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Editorial Designer

Job Description

The editorial designer is responsible for the visual design and production of U.S. Catholic print magazine and its digital platforms. This role takes primary ownership of the design and production of the monthly print magazine while helping develop a cohesive and engaging visual identity across uscatholic.org, social media, email newsletters, marketing materials, and other digital products.

Working closely with the executive editor and editorial team, the editorial designer translates editorial ideas into compelling visual storytelling for print and digital audiences. This position manages the magazine’s print production process from initial layouts through final files, creates original graphics and other visual assets, and helps ensure that U.S. Catholic maintains a distinctive and consistent visual identity across platforms.

The ideal candidate combines strong editorial design instincts with excellent technical and production skills and is comfortable working across both traditional print publishing and fast-moving digital platforms. This position requires creativity, attention to detail, strong project management skills, and the ability to manage multiple deadlines simultaneously.

This is a hybrid position that requires working in our downtown Chicago offices twice a week.

Salary Range: 60-65k

Key Responsibilities

Print Design and Production (60%)

Serve as the designer for U.S. Catholic’s monthly print magazine, creating visually compelling layouts that support the magazine’s editorial voice and mission.
Design feature stories, departments, columns, front- and back-of-book pages, and other print content using photography, illustration, typography, and other visual elements.
Collaborate with editors to develop visual concepts for features and special packages and identify opportunities for effective visual storytelling.
Manage production schedules and workflows related to design, proofing, corrections, and printer deadlines, proactively identifying and resolving potential problems.
Prepare and manage files throughout the monthly production cycle, incorporating editorial corrections and ensuring pages are accurate and ready for publication on schedule.
Deliver final files according to printer specifications and serve as the primary design/production contact with print vendors through final turnover and proofing.
Maintain and refine magazine templates, style sheets, typography, and other design systems to ensure visual consistency while continuing to evolve the publication’s design.
Coordinate and prepare photography, illustrations, graphics, and other visual assets for print reproduction.

Digital and Social Media Design (20%)

Help maintain and develop the visual identity of the U.S. Catholic brand across print and digital platforms.
Create graphics and other visual assets for U.S. Catholic’s social media platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, and other emerging platforms–including quote graphics, carousels, promotional graphics, and other platform-specific visual storytelling.
Assist with basic editing of video content (i.e., adding watermarks and title cards)
Design graphics and other visual elements for uscatholic.org, email newsletters, podcast promotion, and other digital products to maintain consistent brand identity between print and digital.
Develop reusable templates and design systems that allow the editorial team to efficiently produce consistent digital and social content.
Stay current on visual, social media, and digital publishing trends and apply relevant approaches to U.S. Catholic’s digital and social design.

Brand, Marketing, and Other Design (20%)

Design promotional and marketing materials, including subscription and fundraising campaigns, house ads, digital advertisements, media kits, event materials, and other audience-development initiatives.
Maintain organized archives of design files, photography, illustrations, logos, templates, fonts, and other visual assets.
Provide guidance to colleagues and make recommendations for improving the publication’s visual presentation and production processes.

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in graphic design, visual communication, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
3–5 years of professional graphic design experience, preferably including editorial, magazine, or other publication design.
A strong portfolio demonstrating excellent typography, layout, visual storytelling, and design judgment across print and digital platforms.
Advanced proficiency in Adobe InDesign and Photoshop; proficiency in Illustrator preferred.
Experience preparing publications and other materials for professional printing, including knowledge of prepress, color management, image preparation, file specifications, and proofing.
Experience creating graphics and visual content for social media and other digital platforms.
Experience with basic video editing for social and digital platforms; familiarity with Adobe Premiere Pro, After Effects, or comparable tools is a plus.
Strong organizational and project management skills, with demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines simultaneously.
Excellent attention to detail and ability to maintain accuracy through multiple rounds of revisions and production.
Strong communication and collaboration skills and the ability to work effectively with editors, writers, photographers, illustrators, vendors, and other colleagues.
Ability to balance creative experimentation with established brand standards and production requirements.
Familiarity with contemporary digital publishing and social media practices.
Interest in U.S. Catholic’s mission and comfort working with content related to Catholicism, religion, social justice, and contemporary culture; knowledge of Catholicism is a plus.

Please email a résumé, cover letter, and portfolio (URL or PDF) demonstrating relevant print and digital design work to editors@uscatholic.org. Portfolios should include examples of multipage or publication design.