Description

Due to the highly collaborative nature of the work, this job is not fully remote and is based at Cato in Washington, DC.

As a Content Designer at the Cato Institute, you’ll have the opportunity to work with the talented team in Content Lab to produce immersive and visually compelling content sure to leave a lasting impression. 

As part of the User Experience Web Design (UXD) team, the Content Designer will provide crucial support for advanced web projects, working with our Digital Producer and scholars to craft digital stories seen in Visual Features and Cato Courses. 

Our ideal candidate has content design experience and a comprehensive understanding of best practices in web design, with a demonstrated proficiency in HTML and CSS. Familiarity with front-end frameworks such as Bootstrap and layout mechanisms such as Flexbox and CSS Grid will catch our eye.

In addition to creating content, this role will assist in processing feature requests for all our Drupal sites, acting as a resource for questions and information about functionality and requirements. Experience in project management software like Wrike or Jira is essential; you’ll stand out if you’ve been a power-user responsible for creating custom forms, task types, reports, and workflows.

We’re a sharp, fast-paced, and ambitious team that promotes strategy, embraces technology, and thrives on challenging work. We’re looking for a detail-oriented, organized, creative, and highly motivated individual to join us.

ABOUT CATO

The Cato Institute is a public policy research organization—or think tank—that creates a presence for and promotes libertarian ideas in policy. For more than 40 years, Cato has led the charge for liberty in our nation and around the world. We find common ground and work with individuals and groups across the political spectrum in order to build a society that is freer, happier, and more prosperous. 

Our mission is to originate, disseminate, and advance solutions based on the principles of individual liberty, limited government, free markets, and peace. We hope you will join us.

Cato Institute is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Assist with the design, layout, and creation of advanced interactive content.

o Support Digital Producer in turning storymaps, assets, and copy into immersive scrollytelling experiences for products such as Visual Features and Cato Courses:

o Select, edit, and format images and videos

o Style text and other inline content

o Assist in creating animations and special graphics

• Manage feature/update requests for Cato.org, Libertarianism.org, and Sphere-ed.org

o Gather information and requirements; coordinate with team to assign

o Work with team and web development to identify, test, and implement solutions

• Assist with website special projects and landing pages

o Become an expert in website components, their variants, and their intended uses

o Create layouts for special projects and landing pages

• Coordinate and execute on project timelines

o Draft, distribute, gather feedback on, and get approval for timelines

o Use project management software (Wrike) to document project details and coordinate timelines, tasks, and assignments

• Perform regular QA checks and coordinate testing

o Perform regular reviews of the websites to flag unknown issues and identify opportunities for updates and improvements

o Coordinate and conduct testing prior to launch of new websites, products, or projects

Requirements

• 1-3 years related experience performing similar duties on a team.
• Local or willing to relocate; remote applicants will not be considered.
• Experience working in a large-scale Content Management System (CMS), such as Drupal or Wordpress; understands components and how they work
• Well-versed in foundational web design concepts, such as user-centric design, visual hierarchy, accessibility considerations, and responsive design
• Proficient in HTML/CSS, and familiar with best practices

o Comfortable writing and editing HTML and CSS within CMS

o Understanding of core HTML concepts such as document structure

o Familiar with browser dev tools, and using them to inspect and debug code

• Experience creating, managing, and updating projects with complex hierarchies using project management software, such as Wrike, Jira, Monday, etc.
• Motivated and proactive in learning new processes and skills.
• Composed, highly organized with a keen attention to detail, quality, and accuracy.
• Able to work on multiple tasks both independently and as part of a highly collaborative team on a time-sensitive basis.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, and a positive and professional mindset.

EXCEPTIONAL CANDIDATES WILL HAVE

• Experience as a project management software ‘power-user’: creating custom forms, objects, and reports; designing workflows; creating blueprints; and writing documentation.
• Familiarity with front-end frameworks such as Bootstrap, and ability to apply code to customize layouts.
• Familiarity with JavaScript or other programming languages
• Experience using JS libraries for animations or data visualizations, such as GSAP and D3
• Knowledge of and commitment to libertarianism or classical liberalism consistent with the vision of the Cato Institute.
• Experience in non-profit organization(s) and/or policy-focused content