Manager, Signage And Environmental Graphic Design (Environmental Graphic Design)

Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority•Los Angeles, CA

4d•Onsite

About The Position

This position manages the planning, design, and development of major high-visibility customer signage and environmental graphic design projects for the delivery of major capital projects and signage related start-up activities for new transit corridors, including bus and rail fleet and the construction of stations, facilities, and other projects to provide patrons with the information needed to navigate Metro's systems.

Requirements

Bachelor's Degree in Urban or Transportation Planning; Public Administration, Public Policy, Visual Communications, Industrial Design, Graphic Design, Environmental Graphic Design, Architecture, Urban Design, or a related field
Six years of relevant experience or three years of relevant supervisory-level experience in developing complex, highly visible environmental graphic design programs and products
A valid California Class C Driver License or the ability to utilize an alternative method of transportation when needed to carry out job-related essential functions
Knowledge of applicable local, state, and federal laws, rules, and regulations governing signage and environmental graphic design policies and funding for a public transportation agency
Knowledge of current theories, principles, and practices of environmental graphic design, typography, navigational schemes, and signage
Knowledge of wayfinding plans, engineering studies, and highly complex technical documents
Knowledge of project management, budgeting, and cost estimating
Knowledge of contract administration and negotiation
Knowledge of capital project program delivery
Knowledge of copyright issues
Knowledge of American Disability Act (ADA) standards and Title VI requirements
Knowledge of signage fabrication and installation means and methods, including materials, coatings, and hardware
Knowledge of Macintosh hardware and a range of software programs, such as Adobe InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, Acrobat, Distiller, CAD (Computer-Aided Design) applications and tools, font management software utilities, Microsoft Office Suite, and other desktop publishing tools
Knowledge of modern management theory
Skill in managing the design and development of environmental graphic design standards and/or project delivery of signage plans/ systems to help achieve the agency's long-range mission
Skill in reading and understanding architectural, engineering and construction documents and drawings
Skill in analyzing situations, identifying problems, recommending solutions, and evaluating outcomes
Skill in discerning anomalies and discrepancies between required standards and contractor submittments
Skill in effective project management while working on multiple projects concurrently
Skill in communicating effectively, verbally, and in writing
Skill in communicating an overall appreciation and understanding of quality design with project team members and creating relationships with other agency departments and individuals
Skill in interacting professionally with various levels of Metro employees, design professionals, and the public
Skill in exercising creativity, critical judgement, and constructive problem solving
Ability to understand complex wayfinding plans and communication systems
Ability to retain institutional knowledge and recall detailed information from protracted projects
Ability to think and act independently
Ability to establish and implement relevant policies and procedures
Ability to understand, interpret, and apply laws, rules, regulations, policies, and procedures
Ability to supervise, train, and motivate assigned staff
Ability to effectively organize complex information and maintain organized and accurate job files
Ability to meet tight time constraints and deadlines for tasks and projects
Ability to prepare comprehensive reports and correspondence
Ability to read, write, speak, and understand English

Nice To Haves

Master's Degree in a related field
Three years of relevant supervisory-level experience
Experience managing complex, high-visibility environmental graphic design programs and products for large-scale public transportation systems or similar environments
Experience applying applicable local, state, and federal laws, rules, and regulations governing signage and environmental graphic design
Experience supervising signage fabrication and installation processes, including the selection and use of materials, coatings, and hardware
Experience reviewing and applying information from architectural, engineering, and construction documents and drawings
Experience managing projects, budgets, schedules, and stakeholder engagement while ensuring alignment with organizational goals and signage and brand standards

Responsibilities

Manages the planning, conceptualization, design, refinements, and production of a wide range of environmental graphic design work for the construction of station, facilities, and vehicles to ensure the continuity and integration of Metro's Environmental Graphic Design Systemwide Standards into the customer environment
Manages environmental graphic design, customer environment branding standards, and visual information systems for highly visible capital projects and ensures that work is on schedule, within budget, and complies with technical and regulatory requirements
Manages and evaluates the work of staff and consultants in developing complex signage and wayfinding design plans, programs, and processes to ensure consistency and integration of the Metro transit system
Plans, conceptualizes, develops, and executes creative strategies and solutions, and effectively communicates these strategies to staff and consultants
Analyzes complex design issues/problems and recommends visual solutions that convey clear, consistent, and effective information, and reflect best industry practices
Reviews design and construction documents, project specifications, and shop drawings for compliance with Metro's Environmental Graphic Design Systemwide Standards and to provide comments and direction to construction design teams
Conducts comments resolution meetings with the capital project construction teams, designers, and vendors
Conducts field audits of all signage for capital projects for placement, location, quality, and compliance with approved drawings and standards
Consults with other Metro departments for best practices and means and methods for fabricating and installing illuminated and static signage in new capital construction projects and existing facilities and stations
Works with multidisciplinary stakeholders, such as Architecture, Maintenance, Operations, Civil Rights, Safety, Security, Fleet Acquisition, and Marketing teams to incorporate complex environmental graphic design, signage, wayfinding, and other customer environment enhancements
Interfaces with designers, engineers, architects, fabricators, and other design professionals to deliver quality projects and/or ensure quality and integrity of customer environments
Develops and writes complex scopes of work for highly visible construction projects, prepares cost estimates, and evaluates proposals
Facilitates procurement; serves as technical subject matter expert during contract bidding, negotiation and award process; and manages the implementation of contractor/ consultant contracts
Responds to requests for signage resulting from alterations to the transit system environment, with a particular focus on mitigating impacts from regulatory requirements and digital information integration into the built environment
Supports the seamless integration of environmental graphic design components in relation to other key design elements, such as public art, architecture, and landscape architecture
Allocates and manages workflow and contractor resources
Develops and manages agency Environmental Graphic Design Systemwide Standards and Fleet Identity Standards
Facilitates management-level client meetings to define issues and develop strategies/work plans
Collaborates with clients to refine project objectives and determine how they can best be accomplished within time and budgetary constraints
Works closely with Program Delivery, Operations, and Marketing to ensure sure deadlines are met
Provides technical support and ensures design activities meet operations, maintenance, and quality standards and expectations
Manages special signage and environmental graphic design related studies
Supervises, trains, and motivates assigned staff
Prepares and presents comprehensive presentations, reports, and presentations to management, committees, and outside agencies
Represents the department at meetings with consultants and the public