Information Designer — Remote Position — Must Love Data
Rebekah Collinsworth
Rural Innovation Strategies, Inc (RISI) is a social enterprise working to advance inclusive economic opportunity and investment in small towns across the country. We are seeking an information designer who is driven by data and looking to join a fast-growing team committed to shifting the narrative about what’s possible in rural America.
Guided by a strong belief in rural ingenuity and small-town potential, RISI and its sister organization, the Center on Rural Innovation (CORI), provide strategic support to rural communities wanting to develop inclusive, resilient digital economies. Our comprehensive approach involves building a nationwide network of local economic leaders; using mapping and data to highlight rural opportunities; making direct investment in underserved rural entrepreneurs; and closing the digital divide so all Americans, regardless of geography, can participate in the 21st century digital economy.
Since the organization’s founding in 2017, data visualization has served as a key tool in identifying and driving attention to opportunities across rural America. We are looking for an Information Designer to tell the stories of these opportunities through interactive visualizations that support our work around rural equity. This role is instrumental in helping us continue to share a compelling rural narrative that contributes to meaningful change.
This role sits at the critical intersection of data analytics, visual design, and storytelling. Our Information Designer will craft compelling data visualizations that help advance the goals of our organization and drive understanding and empathy for the communities we serve.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
- Design data visualizations that offer a compelling narrative and deliver on a call to action. Leverage design fundamentals and best practices to ensure effective deliverables.
- Collaborate with other members of the Mapping and Data Analytics team to identify, ideate, and design solutions that represent diverse datasets.
- Translate ideas into sketches, wireframes, mockups, and interactive prototypes
- Create simple interactive data visualization prototypes that convey visual design, user flow, and motion intention
- Design visuals that tell your story across mediums like social, presentations, blog posts, infographics, articles, proposals, analytic reports, and toolkits.
- Present design concepts or articulate a vision to stakeholders
- Work with stakeholders to develop a cohesive, consistent, and elegant data visualization design system that leverages our current branded content
- Provide thought leadership, best practices, and standards required to deliver effective and sustainable data visualizations and interactive solutions
REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, & ASSETS
- Proven ability to build high fidelity visualizations that leverage data for maximum impact and general accessibility
- Demonstrable visual design skills with a strong portfolio that includes interactive examples
- A strong ability to interpret data and demonstrated success delivering robust and innovative data visualization solutions to users
- Ability to create data visualizations based on reporting and research; feels comfortable developing data-driven, visual stories
- Ability to work in a multidisciplinary environment, engaging and communicating with internal colleagues (e.g., engineers and communications professionals) and external stakeholders (e.g., community leaders, elected officials, executives, and philanthropists)
- Mastery of responsive web design standards
- An understanding of front-end web and mobile development, including HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript, version control, and other related technologies
- Fluency with design tools (e.g. Adobe Creative Suite, Sketch, Figma, etc. ) and presentation software (e.g. Powerpoint, Keynote, Google Slides)
- Exceptional analytical, conceptual, and problem-solving abilities
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills
ESSENTIAL QUALIFICATIONS
- You have excellent visual design craft, with stylistic breadth, attention to detail, and an obsession for pixels.
- You’ve designed game-changing work that showcases a strong foundation of type, space, form, color, and visual hierarchy.
- You have experience working with and developing visualizations for and representative of diverse populations, specifically connecting women, BIPOC, and Latinx workers in tech employment
- A strong and current portfolio (please include a link in your submission).
Essential job functions and requirements are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities.
This job description is intended to convey information essential to understanding the scope of the job and the general nature and level of work performed by job holders within this job. However, this job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of qualifications, skills, efforts, duties, responsibilities or working conditions associated with the position. This job description is general and may evolve over time. The description is subject to periodic updating. At management’s discretion, the employee may be assigned different and/or additional duties or responsibilities.
Location: This position is located in Hartland, Vermont or remote.
IMPORTANT NOTES:
- Please make sure your application materials are tailored to showcase your ability to succeed in this specific role.
- Cover letters are required. If you are applying via a platform that does not have a cover letter field, please include one in your resume file, otherwise your application will not be considered.
- Due to the pace of this search, candidates are strongly encouraged to apply as soon as possible.
- RISI will manage the application and review process using our Workable platform. Please direct all inquiries through this system. We are unable to respond to phone inquiries at this time.
BENEFITS
- Personal and professional development opportunities
- Health, dental, and short-term disability insurance
- Employer matched 401k
- We offer competitive compensation. The salary for this position is $70,000-85,000, depending on experience.
You’ll enjoy working here if:
- You like strategizing in a converted general store building conference room, over an outdoor beverage, or while grabbing lunch at the new downtown cafe
- You value an entrepreneurial culture that encourages teammates to think boldly, take risks, and learn from experience
- You appreciate an independent work environment that supports diverse work styles and preferences
- You want to be part of a collaborative and interested team that finds opportunities to engage each other and have fun (whether in the office or dialing in)
- You like the idea of an open and transparent organization that embraces honest conversations and new ideas