Creative Contract Jobs in Reno, NV (NOW HIRING)

The University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) appreciates your interest in employment at our growing institution. We want your application process to go smoothly and quickly. Final applications must be submitted prior to the close of the recruitment.

Job Description

The University of Nevada, Reno is hiring a Senior Brand & Graphic Designer to serve as University Advancement's primary design and brand partner. This position develops and executes visual communications across print, digital, and environmental platforms that support campaigns, major gift initiatives, cultivation, stewardship, alumni engagement, executive leadership, and board-level materials. The role requires advanced design expertise, strong brand judgment, and the ability to translate complex advancement priorities into clear, compelling visual systems for donors, alumni, leadership, and campus partners.

The position leads the design of Nevada Silver & Blue, the University's alumni magazine, and provides creative leadership and supervision of freelance designers, student workers, and other design contributors. It also develops scalable brand templates and assets in Canva, Adobe Express, and PowerPoint to support non‑designer users across Advancement, and serves as a strategic design consultant and partner to development, stewardship, events, and alumni engagement teams. The position carries significant creative autonomy, ensuring all materials align with institutional brand standards. It reports to the Director of Marketing and Communications for University Advancement and partners closely with advancement leadership, front‑line fundraisers, alumni engagement, and central marketing/communications to advance philanthropic goals while maintaining visual consistency and brand integrity.

Required Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Graphic Design or a related discipline and five (5) years of professional work experience OR Master’s Degree in related discipline and three (3) years of professional work experience.
• Related Experience: Professional graphic design experience with a documented portfolio demonstrating work across print, digital, and environmental platforms, including experience managing brand identity systems or closely related work or related experience.

Schedule and Travel Requirements

Variable work schedule.
Occasional travel may be required.

Compensation

• Grade: Administrative Faculty – C
• Salary: To view the salary schedule for this position, please visit: Salary Schedules and select Administrative Faculty by Grade. Salary is competitive and commensurate with related education and experience.

Benefits

• Remarkable Retirement – Our retirement plan is beyond compare. Your 19.25% contribution is generously matched by the University. With the faculty retirement plan, you are 100% vested your first day. Sit back and watch your retirement dollars grow! All permanent employees on an annual "A" or "B" contract who are employed at least 50% full‑time are eligible to participate in the NSHE retirement program unless they are members of PERS of Nevada.
• Health insurance options including dental and vision – Health Insurance
• Generous annual, sick leave, long term disability and life insurance – Faculty Benefits
• E. L. Wiegand Fitness Center offers annual or semester memberships and spouse/domestic partner membership options.
• Mountain EAP supports employees (and eligible dependents) through life's difficult moments. Mountain EAP is located in Reno and specializes in counseling and advising services for personal or interpersonal issues.
• Faculty Senate is the principal representing body for faculty. Its membership includes representatives from each academic and administrative major unit of the University.
• No state income tax!
• Grants‑in‑Aid for Faculty Employees – The University is proud to provide a reduced‑rate tuition benefit to faculty and qualified dependents. Faculty can take up to six credits per semester at a reduced rate. Dependents of faculty have unlimited credits, but in order to be eligible children must be unmarried and under the age of 24 and must receive at least 50% of their financial support from the employee and/or employee’s spouse or domestic partner.
• Faculty Dual Career Assistance Program – The University of Nevada, Reno recognizes the importance of addressing dual‑career couples’ professional needs. We offer a dual career assistance program to newly hired faculty spouses/partners that provides resources and assists them to identify career opportunities in Northern Nevada.

Compliance and Diversity

The University of Nevada, Reno is committed to providing a place of work and learning free of discrimination on the basis of a person’s age (40 or older), disability, whether actual or perceived by others (including service‑connected disabilities), gender (including pregnancy related conditions), military status or military obligations, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, national origin, race (including hair texture and protected hairstyles such as natural hairstyles, afros, bantu knots, curls, braids, locks and twists), color, or religion (protected classes).

