Project Associate - Design

New York City, NY

Hester Street is seeking a Project Associate with a deep design background and understanding of human-centered design philosophy and concepts, in addition to formal training and skills in one of urban planning, community development, fine arts or architecture, to support and implement community driven planning and development projects in New York City and nationwide. We are looking for an early career professional or a recent graduate school graduate with one to three years of work experience to join a growing, dynamic team that holds social and racial justice as core values.

ABOUT HESTER STREET 

Hester Street is an urban planning, design and development nonprofit that works to ensure that neighborhoods are shaped by the people who live in them. We offer technical and capacity-building assistance to community-based organizations, private firms and government agencies on land use processes, neighborhood planning and design, and public and private community development projects. We strive for more vibrant, equitable, sustainable and resilient neighborhoods. 

Local knowledge, needs and priorities guide our work. We partner with community-based organizations and specialize in crafting project-specific, data-driven, interactive tools and processes to ensure that community participants have both the information and inspiration they need to engage in planning and development decisions. 

The Hester Street office is currently functioning on a remote-hybrid model. 

ABOUT THE POSITION 

We are looking for an early career design-oriented urban planning, community development or architecture professional or recent graduate student with one to three years of work experience and a background in climate justice, resiliency, sustainability, community organizing, service design, economic development or some combination of the above. This role requires the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines in a team setting. The candidate should have a highly-developed attention to detail and an interest in participatory planning, design and equitable development. 

This is a great opportunity for a highly motivated planning, design, or community development professional who welcomes work in a collaborative environment to join a growing, high-energy team with a lot of room for professional growth. 

Top candidates will have some combination of the following skills & experience: 

  • Graphic design

  • Human-centered design

  • Research, data gathering and analysis

  • Mapping

  • Spatial and site-specific analysis

  • Service design and journey mapping

  • Architectural Design

  • Urban Planning

  • Community Development

  • Large-format engagements, design charrettes and participatory design experience

  • Infographics and data visualization

  • Report layout 

  • Written Communications

Top candidates will have some combination of the following technical competencies:

  • InDesign; Adobe Creative Suite 

  • Rhino; Sketchup

  • ArcGIS; QGIS

  • Google Workspace; Microsoft Suite

Responsibilities

  • Contribute to all aspects of community planning projects inside and outside NYC

  • Provide administrative support to keep complex projects on track

  • Provide tactical support and equitable engagement strategies with government agencies and community-based organization partners 

  • Design and develop equitable engagement and innovative community engagement tools

  • Provide project management, administrative and logistical support (such as note taking, task coordination, project tracking, and follow up communication)

  • Contribute to preparation of materials and facilitation for complex stakeholder meetings and design workshops

  • Work closely with planners, evaluation experts and other consultants

  • Effectively prioritize, execute and track tasks across multiple projects, adhering to rigorous timelines

  • Research best practices and gather, analyze and visualize data

Qualifications

  • One to three years of design, planning, architecture and/or community development experience

  • Bachelor’s degree in Design, Fine Arts, Urban Planning, Urban Studies, Environmental Studies, Architecture or a related field

  • Graphic design skills and experience and high proficiency with Adobe Suite

  • Proactive, deadline-oriented and experience with juggling multiple project deliverables

  • Experience working in low-income, immigrant and communities of color and/or with community-based organizations preferred

  • Fluency in a language other than English a plus

  • Ability to develop or edit written communication for a range of platforms including but not limited to reports, web copy, campaigns, etc. a plus

Salary range for this position is $52,000--$55,000/year. In addition, Hester Street offers a comprehensive benefits package including paid time off - holidays, sick days and vacation time, 100% employer paid health insurance, commuter and retirement benefits, and professional development opportunities, among other benefits.  

To Apply 

Please upload a cover letter, résumé, portfolio or two work samples 

Hester Street is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to a workforce that reflects the populations with whom we partner. We seek to build an inclusive organization grounded in respect for differences and encourage applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, disability or veteran status. 

Hester Street is a nonprofit organization incorporated as Hester Street Collaborative, Inc.