Senior Designer — Metropolitan Airports Commission, Minneapolis, MN

Senior Designer

Strategic Marketing and Communications Department | Brand Creative

Exempt | Non-Safety Sensitive

JOB SUMMARY

• Reporting to the Assistant Director, Brand Creative, this position serves as a senior creative on the Brand Creative team within the Strategic Marketing and Communications Department (SM+C).

• The Senior Designer creates original, strategic, and on-target visual communication concepts and executes design across digital and print for MAC's brand and revenue-generating programs.

• This role directs contractors and freelance resources in the execution of strategic creative deliverables. The Senior Designer serves as a subject matter expert for all MAC/MSP branding assets, develops and maintains brand and creative standards, and ensures work meets production, quality, brand, and cost standards.

• The Strategic Marketing and Communications Department stewards a consistent brand voice, activates the brand to engage key constituents, and supports non-aeronautical revenue growth and passenger engagement through strategic campaigns grounded in research and analytics.

RELATIONSHIPS

• Reporting Relationship – Reports to the Assistant Director, Brand Creative.

• Supervision –directs contractors and freelance creative resources.

• Organizational – Frequent contact with SM+C team members, Marketing Strategists, and internal MAC client departments; occasional contact with MAC directors and senior staff.

• External Partners – Frequent contact with vendors, printers, photographers, illustrators, agency partners, and other outside creative resources.

JOB DUTIES

Concept and Create Visual Communications

• Create strategically focused, original and audience appropriate visual communication concepts.

• Develop concepts and execute layout designs for artwork and copy into various forms of visual communication media.

• Research, select, and secure illustrative/photographic material to support design work.

• Finalize layouts for final production in various forms — digital and print.

• Obtain client approval by presenting final layouts, storyboards, and illustrations, and respond to client commentary and requests.

Manage Projects

• Provide work direction to contractors and freelance resources as needed.

• Manage multiple projects simultaneously with internal and external resources.

Steward the Brand and Standards

• Develop, amend, and maintain brand and creative standards.

• Act as subject matter expert for all MAC/MSP branding assets.

• Meet department work standards by following production, productivity, quality, brand guidelines, and customer service standards.

• Meet department cost standards by monitoring expenses and project budgets.

• Manage content assets: file naming, tagging, usage rights, file storage, and maintenance.

Continuous Improvement and Professional Growth

• Commit to continuous process improvement for quality results by studying, evaluating, and re-designing processes as needed.

• Update job knowledge through educational opportunities, professional publications, and participation in relevant organizations.

• Enhance department and organization reputation by accepting ownership for accomplishing client requests in support of the Enterprise Strategic Plan.

• Other duties as assigned.

COMPETENCIES

Senior Level Individual Contributor (SRIC) Competencies

• Customer Focus - Building strong customer relationships and delivering customer-centric solutions

• Manages Complexity - Making sense of complex, high quantity, and sometimes contradictory information to effectively solve problems

• Decision Quality - Making good and timely decisions that keep the organization moving forward

• Resourcefulness - Securing and deploying resources effectively and efficiently

• Ensures Accountability - Consistently achieving results, even under tough circumstances

• Collaborates - Building partnerships and working collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives

• Values Differences - Recognizing the value that different perspectives and cultures bring to an organization

• Communicates Effectively - Developing and delivering multi-mode communications that convey a clear understanding of unique needs of different audiences

• Persuades - Using compelling arguments to gain the support and commitment of others

• Courage - Stepping up to address difficult issues, saying what needs to be said

• Instills Trust - Gaining the confidence and trust of others through honesty, integrity and authenticity

• Being Resilient - Rebounding from setbacks and adversity when facing difficult situations

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

• A bachelor's degree in Design, Art, Fine Art, or a related field. In lieu of a degree, fourteen (14) years of professional design experience.

• Minimum of ten (10) years of professional experience as a Designer or Art Director.

• Minimum of five (5) years of experience managing internal staff or directing outside resources in the execution of strategic creative deliverables.

• Expert graphic design, art direction, and production design skills.

• Expert-level skills in Adobe Creative Suite and other visual communication tools.

• Advanced working knowledge of the Microsoft suite, including PowerPoint.

• Expert knowledge of printing processes, digital deliverables, DAM, and CMS systems.

• Experience developing, amending, and maintaining brand/creative standards.

• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to work through ambiguity.

• Self-starter with strong coordination and project-management skills for assigned workload.

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.

• Ability to translate client objectives into strategic and effective communication tactics.

• Working knowledge of AI platforms (e.g., Copilot, Claude, Adobe, Gemini, and/or ChatGPT) for business applications.

• Ability to respond to emergencies 24/7, as needed.

• Valid driver's license and a reliable vehicle to commute between job sites.

DESIRABLE REQUIREMENTS

• Agency experience in addition to in-house creative experience.

• Experience leading creative for revenue-driving programs and digital marketing initiatives.

• Experience in airport, aviation, hospitality, stadium, parking, or airline marketing.

• Experience working for or with public sector entities or governmental agencies.

• Knowledge of the Metropolitan Airports Commission and its programs, operations, and policies.