Brand Graphic Designer - Washington, District of Columbia, , United States

The National Restaurant Association and National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation are proud to be part of a highly respected industry, providing hospitality, opportunity, and quality of life. Much like the industry we represent, we have a dynamic, diverse, and inclus ...

Job description

The National Restaurant Association and National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation are proud to be part of a highly respected industry, providing hospitality, opportunity, and quality of life. Much like the industry we represent, we have a dynamic, diverse, and inclusive culture, grounded in trust, hospitality, collaboration, and innovation. These are the core values that inspire our work, and what we are looking for in a dynamic Brand Graphic Designer.

As Brand Graphic Designer, you will play a dual role as both a strategic creative partner and a hands-on designer, responsible for ensuring creative direction, brand continuity, and executional excellence across the National Restaurant Association's portfolio of brands, initiatives, and channels.

This role contributes at the 30,000-foot level by helping translate brand strategy, creative direction, and business objectives into cohesive visual systems and storytelling approaches. At the same time, it is deeply executional — bringing that strategy to life through high-quality design across presentations, reports, events, campaigns, digital platforms, and social channels.

Working closely with the Senior Director of Brand & Creative, you will help ensure that every touchpoint—whether a CEO presentation, national event, or social asset—feels connected, intentional, and on-brand. Success in this role requires the ability to zoom out to see the full creative ecosystem and then zoom in to deliver polished, production-ready assets that move the business forward.

Ideal candidates bring a minimum of five years of experience within an advertising/marketing agency or in-house corporate marketing environment. Must have expert knowledge of current design software and the design process, and a portfolio that demonstrates presentation design, layout, typography, image manipulation, video editing and campaign execution. Experience with motion graphics is highly desirable.

Join us in our passion for storytelling that engages, informs, and inspires. Resume and a portfolio (individual links or website) are required for consideration.

Position must operate out of our DC office, with a required three days onsite, Monday – Wednesday, with flexibility to work remote on Thursday and Friday.

We are proud to offer our team members comprehensive benefits, designed to support their financial, professional, and personal well-being. In addition to outstanding healthcare coverage (medical, dental and vision), competitive salaries, generous vacation and leave time, we offer a matching 401(k) plan, a unique collection of corporate discounts and memberships, as well as programs to support career and skills development, including learning and tuition assistance, and so much more.

Responsibilities

What you'll be doing day-to-day

Ideation and Collaboration

• Transform the creative brief into branded communications that resonate with the audience through exploratory development and exacting refinement using traditional and AI-powered tools.
• Collaborate with key stakeholders to define goals, objectives, and business needs; with the creative team to develop creative, design, image, and edit needs; with the department lead to fine-tune deliverables.

Design and Art Direction

• Design creative campaigns that come to life in events, social, digital, video, and print – projects include event collateral and signage, reports and books, web graphics and promotional banners, information design, and executive presentations.
• Art direct external partners to build branded communications for our events and products, ensuring every touchpoint – from video opener to email promotions – is orchestrated to the creative strategy.
• Attend photo and video productions and provide art direction to create on-brand assets.
• Stay informed of the latest trends, tech, and forecasts. 

Project Management

• Apply project management tools and good communication to track schedules, milestones and deadlines.
• Ensure the timely delivery of all creative projects.
• Organize files, projects, graphics, images, and video assets for ease of use and accessibility for the team.
• Refine and/or develop a file management system with naming conventions to maximize organization.

Production

• Make-ready pixel-perfect production files for distribution across organization and external partners.
• Receive feedback, get clarification as needed, execute adjustments and manage layout versions.
• Create videos – from social shorts to promotions – with existing assets that connect with the audience.
• Design and package creative toolkits with assets that support - video production agencies, graphic designers, illustrators, video editors, motion graphic designers, and photographers as needed.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in art, design, or advertising. An emphasis in graphic design is preferred.
• Minimum five years of professional graphic design experience (in-house and/or agency).
• Demonstrated experience maintaining and executing against a brand visual identity across channels.
• Deeply grounded in the fundamentals and traditions of graphic design—typography, layout, composition, and visual hierarchy—while also fluent in modern design technologies, SaaS platforms, and AI-enabled tools to enhance creative output, speed, and efficiency.
• Strong portfolio showing presentation design, layout, typography, image manipulation, video editing and campaign execution. Motion graphics are a PLUS.
• Computer proficiency across MS Office and Adobe Creative Suite, including Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Firefly, After Effects, Premiere and Acrobat. Ability to learn other computer software programs as needed.
• Proficiency with design and layout tools such as Canva, Affinity Studio and Figma.
• Experience using project management and asset‑management platforms, including (or similar), Dropbox/Box, and MediaGraph (DAM).
• Exceptional organizational, time‑management, prioritization, and attention‑to‑detail skills.
• Highly effective organizational, time-management, attention to detail and prioritization skills.
• Strong interpersonal and diplomacy skills.
• Self‑motivated with a proven ability to build effective, collaborative partnerships.
• Able to work independently and as part of a team to meet deadlines and deliver high‑quality results.
• Highly adaptable; ability to work well under pressure, within fast-paced and fluid environment; both in office and virtual.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities

The National Restaurant Association, National Restaurant Association Solutions, LLC, and The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (together, "Company") is committed to equal employment opportunity, and it is Company's policy to take affirmative action to employ and advance in employment protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.

It is our policy to recruit, hire, train, and promote persons in all job titles, and ensure that all other personnel actions are administered, without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status and disability, or other legally protected status, and we will ensure that all employment decisions are based only on valid job requirements.

This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.

For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.