Specialist - Graphic Design

Mercer is seeking a creative and organized Graphic Designer with a strong background in direct mail to support the Voluntary Benefits Communications Team. This hybrid role based in Urbandale, Iowa involves delivering print and digital assets while coordinating multiple projects across several communications specialists, maintaining high quality under tight deadlines.

Responsibilities

• Create direct mail assets such as postcards, letter packages, self-mailers, and dimensional mailers, and develop supporting digital and print collateral including email banners, landing pages, brochures, and advertisements.
• Manage and update templates for recurring direct mail programs and multi-channel campaigns.
• Handle multiple concurrent projects from various communications specialists, prioritizing requests, tracking progress, and delivering on schedule while preserving quality.
• Revise promotional materials through every stage of the approval and production cycle to ensure accuracy, brand fidelity, and production readiness.
• Prioritize incoming requests from different stakeholders, staying highly organized and flexible to re-prioritize as needs change.
• Collaborate closely with copywriters, communications specialists, and print production vendors to align creative concepts, messaging, and timelines.
• Contribute constructively in creative reviews, incorporate stakeholder feedback, and iterate rapidly to meet project goals.
• Identify and address production challenges early, proposing practical, cost- and time-efficient solutions for print or delivery issues.
• Maintain high creative and quality standards under tight deadlines, balancing speed with meticulous attention to detail.
• Enforce brand guidelines across all touchpoints and suggest template or workflow improvements to enhance consistency and efficiency.
• Organize and maintain project assets, version histories, proofs, and production specifications for easy retrieval and auditability.

Requirements

• 5+ years of professional graphic design experience with demonstrated direct mail work.
• Expert-level proficiency in Adobe Creative Cloud (InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop); familiarity with Acrobat preflight and PDF/X standards.
• Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design, Visual Communications, or related field, or equivalent professional experience.
• Strong understanding of prepress, print production, and direct-mail manufacturing (dielines, scoring, perforations, inks, CMYK vs spot, trapping, color management), plus working knowledge of mail regulations and USPS requirements (mail sortation, IMb/barcodes, indicia).
• Proficiency in digital production workflows, Microsoft PowerPoint, and basic HTML/CSS; able to create and edit presentation-ready slide decks, export assets for web and print, and support email/landing-page handoffs or simple front-end edits.
• Excellent attention to detail and a commitment to delivering error-free, production-ready files.
• Strong communication skills; comfortable coordinating with internal stakeholders and external vendors.
• Portfolio demonstrating direct mail projects, typography, layout, and problem-solving across print and digital.

Technologies

• Adobe Creative Cloud (InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop)
• Acrobat preflight
• PDF/X standards
• Microsoft PowerPoint
• HTML/CSS