Job Description

The Graphic Designer is responsible for designing and deploying high-visibility materials that support Housing & Residential Education’s marketing, recruitment, and student experience initiatives for over 7,500 on-campus students. This includes a strong emphasis on campaign development and brand consistency, as well as the design and coordination of signage systems for large-scale residential events such as move-in and move-out, ensuring effective navigation, crowd flow, and real-time decision-making.

Reporting to the Assistant Director for Communications, the Graphic Designer collaborates with staff across Housing & Residential Education at the Tampa and St. Petersburg campuses, as well as campus partners, to deliver cohesive visual solutions.

• Develop and execute multi-channel visual campaigns for advertising, promotion, recruitment, and brand-building across print, digital, and environmental platforms.
• Align design strategy with departmental goals, occupancy targets, and recruitment timelines.
• Design and deploy campus-wide graphics, including high-visibility materials for major events such as move-in and move-out.
• Plan and implement signage systems that support navigation, crowd flow, and real-time decision-making in high-traffic environments.
• Manage signage and print production processes, including vendor coordination, installation, and quality control of physical deliverables.
• Allocate resources and manage priorities to meet project deadlines under limited supervision.
• Execute major campaigns and delegate design and production tasks to student team members.
• Hire, train, supervise, and evaluate student designers and signage staff; provide direction, feedback, and technical training.
• Collaborate with partners to design deliverables that support residential programmatic initiatives and student engagement.
• Ensure all materials align with university and Housing & Residential Education brand standards and contribute to consistency across campuses.
• Utilize analytics tools to evaluate engagement and inform future creative strategy.
• Collaborate with marketing, social media, and multimedia teams to deliver integrated communications.
• Conduct research on trends, tools, and best practices; share recommendations and implement improvements.
• Support departmental events and initiatives through hands-on design and visual communication solutions.
• Perform other duties, projects, and work as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications: This position requires a bachelor’s degree in education, technical writing, digital media, or related field, with two years of experience in related positions. Appropriate college coursework or vocational/technical training may substitute at an equivalent rate for the required experience.

Degree Equivalency Clause: Four years of direct experience for a bachelor’s degree.
• Senate Bill 1310- The Florida Senate (https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2023/1310) is conditional upon meeting all employment eligibility requirements in the U.S.
• SB 1310: Substitution of Work Experience for Postsecondary Education Requirements
• A public employer may include a postsecondary degree as a baseline requirement only as an alternative to the number of years of direct experience required, not to exceed:
• (a) Two years of direct experience for an associate degree;
• (b) Four years of direct experience for a bachelor’s degree;
• (c) Six years of direct experience for a master’s degree;
• (d) Seven years of direct experience for a professional degree; or
• (e) Nine years of direct experience for a doctoral degree
• Related work experience may not substitute for any required licensure, certification, or registration required for the position of employment as established by the public employer and indicated in the advertised description of the position of employment.
• Minimum Qualifications that require a high school diploma are exempt from SB 1310.

Preferred Qualifications: a master’s degree in Higher Education Administration, Communications, Writing, Public Relations, or related field from a regionally accredited university/college, and three years of related experience of University Student Housing or Student Affairs experience.

Working at USF

With approximately 16,000 employees, the University of South Florida is one of the largest employers in the Tampa Bay area. We are dedicated to cultivating a talented, engaged and driven workforce that strives to be bold. Employees excel in USF‘s rich academic environment, which fosters their development and advancement. In 2025, Forbes recognized USF as one of Florida’s best large employers, ranked No. 1 among the state’s 12 public universities. Our first-class benefits package includes medical, dental and life insurance plans, retirement plan options, employee and dependent tuition programs, generous leave, and hundreds of employee perks and discounts.

About USF

The University of South Florida is a top-ranked research university serving approximately 50,000 students from across the globe at campuses in Tampa, St. Petersburg, Sarasota-Manatee and USF Health. USF is recognized by U.S. News & World Report as a top 50 public university and the best value in Florida. U.S. News also ranks the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine as the No. 1 medical school in Florida and in the highest tier nationwide. USF is a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), a group that includes only the top 3% of universities in the U.S. With an all-time high of $738 million in research funding in 2024 and as a top 20 public university for producing U.S. patents, USF uses innovation to transform lives and shape a better future. The university generates an annual economic impact of more than $6 billion. USF’s Division I athletics teams compete in the American Athletic Conference. Learn more at www.usf.edu

Compliance and Federal Notices

This position may be subject to a Level 1 or Level 2 criminal background check.

Applicants have rights under Federal Employment Laws

The University of South Florida is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment based on any characteristic protected by law. The University maintains programs for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities in accordance with all applicable federal and state laws.

Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

Applicants for USF employment are entitled to request reasonable accommodation(s) in the application process. A request is to be made at least five (5) working days prior to the time the accommodation(s) is needed. Visit the Central Human Resources ADA Accommodations webpage for more information on requesting an accommodation during the application/interview process.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The University of South Florida is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment based on any characteristic protected by law. The University maintains affirmative action programs for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities in accordance with all applicable federal and state laws. This job description does not constitute an employment contract.