Graphic Designer, Development

Who is the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra?
Known for its artistic excellence for more than 120 years, today the PSO is the region’s national and international cultural ambassador. A two-time 2018 GRAMMY® Award-winning orchestral ensemble credited with a rich history of concerts, performances, and recordings with the world’s finest conductors and musicians, the PSO consistently demonstrates a genuine commitment to Pittsburgh’s citizens, regional communities, and vibrant cultural scene.  Now entering its 130th season, the internationally acclaimed Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (PSO) engages audiences of all ages through unparalleled live musical experiences, community collaborations, and educational programming that enrich every life with great music.  

Job Purpose:  

The Graphic Designer, Development plays a key role in supporting the organization’s visual communications, with a primary focus on advancing fundraising and institutional initiatives. Reporting to the Senior Manager of Publications, this position partners closely with the Development team to create impactful donor-facing materials that inspire engagement and support—particularly in support of the PSO’s donor communications, annual fund, and capital campaign efforts. 

This role requires a creative and detail-oriented individual who can execute high-quality design work across print and digital platforms, while also contributing to copywriting and proofreading to ensure clarity, consistency, and brand alignment. 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Design and produce high-quality visual materials for print and digital channels, with an emphasis on fundraising and donor communications, including proposals, case statements, stewardship reports, annual fund appeals, capital campaign materials, invitations, campaigns, and presentations. 
• Support the Development team by translating complex fundraising priorities—including annual fund messaging and capital campaign case development—into compelling, donor-friendly visual and written content. 
• Execute design projects from concept through production, ensuring deadlines, budgets, and quality standards are consistently met. 
• Collaborate with colleagues across Development, Marketing, and Communications to develop creative solutions that align with organizational goals. 
• Ensure all materials adhere to PSO brand guidelines, maintaining a consistent visual identity across all donor and institutional touchpoints. 
• Assist in the development and refinement of messaging by contributing copywriting for select materials, including annual fund appeals, campaign messaging, donor recognition, and donor communications. 
• Proofread and edit content for accuracy, grammar, tone, and consistency across materials. 
• Prepare files for print and digital production, working with external vendors as needed to ensure quality outcomes. 
• Manage multiple projects simultaneously in a fast-paced environment, maintaining strong attention to detail and organization. 
• Stay current on design trends, tools, and best practices to continuously elevate creative output. 

Required Education and Experience: 

• Bachelor’s degree in graphic design, communications, or related field, or equivalent experience. 
• Minimum of 2 years of professional design experience. 
• Strong portfolio demonstrating excellence in both print and digital design.  A portfolio of design samples is required and may be submitted as a website or file-sharing link (e.g., Google Drive, Dropbox).
• Experience working within established brand guidelines. 
• Strong working knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign) on Mac. 
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams). 
• Basic copywriting and editing skills, with a strong command of grammar and attention to detail. 
• Ability to manage multiple deadlines and projects with efficiency and accuracy. 
• Strong interpersonal and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively across teams. 
• Comfort with receiving constructive feedback and refining work to align with project objectives. 
• Understanding of production processes for both print and digital media. 

Preferred Skills and Experience: 

• Experience supporting fundraising, nonprofit, or donor communications, including annual fund and/or capital campaigns. 
• ​​​​​​​Familiarity with arts and cultural organizations. 
• Experience with presentation design (PowerPoint, Keynote, Canva)
• Knowledge of classical music is a plus. 

Compensation and Location:
This is a full-time exempt position with an annual salary between $52,000 - $58,000 depending upon experience. We also offer a comprehensive benefits package which includes paid holidays, paid time off, employer paid health benefits, as well as retirement savings options with an employer match. Heinz Hall in downtown Pittsburgh is the work location for this position. The PSO supports a flexible, hybrid work environment, which currently includes three days per week in-person work, including occasional work on weekends and evenings during PSO and Heinz Hall concerts or events. 

Pittsburgh Symphony, Inc. (PSI) provides equal opportunity to all qualified employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, ancestry, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, marital status, veteran status, or any other class or category protected by local, state, or federal law.

The specific statements shown in each section of the description are not intended to be all-inclusive. They represent typical elements and criteria considered necessary to perform the job successfully. 

The PSI recognizes that an individual with a disability may require a job modification/accommodation to enable them to successfully perform a job function.  Consideration will be given to such requests. Such requests should be directed to Human Resources.