Graphic Designer/Senior Graphic Designer

Description THE AGENCY The General Services Agency (GSA) is made up of Fleet Services, Facilities, Procurement, Special Services, Security, Business Support, and the Parks Department and is responsible for a broad spectrum of services to all the County departments and agencies. It requires a very diverse workforce to accomplish the GSA mission of contributing to the quality of life in Ventura County by partnering with their customers to provide expertise and cost-effective service delivery. THE POSITION Under general direction, designs and produces visual communication materials for County departments across print, digital, web, and social media platforms. Works within established branding, accessibility, and communication standards to deliver accurate, timely, and high-quality design solutions. Collaborates with internal clients, Public Information Officers, and vendors to support departmental and County communication objectives. Graphic Designers perform professional graphic design work involving the execution of assigned projects within established creative, branding, and accessibility frameworks. The work focuses on applying standard tools, processes, and guidelines. Senior Graphic Designers are assigned advanced, highly complex work requiring independent judgment, strategic design consultation, and responsibility for County-wide or multi-department initiatives. What We Offer The County of Ventura offers an attractive compensation and benefits package that includes: Merit Increases: New employees are eligible for an initial 5% merit increase within the pay range upon completion of at least 1,040 hours (approximately 6 months). Subsequent merit increases within the pay range will be upon completion of each additional 2,080 hours (approximately one year) from the initial merit increase. Educational Incentive: An educational incentive of 2.5% for completion of an associate degree, 3.5% for completion of a bachelor's degree OR 5% for completion of a graduate degree Vacation Accrual: New regular, full-time employees shall accrue approximately 14 days of vacation a year for the irst 10,400 hours or 5 years of service; vacation accruals increase at 5, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 20 years of service topping out at 26 days a year. Annual Leave Redemption: After 14,560 hours of continuous County service an employee may elect to "cash-in" or edeem up to 80 hours of vacation accrued in the same year after using 80 hours of vacation in the preceding 12 months. Sick Leave: Full-time regular employees accrue 3.08 hours of sick leave per bi-weekly pay period with an advance at hire of 40.04 hours which will be balanced at the completion of 13 bi-weekly pay periods. Deferred Compensation: Eligible to participate in the County's 401(k) Shared Savings Plan and/or the Section 457 Plan. This position is eligible for up to a 3.00% match on your 401(k) contributions. Health Plans: Full-time employees are given a flexible credit allowance of up to $27,898 annually to offset the purchase of medical, dental and/or vision insurance for you and your dependents. Employee only: $519 per biweekly pay period Employee plus one dependent: $835 per biweekly pay period Employee plus family: $1073 per biweekly pay period Flexible Spending Accounts: Pre-tax benefit towards eligible medical, dental and vision care and/or dependent care expenses. Pension Plan: Participation in the County's defined pension plan, which has reciprocity with CaLPERS. Holidays: 12 paid days per year which includes a scheduled floating holiday. Additional Benefits: Tuition Reimbursement, Disability Plans, Employee Assistance Program, Life Insurance, Wellness Program. DEPARTMENT/AGENCY General Services Agency - Document Publishing Department PAYROLL TITLES AND ANNUAL SALARIES Graphic Designer: $59,772.38 - $83,681.33 Senior Graphic Designer: $65,749.62 - $92,049.46 NOTE: If appointed at the lower level, incumbent may be promoted to the higher level without further examination upon meeting the minimum requirements, demonstrating satisfactory performance, and in accordance with the business needs of the department. Graphic Designer and Senior Graphic Designer are represented by the International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 501 (IUOE) and are eligible for overtime compensation. Examples Of Duties Duties may include but are not limited to the following: Conceptualizes and produces visual assets that enhance public engagement and strengthen branding for multiple County agencies, by utilizing computer publishing application software (i.e. Adobe Creative Cloud (InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, Acrobat), Canva) to design materials for print, digital, and social media platforms. Creates and prepares documents for review and final production while ensuring alignment with County branding and communication objectives. Formats and prepares files for print and digital distribution, ensuring accuracy in color management, typography, and layout; conducts quality assurance checks to maintain brand integrity and prevent production errors. Oversees and manages multiple design projects simultaneously, ensuring effective prioritization and timely delivery; utilizes project management tools such as VC Print, Asana, and Harvest to monitor progress, streamline workflows, and optimize efficiency. Collaborates and communicates with County agencies to understand project objectives and deliver strategic design solutions; recommends process improvements, leverages automation and AI tools, and ensures compliance with branding standards. Develops visual strategies for urgent projects and crisis communications; offers creative input for departmental initiatives and contributes to process enhancements that improve efficiency and effectiveness. Operates a vehicle to travel to County facilities and events, and to meet with offsite vendors. Performs related duties as assigned. In addition to the duties above, the Senior Graphic Designer: Directs and executes complex design initiatives across print, digital, video, and large format media. Provides art direction and ensures creative solutions align with strategic objectives and County branding standards. Plans storyboards, scripts, films, and edits videos for County departments. Incorporates sound mixing, music production, and motion graphics for multiple platforms, including social media and standard formats. Serves as a primary creative advisor to executive leadership, Public Information Officers, and department heads. Recommends and coordinates innovative design strategies and emerging technologies to enhance communication and outreach, while coordinating efforts across teams to ensure consistency and alignment. Sources and manages promotional items and event materials, including tents, banners, brochures, and branded merchandise; oversees development and maintenance of an online County swag store. Typical Qualifications These are entrance requirements to the exam process and assure neither continuance in the process nor placement on an eligible list. Education, Training, And Experience Graphic Designer: An associate’s degree in graphic design, visual communications, fine arts, or closely related A ND Three (3) years of professional graphic design experience creating print and digital communication materials, including one (1) year using industry-standard design and multimedia software, tools, and equipment. Experience should include designing and producing visual materials, file preparation and quality control, working within branding standards, and coordinating with clients and production staff. Education Substitution : Qualifying experience may be substituted for education on a year-for-year basis; in addition to the required qualifying experience. Senior Graphic Designer: An associate’s degree in graphic design, visual communications, fine arts, or closely related AND Five (5) years of progressively responsible professional experience in graphic des