Freelance Packaging Designer Jobs in Reston, VA (NOW HIRING)

Enterprise Technology Services (ETEK) is seeking a talented Junior Graphic Designer / Production Designer to join our Creative Services team supporting the United States Mint. This position is ideal for an early-career designer with a strong visual portfolio who wants to work on high-profile creative projects involving packaging, print collateral, marketing materials, digital communications, and production design.

This position will work closely with designers, creative leadership, production staff, and Government stakeholders to develop polished visual materials from initial concept through final production.

Responsibilities

• Design and produce high-quality print and digital materials, including packaging, marketing collateral, brochures, signage, presentations, promotional materials, and other visual communications.
• Support the development and refinement of creative concepts while maintaining established brand standards and visual consistency.
• Prepare production-ready artwork using Adobe Creative Cloud, particularly Adobe Illustrator, InDesign, and Photoshop.
• Create layouts utilizing strong principles of typography, composition, hierarchy, color, imagery, and visual storytelling.
• Prepare files for professional print production, including bleeds, trim, image resolution, color profiles, and other prepress requirements.
• Review and proof creative materials for visual quality, accuracy, consistency, and production readiness.
• Support packaging and physical-product design projects, including preparation of artwork, dielines, mockups, and production files.
• Work collaboratively with creative directors, designers, photographers, writers, production personnel, and other project stakeholders.
• Manage multiple concurrent assignments while meeting established schedules and production deadlines.
• Incorporate creative direction and stakeholder feedback accurately and efficiently.
• Maintain organized project files, source files, assets, and final deliverables using established file-management standards.
• Support operation of large-format printers and other digital print-production equipment as required.
• Assist with additional creative, production, and workflow activities as needed.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree, associate degree, certificate, or equivalent demonstrated capability in Graphic Design, Visual Communication, Communication Design, Digital Media, Fine Arts, or a related discipline.
• Strong portfolio demonstrating high-quality graphic design work and a clear understanding of visual design fundamentals.
• Demonstrated proficiency with Adobe Creative Cloud, particularly:
  • Adobe Illustrator
  • Adobe InDesign
  • Adobe Photoshop
  • Adobe Acrobat
• Strong understanding of:
  • Typography
  • Layout and composition
  • Color
  • Visual hierarchy
  • Branding
  • Image selection and treatment
• Strong attention to detail and ability to identify visual inconsistencies or production errors.
• Ability to receive creative direction and translate feedback into effective design revisions.
• Ability to manage multiple assignments and shifting priorities in a deadline-driven creative environment.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work effectively as part of a collaborative creative team.
• Demonstrated willingness to learn new design, production, and workflow tools.

Preferred Qualifications

• 0–3 years of professional, internship, freelance, or comparable graphic design experience.
• Experience designing packaging, print collateral, marketing materials, or physical products.
• Familiarity with professional print-production and prepress processes.
• Experience preparing artwork for commercial or large-format printing.
• Familiarity with packaging dielines, mockups, or production templates.
• Experience working within established brand standards or design systems.
• Experience with photography, photo editing, illustration, motion graphics, or digital media.
• Familiarity with Microsoft 365, SharePoint, Teams, Planner, or similar collaboration and project-management platforms.
• Experience operating large-format printers or other digital print-production equipment.

Portfolio Requirement

Applicants must provide a portfolio or work samples demonstrating their design capabilities.

Portfolios should ideally include examples of several of the following:

• Print design
• Packaging design
• Marketing collateral
• Typography and layout
• Branding or identity work
• Posters or promotional materials
• Editorial design
• Digital graphics
• Production-ready design work

Portfolio quality will be a primary consideration in the candidate evaluation process.

ETEK is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer (EEO) and Affirmative Action (AA) employer. We are committed to providing all qualified candidates consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, protected veteran status, disability, national origin, genetic information, or any other protected status.

• US Citizenship or documented proof of eligibility to work in the US is required. Applicants selected will be subject to a Government investigation and must meet eligibility requirements to obtain Government clearance.