Protect our Land, Ascend with Us!

Ascension LLC seeks two experienced, creative, and strategically minded Graphic Designers to support the Hospital Communications Department at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC). You translate complex medical, military, and command information into clear, compelling visual communications for patients, families, staff, senior leaders, and public audiences. Your work supports understanding of hospital services, public health initiatives, command priorities, and the military medical mission while maintaining a consistent institutional brand.

The ideal candidate combines strong visual storytelling with disciplined production management. You bring a portfolio of effective print and digital design, advanced Adobe InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop skills, and experience in healthcare communications, military public affairs, or a similarly regulated, high-visibility setting. You exercise sound judgment when working with sensitive imagery and information and understand the importance of safeguarding patient privacy.

Summary of the Contractor Role

You manage assigned design projects from intake and concept development through stakeholder review, approval, and final production. Products include command publications, patient education materials, public health campaign graphics, environmental graphics, digital signage, social media content, infographics, and visual assets incorporating photography or video. You collaborate with writers, editors, video production staff, public affairs personnel, clinical subject matter experts, and command stakeholders to ensure that each product communicates the intended message accurately and appropriately.

This role requires an organized, self-directed professional who works effectively with minimal day-to-day guidance, anticipates production problems, and manages competing priorities in an event-driven environment. You clarify incomplete requests, establish realistic timelines, reconcile stakeholder feedback, and escalate risks early. You remain receptive to revisions while protecting quality, accuracy, brand consistency, and release controls. The Government retains final approval and public-release authority.

Core tools include Adobe InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop; pre-press and digital file preparation processes; production calendars; design request and approval trackers; brand templates; and organized source-file repositories. Premiere Pro and After Effects support preferred multimedia capabilities. You use Government-authorized systems and equipment and follow approved review, privacy, and information-handling procedures.

Activities and Responsibilities

Assess design requests with stakeholders to define the audience, purpose, message, product format, specifications, deadlines, and approval requirements.

Develop creative concepts, layouts, mockups, and visual approaches that support WRNMMC communication priorities and brand standards.

Design and produce command publications, brochures, patient education materials, campaign graphics, posters, environmental graphics, digital signage, and social media assets.

Translate complex medical, scientific, and command information into understandable infographics, diagrams, and visual aids in coordination with subject matter experts.

Manage assigned projects through a production calendar, setting milestones and balancing concurrent routine, high-priority, and time-sensitive requests.

Collaborate with writers, editors, public affairs staff, videographers, clinical experts, and leadership stakeholders to develop cohesive communications products.

Create and edit photographic and video assets for integration into visual products, coordinating specialized production needs with the video production team.

Prepare print-ready files, checking resolution, color settings, bleeds, fonts, linked assets, and production specifications before delivery.

Adapt approved designs for different digital platforms, display formats, and audience needs while maintaining consistent branding and message integrity.

Present concepts and final designs for review, consolidate feedback, resolve conflicting comments through the designated review chain, and document revisions.

Protect PHI and sensitive information in photographs, screenshots, graphics, captions, and source files; identify concerns and route them through required review channels.

Check final products for visual quality, accurate labels and data, approved content, correct formatting, and completeness before submission for sign-off.

Maintain organized working files, reusable templates, version histories, approved final assets, and project status records to support continuity and efficient retrieval.

Support hospital events, major initiatives, and crisis communications with coordinated visual materials and timely design updates.

Report project progress, approaching deadlines, production risks, and corrective actions to the designated Ascension lead and Government stakeholders.

Complete required onboarding and recurring training, safeguard Government equipment, and support orderly transfer of design files and records at transition.