Summary
King County’s Metro Transit Department (Metro) has an exciting opportunity for a Graphic Designer (Marketing and Sales Specialist III) with Customer Communications and Services within the Mobility Division. Guided by our “True North” to make King County a welcoming community where every person can thrive, this position provides support and project planning for the creative development and production of Metro’s Service Information materials. The position is primarily responsible for designing, laying out and producing bus stop signage, maps connecting Metro services and to other public transit services, fleet signage, brochures, posters, and related public information materials.
King County Metro Transit is a regional leader in getting people to and from their chosen designations quickly, reducing commuter stress, greening the environment, and improving urban air quality, by providing comfortable, effective transit services for thousands of customers daily. Metro has pioneered or refined dozens of innovations that have made us a leader in this nation’s public transportation industry and is committed to providing transportation services that connect all people and all communities of King County focusing on the equitable distribution of our service and the equitable application of our work (inside and outside the agency).
Commitment to Equity and Social Justice:
As the only jurisdiction in the world named after Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., one of the most influential civil rights leaders in our nation’s history, King County is a vibrant international community with residents that represent countries from around the world. It is a region with increasing diversity that cherishes the traditions of many cultures.
We have a deep commitment to equity and social justice and advancing practices, strategies, and policies that promote fairness, justice, and opportunity for all – in our workplaces and our communities. With this commitment, King County has adopted a pro-equity agenda to advance regional change and ensure that residents from vulnerable communities are incorporated into our emergency planning and public outreach efforts.
Applicants are committed to working with diverse populations throughout King County to provide excellent customer service to a broad range of cultures, in accordance with the King County Equity and Social Justice Ordinance and the King County Strategic Plan.
Who may apply: We are accepting applications from all qualified applicants.
Position information: This recruitment will be used to hire one (1) career service vacancy. It will also be used to create an eligibility pool to fill future Career Service, Special Duty Assignment/Temp -Limited Temporary vacancies that may become open in this classification. The pool will be valid for 12 months upon creation and may be used at the discretion of the hiring manager, until exhausted or until all candidates are placed.
Job Duties
Applying equity and social justice principles is a daily responsibility and a foundational expectation for all King County employees. In this role, you will apply equity and social justice principles that exemplify shared values, behaviors, and practices to all aspects of the work. As the Graphic Designer, you will also:
Design, develop and produce Metro marketing and communications materials, including brochures, posters, timetables, regional maps, displays, presentations and advertising.
Using developed tools (XML and scripting) and templates, create files to produce Metro’s bus stop sign program. This body of work requires extensive coordination with Transit Route Facility planners and with the Metro paint shop, to facilitate, coordinate, troubleshoot and follow-up with production of information signage to meet critical deadlines.
Oversee the monitoring of project scope, schedule, risk, contracts, and other project management processes.
Develop and design various materials, including custom signage and vinyl applications.
Enforce and promote adherence to King County Metro graphic design standards, as applicable to publications, signage, and vehicles. Support work groups within Metro that require assistance and guidance as needed.
Maintain and oversee the Metro brand as it applies to revenue and non-revenue fleet, safety messaging, and regulatory decals for revenue vehicles. This includes visual and physical review of coaches during procurement to assess signing and decal requirements.
Assist the Service Information Chief to evaluate project requests and recommend assignments to team members for those projects.
Work closely with other community partners like Sound Transit and Community Transit on shared projects, new and ongoing, as needed.
Collaborate on branding for new lines of service that support the King County Metro brand and sub-brand identities (i.e., KC Sheriff, Dart, Access, Contracted Services & RapidRide).
Assist the Marketing staff in developing and designing promotional materials, including brochures, posters, displays, banners, presentations, and advertising incentives.
Work collaboratively in a very diverse work environment and be a resource across Metro.
Lead work through an inclusive/equity lens.
Perform other related job duties as assigned.
Experience, Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills
We are looking for candidates who meet the following Minimum Qualifications:
At least four (4) years of recent proficient experience in design, layout, and visualization for a variety of products/projects within the last ten (10) years for work experience
Demonstrate knowledge of developing graphic, illustration and publication files using appropriate software for print, web, exhibits and multi-media
Highly proficient using the following applications in the Mac environment: Adobe Creative Suite – Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop, Acrobat Pro
Experience working with XML and scripting in Adobe InDesign
Mapping/wayfinding skills (ability to translate transit routes and information) and ability to use GIS or similar database application software
Excellent writing, documentation, and proofreading skills
Knowledge of and skills in applying marketing and graphic communication principles
Demonstrate inclusion and belonging while coordinating, collaborating, and communicating with a wide variety of people with diverse backgrounds. Incorporate equity and social justice opportunities wherever possible into communication methods and projects
Proficient in MS Office Suite – Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Entourage, SharePoint, and MS Teams
Ability to work autonomously and in a diverse team
Ability to lead, negotiate and troubleshoot issues that arise related to projects, work processes and computer hardware/software/network problems
Highly organized with the ability to manage multiple projects and numerous deadlines
Ability to digest work assignments quickly and efficiently, and prepare draft visuals for review and discussion
Ability to manage large projects with numerous components, maintaining detail and consistency
Ability to plan and schedule work assignments, coordinate with vendors (internal and external) to deliver product and meet specific deadlines
Knowledge of a variety of print production resources and sign production processes, including knowledge of 4-color and large format printing, bid process, pre-press/pre-flight, press checks, coordinating and selecting vendors, and quality control over final materials, including schedules, delivery, and installation
Demonstrated ability to identify and assess the communication needs of targeted audiences and determine the best communication methods and tools
Desired Qualifications:
Knowledge of bid process, working within defined budgets, and following government protocol
Public transportation experience
Demonstrate experience embracing a broad definition of inclusiveness that embeds cultural and racial equity and acknowledges the needs of persons with disabilities by developing and implementing tools, techniques, and approaches that are based on the principles of universal design