Wildcard Designer

  • Full-time

Company Description

IDEO.org is out to design an end to poverty by bringing creativity, empathy, and innovation to the social sector. Our goal is to improve the lives of people in poor and vulnerable communities through design and we’re doing it in three ways: through the products, services, and experiences that we design; through the problem solvers we fuel; and by inspiring the social sector to adopt human-centered design.

Job Description

Position Summary:

IDEO.org is seeking a Wildcard Designer! What does this mean? Well, we don’t exactly know. We have lots of wonderful design specialists, but we hate to miss out and we love to be surprised. We’re looking for an exceptional designer with an agile mind and curious disposition. You may have crafted your major at university, hacked together a career trajectory based on passion and love of design, and have grown skills that are too numerous to fit under one bucket. At IDEO.org, we have lots of graphic designers, technical experts, and many other wonderful specialists, but by wildcard we mean, none of the above. Or, all of the above! In this role, you will work with IDEO.org’s multiple program teams to design and scale breakthrough interventions in various sectors to improve lives in the developing world. As an IDEO.org Designer, you’ll be a hands-on design expert, taking concepts forward and working hand-in-hand with partners to implement services in a variety of communities and settings. 


What you’ll work on:

In this position, you’ll work with designers to bring a variety of concepts to life across different sectors. Our projects are about designing experiences, environments, products and strategies to help communities in poverty. Think of co-creating tools to facilitate better products and services for rural farmers in Tanzania, designing healthcare experiences that improve the lives of thousands of youth in Zambia and Kenya, or prototyping marquee products to help grassroots organizations make their mark in the world.

Along with supporting our work at IDEO.org, we’ll encourage you to try out new methodologies and sources of inspiration to further push your capabilities. If you’re done growing, this isn’t the place for you. IDEO.orgers are creative, weird, and fast-moving. Therefore, you must be the same. That means being comfortable with ambiguity (like this job posting), juggling lots of responsibilities, and prioritizing accordingly.


Qualifications

You are:

  • As a design practitioner you know the power of perfectly crafted design direction, and as a global citizen you see immense potential for change in the world.
  • You’re open. You take chances, aren’t afraid to fail and learn along the way, and can handle the unexpected with a smile. You’re energized by surprise and passionate about pushing beyond expectations.
  • You’re passionate about social impact, global health and youth, and you’re eager to start designing and/or implementing solutions in resource-constrained environments. You love to travel and are comfortable navigating tough situations in the developing world. 
  • You love working in teams and across disparate groups, and you enjoy diving into design projects of every stripe. You’re the ultimate collaborator, but you’re also a self-starter.
  • You’re an analytical powerhouse who approaches challenges efficiently and creatively, always able to marshal the right people and resources to start conversations, generate ideas, and get things done.
  • You’re a perfectionist, but you’re also comfortable playing with rough, unfinished ideas along the way toward the final concepts. In other words, you can see the forest and the trees.
  • You approach things systemically and are a natural at zooming out to see the big picture, then diving in to nail the important details. You get a lot of pleasure in seeing projects through.
  • You’re fun! If you’re sitting there wondering, “Where have you been all my life?” then we’re wondering the same about you.

You need:

  • At least 5 years of doing exceptional design
  • Strong passion for your craft and high comfort level with content leadership
  • Ability to work within a self-directed culture and to navigate ambiguity
  • Demonstrated inclination in playing nicely with others (IDEO.org is a team-oriented culture)
  • Interest in elevating the bar for how we solve problems
  • Exceptional communication skills
  • Ability to work within a self-directed culture and navigate ambiguity

Preferred Skills:

  • In-depth knowledge and experience within a relevant design discipline 
  • (Business Design, Industrial Design, Graphic Design, Interaction Design, Systems Design)
  • Experience crafting a project vision, execution strategy and client relationship
  • Experience being highly accountable for design quality and project delivery
  • Experience with concepting and ideation
  • Workshop planning and facilitation skills
  • Experience of iterative prototyping
  • Ability to build and maintain strong working relationships with colleagues, clients, and key stakeholders
  • Ability to respond positively and calmly to shifting priorities, demands and timelines


Additional Information

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.