About the Position

The Communications and Member Services department of Texas Electric Cooperatives is seeking an experienced publication designer.

The ideal candidate will demonstrate a strong background in design and project management for print media. Primary responsibilities include the design and production of a monthly print magazine, developing editorial concepts into engaging layouts with a consistent, visually appealing style.

The designer manages the magazine design workflow, acquiring and developing art, designing pages, collaborating with editorial staff to efficiently move the project through a defined production schedule, and following design and brand guidelines to maintain high quality standards.

This position also provides concept, design and graphic support for association-wide projects including tradeshow booths, event promotional materials and signage, branded materials and giveaways, and other projects as needed.

The designer should be a strong conceptual thinker who is self-motivated, detail-oriented, organized and efficient, skilled in communication and collaboration, and able to work effectively at a high level on multiple projects and deadlines.

The designer offices on-site at TEC headquarters in downtown Austin, with the potential for transition to a hybrid remote model.

Responsibilities

• Develop engaging print layouts, translating the written word into compelling visual concepts.
• Collaborate with design and editorial staff during the planning process and at key points throughout the art development, design, proofreading and shipping workflow.
• Manage art development and budget. Acquire photos and illustrations from a variety of sources. Assign projects to freelance photographers and illustrators and provide direction for image concepts and development. Manage artwork files through the production process. Maintain positive relationships with key freelancers and work to develop ongoing resources.
• Review internal proofs, image proofs and printer page proofs, marking necessary changes and communicating those changes with the appropriate teams, including printer prepress staff.
• Produce files to specification for delivery to printers and other vendors.
• Create appealing layouts for brochures, displays, promotional items and other company materials, serving as project manager or as part of a team.
• Meet production and delivery deadlines.
• Adhere to branding guidelines and design standards.
• Attend TEC conferences in Texas as required, one or two per year.

Required Qualifications

• College degree in art, design, journalism or related fields, or at least seven years of relevant experience.
• Seven or more years’ experience in print design using Adobe InDesign, plus experience with Acrobat, Photoshop and Illustrator.
• Strong portfolio of previous work demonstrating mastery of design principles, typography, art development and audience awareness.
• High degree of ingenuity, creativity and resourcefulness.
• Self-motivation to problem-solve and work proactively to achieve goals with little supervision.
• High level of attention to detail and organization, with the ability to work effectively on multiple projects and concurrent deadlines.
• Ability to create and manage project-specific production schedules.

Personal Skills

• Excellent interpersonal communications skills to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams and internal and external stakeholders.
• Excellent organizational skills.­
• A professional, flexible, service-oriented attitude and a strong work ethic.
• Good character, discretion and judgment when representing the magazine and the association with members, freelancers, vendors, co-workers and the public.

Useful Assets

• A general knowledge of Texas, its history, geography, people and culture, particularly as it relates to the interests of electric co-op members and readers of Texas Co-op Power and related materials.
• Expanded Photoshop and Illustrator skills: Photo color correction and compositing, creating and manipulating vector artwork including logos and diagrams, etc.
• Familiarity with the vjoon K4 publishing system.