Job Description

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USA TODAY Co., Inc. is a diversified media company with expansive reach at the national and local level dedicated to empowering and enriching communities. We seek to inspire, inform, and connect audiences as a sustainable, growth focused media and digital marketing solutions company. Through our trusted brands, including the USA TODAY NETWORK, comprised of the national publication, USA TODAY, and local media organizations, including our network of local properties, in the United States, and Newsquest, a wholly-owned subsidiary operating in the United Kingdom, we provide essential journalism, local content, and digital experiences to audiences and businesses. We deliver high-quality, trusted content with a commitment to balanced, unbiased journalism, where and when consumers want to engage. Our digital marketing solutions brand, LocaliQ, supports small and medium-sized businesses with innovative digital marketing products and solutions. USA TODAY Co. open roles are featured on various external job boards. When applying to a position at USA TODAY Co., you should be completing an application on USA TODAY Co. Careers via Dayforce. Job postings directing you to complete an application on other external sites may not be valid. If you are a California resident, you acknowledge that by applying for a job with us, this California Job Applicant Privacy Notice will apply to our collection, use, and disclosure of your personal information. To connect with us, visit www.usatodayco.com

designIQ is a full-service creative, design, and pre-media group supporting internal and external partners across print, digital, social, video, branding, campaign creative, imaging, and ad production services.
Our work ranges from high-volume production to agency-level creative solutions. That includes print and digital advertising, social media creative, short-form video, logos, brand identity systems, company stationery, branded materials, direct mail, billboards, packaging, product design, glossy and newsprint products, campaign assets, and other custom creative needs.
We’re looking for a senior-level multimedia designer who can do more than execute a request. This person should be able to understand the business need, interpret limited direction, ask the right questions when needed, and deliver polished creative that looks professional, works across channels, and supports the client’s objective.

