Experience Designer

Pomona College • Claremont, MN

14d • $26 • Onsite

About The Position

Thank you for your interest in the Rick and Susan Sontag Center for Collaborative Creativity (the Hive). The Hive is an interdisciplinary, intercollegiate creativity and innovation center for students at all seven Claremont Colleges. The Hive’s work is focused on cultivating creative capacity, collaborative skills, and enhancing the educational experience of diverse students. We especially welcome applications from candidates belonging to groups that have been historically underrepresented in higher education, including women, racial and ethnic minorities, LGBTQIA people, and people with disabilities. ABOUT POMONA COLLEGE: Located near Los Angeles, California, Pomona College is widely regarded as one of the nation's premier liberal arts colleges. Established in 1887, Pomona College is known for small classes, a challenging curriculum, close relationships between students and faculty, and a range of student research and leadership opportunities. Pomona is a member of The Claremont Colleges. JOB PURPOSE The Experience Designer is an entry-level position at the Hive who works to inspire creative confidence and enhance the creative capacity of students, faculty, staff, and visitors across The Claremont Colleges. Working directly with full time staff of the Hive, the Experience Designer supports the management and maintenance of the Hive space and operations, mentors junior student staff, designs and executes programming events, contributes to a culture of creativity and design, creates a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere for all guests, and promotes the Hive’s mission to the community. WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR Qualities of a Successful Experience Designer Genuine desire to support and welcome diverse populations at the Hive with patience, good judgment, hospitality, empathy, and helpfulness An understanding and interest in design thinking and human-centered design Ability to function as a self-starter A team/collaborative mindset Reliability and commitment to following through on responsibilities Clear communicator with a strong attention to detail Desire for learning new skills Tolerance for ambiguity and complex situations that are often fluid CORE OPERATIONS AND DUTIES The Experience Designer role is hands-on, in-person, and highly collaborative. No two days are the same. You will wear many hats and share a number of responsibilities. As an Experience Designer, you will steward: AN INCLUSIVE ATMOSPHERE: Welcoming students, faculty, staff, and visitors to the Hive, including conducting tours, and sharing information about resources and programs. RELATIONSHIPS + COMMUNITY-BUILDING: Developing relationships and collaborating with students, faculty, and staff of the 7Cs to create new opportunities and programs and connect communities. STUDENT STAFF SUPERVISION: Create a bridge between student staff and senior staff to deliver a meaningful user experience and meet Hive goals. This includes effective mentoring and management of student employees; establishing and communicating clear expectations; coaching student staff on tasks, projects, schedules, and timekeeping. INSTRUCTOR SUPPORT: Assisting instructors of courses and workshops sponsored by the Hive, including workshop design, technology support, space set-up, and course materials. SPACE MANAGEMENT: Monitor, maintain, and improve Hive spaces including assessing equipment needs, supplies, and developing procedures and processes for effective operation. PROJECT MANAGEMENT: Design, lead, and execute workload for both collaborative and independent projects, including managing timelines, budgets, delegation, and task prioritization. FACILITATION: Facilitating activities and select workshops, which may include students, faculty, staff, and community members. COMMUNICATION: Effective and timely communication internally and externally, both in person and digitally. SPECIALIZED OPERATIONS AND DUTIES The Hive employs 3 Experience Designers who cover a variety of responsibility areas. This year we seek a candidate who can take ownership of the following: Co-curricular programming Co-leading the development of the program of events each semester with Hive staff and event facilitators, including program curation, managing communications with partners, and logistical coordination. Designing and creating digital and physical programming calendar and event flyers for display, posting, and distribution. Communicate with event facilitators and Communications team to execute effective outreach. Lead the planning and execution of at least 2 program events per semester. Customer Relationship Management Maintenance Support the ongoing maintenance of the program’s customer relationship management (CRM) system to track students, partners, alumni, and project outcomes. Ensure data quality through regular audits, updates, and documentation of CRM processes. Generate reports and dashboards to inform strategic planning, partnership development, and student engagement. Train staff and student workers on CRM use and best practices. Curriculum Research & Pathway Development Conduct research, comparative analysis, and stakeholder interviews to inform the design of human-centered design and social innovation curricular pathways at the 5Cs. Support the development of new academic offerings, including a certificate program and potential major/minor structures for The Claremont Colleges. Operations and space management Co-coordinating and co-staffing adequate coverage of common spaces to welcome and assist guests. Maintaining and resetting making spaces, classrooms, and meeting spaces, including the overall care, safety, and appearance of the Hive for workshops, classes, and activities. Maintaining, organizing, and restocking of making spaces, prototyping carts, and classroom materials and supplies. Leading and supervising student staff to manage spaces, workshops, and ensure a valuable experience for all users at the Hive. Supporting in the maintenance, repair, organization, and resetting of classrooms, prototyping carts, makerspaces, study/lounge areas, and supplies. ADDITIONAL REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS Familiarity with the hive, its mission, and what it offers The Claremont Colleges. Demonstrated knowledge leading teams and teaching in group settings. Use appropriate organizational and time management skills to prioritize and perform multiple projects and tasks, meet deadlines and timelines, respond to others in a timely manner with a high standard of accuracy, attention to detail, and ethics. Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (especially Word and Outlook email and calendar), AirTable, Adobe Creative Suite, Slack, Mailchimp, and Zoom. HTML knowledge a plus. Be proactive about creating and developing new projects, as well as building new relationships across campuses and the wider community.

