Senior Designer

Position summary and responsibilities 

The Senior Graphic Designer owns design direction for the Museum's public facing work. The role takes projects from the question behind them through to the finished asset: interpreting what an exhibition or campaign needs to communicate, deciding the visual approach, and presenting that thinking to the people who need to back it. 

The role sits in the Creative Studio, a team of around ten covering design, video, photography, editing and web content. It is one of three senior design roles. It works closely with teams across the Museum, including marketing, exhibitions, retail and digital, and with external suppliers, printers and commissioned illustrators. 

A significant proportion of the studio's work is not briefed by other teams. The Senior Graphic Designer is frequently responsible for defining what the work is before designing it, drawing requirements out of colleagues and turning them into work that reaches an audience. 

The role has no direct reports. It supports the Creative Studio Manager in lifting the standard of design across the Museum and contributes to building the studio's creative product as its operating model develops.

Experience 

The Senior Graphic Designer will have demonstrated experience and results in the following areas: 

• Taking open or undefined briefs and returning with original ideas, a clear direction and the reasoning behind them. 
• Delivering high quality design across print, digital and large format production, evidenced by a portfolio that shows the thinking as well as the finished work. 
• Designing multi-page publications and carrying a title end to end, including cover direction and print production. 
• Presenting and defending creative thinking to people who are not designers, and drawing requirements out of teams that have not written a brief. 
• Applying and extending an existing visual identity across multiple formats and touchpoints. 
• Managing several concurrent projects to deadline, including end to end production with external suppliers and printers. 
• Designing in a way that is culturally sensitive and inclusive, with an understanding of the role cultural institutions play. 

It is highly desirable that the Senior Graphic Designer also has the following experience: 

• Creative or strategic leadership, particularly in an agency, design studio or creative organisation. 
• Commissioning and art directing illustrators, or illustration practice of their own. 
• Motion graphics, or an understanding of design within motion. 
• Magazine or cultural publication work specifically. 

Skills and competencies 

Technical skills 

Mandatory 

• Adobe Creative Suite, particularly InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop 
• Figma 
• Macintosh platform 
• Print production and prepress, including specification, proofing and colour management 
• Large format and spatial graphic production 
• Accessibility and digital design standards 

Desirable 

• After Effects or equivalent motion tools 
• Illustration 
• Photography direction 

Core competencies 

Mandatory 

• Conceptual thinking and idea generation 
• Typography and editorial layout 
• Presentation and articulation of creative reasoning 
• Stakeholder management across non-design audiences 
• Time management and management of competing priorities 
• Attention to detail through to final production 

Desirable 

• Creative direction of other designers or external creatives 
• Brand development, as distinct from brand application 
• Commercial awareness of design as a retail product 

Personal attributes 

• Comfortable working through ambiguity while the studio's operating model is being established 
• Self-starting where no brief exists, and willing to go and find the work rather than wait for it 
• Collaborative by preference, not by instruction. This role cannot be done well in isolation 
• Curious, with an active interest in design, culture and what other people are making 
• Demonstrates the Museum's values of leadership, collaboration and connection, courage and innovation, agility and resilience, and respect and integrity 

The formal detail 

Eligibility 

Applicants must be Australian citizens and undergo pre-employment checks, including a national police history check. 

APS capabilities 

Positions at the Museum are assessed in accordance with the Australian Public Service Commission Role Evaluation Framework. The occupant of this position is expected to demonstrate the capabilities, skills and knowledge described by the Work Level Standards, the Integrated Leadership System Capabilities, the APS Values and Code of Conduct, and the APS Legislative Framework. 

Equal opportunity 

The National Museum of Australia is an equal employment opportunity workplace. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and those from culturally diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply for roles at the Museum. 

RecruitAbility 

RecruitAbility applies to this vacancy. Under RecruitAbility, applicants who declare a disability and meet the minimum requirements for the position will be invited to participate in further assessment activity. 

Child safety 

The Museum is committed to ensuring a child-safe and child-friendly environment. All employees are expected to demonstrate a commitment to, and support for, these principles in theory and practice. 

Adjustments 

Reasonable adjustments are available at any stage of the recruitment process. 

Accessibility 

If you are deaf, hearing or speech impaired, you can contact us through the National Relay Service. TTY 133 677, Speak and Listen 1300 555 ***. 

To Apply

Applicants must include a 2 page pitch addressing their suitability for the role against the essential and desirable skills. Applicants must also provide a CV and contact details for 2 referees.

Visit https://www.nma.gov.au/about/employment and apply online.

Applications close 11:59pm, Wednesday 30 September 2026.