Graphics Artist, SME

Position Overview

Leidos is seeking an exceptional Graphic Design Subject Matter Expert and Visual Communication Strategist to support the Cyber National Mission Force Commander’s Action Group at U.S. Cyber Command through COSS 3.0 in Fort Meade, Maryland.

The successful candidate is a visual thinker and trusted creative adviser who can listen to an emerging idea, identify the message that matters, and make that message understandable through a compelling visual. You will work with senior leaders and mission experts to explain complex cyber operations, strategic priorities, organizational relationships and operational outcomes to audiences with different levels of technical knowledge.

You will lead assignments from discovery and concept development through production and revision. You will bring original ideas, explain your design choices, and deliver clear, accurate products that help leaders communicate and audiences understand the decision or action required.

Primary Responsibilities

- Lead discovery discussions with the Commander’s Action Group and mission experts to establish purpose, audience, essential message, evidence and desired outcome before selecting the visual format.
- Translate incomplete notes, complex narratives and technical information into original visual concepts, storyboards, infographics, diagrams, maps and leadership presentations. Offer distinct approaches and recommend the one that best serves the message.
- Design executive briefings, strategy graphics, decision visuals, campaign and mission overviews, placemats, reports and event materials. Adapt an approved concept across presentation, print and digital formats.
- Make cyber concepts understandable without changing their technical meaning. Confirm terminology, relationships, quantitative claims and depicted effects with the responsible subject matter experts.
- Build editable PowerPoint presentations and reusable vector graphics. Preserve live text, maintainable charts, source data references and organized production files so the team can revise products under deadline.
- Use advanced illustration, layout and image editing techniques to establish strong visual hierarchy, readable typography and purposeful use of color. Apply accessibility practices appropriate to the deliverable.
- Create motion graphics, short visual explainers or interactive prototypes when the communication objective and approved technology environment warrant them.
- Advise senior stakeholders on visual communication and provide constructive alternatives when the requested design obscures the message. Revise quickly and professionally as requirements evolve.
- Establish reusable templates, visual standards and an organized asset library. Mentor teammates and improve production methods to reduce avoidable rework and accelerate recurring products.
- Evaluate emerging design and AI-assisted methods against real communication needs. Use only customer-authorized tools and features with permitted information; validate outputs, protect source material and retain a workable approach when cloud or AI services are unavailable.
- Manage multiple priorities, communicate delivery estimates and coordinate technical, security and release reviews. Deliver approved products through the designated Government and Leidos channels.

Basic Qualifications

- Five or more years of professional graphic design or visual communication experience, including independent concept development and production of presentations for senior audiences. This proposed threshold requires confirmation against the approved SME job profile and contract qualifications before posting.
- Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) security clearance with a polygraph at the time of application, as specified in the supplied requisition draft. The FSO must confirm the required polygraph type, currency and customer acceptance before posting.
- A portfolio demonstrating original concept development and expert visual communication, including the ability to simplify a complex technical or strategic idea for a senior audience. Applicants should be able to explain the source problem, their personal contribution, design rationale and results.
- Advanced proficiency in Microsoft PowerPoint and professional vector and raster design tools such as Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, with strong command of typography, composition, information hierarchy and production quality.
- Demonstrated experience independently leading visual communication assignments from stakeholder discovery and initial sketches through a finished, editable product.
- Ability to interpret unfamiliar technical material, ask focused questions, distinguish evidence from assumptions and work with subject matter experts to verify accuracy.
- Experience supporting demanding senior stakeholders, incorporating direct feedback and delivering quality products under changing deadlines.
- Ability to create accessible presentations and documents using appropriate contrast, reading order, alternative text and captions as applicable; familiarity with applicable Section 508 authoring and testing practices.
- Working knowledge of computer networking concepts and terminology, with the ability to interpret technical relationships and verify visual explanations with cyber mission experts.
- Demonstrated understanding of formatting and information handling for classified and unclassified briefing environments.

Preferred Qualifications

- Associate’s or bachelor’s degree or higher in graphic design, visual communication, multimedia arts or a related discipline, consistent with the approved job profile and equivalency rules; with 8 or more years of experience.
- Experience advising a commander, general or flag officer, senior executive, chief of staff or comparable leadership team on high-consequence visual communications.
- Experience translating cyber, intelligence, defense, engineering, scientific or other complex technical subject matter into accurate visual explanations. Experience with a military command staff or Commander’s Action Group is particularly relevant.
- Advanced layout and publication skills using Adobe InDesign; motion design and video editing using After Effects or Premiere; or comparable capabilities demonstrated through work samples.
- Experience with Figma/FigJam or comparable tools for collaborative concept development, reusable design systems and prototyping; ability to deliver usable outputs in the customer’s approved formats.
- Experience using approved AI-assisted creative workflows for ideation and production, including prompt refinement, editing, verification, asset provenance and appropriate disclosure.
- Experience with data storytelling in Power BI or Tableau; geospatial storytelling with ArcGIS Pro or StoryMaps; or 3D explanatory visualization with Blender or comparable software, when supported by the mission need.
- Adobe Certified Professional credentials in Illustrator and Photoshop, the Adobe Visual Design specialty credential, or the Adobe AI Creative Workflows specialty credential; equivalent portfolio evidence and relevant advanced training are also valued.
- Demonstrated development through visual storytelling and information design programs such as Duarte VisualStory, Slide:ology or DataStory; relevant Nielsen Norman Group training; or DINFOS graphic design or multimedia education. Course completion is distinct from professional certification.

Portfolio

Submit three to five unclassified, publicly releasable or otherwise authorized work samples. Include at least one example that shows how an initial idea or dense source material became a clear visual product, and one editable presentation or diagram example where sharing is permitted. Identify your contribution to team projects. Synthetic or independently created examples are welcome when previous work cannot be shared. Do not submit classified, controlled or proprietary customer material.

If you're looking for comfort, keep scrolling. At Leidos, we outthink, outbuild, and outpace the status quo — because the mission demands it. We're not hiring followers. We're recruiting the ones who disrupt, provoke, and refuse to fail. Step 10 is ancient history. We're already at step 30 — and moving faster than anyone else dares.

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## Original Posting:
November 13, 2026

For U.S. Positions: While subject to change based on business needs, Leidos reasonably anticipates that this job requisition will remain open for at least 3 days with an anticipated close date of no earlier than 3 days after the original posting date as listed above.

## Pay Range:
Pay Range $82,550.00 - $149,225.00

The Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline only and not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Additional factors considered in extending an offer include (but are not limited to) responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data, applicable bargaining agreement (if any), or other law.