Consultancy: Graphic Designer, ICS

About Investing in Children and their Societies ( ICS SP): Our goal is for every child to grow up in a safe and nurturing environment so that they can reach their full potential. A goal we aim to achieve by working with parents and caregivers, by strengthening families and communities, and by strengthening and influencing governments, civil society and private sector towards better and sustainable policies, programs and practices that ensure the wellbeing of children, young people and their families. Visit www.icsafrica-sp.org to see organizational projects and impact.

About the consultancy

In order to support the effective and innovative implementation of our mandate to enhance our visibility across the globe, we are seeking to recruit a Graphic Designer consultant with a strong background knowledge and practical experience in Visual Designs. The consultancy is envisaged to provide support periodically beginning in February 2022. The selected candidate will be expected to be present for an interview. The Graphic Designer, or Graphic Artist is expected to create aesthetically pleasing images that accompany written text and help in designing IEC materials for indoor and outdoor activities to promote ICS SP visibility. They will effectively meet with the communication and IT department at ICS SP to establish their needs, using design software to complete projects and revising projects based on the Executive Director’s feedback.

Key Deliverables

In consultation with ICS SP management, specific deliverables will be agreed at the onset of the consultancy. The range of deliverables will be focused on media and programme visibility work. This will include: Working with the communication department to support provision of high-quality graphics; avatars, murals, cartoon features, logos, business cards, letterheads, envelope designs, notebooks and diaries, t-shirts, banners, file and report designs, website designs in collaboration with the IT department in preparation of the e-newsletters. Identify opportunities for further designs to determine requirements and advise on strategies to engage target audiences as we illustrate and communicate our vision while complying with design best practices. (Create designs using illustration, photo editing and layout software.)

Duties and responsibilities

• Engage with the team to help shape the company’s brand identity through different communication demands with compelling graphic designs that will enhance its visibility.
• Work on all graphic needs and facilitate different campaigns from start to finish especially towards achieving quarterly and yearly goals for different projects of the company.
• Design web pages, brochures, logos, signs, books, reports, advertisements, update brand books and provide catalog direction seasonally.
• Create and design various materials for print and digital collateral using technology, including computer software programs. Adobe’s Creative Suite—including Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and more.
• Meet with the team to gain an understanding of what they want their proposed communications to look like. Create or incorporate illustrations, pictures, and designs to reflect the desired theme and tone of the communications.
• Perform retouching and manipulation of images, select type size and style to enhance the readability of text and image as well as produce drafts for review by the team and make revisions based on the feedback received.
• Review final productions for errors and ensure that final prints reflect the teams’ specifications and are completed with high quality and on schedule. Establish creative direction for the company as well as brand guidelines for each project while prioritizing and managing multiple projects within design specifications and budget restrictions.

Qualification and Profile

• Academic Qualification-Bachelor’s Degree in graphic design or any other related field – with stellar portfolios or real-world experience, associate degrees or any training completed from a qualified institute or community colleges or online graphic design programs.
• Professional Experience 3-5 years of experience in graphic design work in a marketing and PR organization, International Organization, NGO or any media company. Experience working in a marketing/media-design department with a compelling portfolio of work over a wide range of creative projects. Strong design principles and values from experience while collaborating with partners and absorbing feedback.
• Technical Skills- mastery of Microsoft Word and PowerPoint as well as user-level skills in Microsoft Excel experience with website content management systems, different social media pages; proficiency in the Adobe Creative Suite software package (Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop), Dreamweaver, print, and the web with strong analytical skills. Familiarity with HTML and CSS is an added advantage.

Qualities and skills

• An eye for aesthetically-pleasing color schemes, fonts and shapes that enables one to create professional logos, product packaging and report layouts.
• Use various creative software programs to develop designs and seek continued education opportunities to learn about graphic design programs.
• Time management skills to work on multiple projects at once and with various deadlines
• Creative mindset to be able to bring a design to life with simple instructions and demonstrable graphic design skills with a strong portfolio.
• Proficiency with required desktop publishing tools, including Photoshop, Dreamweaver, InDesign and Illustrator.
• A strong eye for visual communication. Good knowledge of and strong interest in digital communication.
• Strong organizational skills, professionalism and strong work ethic. Mindful of child protection measures.
• An understanding of the latest digital trends and their role within an NGO environment.
• Excellent communication skills to confer advice and suggestions from the team and fluency in English and Swahili.
• Dynamic self-starter; highly motivated, comfortable in taking initiative and able to work with minimum supervision. Applicants need to be able to legally provide consultancy services in Kenya.