Senior Designer: Graphics & Animation

University of Florida•Gainesville, FL

8d•$70,000 - $80,000

About The Position

The Senior Designer: Graphics & Animation leads the concepting, design, and execution of motion graphics and animated content for internal initiatives, educational content, and storytelling projects. The role provides day-to-day mentorship to junior animators and helps maintain and evolve qualitative standards for the Teaching & Learning Center in collaboration with the Assistant Director of Video Production & Content Strategy. The position leads selected creative projects from concept and storyboarding through final delivery, including explainer videos, instructional content, faculty and student success stories, training materials, and multimedia assets. It develops animations, title sequences, and narrative-driven content, contributes to workflow improvements and automation, and supports multimedia production such as videography, photography, and live or recorded content. The Senior Designer reviews and refines team work, presents creative concepts to creative and non-creative audiences, and manages multiple projects while balancing hands-on design and leadership. The role collaborates with internal teams, external stakeholders, directors, producers, videographers, faculty, and other stakeholders to create visual experiences aligned with project goals and institutional standards.

Requirements

A bachelor's degree in an appropriate area and two years of relevant experience; appropriate vocational or technical training may substitute at an equivalent rate for the required experience.

Nice To Haves

A bachelor's degree in graphic design, motion design, animation, multimedia, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
5–8+ years of professional experience in motion graphics, animation, or multimedia design.
A strong professional portfolio showcasing a wide range of design skills, animation work, and visual storytelling abilities.
Expert-level proficiency in Adobe Creative Cloud applications, including Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, After Effects, and Premiere Pro.
Advanced knowledge of design principles, including color theory, composition, typography, spacing, hierarchy, and flow, and the ability to apply and teach them to junior designers.
Advanced understanding of animation principles, including timing, easing, squash and stretch, anticipation, and offset action, and the ability to apply and teach them to junior designers.
Experience mentoring, leading, or developing junior creatives.
Expert-level ability to communicate information, feeling, and emotion through design and animation.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present ideas, feedback, and decisions clearly to creative and non-creative audiences.
Ability to work effectively in a highly collaborative, cross-functional environment across multiple teams and departments.
Strong organizational and time-management skills, including the ability to prioritize workload, meet deadlines, adapt to change, and maintain composure under pressure.
Strong understanding of visual storytelling, pacing, and multimedia production workflows.
Experience in higher education, educational media, or similar environments.
Experience with project management tools such as Monday.com or similar platforms.
Experience with Maxon One Studio tools, such as Cinema 4D, Redshift, Red Giant, Universe, or ZBrush.
Familiarity with interactive media or digital learning content.

Responsibilities

Lead the concepting, design, and execution of motion graphics and animated content for internal initiatives, educational content, and storytelling projects.
Provide day-to-day mentorship and guidance to junior animators, fostering their skill development, creative growth, and professional confidence.
Cultivate a supportive, growth-oriented team environment and help junior creatives succeed.
Work with the Assistant Director of Video Production & Content Strategy to uphold and evolve qualitative standards for the Teaching & Learning Center.
Lead selected end-to-end creative projects, including explainer videos, instructional content, success stories, training materials, and multimedia assets.
Develop animations, title sequences, and narrative-driven content that enhance learning and communication.
Contribute to workflow optimization, including automation, AI-assisted tools, and process improvements.
Stay current with industry trends, emerging technologies, and best practices in motion design and animation.
Support multimedia production efforts, including videography, photography, and live or recorded content.
Present creative concepts and rationale clearly to creative teams and stakeholders unfamiliar with animation production or creative pipelines.
Review, critique, and refine team output to ensure quality, consistency, and alignment with project goals and institutional standards.
Guide projects through the full production lifecycle, from concept and storyboarding through final delivery.
Manage multiple projects simultaneously, balancing hands-on design work with leadership responsibilities and meeting deadlines.
Partner with internal teams and external stakeholders to develop custom creative solutions.
Collaborate with directors, producers, videographers, faculty, and stakeholders to translate ideas into clear, impactful visual experiences.