at University of Illinois in Urbana, Illinois, United States
Job Description
Brand Photographer -- Gies College of BusinessOffice of Marketing and Communications
Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois is seeking applicants for a Brand Photographer to join our team of nearly 20 marketing professionals. If hired, you will work closely with marketing managers, writers, designers and others on the Marcom team that serves the entire college.
The Marketing & Communications team for Gies College of Business acts as an in-house marketing agency. Our growing team of more than 20 professionals plays a pivotal role in promoting the College's purpose to shape purposeful leaders through life-changing access to education, research, and innovation. Creativity, strategy, and collaboration are key to our team's success as we grow the reputation and brand of Gies Business, a Top 5 public business school and home to 2021 Business School Dean of the Year. As the Brand Photographer, you'll be at the forefront of this effort, working closely with those who lead the marketing efforts of the College units to implement and manage marketing strategies and projects.
Job Summary
The brand photographer leads photography-related initiatives on the MarCom team, producing multifunctional content while upholding the Gies Business brand. As the brand photographer you will use your photography skills, creativity, and strategic thinking to amplify existing events and opportunities, while crafting new content with a focus on marketing and brand elevation. Your primary responsibility will be to reinforce, refine, and enhance the College's visual identity through photography. You will collaborate with cross-functional teams, including designers, writers, digital marketers, videographers, and project managers, to bring projects to life and deliver successful brand outcomes.
Duties & Responsibilities
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Photography and Editing
- Collaborate with creative team to develop a recognizable photography style to serve as an element of the College's visual identity and to tell the Gies Business story.
- Capture high-quality digital images that align with brand guidelines and meet the College's needs for marketing, web, social media, and news coverage.
- Prepare and edit photos for use in a variety of digital and print materials.
- Acquire and organize photo release forms for on-camera talent.
- Scout locations, schedule, recruit talent, and make necessary arrangements for photography assignments. -
Photography Database Management
- Create and maintain a comprehensive online filing system for our digital photography asset library, ensuring correct classification and image details.
- Develop file naming and tagging conventions to enhance asset searches and to identify where photos have been used.
- Archive images no longer in use.
- Manage assets within the database. -
Collaboration/Coordination with Freelancers and Team
- Ensure all photos, including those taken by freelance photographers, adhere to brand guidelines.
- Collaborate with teammates to brainstorm and develop creative concepts and shot lists for brand photography campaigns.
- Collaborate with team lead/event coordinator or unit contact regarding the strategy/plan for the photography assignment.
- Coordinate with the writing, web, video, and design staff to bring brand initiatives and creative items from conception to completion.
- Coordinate the recruitment and oversight of freelance photographers, as needed.
- Manage project briefs, contracts, scheduling, and budgets for freelancers.
- Recruit, hire, and manage student employees as needed.
- Monitor industry trends and apply as appropriate to this work.
- Work within and contribute to team project management systems.
- Other communications and marketing duties as assigned.
Position may involve carrying, cleaning, climbing, crawling, driving, kneeling, lifting up to 50 pounds, pulling, pushing, reaching, sitting, squatting, stooping, bending, twisting, and grasping.
Specialty Factors
- Bachelor's degree in marketing, business administration, communications, public relations, or a closely related field.
- Five (5) years (60 months) of professional work experience in marketing, public relations, communications, brand management, or a related professional area. Note: Master's Degree in an area consistent with the duties of the position may be substituted for one (1) year (12 months) of work experience.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with photography in higher education.
- Experience covering live events.
- Experience with planning and producing photo shoots and completing all post-production processing.
- Experience with working with freelance photographers.
- Experience in developing and implementing a visual brand identity through photography.
- Experience in creating and maintaining a digital photography library and filing system.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
- - Advanced technical and creative knowledge in DSLR pro-camera operation. - Advanced technical knowledge of photo database tools, such as Canto or PhotoShelter. - Advanced technical and creative knowledge of equipment, tools, and supplies used in taking, processing, enhancing, and use of photographs and videos, including various cameras/lenses and types of lighting. - Basic understanding of graphic design principles. - Advanced skills in industry standard software, such as Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Lightroom, Adobe Bridge, Adobe Premiere, and/or Final Cut software. - Demonstrated ability to prioritize, multitask, and work in a team environment as well as work independently. - A passion for education and a genuine interest in promoting the College's mission. - Ability to work in a fast-paced, collaborative environment with designers, writers, videographers, and other marketing positions. - Ability to meet deadlines and manage projects. - Superb interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to foster positive relationships and facilitate collaboration. - Flexibility to work outside standard working hours. - Broad knowledge of Microsoft Office tools. - Strong understanding of visual storytelling principles, framing, composition, and design fundamentals.
This is a 100% full-time Civil Service 5004 - Marketing Associate position, appointed on a 12-month basis. The expected start date is as soon as possible after the search close date. Salary is competitive and commensurate with qualifications and experience, while also considering internal equity. The budgeted salary range for the position is $66,000 to $72,000. This position requires in-person work and is eligible for a hybrid schedule, with the ratio of weekly in-office and work-from-home days to be determined by the supervisor. A path for professional growth is embedded in this and every position in the Gies Office of Marketing and Communications. Sponsorship for work authorization is not available for this position.
For more information about Gies Business, visit https://inside.giesbusiness.illinois.edu/work-at-gies .
For more information on Civil Service classifications, please visit the SUCSS web site at https://www.sucss.illinois.gov/pages/classspec/default.aspx .
Application Procedures & Deadline Information
Applications must be received by 6:00 pm (Central Time) on August 9, 2024. Apply for this position using the Apply Now button at the top or bottom of this posting, and upload your cover letter, resume (months and years of employment must be included), and names and contact information for three professional references. Please remember to include specific information on how you meet the qualifications of the position in your resume, including all relevant experience. In order to be considered as a transfer candidate, you must apply for this position. Applications not submitted through https://jobs.illinois.edu will not be considered. If required by the position, transcripts or other documentation of credentials are to be provided no later than the first day of employment. For further information about this specific position, please contact rgoben@illinois.edu. For questions regarding the application process, please contact 217-333-2137.
The University of Illinois System is an equal opportunity employer, including but not limited to disability and/or veteran status, and complies with all applicable state and federal employment mandates. Please visit Required Employment Notices and Posters to view our non-discrimination statement and find additional information about required background checks, sexual harassment/misconduct disclosures, and employment eligibility review through E-Verify .
Applicants with disabilities are encouraged to apply and may request a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (2008) to complete the application and/or interview process. Requests may be submitted through the reasonable accommodations portal , or by contacting the Accessibility & Accommodations Division of the Office for Access and Equity at 217-333-0885, or by emailing accessibility@illinois.edu .
Requisition ID: 1025998
Job Category: Administrative
Apply at: https://jobs.illinois.edu
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