Posted:
7/14/2026, 7:21:21 AM
Location(s):
Springville, Utah, United States ⋅ Utah, United States
Experience Level(s):
Junior ⋅ Mid Level ⋅ Senior
Field(s):
Art, Graphics & Animation
Workplace Type:
On-site
Pay:
$65k/yr
Job Posting Title:
Graphic Designer & Donor Relations Specialist----
Hiring Department:
University Development Office----
Position Open To:
All Applicants----
Weekly Scheduled Hours:
40----
FLSA Status:
Exempt from FLSA----
Earliest Start Date:
Immediately----
Position Duration:
Expected to Continue----
Location:
UT MAIN CAMPUS----
Job Details:
What starts here changes the world.
The University of Texas at Austin, founded in 1883, ranks among the best universities in the world. With 76 programs ranked in the top 10, UT Austin is the #1 public university in Texas and the #7 public university in the nation.
Like the state it calls home, The University of Texas at Austin is a bold, ambitious leader supporting more than 55,000 students, 4,750 faculty, 15,000 staff and top national programs across 18 colleges and schools. Amid the backdrop of Austin, Texas, a city recognized for its creative and entrepreneurial spirit, the University provides a place to explore countless opportunities for tomorrow’s artists, scientists, athletes, doctors, entrepreneurs and engineers.
Learn more about UT’s mission and values and leadership.
The University of Texas at Austin is a thriving hub of learning and discovery that anchors our city and enables excellence and innovation on the highest level. And it’s only possible because generous supporters believe in the power and promise of our state’s flagship university to change the world. With more than $6 billion raised in the What Starts Here campaign, Texas Development is quickly becoming one of the best fundraising programs in public higher education.
Texas Development is a dynamic community of 500+ fundraising professionals across the Forty Acres. We strive to reach the highest levels of achievement and success in all that we do by creating meaningful and powerful experiences for our donors.
Follow your passion, grow your career and help us change the world.
The University provides a competitive benefits package that includes insurance and retirement benefits in addition to other programs and services.
Texas Development supports growth by offering professional development opportunities that help every team member accomplish their goals, enrich their skillset and deepen their engagement with UT.
Reporting to the Associate Director, Project Operations, the Graphic Designer & Donor Relations Specialist plays a critical role in shaping the end-to-end donor journey for Annual Giving Programs at The University of Texas at Austin. This position blends strategic design, storytelling, and donor stewardship to deepen engagement, increase retention, and build lifelong philanthropic relationships.
This role serves as both a creative lead for donor-facing communications and a stewardship strategist, responsible for designing compelling experiences that demonstrate impact and inspire engagement strategies, including supporting Longhorn Loyal and emerging student-focused giving initiatives.
This role is instrumental in strengthening the culture of philanthropy at UT Austin, an contributing to the university’s long-term fundraising success and directly influences donor engagement, retention, and pipeline development for Annual Giving Programs. By integrating strategic design with thoughtful stewardship, this position helps build meaningful donor experiences that cultivate long-term loyalty, from student giving through alumni engagement and beyond.
Conceptualize and produce high-impact visual communications – including impact reports, campaign assets, presentations, digital content, and stewardship materials – that clearly communicate donor impact and inspire action.
Translate complex fundraising priorities into compelling visual narratives that resonate with diverse donor audiences.
Partner closely with the Art Director and Annual Giving leadership to develop creative strategies aligned with campaign goals and donor engagement objectives.
Design scalable template and toolkits to ensure consistency and efficiency across campaigns and stewardship touchpoints.
Oversee print production, file preparation, and press checks.
Maintain and evolve UT Austin brand standards across all donor-facing materials.
Incorporate data visualization and infographics to highlight giving trends, donor impact and campaign success.
Photo-editing as needed.
Design and implement innovative donor stewardship strategies that deepen relationships and increase retention across Annual Giving audiences.
Develop personalized, multi-channel donor communications (print, email, video, ThankView, social) that demonstrate the impact of giving.
Support donor recognition and society experiences, including:
Working with Donor Relations to enhance Longhorn Loyal for current students (e.g., graduation cords, recognition moments, milestone communications).
Development of an Advocate segment recognizing multi-year student Advocates.
Partner with Donor Stewardship, RAD, and Annual Giving teams to align recognition strategies with broader university priorities.
Support segmentation strategies by tailoring messaging and design for key audiences (students, young alumni, loyal donors, advocates).
Write and edit compelling stewardship copy for thank you messages, impact stories, scripts, and donor outreach.
Ensure timely, personalized acknowledgement of gifts through handwritten notes, video messages, and other touchpoints.
