlines and quality standards.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to delivering polished, on-brand work.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to work independently and collaboratively in a cross-functional environment.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience working on campaign-based, advocacy, or mission-driven design work.
• Experience with Figma
• Familiarity with project management tools such as Asana
• Experience supporting or coordinating design work across multiple stakeholders or teams.
• Familiarity with merchandise or branded collateral design.
• Basic understanding of accessibility and inclusive design principles
• Familiarity with branding and storytelling for social justice or nonprofit initiatives.

COMPENSATION

WHY THE ACLU

For over 100 years, the ACLU has worked to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed by the Constitution and laws of the United States. Whether it’s ending mass incarceration, achieving full equality for the LGBTQ+ community, establishing new privacy protections for our digital age, or preserving the right to vote or the right to have an abortion, the ACLU takes up the toughest civil liberties cases and issues to defend all people.

We know that great people make a great organization. We value our people and know that what we offer is essential not just their work, but to their overall well-being. 

At the ACLU, we offer a broad range of benefits, which include:

• Time away to focus on the things that matter with a generous paid time-off policy
• Focus on your well-being with comprehensive healthcare benefits (including medical, dental and vision coverage, parental leave, gender affirming care & fertility treatment)
• Plan for your retirement with 401k plan and employer match
• We support employee growth and development through annual professional development funds, internal professional development programs and workshops

OUR COMMITMENT TO ACCESSIBILITY, EQUITY, DIVERSITY & INCLUSION

Accessibility, equity, diversity and inclusion are core values of the ACLU and central to our work to advance liberty, equality, and justice for all. For us diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion are not just check-the-box activities, but a chance for us to make long-term meaningful change.  We are a community committed to learning and growth, humility and grace, transparency and accountability. We believe in a collective responsibility to create a culture of belonging for all people within our organization – one that respects and embraces difference; treats everyone equitably; and empowers our colleagues to do the best work possible. We are as committed to anti-oppression, anti-ableism, and anti-racism internally as we are externally. Because whether we’re in the courts or in the office, we believe ‘We the People’ means all of us.

With this commitment in mind, we strongly encourage applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status and record of arrest or conviction, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.    

The ACLU is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual with a disability and need assistance applying online, please email benefits.hrdept@aclu.org. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.

The Department of Education has determined that employment in this position at the ACLU does not qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.