Independent Contractor Graphic Design Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Job Title: Graphic Design Manager

Company Name: Four Seasons Heating, Air Conditioning, Plumbing, Sewer & Electric

Location: Bedford Park, IL

Job Type: Full-time

About Us: Four Seasons is Chicagoland’s trusted choice for heating, air conditioning, plumbing, sewer, and electrical services. With decades of experience serving over one million homeowners across the greater Chicago area, we are a high-volume, performance-driven company committed to growth, innovation, and delivering exceptional service to every customer we serve.

Job Description: We are seeking a talented, detail-oriented Graphic Design Manager to lead all graphic design aspects of marketing at Four Seasons. Reporting to the Creative Director, this role is responsible for producing high-quality visual assets across digital, print, and multimedia channels while managing a team of fractional creative specialists and contractors. The ideal candidate brings strong design chops paired with team management experience, thrives in a fast-paced environment with high output demands, and is adept at leveraging AI tools to maximize efficiency and creative capacity. If you are a skilled designer who can lead a distributed creative team, manage numerous competing deadlines, and maintain brand excellence across every touchpoint, we want to hear from you.

Responsibilities:

• Lead the day-to-day graphic design function, producing and overseeing visual assets for paid social, digital display, direct mail, print collateral, web, email, OTT, and internal communications.
• Manage, direct, and quality-check the work of multiple fractional creative specialists and contractors, ensuring all deliverables meet brand standards, creative briefs, and deadlines.
• Maintain and enforce brand consistency across all visual outputs, serving as the guardian of Four Seasons’ visual identity and design system.
• Collaborate closely with the Creative Director and broader marketing team to translate campaign strategies and creative concepts into polished, production-ready design assets.
• Manage the creative production calendar and design workflows, prioritizing and balancing multiple concurrent projects and competing deadlines across channels.
• Leverage AI-powered design tools (e.g., Adobe Firefly, Midjourney, Canva AI, or similar) to accelerate production timelines, generate concepts, and expand the team’s output capacity.
• Prepare final files for production and delivery across all media types, ensuring correct specs, formats, and quality for print vendors, media partners, and digital platforms.
• Coordinate with external vendors, print houses, and production partners to ensure accurate and on-time delivery of physical and digital creative assets.
• Support TV commercial and video production with motion graphics, title cards, lower thirds, and other design elements as needed.
• Identify and implement process improvements to increase the efficiency, speed, and quality of the design production pipeline.
• Stay current on design trends, tools, and best practices, especially AI-driven creative technologies, to keep the team’s output fresh, competitive, and efficient.
• Contribute to internal communications and employer branding projects, including employee-facing campaigns and event materials.

• 7–12+ years of graphic design experience with at least 2 years in a management or team lead role; home services, trades, or high-volume consumer services experience is a strong plus.
• Strong portfolio demonstrating expertise across digital design, print production, and multimedia assets including social media, direct mail, web, and display advertising.
• Proven experience managing freelancers, fractional creatives, or contractors, including assigning work, providing feedback, and ensuring quality and on-time delivery.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects and competing deadlines simultaneously in a fast-paced, high-output environment without sacrificing quality.
• Strong proficiency with AI-powered design tools (e.g., Midjourney, Adobe Firefly, Canva AI, or similar) and experience integrating AI into day-to-day design workflows.
• Expert-level skills in Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign) and proficiency in Figma, Canva, or other modern design platforms.
• Strong understanding of print production processes, file preparation, color management, and vendor coordination.
• Experience with basic motion graphics or video editing (After Effects, Premiere Pro) is a plus.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills; comfortable working cross-functionally with marketing, operations, and external partners.
• Self-starter mentality with a bias toward action; able to anticipate needs, flag issues early, and keep design projects moving forward without constant oversight.

Education: Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design, Visual Communications, Fine Arts, or a related field required.