Staff Designer – Civic Engagement

City of New York•New York, NY

About The Position

The Department of City Planning’s Community Planning and Engagement division seeks a Staff Designer to help make urban planning processes accessible, inclusive, and engaging. The role works with DCP divisions, agency partners, and New Yorkers to improve understanding of city planning topics, internal and public processes, and ways to shape neighborhood and citywide planning initiatives. The Staff Designer supports the creation and implementation of visual design strategies within community engagement plans; develops materials that explain DCP tools, processes, and participation opportunities; and builds DCP staff capacity to create clear, appealing public materials. Work may include print materials such as reports, posters, display boards, and activity organizers, as well as digital design, motion graphics, and animations. The position may be eligible for remote work up to two days per week under the City and DC37 Remote Work Pilot Program. Candidates must have permanent Civil Service status in the Graphic Artist title, be reachable on the Graphic Artist active list (exam #4123), or serve in a comparable civil service title. Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States and meet the applicable minimum qualifications. Appointments are subject to Office of Management and Budget approval.

Requirements

Design background, such as graphic design, urban design, or architecture.
Skill in creating illustrations and engagement tools.
Experience engaging and facilitating communities in design processes.
Proficiency with Adobe Creative Suite and Microsoft Office.
Excellent interpersonal, project management, and communication skills.
Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
Must have permanent Civil Service status in the Graphic Artist title, be reachable on the Graphic Artist active list (exam #4123), or serve in a comparable civil service title.
Authorization to work in the United States.
Must meet the applicable Graphic Artist civil service minimum qualifications, including 18 months of supervisory experience in supervision and planning or direction of artwork done by staff.

Nice To Haves

Experience with video editing software such as Adobe Premiere and After Effects.
Experience with teaching, curriculum development, and/or workshop development.
Experience creating motion graphics, animations, or digital design.

Responsibilities

Support development and implementation of visual design strategies within engagement plans for neighborhood and citywide initiatives.
Coordinate with DCP teams and Communications, when materials are externally facing, to identify design goals and strategies and support project visual identities.
Create illustrations, maps, display boards, graphic organizers, engagement tools, and activities.
Recommend new civic engagement approaches and collaborate with agency staff to advance engagement principles with an equity lens.
Develop materials that explain DCP planning tools and processes and opportunities to participate in neighborhood planning and citywide policy development.
Facilitate user research, prototyping, and usability testing to ensure materials respond to end-user needs.
Create explainer materials, including illustrations, infographics, presentations, and short videos, in coordination with Communications for web and social channels.
Work with DCP teams to create reports, brochures, and one-pagers, primarily for engagement settings.
Facilitate professional development workshops and trainings for DCP staff on design principles and best practices.
Create and maintain templates for standard materials, such as presentations and reports, aligned with DCP standards.
Provide design guidance and feedback to project teams to support continuous improvement.