Graphic Designer III

Senior Graphic and Creative Design contractor

New York Life Investments seeks a seasoned, full time graphic design contractor, with brand and creative direction experience, through December 31, 2025 to join our in-house creative services team. In this role, you'll help shape our brand's visual identity across digital and traditional channels, directing both internal initiatives and external agency work. The ideal candidate combines strategic creative vision with hands-on design expertise in Adobe Creative Suite, delivering sophisticated, premium experiences that align with business objectives. This dynamic position requires both creative excellence and business acumen, with a focus on collaborative leadership and measurable results. While remote work is available, we prefer hybrid arrangement based 2 days per week in NYC or Jersey City.

Essential Job Functions (Duties/Responsibilities)

• Creative Direction Leadership: Ideation, conceptualization and development of creative direction for campaigns and brand sprint projects, ensuring outcomes are both visually stunning and strategically aligned. Must have ability to present and explain creative concepts to business stakeholders.
• Hands-On Design: Drive and effect the design process, demonstrating exceptional skill and efficiency.
• Conceptualize, create, and oversee high-quality graphics, illustrations, and layouts for a variety of print and digital materials, including advertising, social media campaigns, email marketing, experiential marketing, sales materials, web properties, experiential/event marketing, video & audio content.
• Lead and support the creation of visual content as needed, including images, graphics, and layouts.
• In partnership with the digital marketing teams, design and develop digital media elements including email campaigns, newsletters, components and social media graphics.
• Team Collaboration: Collaborate within the Brand & Creative Services team, across Digital and Cross-Channel teams and across Marketing, Sales and business owners to understand goals and requirements and translate concepts into visually engaging designs and experiences. Work across all areas of production including graphic design, digital, and video.
• Project Ownership: Be accountable to outcomes; manage deliverables against project plans and timelines.
• Brand Building and Management: Deliver complete, polished brand identities, including logo systems, case studies, and digital assets.
• Develop and maintain brand consistency across all platforms, ensuring design elements align with our brand identity and guidelines and communicate information accurately and effectively.
• Stay up-to-date with the latest industry trends, competitive landscape, technologies, and best practices to ensure we are producing fresh and relevant creative work.
• Contribute to development of overall marketing and branding strategies, including visual systems and all facets of brand expression
• Manage the brand's visual identity, including evolving and managing brand guidelines, resources, and governance.
• Vendor and agency management: Provide guidance to external design resources and agencies, fostering a collaborative and creative partnership.

What we re looking for:

• Creative proficiency and creative chops
• Understanding how to connect brand and creative with business goals and audiences
• A resilient and can-do attitude and collaborative orientation
• Responsive, demonstrating high accountability and ownership of projects
• Ability to work with a variety of collaborators and stakeholders, including internal business partners, marketing colleagues, agencies, and vendors, to bring creative concepts to life.

Mandatory Qualifications:

• Proven experience (8 years) as a Graphic Designer with brand and creative direction responsibilities, preferably in financial services
• Advanced skills in Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, Acrobat Pro); experience with AEM and Figma preferred but not required
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to present and explain design concepts to non-design stakeholders.
• Strong portfolio showcasing a diverse range of design projects, with an emphasis on financial or B2B-related materials.

Preferred Qualifications

• Proficiency in using Microsoft Office Suite applications.
• Detail-oriented with a keen eye for typography, imagery, color, and layout
• Strategic, results-orientated, and able to work both independently and within a team environment.
• Problem-solver and self-starter, with ability to work efficiently on multiple projects to meet deadlines

Potential for full-time conversion based on performance and business needs.--