Creative Specialist

Creative Specialist

Temporary position — 12.5 months (leave coverage)

Organization: Grain Farmers of Ontario
Reports to: Director, Communications
Location and work arrangement: Hybrid; Guelph, ON.
Anticipated start date: January 2027
Compensation: $73,120 - $86,800

About Grain Farmers of Ontario

Grain Farmers of Ontario is the province’s largest commodity organization, representing Ontario’s 28,000 barley, corn, oat, soybean and wheat farmers. The crops we grow cover 6 million acres of farmland across the province, resulting in over $27 billion in economic output, and are responsible for over 92,000 jobs in the province.

At Grain Farmers of Ontario, we foster a collaborative, high-integrity workplace built on teamwork, honesty, kindness, and a strong work ethic. Success at GFO is a collective effort; every role is interconnected, and we work together to achieve our shared goals in support of our farmer-members. We take pride in our team-oriented culture, where every position contributes to creating a business environment that maximizes value for our members.

Learn more about us at www.gfo.ca

About the Opportunity

We are hiring a Creative Specialist for a 12.5-month temporary position to cover a leave. In this role, you will help bring agricultural stories to life for farmers, industry, and consumers through compelling visual design and communications materials.

Reporting to the Director, Communications, you will manage the visual identity of the Grain Farmers of Ontario and Good in Every Grain brands. You will collaborate across departments to develop creative materials, guide brand use, and oversee design, layout, and production for a variety of projects.

Our ideal candidate has a collaborative nature with expertise in graphic design, experience overseeing a brand, and a passion for creating visually pleasing marketing assets.

What You Will Do

· Manage the Grain Farmers of Ontario and Good in Every Grain brands, develop and maintain brand guidelines, and guide staff and vendors in their use.

· Work with the managing editor to lead the visual design and layout of Ontario Grain Farmer magazine (nine issues annually) and other organizational publications.

· Collaborate with departments to understand their needs and provide design advice and creative services for programs and projects.

· Create engaging communications materials, including publications, marketing collateral, signage, vehicle wraps, and other print and digital assets.

· Coordinate with external partners and vendors on brand use, production, printing, and delivery of creative materials.

· Collaborate with the team to manage the communications asset library, keeping photos, videos, templates, and related information organized and accessible.

· Develop and maintain procedures for storing, organizing, and managing digital artwork and layout files throughout the communications process.

· Support organizational events and communications team activities, build effective working relationships across GFO, and assist with other duties as needed.

What You Bring

· A college diploma in graphic design or a related field.

· 4+ years of layout and design experience.

· Magazine layout experience is an asset.

· Strong knowledge of graphic design, visual communication, creative design principles, and brand management, with the ability to maintain a consistent visual identity across print, digital, publication, event, and promotional materials.

· Advanced proficiency with Adobe Creative Cloud, particularly InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, and Acrobat, and working knowledge of WordPress and HTML.

· Knowledge of print and digital production processes and experience preparing creative materials for a variety of formats.

· Knowledge of digital asset and file management, including organization, storage, version control, and retrieval.

· Strong organizational skills and the ability to independently manage multiple creative projects, competing priorities, production requirements, and deadlines.

· Strong consultation, collaboration, and interpersonal skills, including the ability to understand internal client needs, provide design advice, and guide appropriate brand use.

· A collaborative mindset, sound judgment, critical thinking, integrity, and the ability to work independently and as part of a team.

· Proficiency with Microsoft 365, including Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint.

· Experience in the Ontario agricultural industry is an asset.

What We Offer

Grain Farmers of Ontario is a team of passionate, hardworking people focused on teamwork and collaboration to bring the greatest value to our farmer-members. We offer competitive salary and 5 paid sick days and competitive vacation time. We value supporting our team members to reach their full potential by offering every employee the opportunity for learning and development through our development-focused performance management system. We also like to have a little fun! We have an active social committee providing fun and interesting social events.

Working Conditions

This role involves sustained visual concentration, detailed design work, and adapting to multiple priorities and interruptions. You must be willing to work extended hours, evenings, and weekends as required. Occasional event support may involve lifting or moving materials and equipment, and travel or work outside regular office hours may be required.

Applications

Submissions must be in the form of a resume with an accompanying cover letter detailing your experience and qualifications relative to the position.

Please provide a portfolio of your creative work with your application.

Accessibility and accommodation: Grain Farmers of Ontario are committed to a fair and inclusive work environment. We will endeavor to accommodate the needs of qualified applicants in all parts of the hiring process. If you require accommodation during the hiring process, please reach out to Human Resources at [email protected].

All resume information is received in confidence. While we appreciate and thank all applicants, we will directly contact only those candidates selected for an interview.