Graphic Design Manager

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Graphic Design Manager

Communications - New York , New York (Hybrid)

Department

Communications

Employment Type

Full-Time

Minimum Experience Manager/Supervisor

Compensation 83,6000-90,000 USD annually

Organizational Overview

Smile Train is the world’s leading cleft-focused organization. Our vision is a world where everyone has access to safe, high-quality comprehensive cleft care and can live a full and healthy life. We train and support doctors and other medical professionals to provide our patients with free, life-changing, comprehensive cleft treatment. This sustainable model has allowed us to support more than 2 million cleft surgeries in 95+ countries since our founding in 1999, and we’re still just getting started. We are truly changing the world one smile at a time!

Make a Difference!

As Smile Train’s Graphic Design Manager they will serve as the

day-to-day leader of Smile Train’s design function, helping execute the organization’s visual identity, creative strategy, and design ecosystem. The role ensures creative work strengthens the Smile Train brand while advancing fundraising, advocacy, thought leadership, and audience engagement goals.

Working closely with the broader creative and communications teams, the Graphic Design Manager translates organizational priorities into compelling, audience-centered visual experiences across digital, social, print, campaigns, events, donor communications,

and executive initiatives.

The Graphic Design Manager sets a high bar for creative excellence and consistency across the organization. They establish and uphold design standards, guide designers and freelancers, and help the team evolve its creative practice by bringing a deep understanding of contemporary design, digital and social best practices, audience behavior, and emerging creative trends. The role is expected to go beyond execution, using strategic thinking and performance insights to continually strengthen how Smile Train shows up visually across channels.

Key Responsibilities

Creative Strategy & Brand Leadership

• Help shape and evolve Smile Train’s global visual identity.
• Partner with Communications leadership to develop creative strategies supporting organizational goals.
• Translate audience insights and campaign objectives into effective visual concepts.
• Ensure creative work supports fundraising, advocacy, awareness, and thought leadership priorities.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen brand consistency and visual differentiation.

Creative Development & Campaign Leadership

• Lead the design and development of integrated campaigns across digital, social, web, email, events, donor communications, advocacy, and thought leadership initiatives.
• Develop creative concepts from initial brief through final execution.
• Present and articulate creative rationale to internal stakeholders.
• Partner with Editorial and Video leadership to create cohesive storytelling experiences.
• Ensure all creative assets meet high standards for quality, accessibility, and brand consistency.

Design Systems & Governance

• Maintain and evolve Smile Train’s brand standards and visual guidelines.
• Develop templates, toolkits, and creative resources for global teams.
• Establish scalable design systems that improve consistency and efficiency.
• With Global Brand Creative Director, review and approve creative assets, produced by freelancers, agencies, and regional teams.
• Ensure visual representation aligns with ethical storytelling principles and organizational values.

Audience Experience & Innovation

• Apply audience insights, user behavior, and performance data to improve creative effectiveness.
• Monitor trends in design, digital experiences, accessibility, motion, and emerging technologies.
• Explore innovative approaches to storytelling, design systems, AI-assisted creative workflows, and content creation.
• Champion user-centered design principles across all communications efforts.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Serve as a strategic creative partner to Programs, Fundraising, Partnerships, Advocacy, and Executive Leadership.
• Collaborate closely with Editorial, Video, Social Media, and Internal Communications teams.
• Support campaign planning and integrated communications initiatives.
• Facilitate design planning across departments…