Worldwide
Programme manager – design
at Global Designing Cities Initiative
The Global Designing Cities Initiative is seeking to recruit a programme manager – design to join its mission to transform streets around the world.
This role will support the Bloomberg Initiative for Cycling Infrastructure (BICI) by working closely with city partners to design and implement cycling infrastructure projects. In this role, you’ll coordinate the technical assistance work in the programme’s selected cities and create technical, written and visual content/designs, publication or booklet development, training and workshops, and other related activities that support GDCI work. Your work will adhere to the global best practices summarised in GDCI’s publications and overall precedence.
Who we are
The Global Designing Cities Initiative (GDCI) was launched in 2014 with a mission to transform streets around the world. We inspire leaders, inform practitioners and invite communities to imagine what’s possible when we design streets that put people first. We are a team of designers, planners and urban strategists committed to reimagining streets as places for people, shaping cities that are safe, healthy, accessible and equitable for everyone.
What you’ll do
The programme manager – design will be a part of the BICI team, reporting directly to the design lead.
In this role, you will coordinate the technical assistance provided to the ten BICI cities, with a specific focus on cycling infrastructure. In this capacity, you will manage a team of programme associates and collaborate closely with the programme managers to ensure the production quality and technical accuracy of the team’s design recommendations. This includes developing technical written and visual content, organising capacity-building sessions and workshops, contributing to supplements to the Global Street Design Guide, and representing GDCI in external meetings, presentations and events.
More specifically, you will do things like
Coordinate the technical assistance work in the programme’s selected cities:
- supervise the technical assistance related to cycling infrastructure and conduct technical reviews of designs, policy documents, publications and other related guidance for diverse global contexts
- identify technical assistance needs and opportunities across the BICI cities in collaboration with the team, ensuring that design and policy recommendations are consistent, high-quality, and in line with GDCI’s guidance, standards and international best practices
- plan, develop and engage GDCI’s global network through capacity-building sessions such as workshops, webinars, presentations, panels and community engagement sessions
Support the development of technical supplements:
- coordinate with the BICI and design and research teams to select topics and curate content for a supplement to the Global Street Design Guide focusing on cycling infrastructure
Management or administrative:
- own the time management, work plan and prioritisation of technical assistance work
- determine delegation and coordination of work and who needs to be consulted or kept informed, with minimal supervision
Staff supervision:
- supervise multiple programme associates whose primary focus will be providing technical assistance and production support to the programme’s selected cities
Who you are
For this position, GDCI is looking for a highly collaborative individual with strong team management and street design skills. This role requires experience in developing cycling infrastructure, as well as delivering projects with cross-departmental or numerous institutional teams.
To be successful in this job, you will excel in the following areas:
- a passion for street design and mobility: you are passionate about mobility and street design, particularly cycling infrastructure
- design proficiency: you have solid technical street design expertise demonstrated in your previous work experience, with a special interest in cycle infrastructure
- strong communication: you have experience communicating technical concepts verbally, visually and in writing to a wide range of audiences
- competency in languages besides English is a plus
- management experience
- organisational and accountability
- attention to detail
- a collaborative and curious nature
You must be willing to accommodate the schedule of a globally based team; as such, there may be some instances of required phone calls/meetings that are outside of normal work hours. This role may travel frequently throughout the year, mostly internationally. Not to exceed more than two weeks at a time.
How to apply
For more detailed information about the position, please visit this page.
To apply, please submit a short cover letter, resume (or CV) and a sample portfolio of your work (in English) detailing relevant design experience through GDCI’s application portal. If you need support, please contact us.
Applications are open until 7 January 2024.
Thank you for your interest; we look forward to hearing from you!