Graphic Designer and Animator

The Opportunity Important, interesting ideas aren’t always easily shown in photo or video. A powerful graphic design, illustration or animation can often help audiences better understand and connect with the kinds of true Pacific Northwest stories that OPB tells. From intriguing thumbnail images for YouTube and OPB’s video streaming app, to quick and repeatable map shots and simple animated data visualizations turned around in tight news cycles, to creative animations illustrating hard-to-film concepts and phenomena, OPB needs a creative visual thinker with a passion for journalistic non-fiction storytelling. The role is a hybrid Graphic Designer/Animator position supporting OPB’s expanding digital content needs, with a primary focus on creating compelling graphics and animations for programming such as Oregon Field Guide and our news programs. The ideal candidate may be early in their career and should bring strong Adobe Creative Suite skills, particularly After Effects, Premiere, Photoshop and Illustrator. Journalism experience, illustration and 3D skills in Blender or similar software are preferred but not required. Day-to-day responsibilities will include creating compelling thumbnails for weekly feature videos and creating motion graphics and animations for both shows with longer timelines and news videos with tight turnarounds, so strong deadline management, communication, adaptability, and the ability to switch contexts effectively are essential. Position Details The Graphic Designer and Animator creates compelling thumbnail images and animated sequences for a variety of video stories, adhering to OPB’s high brand and editorial standards. This position creates and animates in a variety of styles, lengths and formats for distribution on multiple platforms including digital, social media and television. Responsibilities 30% - Create compelling thumbnail images and variants for OPB feature videos on YouTube and the OPB video app. 30% - Create original editorial motion graphic and animated sequences for OPB video shows. 30% - Create quick turn simple animated maps and data visualizations for news visuals teams. 5% - Production planning and asset management. 5% - Staying up to date with industry trends and best practices. Working Conditions Work environment: Hybrid role located at the Portland OPB location. Work is done on a Mac or PC in an office environment. Schedule: Typical weekday working hours with access to edit studios on an as-needed basis. Occasional non-standard hours may be required in response to breaking news. Physical demands: Lifting/carrying/moving equipment up to 10 pounds is sometimes required. Travel: Local travel is possible. Required Education & Experience Degree in design, fine art, documentary or journalism or related field or the equivalent combination of education, training and experience that provides the requisite knowledge, skills and abilities for this position. 1-2 years equivalent full-time professional experience. Minimum Position Knowledge, Skills, Abilities Portfolio demonstrating range of work done as designer/illustrator/animator, including maps, data visualizations and strong thumbnail images. Advanced Adobe Creative Suite skills including After Effects and Premiere. Thinks systemically about how to balance routine needs like basic maps with more creative challenges. Demonstrated ability to work quickly. Not all assignments will be quick, but some will be long term assignments. Demonstrated ability to give shape to vague requests, ending in a compelling solution. Comfort collaboratively working with non-editorial teams and OPB brand stewards. Ability to work within a consistent visual language and identity, while breaking patterns intentionally when needed. Ability to work quickly and efficiently across a variety of teams. Demonstrated journalistic values and editorial judgement. Demonstrated collaborative working spirit. Demonstrated ability to meet production deadlines. Enthusiasm for the mission of OPB. Preferred Position Knowledge, Skills, Abilities Experience in journalism and/or documentary production. Physical animation and crafting skills, such as stop-motion. Advanced video editing skills. 3D animation in Blender, C4D or a similar package (Primarily Blender). Sound design skills. Additional Information This full time/part time, regular status/temporary position reports to the Director Content Innovation and is SEIU represented and benefits eligible. The expected hiring range for this role is $32.69/hr. compensation will depend on the qualifications of the selected candidate. How to apply Note: For the best application experience, it is recommended that you apply at OPB's job board, located at OPB.org/careers. Click “Apply” at the bottom of the screen. You will be asked to create an account, upload your cover letter and resume, and answer a few required position-related questions. Once you click “submit” you cannot make changes to your application. If you have any trouble with your application please reach out to hr@opb.org. This position will remain open until filled. OPB is an Equal Opportunity Employer.