• The Multimedia Designer III is responsible for creating high-quality, finished creative across print, digital, social, video, branding, campaign, and multimedia channels.
• This role requires strong design judgment, production knowledge, creative problem-solving, and the ability to work comfortably with internal teams, sales partners, and external clients. The ideal candidate can move between quick-turn production work and more thoughtful, agency-level creative.
• This person should be able to design a polished print ad, create a social campaign, develop logo concepts, build branded materials, support billboard creative, prepare direct mail pieces, assist with packaging or product design, create digital campaign assets, and contribute to short-form video or motion-based creative.
• The Multimedia Designer III should also be comfortable using AI-assisted creative tools to improve speed, ideation, versioning, image exploration, and production efficiency while maintaining strong human judgment, originality, brand integrity, and quality standards.
Key Responsibilities:
• Create polished, effective creative for print, digital, social, video, branding, campaign, and multimedia needs.
• Design print ads, digital display ads, paid social graphics, short-form video assets, animated creative, billboards, direct mailers, email graphics, presentation materials, campaign visuals, and other marketing assets.
• Develop or support agency-level creative, including logos, brand identity materials, company stationery, branded collateral, packaging concepts, product design assets, signage, glossy magazine layouts, newsprint layouts, outdoor advertising, and promotional print products.
• Interpret direction from clients, sales teams, customer support, and internal stakeholders, even when the brief is incomplete.
• Turn limited input into finished creative that is clear, professional, on-brand, and aligned with the client’s business goal.
• Use strong design judgment around typography, hierarchy, layout, color, imagery, composition, branding, messaging, and call-to-action placement.
• Design with performance in mind, including audience behavior, message clarity, mobile-first layout, visual hooks, readability, and conversion-focused calls to action.
• Create platform-ready social and digital creative for channels such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn, display networks, email, and landing page environments.
• Support motion, video, animation, and HTML5-style creative, including reels support, storyboards, video thumbnails, title cards, end cards, animated display ads, and short-form content assets.
• Adapt creative across multiple formats, sizes, platforms, and media types while maintaining consistency and quality.
• Create production-ready files that meet print, digital, prepress, vendor, platform, and brand requirements.
• Apply print production knowledge across glossy publications, newsprint, direct mail, billboards, signage, packaging, and other printed materials.
• Use AI-assisted tools to support creative ideation, image exploration, layout variation, production efficiency, versioning, and workflow improvement.
• Review AI-assisted outputs carefully to ensure final work is accurate, original, brand-safe, legally appropriate, and professionally finished.
• Collaborate with sales, customer support, creative leads, production teams, and external customers to clarify needs, resolve issues, and improve final creative output.
• Communicate professionally and confidently with internal and external customers.
• Present and explain creative decisions to internal teams, sales partners, and external clients when needed.
• Manage multiple assignments in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
• Review creative for accuracy, quality, spelling, grammar, brand alignment, image quality, technical specs, and overall effectiveness.
• Apply accessibility-minded design practices, including legibility, contrast, hierarchy, mobile readability, and inclusive digital design standards.
• Stay current on design trends, digital advertising practices, social media formats, AI tools, video trends, print production standards, and evolving creative expectations.
• Help raise the quality of work across the team by sharing knowledge, offering design guidance, and modeling strong creative judgment.
• Contribute ideas that improve workflow, creative quality, scalability, and customer experience.
Required Qualifications:
• Portfolio required. Portfolio must show finished creative work across multiple media types.
• Strong professional experience in graphic design, multimedia design, advertising, publishing, agency creative, in-house creative, or a related design environment.
• Demonstrated ability to produce agency-level creative across print, digital, social, branding, and campaign-based work.
• Experience creating logos, branded materials, corporate stationery, digital ads, print ads, direct mail, billboards, packaging, product-related creative, glossy publications, newsprint products, or similar deliverables.
• Strong understanding of design fundamentals, including layout, typography, color, hierarchy, composition, branding, visual storytelling, and production accuracy.
• Proven ability to create finished design work with minimal direction.
• Experience designing for both print and digital platforms.
• Working knowledge of social media creative, paid social formats, digital display, campaign assets, and platform-specific design requirements.
• Understanding of mobile-first design, digital advertising, performance-minded creative, and audience engagement.
• Exposure to video, motion graphics, animation, HTML5-style creative, or short-form content creation.
• Working knowledge of AI-assisted creative tools and the ability to use them responsibly as part of a professional design workflow.
• Ability to write effective prompts, refine AI-generated outputs, identify weak results, and avoid generic or low-quality AI-assisted creative.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to interact with internal teams and external clients with professionalism, confidence, and ease.
• Ability to explain design choices clearly to non-design stakeholders.
• Strong customer service mindset with the ability to balance client needs, creative standards, and business goals.
• Strong time management, organization, and prioritization skills.
• Ability to balance speed, quality, creativity, and accuracy in a high-volume environment.
• Ability to receive feedback, revise work efficiently, and maintain professionalism under pressure.
Preferred Qualifications:
• Bachelor’s degree in graphic design, visual communication, digital media, advertising, marketing, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
• Experience working in an agency, media company, publishing environment, creative studio, or high-volume production environment.
• Experience creating creative for local, regional, or national advertisers.
• Experience supporting brand development, campaign concepts, product launches, promotional campaigns, or multi-channel marketing efforts.
• Experience with direct mail, magazine layout, newspaper layout, outdoor advertising, signage, packaging, branded merchandise, product mockups, and vendor-ready file preparation.
• Experience building scalable templates, brand systems, design libraries, modular layouts, or reusable campaign frameworks.
• Experience creating campaign extensions across multiple channels, including print, digital, social, email, outdoor, and video.
• Experience presenting creative ideas or explaining design decisions to clients, sales teams, or internal stakeholders.
• Experience reviewing creative performance or designing with campaign outcomes in mind.
• Understanding of accessibility standards, including WCAG-informed digital design practices.
• Experience mentoring junior designers or helping improve design quality across a team.
• Ability to contribute to creative concepting, not just execution.
Technical Skills:
• Advanced working knowledge of Adobe InDesign, Photoshop, and Illustrator required.
• Experience with Adobe Premiere Pro, After Effects, Adobe Express, Figma, Canva, or similar creative tools preferred.
• Experience with tools that support HTML5 output, digital animation, motion graphics, short-form video, social creative, or platform-ready digital assets preferred.
• Familiarity with AI-assisted creative tools such as Adobe Firefly, Photoshop generative tools, Canva AI, ChatGPT, Midjourney, Runway, or similar platforms preferred.
• Familiarity with digital campaign specs, print specs, prepress standards, file packaging, bleed, trim, resolution, color profiles, and vendor requirements.
• Microsoft Office experience required.
• Ability to learn company-specific workflow tools, ad tracking systems, production platforms, digital asset systems, and internal approval processes.
What Success Looks Like:
• Produces polished, professional creative across print, digital, social, video, branding, and multimedia channels.
• Can take limited direction and turn it into strong finished work.
• Understands how to move between quick-turn production and agency-level creative.
• Creates work that is visually strong, technically accurate, and aligned with the client’s business goal.
• Communicates clearly with clients, sales teams, support teams, production partners, and creative leaders.
• Uses AI and emerging tools to improve speed, options, and efficiency without weakening creative quality.
• Designs with performance in mind, not just appearance.
• Maintains high standards while managing multiple projects and tight deadlines.
• Understands when to follow direction and when to improve weak or incomplete direction.
• Takes ownership from intake through final delivery.
• Helps elevate the quality, consistency, and creative thinking of the broader team.
Portfolio Requirements:
• Applicants must submit a portfolio that demonstrates:
• Print advertising experience.
• Digital and social media design experience.
• Strong typography, layout, and composition skills.
• Branding, logo, or identity work.
• Agency-level creative, such as billboards, direct mail, packaging, product design, branded materials, glossy layouts, newsprint layouts, signage, campaign assets, or branded collateral.
• Ability to create finished work from limited direction.
• Examples of performance-minded creative, campaign extensions, or multi-channel design work.
• Video, motion, animation, or multimedia samples preferred.
• AI-assisted creative examples are welcome when the candidate can explain their role, process, and final creative judgment.
• Before-and-after examples, client work, spec work, production samples, and campaign examples are acceptable if they clearly show design thinking, execution quality, and range.
#LI-REMOTE
#LOCALiQ
#LI-LL

The annualized base salary for this role will be $45, 000,00 - $55,000.00.  Variable compensation is not reflected in these figures and based on the role, may be applicable. Exact compensation may vary based on skills, experience, location, and union representation, if applicable.

USA TODAY Co., Inc. is a proud equal opportunity employer committed to building and maintaining a diverse workforce. As such, we will consider all qualified applicants for employment and do not discriminate in connection with employment decisions on the basis of an applicant or employee’s race, color, national origin, ethnicity, ancestry, citizenship status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, marital status, personal appearance (including height and weight), sexual orientation, family responsibilities, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy status (including childbirth, breastfeeding or related medical conditions), education, genetic characteristics or information, political affiliation, military or veteran status or other classifications protected by applicable federal, state and local laws in the jurisdictions where USA TODAY Co. employs employees. In addition, USA TODAY Co., Inc. will provide applicants who require a reasonable accommodation, as a result of an applicant’s disability or religion, to complete this employment application and/or any other process in connection with an individuals’ application for employment with USA TODAY Co., Inc. Applicants who require such accommodation should contact USA TODAY Co., Inc.’s Recruitment Department at Recruit@usatodayco.com. Applicants must be authorized to work in the applicable location. Applications from outside these regions will be removed from our system after submission.