Position Summary(Basic Job Function)
This is a project pay position. Provides professional support. Responsibilities may include general business, science, medical, agricultural or other professional support functions.
Unit Position Summary
The A-CAPP Center seeks an experienced Brand Standards Professional to formalize & operationalize Center-specific brand standards across its publications, digital communications, social media, and outreach materials.
As an interdisciplinary academic center operating at the intersection of law, business, technology, and government at Michigan State University, the A-CAPP Center produces high-impact public-facing content for industry leaders, policymakers, scholars, students, media, and academic audiences.
The A-CAPP Center has existing institutional (MSU) and Center-level brand assets—including a newly developed website and evolving communications materials—but seeks to strengthen consistency by documenting and organizing these standards into a clear, practical brand guide for internal staff use. This role will build on existing Michigan State University brand standards and current A-CAPP Center materials to create an accessible, operational brand system that supports consistency, efficiency, and quality across Center communications.
The professional will codify existing visual standards, identify gaps, create audience-specific template systems, and establish practical guidance for staff producing public-facing materials. Audiences are: brand protection industry professionals (entry level, mid-career, and leadership); policymakers; law enforcement; academics; university students, and media and consumers.
This position is project based with outcomes to be delivered in the following phases:
Phase 1: Brand Inventory / Audit
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Review existing Center materials, including the newly developed website, publications, outreach materials, and social media assets, to identify current brand standards, established practices, and areas of inconsistency.
Phase 2: Brand Standards Development
- Develop a practical, internal-facing Center brand standards guide that aligns to Michigan State University brand standards and communications requirements.
- Create clear implementation guidance designed for day-to-day staff use to reduce ambiguity and improve consistency across outputs.
Phase 3: Template Creation
- Create standardized, editable templates in Canva for recurring institutional materials tailored to key Center audiences
Compensation will be a lump sum payment of $2,100.00 paid in three payments that coincide with the project phases. All three phases to be completed within 40 calendars days.
Desired Qualifications
Required Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree (minimum) in graphic design, communications, marketing, visual communications, branding, or a related field
- 5+ years of professional brand development, communications design, visual identity consulting, or creative direction experience
- Experience developing institutional brand standards, design systems, or visual communications guidelines
- Strong familiarity with policy, or professional-facing communications materials
- Exceptional attention to detail and strong visual design judgment
- Ability to synthesize and standardize visual identity across interdisciplinary subject matter and diverse audience needs
- Experience creating scalable template systems and brand implementation tools for organizational use
- Experience with publication formatting, digital communications, and outreach asset development
- Familiarity with Canva strongly preferred
Preferred Experience:
- Academic center, think tank, policy institute, higher education, or institutional communications experience
- Experience working within established university or institutional brand frameworks
- Experience designing communications for industry, practitioner, student, media, and academic audiences
- Familiarity with legal, business, technology, or policy communications
- Experience translating complex interdisciplinary content into accessible visual communications
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, age, disability or protected veteran status.
Required Application Materials
To be considered for this project, applicants must submit the following at the time of application:
- Cover letter
- Resume
- Portfolio with work samples
- 3 references (at least one that can speak to portfolio work)
Work Hours
ON-CALL
Website
a-capp.msu.edu
Remote Work Statement
MSU strives to provide a flexible work environment and this position has been designated as remote-friendly. Remote-friendly means some or all of the duties can be performed remotely as mutually agreed upon.