Requirements

• Genuine desire to support and welcome diverse populations at the Hive with patience, good judgment, hospitality, empathy, and helpfulness
• An understanding and interest in design thinking and human-centered design
• Ability to function as a self-starter
• A team/collaborative mindset
• Reliability and commitment to following through on responsibilities
• Clear communicator with a strong attention to detail
• Desire for learning new skills
• Tolerance for ambiguity and complex situations that are often fluid
• Familiarity with the hive, its mission, and what it offers The Claremont Colleges.
• Demonstrated knowledge leading teams and teaching in group settings.
• Use appropriate organizational and time management skills to prioritize and perform multiple projects and tasks, meet deadlines and timelines, respond to others in a timely manner with a high standard of accuracy, attention to detail, and ethics.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (especially Word and Outlook email and calendar), AirTable, Adobe Creative Suite, Slack, Mailchimp, and Zoom.
• Be proactive about creating and developing new projects, as well as building new relationships across campuses and the wider community.
• Bachelor’s degree and recent graduate

Nice To Haves

• HTML knowledge a plus.
• Strong experience in human-centered design or design thinking, either through coursework or personal experience.
• Expertise in one or more of making skills, such as audio + video recording, website building + coding, sewing, building with a variety of tools/materials, or printmaking, among others.

Responsibilities

• Welcoming students, faculty, staff, and visitors to the Hive, including conducting tours, and sharing information about resources and programs.
• Developing relationships and collaborating with students, faculty, and staff of the 7Cs to create new opportunities and programs and connect communities.
• Create a bridge between student staff and senior staff to deliver a meaningful user experience and meet Hive goals. This includes effective mentoring and management of student employees; establishing and communicating clear expectations; coaching student staff on tasks, projects, schedules, and timekeeping.
• Assisting instructors of courses and workshops sponsored by the Hive, including workshop design, technology support, space set-up, and course materials.
• Monitor, maintain, and improve Hive spaces including assessing equipment needs, supplies, and developing procedures and processes for effective operation.
• Design, lead, and execute workload for both collaborative and independent projects, including managing timelines, budgets, delegation, and task prioritization.
• Facilitating activities and select workshops, which may include students, faculty, staff, and community members.
• Effective and timely communication internally and externally, both in person and digitally.
• Co-leading the development of the program of events each semester with Hive staff and event facilitators, including program curation, managing communications with partners, and logistical coordination.
• Designing and creating digital and physical programming calendar and event flyers for display, posting, and distribution.
• Communicate with event facilitators and Communications team to execute effective outreach.
• Lead the planning and execution of at least 2 program events per semester.
• Support the ongoing maintenance of the program’s customer relationship management (CRM) system to track students, partners, alumni, and project outcomes.
• Ensure data quality through regular audits, updates, and documentation of CRM processes.
• Generate reports and dashboards to inform strategic planning, partnership development, and student engagement.
• Train staff and student workers on CRM use and best practices.
• Conduct research, comparative analysis, and stakeholder interviews to inform the design of human-centered design and social innovation curricular pathways at the 5Cs.
• Support the development of new academic offerings, including a certificate program and potential major/minor structures for The Claremont Colleges.
• Co-coordinating and co-staffing adequate coverage of common spaces to welcome and assist guests.
• Maintaining and resetting making spaces, classrooms, and meeting spaces, including the overall care, safety, and appearance of the Hive for workshops, classes, and activities.
• Maintaining, organizing, and restocking of making spaces, prototyping carts, and classroom materials and supplies.
• Leading and supervising student staff to manage spaces, workshops, and ensure a valuable experience for all users at the Hive.
• Supporting in the maintenance, repair, organization, and resetting of classrooms, prototyping carts, makerspaces, study/lounge areas, and supplies.

Benefits

• Pomona College employees enjoy excellent benefits and perks and work in a diverse environment of equal opportunity, intellectual development and personal growth.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level