Senior Designer

Job Scope:
The Royal Society is the independent scientific academy of the UK. Our aim is to recognise, promote and support excellence in science, and to encourage the development and use of science for the benefit of humanity. The Society’s Fellows have played a part in some of the most fundamental, significant and life-changing discoveries in scientific history and Royal Society scientists continue to make outstanding contributions to science in many research ideas.

As a centralised support function, the Design team works with all teams across the Society to produce printed and digital communications and advise on branding to support teams in their implementation of the Society’s strategy.

Working as part of a small design team, the Senior Designer is responsible for producing a variety of design work within an established and strict brand infrastructure. Projects include policy reports, briefings, event marketing materials, programme booklets, data visualisation/infographics, and assets for our social media channels and websites.

The Design team pride themselves on high-quality work, and typically complete over 800 projects a year, using Teamwork Projects to assist with design schedules and workflow. To achieve this volume of projects at the high standard expected, templates and established design styles are used to increase efficiency and ensure consistency across regular materials.

For new and non-templated items, the Senior Designer will create materials that fit within the wider suite of Royal Society materials, using the brand guidelines and established styles to guide their design decisions. The role demands a consistent and accurate approach to layout and design, and the ability to fulfil design requests within agreed timescales.

The Senior Designer will also take responsibility for client liaison on allocated projects and is expected to work well with stakeholders at all levels, answering enquiries knowledgeably with patience and a willingness to help.

**Please note that we are unable to offer sponsorship for this role.**

Reports to: Design and Brand Manager

Line manages: None

Grade: Band D

Salary: £44,587.50

Location: Carlton House Terrace, London

Hours: 35 per week

Application closing date is 10 August at midnight.

Interviews will take place on 26, 27 and 28 August.

**Responsibilities**:

- The Senior Designer is responsible for completing a variety of design and art-working projects assigned to them, using templates and established design styles within a strict brand infrastructure. Projects include: policy reports, briefings, event marketing materials, programme booklets, data visualisation/infographics, and assets for our social media channels and websites.
- You will lead on large/complex projects such as policy reports, including attending project planning meetings with stakeholders.
- Demonstrate excellent layout skills, using grids and structure to build documents that are aligned with precision. Artwork is set-up correctly for its intended end-use, supplied text is formatted correctly and images are of a good quality, retouching and colour correction if needed or suggesting alternative image options. Amends are accurately completed. Projects should be completed to a high standard with minimum supervision.
- Use your design skills to produce graphics and flow diagrams to communicate complex data and processes in a simple, beautiful way.
- Assists with the creation, development, testing and maintenance of design templates to be used by the design team, and of corporate templates used across the Society.
- Working with stakeholders who may have limited or no prior experience with requesting design services, you will guide them through the design process, advising on lead times and discussing design solutions for their brief. You will also ensure you fully understand the brief before starting work on a project, gaining further clarity if needed.
- Collaborate with stakeholders from across the Society, developing effective working relationships and making yourself a valued member of the Design team and organisation.
- Having responsibility for the entire project process, you will adapt and update project schedules using the design project management system, Teamwork Projects. You will add project tasks and adjust timings to accommodate specific project requirements, such as additional amends, third-party approval or complex print processes, and will prioritise projects with competing demands on your time. Changes to schedules are discussed and agreed with stakeholders and recorded within Teamwork Projects.
- With competing demands on your time, you will have excellent time-management skills and good instincts on how to best use your time to add value to projects.
- Takes ownership of client enquiries, proactively solving client issues by resolving or escalating as appropriate.
- In the absence of the Design Manager, the Senior Designer will work with the Studio Assistant to ass