Indianapolis Business Journal is looking for a talented news designer who knows how to tell stories through information graphics, illustrations and page layout and gets as excited about data and Excel as he or she does heat maps and Illustrator.
But the right candidate will also be curious and adventurous when it comes to artificial intelligence. We need someone who is excited about helping us look for ways to use AI to streamline some of our production processes, work with data to make strong graphics and make our online presentation more interesting.
The right candidate has some journalism experience or education, a curious and creative mind, can work quickly and accurately and has some experience working with AI.
IBJ is an award-winning and growing news organization that covers business, politics and community affairs with a weekly printed paper and daily digital presentation (see us at IBJ.com) with 13 different email newsletters. We also publish The Indiana Lawyer newspaper as a supplement to IBJ (TheIndianaLawyer.com). And we publish at least a dozen special publications, including the Indiana 250 (a list of influential leaders), Forty Under 40, Women of Influence, Excellence in Health Care and more.
Click here for some examples of the kind of graphics, illustrations and desk work we do at IBJ:
The designer in this position reports to a lead designer, who reports to the editor of IBJ. Our design staff of three currently includes specialists in layout, illustration and production. But everyone on the team does a little bit of everything. For this position, we’re looking for someone who can contribute illustration skills, which could be the ability to draw illustrations but also work digitally with existing art, stock art and even AI in the right situations and with the appropriate disclosures. Overall, we’re looking for a multi-talented designer who can be a team player.
Required skills:
- An understanding of visual journalism with experience creating information graphics and news layouts.
- Thorough understanding of the Adobe Creative Suite, with significant experience using InDesign and Illustrator. An ability to prepare photos for print and the web using Photoshop.
- The ability to develop illustrations.
- Experience with AI that moves beyond the basics. We are seeking someone who has worked with or to create AI agents or is willing and excited to learn.
- Ability to multi-task, moving from a timeline in one moment to a bar chart in another, and a willingness to whip up a locator map for the web when news breaks.
- The drive to meet deadlines but be creative while doing so.
Bonus skills
· An instinct for finding news in numbers.
· Experience with Excel or other spreadsheet programs.
· Ability to shoot photos and video.
· Web design or coding skills.
IBJ offers a chance to work in an affordable capital city with a metro area population of more than 2 million people but in a smaller newsroom with plenty of opportunity to make a big impact. In Indianapolis, you will find professional sports, world class museums and performance venues, and neighborhoods filled with great restaurants, bike trails and parks.
IBJ’s offices are located on the city’s historic Monument Circle—the literal and figurative heart of Indianapolis, just blocks from stadiums, the Statehouse, the City Market and much more. Our commutes are short, our public transportation is expanding and are city and suburbs are both thriving.
To apply, email a resume and cover letter explaining why the design position appeals to you to Editor Lesley Weidenbener (lweidenbener@ibj.com), Lead Designer Audrey Pelsor (apelsor@ibj.com) and Managing Editor Samm Quinn (squinn@ibj.com). Please attach samples of your work or include a link to an online portfolio. We’d love to see news projects you have worked on — including charts and maps and larger layouts, timelines and interactive graphics — and hear about how you tackled them. We’re also interested in anything you can show us that involved AI.