Photographer

About ACU

ACU is affiliated with the fellowship of the Church of Christ. All applicants must be professing Christians and willing to support the Christian mission and purpose of Abilene Christian University while employed by the university.

Title of Position Photographer Posting Location Abilene, Texas Department Marketing & Strategic Communications Employee Class Exempt Full-time Basic Responsibilities

• Brand Representation
• Content Creation
• Collaboration and Strategic Planning
• Event Coverage
• Photo Equipment and Editing Knowledge
• Digital Asset Management

Essential Duties

Brand Representation

• Capture high-quality images that highlight the university's academic programs, campus facilities, student life, and community engagement that aligns with the university's brand guidelines.
• Ensure consistency in visual messaging across various marketing materials, maintaining a cohesive and compelling brand identity.
• Communicate effectively with colleagues and stakeholders to ensure alignment with the university's Christian ethos and branding guidelines.

Content Creation

• Shoot, edit and deliver high-quality images (and video footage as requested) to meet the university's needs for marketing, web, social media and news coverage.
• Develop a portfolio of images that effectively communicates the unique aspects of ACU to prospective students, donors, alumni, and the broader community.
• Produce visually engaging and dynamic photographs for use in digital and print marketing collateral, including brochures, websites, social media, and advertisements.

Collaboration and Strategic Planning

• Collaborate with marketing team and university partners to create visually engaging and dynamic photographs for use in digital and print marketing collateral, including brochures, websites, social media, and advertisements.
• Collaborate with the marketing team to understand campaign goals and develop a photography strategy that supports the overall marketing objectives.
• Manage time effectively to meet project deadlines and contribute to the timely delivery of marketing campaigns.
• Work closely with university staff, faculty, and students to understand their visual communication needs and tailor photography services accordingly.

Event Coverage

• Attend and capture key university events including but not limited to, Wildcat Week, Sing Song, graduation, chapel services, etc.
• Conduct professional and creative portrait sessions for faculty, staff, and students, ensuring a consistent and compelling visual identity for the university community.

Photo Equipment and Editing Knowledge

• Proficient in the use of professional photography equipment and editing software (e.g., Adobe Lightroom, Photoshop).
• Recommend purchase of photo and video equipment and materials and perform regular maintenance and repairs as necessary.
• Knowledge of current trends in photography and visual communication.

Digital Asset Management

• Organize, catalog, and maintain a comprehensive digital image library to ensure easy access and retrieval of high-quality photographs for various university departments and initiatives.
• Partner with the Marketing team to implement efficient file-naming and cataloging systems to enhance accessibility.

Professional Development Requirements

Skills

• Photographic Technique: Mastery of camera settings, lighting, composition, and shot framing to produce high-quality images.
• Editing and Post-Production: Proficiency in photo editing software (e.g., Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom) for enhancing images and creating visually compelling content.
• Convey a brand's message or a product's value proposition through powerful and engaging imagery.
• Ability to adapt to different shooting environments, subjects, and client needs, often under tight deadlines.
• Proven proficiency with photo and video camera, audio and lighting equipment in studio and field settings.
• Proven proficiency in photo post-production and retouching.
• Proven Proficiency preparing and uploading image and video files to digital asset management systems and archives.

Training Required

• Ongoing participation in photography and marketing seminars, webinars, and conferences to stay updated on industry trends and technologies.
• Obtain and keep current FAA Part 107 drone certification and operate drones. Required Qualifications (minimal skills needed to succeed at the job)

Qualifications

Professional

• Bachelor's degree in photography, Visual Arts, or a related field is preferred.
• Minimum of two years of professional experience in photography, videography and moon graphics/animation.
• Adobe Creative Cloud Suite (Lightroom, Photoshop, Premiere Pro, Aer Effects, Audion, Illustrator, Media Encoder, InDesign)
• Experience in higher education marketing or corporate photography is a plus.
• Experience photographing for both digital and print publications.
• Experience with staged, candid, studio, event, architectural, landscapes, portrait, group, product, photojournalism and tabletop photo shoots.
• Knowledge of social media platforms and trends to create content that is optimized for engagement and shareability.
• Proven experience in professional photography, particularly in event coverage, portrait photography, and promotional material creation.
• Portfolio showcasing a strong understanding of composition, lighting, and storytelling.

Personal

• Creative vision
• Attention to detail.
• The capability to clearly articulate ideas, listen to feedback, and effectively communicate with team members, clients, and subjects to achieve the desired photographic outcome.
• Creative and technical problem solving skills
• Cultural sensitivity and awareness
• Strong organizational and time management skills.
• Ability to maintain strict confidentiality.
• Ability to multitask, prioritize and manage multiple concurrent projects while meeting deadlines.
• Ability to work a flexible schedule including evenings and weekends.

Physical Demands

• Ability to carry and maneuver photography equipment over extended periods of time.
• Ability to travel to different locations
• Ability to sit for long periods of time at a computer
• Ability to communicate easily with audiences by phone, in person, text, email or videoconference.

Additional Information

ACU does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, sex, disability, genetic information, national or ethnic origin in employment opportunities, in keeping with applicable state and federal law.

ACU is committed to maintaining a safe and secure campus environment and protecting the university's financial and physical assets. Therefore, Abilene Christian University conducts background checks on all candidates for employment in security sensitive positions.