The Economic Policy Institute (EPI) is seeking a visionary Creative and Website Lead who will play the pivotal role of ensuring EPI has the most engaging and consistent design, branding, and style aesthetic across all our content and digital tools, including the website, social media platforms, videos, podcasts, marketing campaigns, reports, blogs, emails, print collateral, graphics, charts, maps, etc. This individual will direct and lead creative efforts and establish guidelines, with an emphasis on the user experience (UX), creating user-friendly graphics, and quantifying reach. This position will monitor website functionality and shepherd EPI’s website redesign.

This position is based in Washington, D.C. EPI staff are currently on a hybrid in-office/remote work schedule. The position reports to the Communications Director and, in conjunction with the Director, works closely with and manages the graphic designer. 

What You Will Do 

Creative and Website Lead roles and responsibilities

Working closely with the graphic designer, 

• Oversee the design, layout, and visual impact of the website, social media content, marketing campaigns, reports, emails, print collateral, graphics, etc., bringing the UX mantra to everything EPI produces 
• Oversee updating of EPI branding, ensuring branding is consistent across all of EPI’s collateral and platforms 
• Oversee multimedia planning to determine best visual and audio needs for EPI, from interactive graphics to podcasts and everything in between 
• Oversee analytics and monitoring of creative products’ reach, making sure all collateral meets or exceeds EPI’s engagement goals 
• Oversee EPI’s website, ensuring the website is user-friendly for internal and external users, and shepherd planned website redesign 

Day-to-Day Duties 

• Lead design portion of all meetings across the organization planning for reports, blogs posts, events, etc. 
• On a weekly basis, brainstorm and help create new and innovative interactive graphics to boost engagement for promoting all content 

• Pitch ideas for innovative graphics, videos, photos, etc., to communications team once a month 
• Attend social media meetings and work with social media staff to ensure design priorities are an integral part of social media postings and campaigns 
• Attend email meetings to ensure design priorities are an integral part of all email campaigns and promotions 
• Lead branding campaigns, including submitting ideas for projects and overseeing the development of all promotions for social media and the email program with an emphasis on growing followers and subscribers 
• Manage multiple projects and work completed by internal and external creative staff, while juggling multiple projects, often working under tight deadlines 

• Work with research to create more user-friendly graphics for all key reports 
• Work with communications team to set design project deadlines and content goals 
• Present project information, including deadlines, budgets, and key performance indicators, to Communications Director on a monthly basis 
• Oversee the creative budget 

Creative and Website Lead Essential Skills 

• An intimate understanding of design, copy, and web best practices/guidelines 
• Experience with a variety of design software, including Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, Premiere Pro, Creative Cloud, etc. 
• Experience with WordPress, search engine optimization, familiarity with HighCharts library, and coding knowledge 

• Excellent leadership skills 
• Excellent communication skills 
• Strong collaboration skills 
• A strong understanding of brand development and multichannel marketing concepts 
• Comfort interacting with internal staff and external partners and contractors 

• Strong persuasive skills 

Who You Are 

Ideally, you have at least a bachelor’s degree and five (5) years of relevant experience. We do not expect that every candidate will have this full range of qualifications, but the following qualities and experience are highly desirable: 

• A firm commitment to EPI’s values. 
• Experience with and demonstrated commitment to economic justice, building power with workers and collective bargaining, and advancing racial and gender equity. 
• Familiarity with a diverse set of economic, gender, and racial justice policy issues and the political debates in which they are embedded. 
• A fine arts degree, or an undergraduate degree in graphic design, visual communication, typography, or a related subject, or equivalent professional experience. 

• Deep understanding of UX, including everything from social media to website engagement. 
• Five or more years of creative direction experience. Preference will be given to candidates who have experience creatively directing complex solutions for digital products. 
• Ability to work with internal and external stakeholders to understand detailed requirements and determine a creative vision for research and collateral. 
• Excellent interpersonal skills to clearly and effectively communicate the creative vision, concepts, ideas, and solutions to stakeholders, internal teams, and external advocates. 
• Ability to work effectively in a team setting, including synthesizing abstract ideas into concrete design implications. 

• Supervisory experience (including leadership, team-building, and delegation) leading and managing a creative team and projects. 
• A solid grasp of design history, photography and the visual arts, pop culture, and counterculture; fluency in current technology and politics; a deep understanding of the ever-changing digital landscape and current affairs. 
• Excited about collaborating and communicating closely with teams and other stakeholders via a distributed model to regularly deliver design solutions for approval. 
• Open to receiving feedback and constructive criticism. 

Salary and Benefits 

EPI is a unionized workplace with the Nonprofit Professional Employees Union (NPEU). This position is in the bargaining unit and reports to the Communications Director. 

The salary for this position ranges from $95,000 to $115,000, dependent on experience, plus benefits. 

EPI offers an excellent benefits package, including generous paid time off, a 9.25% employer-provided 401k retirement contribution, eight weeks of parental leave, and fully employer-funded medical, vision, dental, short- and long-term disability, and life insurance for individual employees. 

Location 

This position is based at the Economic Policy Institute in Washington, D.C. As a condition of employment, EPI requires all staff to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination. 

To Apply 

Candidates should send a cover letter highlighting their relevant experience and explaining their interest in working at the Economic Policy Institute, along with resume, to communications-jobs@epi.org with “Creative Lead” in the subject line. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until the position is filled. 

EPI believes that having a diverse and inclusive workplace not only strengthens the institute’s work but is also essential for understanding and creating economic policies that support all working people. EPI is an equal opportunity, fair chance, affirmative action employer, committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, creed, national origin, sex, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, military status, prior history of arrest or conviction, citizenship status, caregiver status, or other categories protected by law. 

Back to careers page