The Senior Exhibit Graphic Designer creates 2D graphic designs for environmental, interpretive, exhibit, and digital experiences. They collaborate with diverse internal teams and external partners to co-create, develop, test, and prototype designs aligned with OMSI and/or client brand guidelines. Projects include traveling exhibits, new museum exhibits, exhibits sales and services for external clients, organizational graphic design projects for internal clients, and pop-up experiences that support delivery of OMSI programming in communities.

This role brings professional design skills such as vector illustrations, layouts, photo editing and template design, and utilizes the highest standards of accessibility, inclusion, equity, and engagement in design practices and designs. They also manage subcontractor and vendor relationships to achieve project goals within budget parameters.

Essential Job Responsibilities

• Exhibit and Experiences Graphic Design:
  • Creates graphic designs for physical and digital experiences from conception to delivery, including concepts, layouts, mood boards, typography, color, and content organization, interpreting and applying OMSI and/or client brand guidelines;
  • Utilizes current research and standards related to accessibility, sustainability, exhibit trends, digital engagement trends, equity and inclusion, and wayfinding to concept, develop, and deliver the highest level of visitor engagement for diverse target audiences;
  • Collaborates with internal teams, external partners, visitors, and/or external contractors to test and prototype 2D physical and/or digital designs;
  • Actively centers and collaborates cross-culturally with partners, with an emphasis on co-design with BIPoC community partners;
  • Ensures that 2D design effectively integrate with 3D designs to elevate the user experience;
  • Creates mechanical files in a variety of software programs, and manages relationships with print vendors for estimates, orders, and invoicing within project budget parameters;
  • Ensures accuracy of technical, grammatical, and spatial design of content files through team review processes.
• Client Sales and Services:
  • Collaborates with Exhibit Sales to develop and presents pitch decks to external clients;
  • Collaborates with Exhibit Sales to create OMSI sales and services marketing materials, including OMSI sales booths;
  • Executes design deliverables for sales projects to meet client goals.
• OMSI Experiences:
  • Collaborates with project teams to develop and present pitch decks to internal clients;
  • Provides support for organizational graphic design needs in Exhibit halls, such as exhibit design updates, copy panel updates, hall wayfinding, screen content, Welcome Wall design, and in-house printing;
  • Provides design support for pop-up OMSI experiences delivered by program teams around the state and region, such as OMSI fairs, school-based experiences, and OMSI camps.

Working Conditions

• This position is exempt, paid salaried;
• This position is regular full-time scheduled for 40 hours/week:
  • Requires working onsite at the museum location;
  • Requires occasional travel outside of the Portland Metro area, as well as working on some weekends, holidays, and/or evenings to meet project deadlines.

• Physical Demands: 80% sitting, 15% standing, 5% lifting/carrying/pushing up to 25 lbs:
  • You must be fully vaccinated and boosted for COVID-19 or qualify for an accommodation under the ADA for medical or religious reasons.

• Vision Demands include:
  • Close vision (clear vision at 20 inches of less)
  • Distance vision (clear vision at 20 feet or more)
  • Color vision (ability to identify and distinguish colors)
  • Peripheral vision (ability to observe an area that can be seen up and down or to the left or right while eyes are fixed on a given point)
  • Depth and perception (three dimensional vision, ability to judge distance and spatial relationships)
  • Ability to adjust focus (ability to adjust the eyes to bring an object into sharp focus)
• Environmental Demands include:
  • Work near moving mechanical parts
  • Fumes or airborne particles
• Noise Levels include:
  • Very quiet (examples: forest trail, isolation booth for hearing test)
  • Quiet (examples: library, private office)
  • Moderate (examples: business office with computers and printers, light traffic)

Secondary Job Responsibilities

Secondary responsibilities includebut are not limited tothe following:

• Collaborates with the Marketing department to provide design support for larger organizational marketing and fundraising needs;
• Collaborates with OMSI District teams to provide design support for OMSI campus needs.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

REQUIREMENTS:

• Business Practices:
  • Ability to work under pressure and explore new design challenges;
  • Excellent organizational, analytical, and problem solving skills;
  • Ability to write and communicate complex and technical information to both public and professional audiences;
  • Ability to model and support a positive team dynamic with paid and unpaid staff;
  • Demonstrated ability to pivot between individual and team work;
  • Ability to adhere to high standards of confidentiality, protocol, and community agreements;
  • Exercises sound judgment while upholding high integrity and ethical standards.
• Graphic Design Knowledge and Abilities:
  • Demonstrated Adobe CC Suite, Microsoft Office, and Google Suite skills:
    • High proficiency with InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, and Acrobat;
    • High proficiency with Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, with comparable Google Suite proficiency.
  • Developed understanding of universal design and accessibility principles and practices, including community-led and partner-based involvement in design processes;
  • High level of technical and aesthetic experience with layouts, wayfinding, and signage;
  • Strong color, typographic, layout and user-centered design skills and an excellent attention to detail with a high degree of accuracy;
  • Demonstrated abilities with preparing digital mechanical files for print, including managing vendor relations with printers and other design-specific contractors.

PREFERENCES:

• Knowledge of the museum field and informal science education, including best practices, emerging trends, and partnership opportunities;

• Proficient or native fluency in a second language (non-English).

Education & Work Experience

REQUIREMENTS:

• Bachelors degree or equivalent work experience;
• Portfolio demonstrating skills and talents, including a minimum of 3 years verifiable Graphic Design work experience and with an emphasis on the following:
  • Examples of implementing equity, inclusion, and accessibility into client designs e.g. supporting wayfinding, engagement, and targeting of new audiences;
  • Examples of co-designing with diverse teams and stakeholders on complex and multi-stage projects while maintaining brand consistency and quality of work;
  • Examples of effective project management and/or coordination.

PREFERENCES:

• Experience working in a museum, exhibit, or similar environment;
• Experience contributing to or leading projects with programmatic elements or interactive exhibits;
• Experience working with volunteers;

Additional Requirements/Preferences; Including Licenses and Certifications

REQUIREMENTS:

• Pre-employment checks, such as criminal background checks and reference checks.

PREFERENCES:

• None.

Benefits and Perks at OMSI

• Multiple health plans (OMSI pays 86% of employee premiums)
• 403(b) retirement with employer match eligibility
• 2 weeks of vacation per year
• 2 weeks of sick time per year
• 12 personal / cultural days (PTO) per year
• Free annual OMSI Family Membership
• Reciprocal Employee Attractions Pass (REAP)
• Inclusion-centered professional development opportunities
• Employee-led rewards and recognition program
• Discounts on summer programs for employees children