Other Considerations

Posting Close Date – This posting is open until filled. Qualified individuals are encouraged to apply immediately. This search will close without notice when a sufficient number of applications are received or a hiring decision has been made.

A background check will be conducted on the candidate(s) selected for hire. HR will attempt to verify academic credentials upon receipt of hiring documents. If the academic credentials cannot be verified, HR will notify the faculty member that an official transcript of their highest degree must be submitted within thirty days of the faculty member’s first day of employment. References will be contacted at the appropriate phase of the recruitment process. Applicants hired on a federal contract may be subject to E‑Verify. As part of the hiring process, applicants for positions in the Nevada System of Higher Education may be required to demonstrate the ability to perform job‑related tasks. For positions that require driving, evidence of a valid driver's license will be required at the time of employment and as a condition of continued employment. Schedules are subject to change based on organizational needs.

About the University

The University of Nevada, Reno is a leading public research university committed to the promise of a future powered by knowledge. Founded in 1874 as Nevada’s original land‑grant university, the University serves more than 23,000 undergraduate and graduate students from all 50 states and 63 countries. Classified by the Carnegie® Classification of Institutions of Higher Education as an R1 (“Very High Research”) university, it is also recognized in the Carnegie® Community Engagement classification. The University is also ranked by U.S. News & World Report among the “Best National Universities” and “Best National Public Universities.” It also ranks in the top tier of the WSJ/Times Higher Education World University Rankings and the New York Times’ “Top Colleges for Economic Diversity.” Since 2009, nearly $1 billion has been invested in advanced labs, facilities, and residence halls on the main campus. The University delivers on its original land‑grant mission with outreach across the state through the University of Nevada, Reno Extension, Nevada Agricultural Experiment Station, Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology, Nevada Small Business Development Center, the Nevada Seismological Laboratory, and Wolf Pack Athletics. The main campus is in Reno, Nevada, a burgeoning global technology hub with a vibrant midtown and downtown. Found where the high desert of the Great Basin meets the High Sierra and Lake Tahoe, the beautiful, 290‑acre main campus is also a Nevada State Arboretum. The University’s physical infrastructure is expanding with ongoing construction of the newly named John Tullock Business Building, set to open in fall 2025. Groundbreaking is also planned for a new State Public Health Laboratory Building on campus, alongside the recent acquisition of 16 parcels near campus, known as “University Village,” to provide affordable housing for graduate students and early‑career faculty. Collaborating with world‑renowned organizations, the University fosters innovation through initiatives such as the Digital Wolf Pack partnership with Apple, which ensures equitable access to technology for students, providing new incoming freshman or transfer students with an iPad Air and accessories. Google’s TechWise initiative is an 18‑month program that fully supports undergraduate students in becoming entry‑level software engineers by graduation. In 2023, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) announced that Nevada – led by the University of Nevada, Reno – was named one of the inaugural 31 Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs (TechHubs). Nevada was selected from a competitive pool of 489 applicants from across the United States and its territories. Nevada’s Tech Hub will strengthen America’s lithium batteries, critical elements and other electric vehicle materials industry sectors within the state. Through its commitment to high‑impact education, world‑improving research and creative activity, and outreach that’s transforming Nevada’s communities and businesses, the University continues its 150‑year tradition of benefitting our state, nation and world. The University recognizes that diversity promotes excellence in education and research. The inclusive and engaged community on campus recognizes the added value that students, faculty, and staff from different backgrounds bring to the educational experience. Today, the University delivers on its original land‑grant mission of access to education and knowledge by investing in the academics, facilities, support, engagement and vibrant campus life that promote our diverse students’ cognitive growth and academic achievement – all while remaining one of the best values in American higher education. For more information, please visit the University’s website.

NSHE Employees are required to participate in a mandatory retirement plan in lieu of Social Security. As a result, employment at NSHE may impact your Social Security benefits. Additional information is available at SSA 1945. Job postings are specific to the Nevada System of Higher Education.Contact

Recruitment helpline: (775) 784‑1495
jobs@unr.edu