Freelance Graphic Designer

About Markham Markham is a fast-paced event consulting and production firm serving progressive political groups, Fortune 500 companies, associations, and nonprofit foundations worldwide. We bring strategy, creativity, and flawless execution together to produce high-impact events, campaigns, and experiences. Our Creative Team supports a wide range of work—from event branding and environmental graphics to presentations, digital campaigns, social content, and client-facing materials. We are expanding our freelance creative network and are looking for talented Graphic Designers who can jump in, hit the ground running, and bring strong creative thinking and attention to detail to a variety of projects. This is an opportunity to work alongside an experienced creative and event production team on projects that are often high-profile, deadline-driven, and highly visible. The Role As a Freelance Graphic Designer, you’ll support Markham’s Creative Team on a project-by-project basis. You’ll take creative direction and concepts and turn them into polished, compelling visual assets that meet both the creative vision and the practical demands of live events, campaigns, and client deliverables. Projects may range from a quick-turn presentation or social graphic to full event branding packages and large-format environmental graphics. The ideal freelancer is creative, collaborative, highly organized, and comfortable working at speed. You know how to take a brief, ask the right questions, work within brand guidelines, and deliver production-ready work without needing a lot of hand-holding. DMV-based designers are preferred for projects that may require occasional on-site event support. Experience working with public affairs, political, advocacy, nonprofit, corporate, or other mission-driven organizations is a plus. What You'll Do Design and produce high-quality creative assets across print and digital platforms, including presentations, signage, event collateral, social graphics, digital displays, and web assets Translate creative concepts and direction into thoughtful, visually compelling designs Work within established client brand guidelines while bringing creativity and a strong design perspective to the work Develop and format client-facing presentations using PowerPoint, Keynote, and/or Canva Create layouts, mockups, graphics, and production-ready files using Adobe Creative Suite Support event-related design needs, including large-format graphics, environmental graphics, signage, and digital displays Collaborate with Markham's Creative, Events, and other internal teams to develop and execute deliverables Incorporate feedback efficiently and make revisions while maintaining the overall creative vision Manage multiple projects, priorities, and deadlines at the same time Maintain organized working files and follow established file naming, version control, and asset management practices Jump in on quick-turn projects and help the team meet tight client deadlines when needed Provide occasional on-site creative support for events, particularly for DMV-based freelancers What We're Looking For We're looking for a designer who brings both strong creative instincts and strong execution skills. You should have: 3–5+ years of professional graphic design experience; agency, event, or other fast-paced environments preferred A strong portfolio demonstrating a range of print, digital, presentation, event, and/or branding work Excellent visual design skills and a strong eye for typography, composition, hierarchy, and detail The ability to work within established brand guidelines while finding opportunities to elevate the creative Strong communication and collaboration skills The ability to take direction, receive feedback, and work independently Excellent organization and time-management skills The ability to manage competing priorities and deliver high-quality work under tight deadlines A professional, solutions-oriented approach and the flexibility to jump between different types of projects Technical Skills Required: Adobe Creative Suite, including Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign Strong presentation design skills using Canva Nice to Have: After Effects and/or Premiere Pro Motion graphics and animation Web and digital design WordPress or basic HTML/CSS knowledge Experience preparing files for large-format and event production What Makes This Opportunity Different Markham's work moves quickly, and no two projects are exactly alike. As part of our freelance creative network, you may support a national campaign one week, an executive presentation the next, and a large-scale event production shortly after. You'll have the opportunity to: Work on high-impact events, campaigns, and experiences Collaborate with an experienced, multidisciplinary creative and event production team Work with a diverse range of clients and industries Take on projects that align with your availability and areas of expertise Build an ongoing relationship with Markham and be considered for future freelance opportunities Requirements Ability to work remotely with reliable communication and consistent turnaround times Availability to support quick-turn and deadline-driven projects, including occasional 24–72-hour requests Ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines simultaneously DMV-based candidates preferred for occasional on-site event support Ability to work as an independent freelance contractor in the United States This is a freelance/contract opportunity and is not eligible for employee benefits Compensation Compensation is project-based and will vary based on experience, scope, complexity, and turnaround time. When applying, please share your preferred freelance rate structure and typical range: Hourly rate Day rate Project-based rate Markham is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. If you believe you can contribute to this role and are excited about the opportunity, but do not meet every qualification listed, we encourage you to apply.