Assist in planning and executing donor-facing events and recognition experiences.
Maintain and utilize donor data systems to track giving history, engagement, and stewardship activity.
Collaborate with RAD and internal teams to support data integrity and segmentation (e.g., Longhorn Loyal reporting, Advocate tracking).
Help define and operationalize donor society criteria and benefits, including:
Current student Longhorn Loyal segment (requiring data flags and tracking).
Advocate-based recognition for sustained peer-to-peer fundraising participation.
Leverage data insights to inform creative strategy, improve donor journeys, and optimize engagement.
Support adoption of new data tools (e.g., SPUR fields) for tracking and reporting donor engagement.
$65,000+ depending on qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in graphic design, Communications, Marketing, or related field.
Two or more years of professional graphic design or visual communications experience.
Strong portfolio demonstrating excellence in visual storytelling, layout, and concept development.
Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop) and Microsoft Office.
Experience designing for both print and digital platforms.
Two or more years of experience in fundraising, donor relations, or nonprofit communications.
Ability to translate strategy into compelling creative execution.
Strong writing and editing skills for donor-facing communications.
Experience managing multiple projects and meeting deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
Excellent collaboration and interpersonal skills.
Relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate.
Experience in higher education fundraising or Annual Giving programs.
Two or more years of professional graphic design or visual communications experience.
Familiarity with donor databases/CRMs and segmentation strategies.
Experience developing donor recognition programs or societies.
Knowledge of video storytelling tools, (e.g., ThankView or similar platforms) and video editing/production.
Understanding of donor lifecycle and retention strategies.
This position is based in Austin, Texas.
Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States. The University Development Office does not sponsor work visas for this position.
Works in standard office conditions, in a shared office environment, with repetitive use of a keyboard at a workstation.
Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM on-site work is the standard expectation for this position.
May require additional hours during peak periods and special events.
Regular and consistent attendance is required in this job.
Resume/CV
Three work references with contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisor
Letter of Interest
Important for applicants who are NOT current university employees or contingent workers: You will be prompted to submit your resume the first time you apply, then you will be provided an option to upload a new Resume for subsequent applications. Any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) will be uploaded in the Application Questions section; you will be able to multi-select additional files. Before submitting your online job application, ensure that ALL Required Materials have been uploaded. Once your job application has been submitted, you cannot make changes.
Important for Current university employees and contingent workers: As a current university employee or contingent worker, you MUST apply within Workday by searching for Find UT Jobs. If you are a current University employee, log-in to Workday, navigate to your Worker Profile, click the Career link in the left hand navigation menu and then update the sections in your Professional Profile before you apply. This information will be pulled in to your application. The application is one page and you will be prompted to upload your resume. In addition, you must respond to the application questions presented to upload any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) that were noted above.
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Employment Eligibility:
Regular staff who have been employed in their current position for the last six continuous months are eligible for openings being recruited for through University-Wide or Open Recruiting, to include both promotional opportunities and lateral transfers. Staff who are promotion/transfer eligible may apply for positions without supervisor approval.----
Retirement Plan Eligibility:
The retirement plan for this position is Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS), subject to the position being at least 20 hours per week and at least 135 days in length.----
Background Checks:
A criminal history background check will be required for finalist(s) under consideration for this position.
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Equal Opportunity Employer:
The University of Texas at Austin, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.
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Pay Transparency:
The University of Texas at Austin will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information.
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Employment Eligibility Verification:
If hired, you will be required to complete the federal Employment Eligibility Verification I-9 form. You will be required to present acceptable and original documents to prove your identity and authorization to work in the United States. Documents need to be presented no later than the third day of employment. Failure to do so will result in loss of employment at the university.
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E-Verify:
The University of Texas at Austin use E-Verify to check the work authorization of all new hires effective May 2015. The university’s company ID number for purposes of E-Verify is 854197. For more information about E-Verify, please see the following:
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Compliance:
Employees may be required to report violations of law under Title IX and the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act). If this position is identified a Campus Security Authority (Clery Act), you will be notified and provided resources for reporting. Responsible employees under Title IX are defined and outlined in HOP-3031.
The Clery Act requires all prospective employees be notified of the availability of the Annual Security and Fire Safety report. You may access the most recent report here or obtain a copy at University Compliance Services, 1616 Guadalupe Street, UTA 2.206, Austin, Texas 78701.
Website: https://www.utexas.edu/
Headquarter Location: Austin, Texas, United States
Employee Count: 10001+
Year Founded: 1883
IPO Status: Private
Last Funding Type: Grant
Industries: Education ⋅ Higher Education ⋅ Universities
Visa Sponsorship: Sponsors work visas