Graphic Designer Contractor
Time Commitment: 10-15 hours per week
Compensation: $50 per hour
Type: Contractor
The Organization:
Lighthouse Foundation of Chicagoland is a Black LGBTQ+ led, multiracial social justice organization that advances justice for Black LGBTQ+ people across Chicagoland through empowerment, education, and entertainment. Since July 2019, we have launched the Lighthouse Foundation Equity Index, which helps organizations pursue equity in an intersectional manner. We have partnered with 24 organizations and hosted 87 activations, reaching 3,700 Chicagoans.
The Role:
Lighthouse Foundation seeks a Graphic Design Contractor to support marketing, events, and our programs. The ideal candidate is an adaptive self-starter who enjoys working as part of a team and is growth-oriented. This will be a 6-month contract with a strong possibility of extension. This is a contract role, 10-20 hours per week at a rate of $50 per hour.
Duties will include:
Work on a wide range of projects and media, using various software programs to visualize and develop innovative graphic designs for social media and print that meet our organization’s goals
Obtain input from staff members to ensure that designs meet organizational standards and brand expectations, express ideas accurately, and represent the organization appropriately
Work independently as well as cooperatively with communications team to meet deadlines, stay within budget, and schedule project implementation based on workload, which may include five or more simultaneous projects
Update and maintain internal databases for designs, photography, and video.
Responsibilities
Collaborate, brainstorm, and strategize on a wide range of materials that may include web pages, presentations, programming collateral, signage, social media images, internal communications, printed reports, e-newsletters, and other marketing materials
Translate strategic direction into high-quality design within an established brand identity
Develop concepts by hand or with software, and execute original content by determining the ideal usage of color, text, font style, imagery, and layout
Manage the design and uploading process for all project materials, based on best practices for using a content management system
Required skills and qualifications:
Exceptional creativity and innovative design skills
Five or more years of experience (academic and/or professional) with design software, including Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop, Dreamweaver
Excellent communication and presentation skills
Organizational and time-management skills for meeting deadlines in a fast-paced environment
Desire to continue building skill set with education and training
Other Requirements:
Bachelor’s degree in a related field and 3+ years of experience or 5+ years of experience in a similar role, preferably for a nonprofit focusing on racial justice, HIV, or LGBTQ+ issues.
Experience in developing and executing marketing, communication, and content strategies.
Excellent public speaking, messaging, storytelling, writing, and editing skills.
Strong visual eye and graphic design skills.
Extensive experience with specific skills in website, email, social media, video and audio editing, graphic design, publishing/content workflows, content management, and social media analytics a plus, with a strong ability to learn new communications technologies.
Capacity to simultaneously work on multiple tasks and projects and set priorities.
Ability to collaborate effectively with various stakeholders, including staff, vendors, and external partners.
Proactive, detail-oriented, and solution-oriented with a mindset to identify and pursue opportunities.
Preferred skills and qualifications:
Three or more years of experience in professional graphic design, preferably with a creative or marketing agency
Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in graphic design, art, or related discipline
Working knowledge of CSS3, HTML5, and JavaScript
Knowledge of content management systems, specifically Monday.com
Photography experience and proficiency with photo-editing software
How To Apply:
Please send a resume and cover letter for this position to jobs@lightfoundchi.org. The deadline to apply is January 31st, 2026 with special consideration given to applicants who apply sooner. Black LGBTQ+ people are encouraged to apply.
We're an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status.
