Senior Web Designer

Hampton University - Hampton, VA

Full-time - Mid Level

Hampton, VA

Educational Services

About the position

The Center for Information Technology at Hampton University is seeking a Senior Web Designer to join their team. This full-time position is crucial for developing high-quality web pages, interfaces, and applications using a variety of technologies including WordPress, CSS/XHTML, and Adobe Photoshop. The ideal candidate will possess strong communication skills, as they will collaborate closely with Marketing, Graphic Artists, Programmers, and Backend Server Teams to provide guidance and instruction throughout the design and development process. In this role, the Senior Web Designer will be responsible for web development, utilizing front-end languages such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, as well as managing content through WordPress. The designer will create functional prototypes to demonstrate concepts and support rapid iterative evaluations. Additionally, the position involves developing and implementing marketing strategies for Hampton University, enhancing community awareness through electronic media, and serving as a technical liaison across multiple departments to ensure accurate online representation. The Senior Web Designer will also be tasked with connecting with the development community to stay updated on the latest trends and technologies, evaluating and procuring necessary products and services to support the university's mission, and developing innovative design solutions. Responsibilities will include creating wireframes and prototypes, managing database interactions, implementing responsive design principles, and ensuring cross-browser compatibility. The designer will also enforce web security best practices and integrate third-party APIs as needed. A strong understanding of graphic design principles, UI/UX design, color theory, and typography is essential for this role. The candidate should be proficient in design tools such as Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, and possess the ability to create visually appealing layouts and graphics. The position requires a proactive approach to problem-solving, effective time management skills, and a commitment to continuous learning in the rapidly evolving field of web technologies.

Responsibilities

• Develop top-tier web pages, interfaces, and applications using WordPress, CSS/XHTML, and Adobe Photoshop.
• Create functional prototypes to demonstrate concepts and enable rapid iterative support for evaluation and promotion.
• Develop and implement marketing and promotions for Hampton University.
• Communicate with clients, product managers, designers, backend engineers, and graphic artists to refine the user experience.
• Enhance community awareness through electronic media and mobile application distributions.
• Serve as a technical liaison with multiple departments to ensure accurate online representation.
• Establish policies and procedures to optimize planning, promotion, and publication of campus activities and events.
• Connect with the development community to track latest trends and incorporate emerging technologies.
• Evaluate, purchase, and procure necessary products and services to support the University mission.
• Develop unique and innovative design solutions.
• Create wireframes and prototypes to visualize and communicate design concepts before implementation.
• Manage interaction of databases (e.g., MySQL, PHP, Oracle).
• Implement responsive design principles to ensure websites work well on various devices.
• Proficiently test and debug to ensure the reliability of code.
• Ensure websites work consistently across different web browsers.
• Use version control systems like Git for collaboration and code versioning.
• Implement and enforce web security best practices to protect against common vulnerabilities.
• Demonstrate ability to use multiple online tools and services for rapid updates and changes (DocuSign, SharePoint, JotForm, etc.).
• Integrate third-party APIs and develop custom APIs.
• Create visually appealing layouts, graphics, and images using design tools like Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, or Sketch.
• Understand user interface and user experience principles to create intuitive and user-friendly designs.

Requirements

• Proficiency in HTML5, CSS/CSS3, XML, and JavaScript for creating and manipulating code.
• Familiarity with popular website CMS management tools (WordPress, Nginx, Drupal, Joomla, etc.).
• Minimum of one to two years' experience in graphic design and/or designing and developing website and web marketing content.
• Desired technical skills including web banner design, user-interface design, knowledge of interactive marketing, creativity, and user-focused design.
• Certification in Web Development or related discipline preferred.
• 2+ years of web-application development experience.
• Proven track record of launching interactive websites/applications.
• Demonstrated development skills across a range of technologies including CSS, HTML/XHTML/WAP, ActionScript/JavaScript, and XML/XSLT.
• Experience in visual standard development and interest in interface design.
• Strong problem-solving skills to troubleshoot and debug issues in the development process.
• Familiarity with Unix command line interfaces for efficient development workflows.
• Willingness to stay up to date and learn new tools and techniques in web technologies.
• Efficient time management skills to meet project deadlines and deliver high-quality designs.

Nice-to-haves

• Experience working in an educational environment is a plus.