Job Description

The University of Michigan's Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (EEB) is home to two world-class natural history research museums: the Museum of Zoology (UMMZ), one of the largest natural history collections in the world with 15 million preserved specimens, and the Herbarium, one of the largest university plant and fungi collections in the US with 1.75 million specimens. Both museums are based at the Research Museums Center (RMC) in Ann Arbor and together support more than 100 students and 350 researchers annually in specimen-based evolutionary biology, ecology, and biodiversity science.

The role

This position reports to the Chief Administrator and Museums' leadership and works in close collaboration with the Museum Communications Specialist. The graphic designer is responsible for two primary areas: creating new scientific illustrations and digital artwork, and leading the design portion of digital and print communications materials. The role is full-time, regular, and based at the Research Museums Center with a hybrid work schedule.

What you would do

• Create digital scientific illustrations of plants, animals, and fungi for use in scientific publications
• Design graphics for museum and department communications, including data-driven scientific figures
• Design and produce the major graphical elements for the Museums' Annual Impact Report and annual newsletter, including layout, imagery, and production in Adobe InDesign or equivalent
• Collaborate with Museums' leadership and the communications team on social media posts, collateral, and swag
• Manage website information architecture within Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) templates, including navigation, page structure, content, maintenance, and strategy
• Use web analytics tools to assess website performance and inform content strategy
• Partner with EEB Communications Specialists and Museums leadership on content and brand strategy
• Document workflows and maintain organized files for content development
• Handle typesetting for UMMZ publications

What they are looking for

• Bachelor's degree and at least three years of work experience in scientific illustration, graphic design, web design/development, or a related field
• Proficiency in the Adobe Creative Suite, including Illustrator and InDesign
• Experience designing, building, and maintaining websites from concept to launch
• Experience developing visual elements of strategic communication plans
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to collaborate across teams and present to non-technical audiences
• Experience or demonstrated interest in biology, natural history, museums, or scientific communication
• A portfolio of original work demonstrating proficiency in one or more of: scientific illustration, graphic design, layout/publication design, web design, scientific/data visualization, photography, or other multimedia
• Preferred: BFA or Bachelor's degree in a biology-related field or journalism
• Preferred: demonstrated experience producing science or technical content for digital platforms (websites, social media, multimedia) for a university, government agency, NGO, or research organization
• Preferred: animation or photography experience
• Preferred: proficiency with Adobe Experience Manager, WordPress, Canva, MailChimp, Instagram, and/or YouTube

Working arrangements

The position is located at the Research Museums Center in Ann Arbor, MI, with a hybrid work schedule. Work mode agreements are reviewed annually and may change at any time throughout employment.

Pay and benefits

$58,000 - $72,600 per year.

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