Graphic Designer - Gensler Research Institute

Graphic Designer

At Gensler, we design for people. We leverage our global perspective and local presence to innovate at every scale. We're not just designers. We're tinkerers, craftspeople, visionaries, innovators, and thought leaders. Fueled by passion and entrepreneurial spirit, our people bring new ideas to solve the world's most challenging problems, like designing a more resilient, inclusive, and equitable future for our communities and cities.

Our people-centered, "People First" culture and "One Firm-Firm" motto promote integrated teams that unite to shape the future of cities. Gensler's vision is to "Create a Better World through the Power of Design," and we do that through our deep commitment to our clients and by fostering a collaborative, diverse, and inclusive environment that enables our people to create impactful solutions together.

Your Role

The Gensler Research Institute is hiring a graphic designer to help shape how we communicate research, data, and insights across one of the most influential design platforms in the world. Our work at the Institute sits at the intersection of research, storytelling, and strategy — your work as a Graphic Designer will involve translating original insights into formats that drive action and spark conversations about the future of design. Our publications and content are leveraged widely across the firm, adapted into executive decks, digital tools, social graphics, and strategic toolkits that are seen and used by designers, clients, and changemakers around the world.

This role is part of the Institute's multi-disciplinary communications team, a high-visibility group working on everything from recurring reports like our Workplace Surveys, to our multi-chapter Research Catalogue and short-form research grant summaries, to internal toolkits and interactive data stories. You'll collaborate closely across our design team and alongside editors, strategists, analysts, and researchers to shape not just what our work looks like, but how it functions and lands.

This is a growth opportunity for a designer with strong editorial, digital, and presentation design skills. If you're curious about research, systems, and the real-world impact of design on people's lives, keep reading. We're looking for a team player who brings ideas to the table, wants to understand the content, and knows how to elevate it visually with intelligence and care.

**This position is based onsite (5 days a week) in either our New York or Washington, DC office**

What You Will Do

• Contribute to key research communications and publications including the multi-chapter Research Catalogue, executive-ready presentations, data-driven infographics, and concise visual summaries of grant-funded work.
• Develop layout systems that scale across formats: from editorial reports and editable decks to web-ready graphics and toolkit documents.
• Translate complex content into clear visual narratives by partnering closely with editors, analysts, and researchers across the Institute.
• Manage ongoing design iterations, incorporating stakeholder feedback with attention to quality, consistency, and version control.
• Support visual strategy for internal tools and campaigns, including presentations, web banners, newsletter assets and other deliverables tied to research rollouts.
• Produce motion or interactive graphics for digital channels and storytelling use cases.
• Adapt and evolve with the design landscape, including experimenting with generative AI tools and staying informed on how they can augment thoughtful design execution.

Your Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design, Visual Communication, or similar field.
• 2-5 years of experience in graphic communication, presentation and/or editorial design.
• A portfolio of print and digital experience that communicates clarity, structure, and taste.
• Comfortable navigating long-form content, and have a sharp eye for layout, visual hierarchy, typography, and story structure.
• Fluency in Adobe Creative Cloud (InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop); After Effects and Figma are a plus.
• Organized, proactive, and confident managing multiple timelines; able to version efficiently and incorporate feedback from multiple stakeholders.
• Bonus if you've worked with motion graphics, interactive storytelling, or data visualizations.
• Highly organized, self-directed, and dependable across timelines and deliverables.
• Someone who's curious about how AI is reshaping design workflows, and eager to experiment, apply, and adapt.