Design Intern (Fall 2021)

Fireside Campaigns is a values-first firm that integrates public relations, digital strategy, and data-driven analytics to create full-service communications for movement partners. The firm supports exciting candidates and non-profit clients who are working to reform and safeguard America’s democracy, hold power accountable, and ensure everyone has a chance to thrive in this country. You can read more about us and some of our clients on our website.

Fireside Campaigns works to transform our country into one that truly lives by the best values that it professes. We’ve personally expressed our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion through our work on behalf of progressive clients, Democratic candidates, and movement partners since the day we were founded. We understand that we’ve sometimes fallen short of ensuring that same diversity within the ranks of our own firm and are actively seeking to remedy it. That is why we are redoubling our commitment to promoting racial equity inside our organization, its operations, and its management processes. We want Fireside to be a place where everyone feels welcome, everyone has an environment where they can feel confident and safe, and where everyone can succeed.

That is why equal employment opportunity is a guiding principle for us. We are committed to ensuring a workplace where employment and promotional opportunities are based upon individual capabilities and qualifications without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, sexual orientation, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status or any other protected characteristic as established under law.

We are looking for a creative self-starter who is excited to enter the field of political graphic and/or political web design. As this is an entry-level role, you may not feel remotely “professional” yet, but you SHOULD have a passion for design, an eye for what just looks right and the desire to use your skills to make our world a better place. You look at graphics from campaigns and organizations and always have strong feelings about whether or not the design was sophisticated and creative or a boring dud. You have favorite campaign logos and opinions on campaign websites. More than anything, you should be excited to work with our clients, gain further proficiency in design tools, and learn from our team.

This internship is for Fall 2021, September-December.

• Assist in all aspects of design for a variety of campaigns and organizations, which may include anything from designing email graphics, social media images and ads, to working with animation, infographics, or website creative
• Provide support with finding effective stock photography, vector graphics, icons, or other design elements from any number of repositories online
• Provide support with creative research and design inspiration
• Offer feedback and ideas during critiques as we work to create the best pieces possible for our clients
• Other duties as assigned

Be prepared to increase your proficiency in the tools of our trade and in your ability to apply your creative skills to all aspects of progressive campaigns.

• Commitment to progressive values, causes, and politics
• Interest in political campaigns or activism
• Excitement about design and its increasingly important role in this work
• Good eye for detail and instinctive sense for what ‘works’ and doesn’t
• A creative streak and thirst to learn more
• Desire to learn the language of political design and how it differs from design in the private sector
• Basic familiarity with Photoshop, as well as other design tools

Fireside Internships are open to anyone who is interested in learning more about a specific skill set and our field -- they are not restricted to traditional, 4-year students.

• HTML/CSS/JS ability and interest in coding design or webdev
• Experience working with data visualization
• Experience designing logos or branding
• Bilingual or multilingual

This position pays $15.75 per hour. Schedule will be flexible at 15-40 hours per week and includes PTO.

At Fireside Campaigns, to ensure pay equity, all salaries are set in bands according to the expectations of the role. In other words, the hourly pay for this job is equal to others at the same level throughout the company.

Location: Remote, anywhere in the US. We have an office in Washington, D.C., but we are working from home due to the pandemic. When it is safe to do so, working in the D.C. office will be optional.

Please fill out our form here.

Please include your portfolio if you have one (either a file or a URL) or some samples of your work.

This internship posting is for the fall – applications are due on Sunday, July 11th th at 11:59 PM ET.

In your application, we would like you to answer the following:

• Why do you choose to work for Democratic candidates and progressive causes? (25 to 100 words)
• How have you centered equity & inclusion in your own life? (25 to 150 words)
• Tell us what you would like to get out of an internship with us? (25 to 150 words)
• How do you feel that this internship will help you achieve your future goals? (25-150 words)

A cover letter is entirely optional and will be a small part of our evaluation.

Qualified candidates will participate in a series of interviews with a range of staff at Fireside Campaigns. Be prepared to take a brief skills assessment later in the hiring process. This test will be to gauge your current skill level and eye through creating an effective design from messaging instructions, using a given set of branding. We will be interested in your interpretation of the directions and the choices you made with the branding elements provided to you as well as the general aesthetics of your final piece.

Fireside Campaigns believes that a diverse, inclusive staff is a fundamental strength. We’re committed to hiring people of all races, ethnicities, religions, ages, sexes, genders, sexual orientations, and gender identities. People of color, women, LGBTQ individuals, and members of other minority or marginalized groups are strongly encouraged to apply.