Graphic Designer (Communications Specialist III)

King County, WA; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

King County Metro in Seattle seeks a Service Information Graphic Designer to lead the design, development and production of transit signage, maps, brochures, posters and related public information materials.

You will collaborate with Service Information leadership, coordinate with Transit Route Facility planners and the Metro paint shop, and manage vendors to meet critical deadlines while upholding the KC Metro brand.

Qualifications

• 4+ years of design, visualization and production across print, digital, multimedia, and exhibit formats.
• Advanced proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite incl. InDesign; XML/scripting in InDesign.
• Ability to develop graphic/illustration/publication/mapping/wayfinding files.
• Knowledge of print and sign production: color, large format, pre-press, vendor coordination.
• Strong writing, documentation, and proofreading for targeted audiences.
• Marketing and graphic communication principles.
• MS Office Suite proficiency.
• Leadership, negotiation, troubleshooting in teams.
• Highly organized with multi-project management.
• Equity, universal design, inclusive practices.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with Service Information leadership to meet communications needs.
• Evaluate requests and triage assignments, improving processes.
• Coordinate workflows and oversee project execution.
• Lead design and production of brochures, maps, signage, digital signage.
• Utilize XML and scripting tools for bus stop sign program.
• Maintain brand and standards across publications and signage.
• Collaborate across diverse teams.
• Coordinate with partners on shared projects with Sound Transit and Community Transit.
• Vendor and contractor management.
• Assist with promotional materials.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Skills

Graphic design

Project leadership

Layout & typography

Communication skills

Tools

Adobe Creative Suite

InDesign

Illustrator

Photoshop

XML scripting

Job description

Summary

King County’s Metro Transit Department has an exciting opportunity for a Service Information Graphic Designer (Communications Specialist III) with Customer Communications and Services within the Mobility Division. Guided by our "ACTIVATE" values 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 responsible for strategizing, designing, laying out and producing transit signage, maps connecting Metro services to other public transit services, fleet signage, brochures, posters, and related public information materials.

Serving a county with a population larger than 15 U.S. states, Metro provides bus, paratransit, vanpool, water taxi, and on-demand services, and operates the Seattle Streetcar, Sound Transit Link light rail and Sound Transit Express bus service. The agency’s national honors include Best Large Transit Agency in North America (American Public Transportation Association, three times–most recently in 2018) and Most Equitable Agency in Tackling Climate Change (Federal Transit Administration, 2022).

Position Information: This recruitment will be used to fill one (1) Career Service Graphic Designer (Communications Specialist III) classification vacancy. In addition, this selection process may be used to generate an eligibility pool for future Special Duty Assignment (SDA), Term Limited Temporary (TLT), and Career Service (CS) vacancies that may occur in this classification within this workgroup. The eligibility list will be retained for 12 months from the date of posting and may be used at the discretion of the hiring authority.

Who May Apply: We welcome applications from all interested candidates, including current King County employees and the public. Please refer to the "Supplemental Information" section of this job bulletin for the required application materials.

Job Duties

• Work with Service Information leadership to ensure communications needs are sustainably met for internal and external customers.
• Evaluate project requests and inclusively triage assignments to team members while overseeing continuous improvement of processes and practices related to design and production trends.
• Oversee project oversight, workflow coordination, and operational execution of the work.
• Strategically lead and execute the design, development and production of Metro communications materials, including brochures, posters, timetables, regional maps, displays, custom signage, digital signage, vinyl applications, presentations, promotional materials, and more.
• Oversee and use the 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.
• Enforce and promote adherence to King County Metro Brand and graphic design standards, as applicable to publications, signage, and vehicles. This includes visual and physical review of coaches during procurement to assess signing and decal requirements and collaborating 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).
• Work collaboratively in a very diverse work environment and be a resource across Metro to support work groups that require assistance and guidance as needed.
• Work closely with other community partners like Sound Transit and Community Transit on shared projects, new and ongoing, as needed.
• Manage vendors, vendor contracts, and consultants.
• Assist the Marketing and other internal staff in developing and designing promotional materials, including brochures, posters, displays, banners, presentations, and advertising incentives.
• Perform other related job duties as assigned.

Experience, Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills

Minimum Qualifications:

• At least four (4) years in the last 10 of recent professional experience in design, visualization, and production of materials across print, digital, multimedia, and exhibit formats.
• Advanced proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop, Acrobat Pro), including XML and scripting capabilities in InDesign.
• Ability to develop graphic, illustration, publication, and mapping/wayfinding files, ensuring accurate production across varying media.
• Strong knowledge of print and sign production processes, including 4-color and large-format printing, pre-press/pre-flight, press checks, vendor coordination, quality control, delivery, and installation.
• Excellent writing, documentation, and proofreading skills, with the ability to assess communication needs and determine effective tools and methods for targeted audiences.
• Knowledge of and skills in applying marketing and graphic communication principles.
• Proficient in MS Office Suite - Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint, and MS Teams
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a diverse team environment, demonstrating strong leadership, negotiation, and troubleshooting skills across projects, workflows, and technical systems.
• Highly organized, able to manage multiple complex projects, schedule work, coordinate with internal and external vendors, and efficiently develop draft visuals.
• Demonstrated experience incorporating cultural and racial equity, universal design principles, and inclusive practices into communication tools and visual materials.

Desired Qualifications

• Experience with government bid process, working within defined budgets, and following government protocol.
• Digital animation, motion graphics, and/or video editing skills
• Ability to use GIS or similar database application software
• Proficient in a language in addition to English
• Public transportation work experience
• Signage regulation experience.

Licensing, Certification, and Other Requirements

• Washington State driver's license or the ability to travel to multiple King County Metro locations in a timely manner.

Supplemental Information