Graphic Design and Digital Communications Specialist (Temporary Approx. 13 Months)

People, Place, Prosperity

Working within our Strategic Plan, Cambridge Connected, and committing to our values of Integrity, Respect, Inclusiveness and Service, the successful candidate will work together to help the City of Cambridge achieve our vision: A place for people to prosper – alive with opportunity.

Job Profile

Reporting to the Manager of Communications, the Graphic Design & Digital Communications Specialist designs and executes creative concepts and design solutions that align with the City’s brand identity and corporate messaging. Designs and concepts will be strategically tailored to various communications mediums and channels, both internally and externally.

This role contributes to the City’s Strategic Plan – Cambridge Connected, and supports communication strategies that reflect the vision, mission, values and strategic actions of the City. The successful candidate must be a motivated, dedicated and detail-oriented team player with strong artistic, typography, design, branding and communication skills.

Under direction of the Manager of Communications, the Graphic Design & Digital Communications Specialist may work directly with staff to receive project content and information, interpret the needs of the project, and provide creative solutions that are strategically aligned with business priorities and objectives, while often working within strict time and budget constraints.

What you will be doing

• Executes requests for creative designs, for corporate, multi-page documents, social media, presentations, web graphics, e-mail, marketing collateral and promotions, signs, logos, templates and other formats as needed, seeing all projects through from concept, production, completion and delivery. Designs are tailored for success in specified channel, both internally and externally.
• Presents design work at various stages to the Director/Manager/Communications Advisor and clients for review and final approval as appropriate. Provides regular project updates and knows when to escalate and communicate issues or concerns.
• Meets with clients or other team members to determine requirements and vision for design elements, which may include multiple strategy meetings.
• Provides multimedia support (e.g. videography, photography, graphic design, and presentation enhancements) to help engage employees and residents while communicating messages aligned to City programs and services.
• Strong photo and video editing skills. Experience in video production process. In conjunction with a Communications Advisor, assists with video story boarding and oversees small video productions.
• Analyzes and extracts data from Word or Excel and transforms into graphically designed charts, tables or infographics.
• Ability to create illustrations an asset, either digitally or by hand using a graphics tablet.
• Manages, prioritizes and executes multiple simultaneous and often ad-hoc requests.
• Maintains print production process and relationships with external vendors, reviews print proofs and participates in quality assurance of all externally printed materials.
• Assists with organization and management of digital multimedia inventory to ensure the communications team maximizes operational effectiveness and efficiency.
• Works with legislated content and must understand and follow the City’s confidentiality practices.
• Ensures adherence to visual communications best practices and corporate brand standards.
• Reviews finalized materials to be sure there are no errors.
• Works with internal technology software and hardware.
• Selects fonts, colours, shapes, designs, styles, and layouts for projects.
• Demonstrates knowledge of social media platforms and required design specs for each platform.
• Regularly audits competitors and municipal peers and stay current with industry trends, developments, and technological advances.
• Brings forward emerging technologies and methods for design.

Education

• Three-year advanced diploma in Graphic Design or a related field of study

Experience and Knowledge

• Two to Three years of work-related experience in the following: Demonstrated experience using Adobe Creative Suite with a focus on InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop.
• Expert knowledge in a PC environment, using laser printers, large scale plotters. Comprehensive photo acquisition, image enhancement/manipulation and colour correction using Photoshop.
• Strong proficiency with using Word, PowerPoint and Excel effectively and creatively.
• Demonstrated complete understanding of colour theory, spaces (RGB, CMYK, HEX, Pantone) and relationships, typographic terms, perspective and space relationships, page composition and grid structures, print production process and knowledge of production techniques.
• Strong working knowledge of file preparation, including imposition, for output (prepress) is required. Solid understanding of paper types and their influence on print quality.
• Excellent organizational skills with the ability to process multiple tasks, and expectations of internal and external clients.
• Excellent customer service skills required; needs to examine to understand customers’ graphic design and production needs. Ability to communicate effectively and respectably with clients about corporate brand standards.
• Proven ability to both work within a team as well as work independently, multi-task and deliver a multitude of design and production solutions under fast-paced conditions, concurrent deadlines and changing priorities.
• High level of artistic skill and creativity, while being able to work collaboratively within a team environment and receive constructive input from communications leads and fellow team members.
• Excellent interpersonal, presentation and communication skills.
• Maintain knowledge of current industry standards of development concepts, best practices and procedures.
• Must display high degree of judgment, discretion and confidentiality.
• Sound understanding of designing for AODA, Canadian Anti-Spam legislation, and other legal requirements for government communications

We will ask you for these items if you are hired

Proof of your current and valid certificate(s) and/or educational qualifications.

Your compensation

This position is within Grade 7 of the inside workers union Salary Schedule and has an hourly range of $39.88 to $42.38. Enrolment in Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System (OMERS) included.

Hours of work

The current regular hours of work are in accordance with the collective agreement and currently are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 pm. (35 hours per week), Monday to Friday.

Advertisement expiration date

Interested candidates should apply at www.cambridge.ca/careers. This posting will close on July 10, 2026.

Accommodation needs and protection of privacy

The City of Cambridge recognizes and appreciates diversity and inclusion enhances our public value commitment.

We strive to create an accessible and inclusive experience and encourage all qualified people to apply, including and especially people from equity-deserving groups. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment with honour and respect toward their individual dimensions of diversity.

We strive to remove barriers that may prevent qualified applicants from fully participating in the recruitment and selection process. Accommodation in accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Code and other applicable legislation is available throughout all stages of the recruitment and selection process. Contact [email protected] to make your needs known in advance.

Personal information collected in relation to the recruitment process is collected under the authority outlined in the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and used solely to determine eligibility for employment with the City of Cambridge only.