Design Lead

By working at Harvard University, you join a vibrant community that advances Harvard's world-changing mission in meaningful ways, inspires innovation and collaboration, and builds skills and expertise. We are dedicated to creating a diverse and welcoming environment where everyone can thrive.

Why join Harvard Medical School?

Harvard Medical School's mission is to nurture a diverse, inclusive community dedicated to alleviating suffering and improving health and well-being for all through excellence in teaching and learning, discovery and scholarship, and service and leadership.

You’ll be at the heart of biomedical discovery, education, and innovation, working alongside world-renowned faculty and a community dedicated to improving human health. This is more than a job - it’s an opportunity to shape the future of medicine.

The Design Lead oversees the creative and visual representation of Harvard Medical School (HMS) by leading and executing high-quality design projects that align with identity guidelines and institutional goals. Based in the Office of Communications and External Relations (OCER), this is the sole in-house design resource and manages, creates, and delivers visual materials across digital and print platforms, collaborating closely with editors, content producers, the identity and policy manager, and other key stakeholders to maintain HMS’ visual/graphic identity and enhance its brand presence.

Responsibilities

Art Direction:

• Oversee the delivery of high-quality visual designs for all online content, including online magazine issues, news stories, and the HMS flagship website.    
• Direct the research, sourcing, creation, and selection of photos, illustrations, motion graphics, video clips, and other artwork to enhance the understanding of scientific research content.    
• Manage and oversee photo shoots with professional freelance photographers, ensuring high-quality visuals for OCER’s digital and print assets. Maintain copyright and usage permissions.    
• Collaborate with editors and content producers to ensure visual assets are accurate and engaging.    
• Design high-profile webpages for the flagship website, Harvard Medicine News, and Harvard Medicine magazine, ensuring alignment with institutional branding.    
• Create, update, and maintain templates for Salesforce Marketing Cloud emails, presentations, stationery, and other branded materials, ensuring consistent design quality and adherence to graphic identity standards.    
• Manage the design and production of printed materials, ensuring they meet quality standards and adhere to branding guidelines.    

Brand and Visual Identity:   

• Oversee and manage HMS’ visual identity, including overseeing and protecting logo guidelines, ensuring all design outputs maintain brand consistency across channels, and updating and scaling identity and style guidelines as the organization grows.    
• Design logos, signage, and other institutional materials for social channels, departments, units, and key events, ensuring consistency with HMS brand guidelines while coordinating with OCER’s Institutional Identity & Policy Manager to review and support incoming design requests.    
• Supervise website content for the School’s identity guide, ensuring accurate and up-to-date resources for branding and visual standards. 
• Manage the HMS design email inbox by providing design expertise and addressing inquiries from community members in collaboration with the Sr Director of Digital & Creative and Institutional Identity & Policy Manager.    
• Provide feedback to internal stakeholders and external vendors to ensure proper rendering and usage of the HMS logo on promotional materials.    
• Create materials for high-profile events, including the Warren Alpert Foundation Prize Symposium, HMS State of the School address, Dunham Lecture, Class Day/graduation, Match Day, and White Coat ceremonies.    
• Create and manage digital promotional shoutout designs to help publicize HMS’ revenue-generating initiatives in newsletters and news stories.   
• Assist with and support Digital Access Management System (DAMS) software and workflows.

Dean’s Communications:    

• Lead the conceptualization and design of the annual Dean’s digital holiday card. Experience with illustration, animation, and motion graphics helpful.    
• Conceptualize, design, art direct, and oversee all graphics and publications supporting dean’s communications, including the Strategic Plan.    

Digital Displays:    

• Manage and maintain visuals and playlists for HMS digital displays across campus, ensuring they align with School-wide objectives and identity standards.    
• Collaborate with various departments to curate, schedule, and update content for displays as requested.    
• Coordinate with HMS IT’s media services to ensure screens are functional.

As part of your application, we recommend including a cover letter, and an online portfolio/ website showcasing digital and print work, that will help us better understand your qualifications and background. This can provide valuable insight into your experience and interest in the role.

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in graphic design, visual communications, a related field, or equivalent work experience. 
• Minimum of 5 years of professional graphic design experience, including demonstrated experience creating digital and print materials.

Additional Qualifications and Skills:

• Experience in an academic/higher ed, health care, or non-profit setting preferred.    
• Creative thinker with a sharp attention to detail and ability to confidently communicate and present ideas.  
• Demonstrated ability to create and enforce visual brand standards across various platforms and media, with a strong attention to detail to ensure consistency and accuracy in all deliverables.    
• Takes initiative as a self-starter, capable of identifying opportunities, solving problems independently, and taking ownership of projects from concept to completion.    
• Ability to work autonomously while managing multiple projects simultaneously, maintaining composure, and demonstrating professionalism in a dynamic environment.    
• Ability to conceptualize and execute a project from sketch to finished piece.    
• Solid understanding of web interface and user experience design.    
• Strong collaboration, written and verbal communication, and organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple projects and meet deadlines.    
• Advanced skills in current design and motion graphics software, including Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, After Effects), Keynote, MS Office.    
• Familiarity with content management systems (e.g. Drupal or WordPress) for maintaining and updating web content.    
• Experience with email marketing tools (e.g., Salesforce Marketing Cloud, Acoustic, Litmus) to create, manage, and optimize email templates.    
• Experience designing visual content for social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, etc.)      
• Strong understanding of printing processes, layout composition, color-matching systems, photography, lighting, and typography.    
• Experience creating illustrations, animations, and motion graphics extremely helpful.      
• Experience working with collaborative applications, like digital asset management systems and project management tools. 

• Standard Hours/Schedule: 35 hours per week
• Visa Sponsorship Information: Harvard University is unable to provide visa sponsorship for this position.
• Pre-Employment Screening: Identity, Education 
• Staying Informed About Your Application: Due to the high volume of applications, we may not always be able to reach out right away, but you can track your status anytime through the Careers@Harvard portal.

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Work Format Details

This position has been determined by school or unit leaders that some of the duties and responsibilities can be effectively performed at a non-Harvard location. The work schedule and location will be set by the department at its discretion and based upon operational needs. When not working at a Harvard or Harvard-designated location, employees in hybrid positions must work in a Harvard registered state in compliance with the University’s Policy on Employment Outside of Massachusetts. Additional details will be discussed during the interview process. Certain visa types and funding sources may limit work location. Individuals must meet work location sponsorship requirements prior to employment.

Salary Grade and Ranges

This position is salary grade level 057. Please visit  Harvard's Salary Ranges  to view the corresponding salary range and related information. 

Benefits

Harvard offers a comprehensive benefits package that is designed to support a healthy work-life balance and your physical, mental and financial wellbeing. Because here, you are what matters. Our benefits include, but are not limited to: 

• Generous paid time off including parental leave 
• Medical, dental, and vision health insurance coverage starting on day one 
• Retirement plans with university contributions 
• Wellbeing and mental health resources 
• Support for families and caregivers 
• Professional development opportunities including tuition assistance and reimbursement 
• Commuter benefits, discounts and campus perks 

Learn more about these and additional benefits on our Benefits & Wellbeing Page. 

EEO/Non-Discrimination Commitment Statement

Harvard University is committed to equal opportunity and non-discrimination. We seek talent from all parts of society and the world, and we strive to ensure everyone at Harvard thrives. Our differences help our community advance Harvard's academic purposes.

Harvard has an equal employment opportunity policy that outlines our commitment to prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, religion, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law or identified in the university's non-discrimination policy. Harvard's equal employment opportunity policy and non-discrimination policy help all community members participate fully in work and campus life free from harassment and discrimination.