NABET On-Call Brand and Motion Graphics Designer / Designer 2

KQED • San Francisco, CA

25d • $40 - $60 • Hybrid

About The Position

KQED’s Creative department is seeking a multidisciplinary designer to help shape and evolve the organization’s visual identity. The role develops cohesive brand systems and compelling motion graphics that connect with audiences across video, digital, social, print, environmental, and emerging platforms. The designer translates strategic and creative concepts into engaging visual experiences and contributes to KQED’s mission of serving Northern California communities.

The position is on-call and hybrid, working between KQED’s newly renovated San Francisco headquarters and remotely. The successful candidate will be required to join NABET Local 51. The listed hourly rate is $39.00–$56.00.

KQED describes its organizational culture as centered on human dignity, equity, and belonging, with a commitment to diverse and inclusive storytelling and to centering marginalized communities in its work.

Requirements

• A minimum of 3–5 years of professional design experience, with demonstrated expertise in both brand identity/system development and motion design.
• Bachelor’s degree in visual design, graphic design, motion design, or equivalent professional experience.
• Strong conceptual and visual-design skills, including the ability to translate strategy, ideas, and storytelling into cohesive brand systems across multiple applications and platforms.
• Advanced motion-design skills and a strong understanding of timing, pacing, typography, composition, hierarchy, and storytelling through motion.
• Strong typography, layout, information-design, and production skills across video, digital, social, and print, including working knowledge of print production and pre-press preparation.
• Ability to move between concept development and hands-on production, managing multiple projects from concept through final delivery within limited timeframes.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills, including articulating design decisions, receiving and synthesizing creative direction and stakeholder feedback, and working effectively with creative leadership, designers, producers, editors, stakeholders, and internal clients.
• Advanced proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite, particularly After Effects, Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign.
• Experience working in 3D environments or integrating 3D elements into motion design.
• Portfolio and reel showing brand identity and visual-system process and iteration, motion and motion-branding work, typography, visual hierarchy, layout and composition across digital, motion, and print, and the candidate’s individual role and contribution to collaborative projects.
• Ability to meet the listed physical demands, including lifting at least 15 pounds; exerting muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry; using abdominal and lower-back muscles over time; standing or sitting for extended periods; bending, stooping, stretching, twisting, sitting, and reaching; and using fine motor skills with good visual and auditory acuity.
• Required to join NABET Local 51.

Nice To Haves

• Experience creating motion identity guidelines, animation principles, reusable motion templates, or toolkits that extend brand systems across platforms.
• Experience designing for social and short-form video platforms and adapting creative systems to evolving audience and platform needs.
• Additional craft capabilities such as hand-rendered or vector illustration.
• Experience with Cinema 4D, Blender, or other 3D design and animation tools.
• Familiarity with accessibility and inclusive design principles.
• Familiarity with emerging creative technologies and workflows, including generative and AI-assisted design tools.

Responsibilities

• Understand, interpret, and apply KQED brand guidelines while completing projects according to established benchmarks and deadlines.
• Develop and extend cohesive visual brand systems and identities for KQED programs, campaigns, initiatives, and sub-brands, translating creative direction into typography, color, graphic language, imagery, iconography, layout, logos, and other identity elements.
• Apply and scale brand systems across digital, social, video, print, environmental, presentation, and promotional platforms, maintaining consistency while adapting to different audience experiences.
• Translate visual brand systems into motion by conceptualizing and producing animated typography, title sequences, logo animations, transitions, lower thirds, information graphics, explainers, social video graphics, and video packaging.
• Develop reusable motion templates, toolkits, illustrations, infographics, and other graphic assets to support consistent execution, storytelling, and audience engagement.
• Design and animate using Adobe Creative Suite, particularly Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, After Effects, and Premiere.
• Collaborate with the Creative Director, Art Director, designers, producers, editors, and cross-functional stakeholders to develop and execute creative concepts.
• Present and articulate design thinking, synthesize creative feedback, and translate it into thoughtful refinements while maintaining the integrity of the overall system.
• Manage multiple assignments and production timelines in an on-call environment while maintaining a high standard of craft and attention to detail.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level