This position is open to Internal King County Information Technology (KCIT) employees and eligible Priority Placement participants ONLY. Only current KCIT employees and eligible Priority Placement participants applications will be considered.    

KCIT's Design & Civic Engagement Section is seeking an experienced Communications Specialist II to join our team. As a Communications Specialist you will be responsible for creating various communications tools including presentations, posters, newsletters, fliers, maps, infographics, storymaps, interpretive and environmental exhibits and illustrations, and technical and non-technical reports.
 
This role will be working in various forms including web, print, and other interactive mediums. This position is responsible for providing visual designs and information architecture for Modern SharePoint sites, and may assist with basic User Experience tasks.  The position is also responsible for overseeing multiple work assignments  while using creativity and imagination in preparing products that meet the needs of internal clients, partners and targeted Public groups.  

King County
As the only county in the United States named after Martin Luther King Jr, one of the most influential civil rights leaders in our nations' history, King County is a vibrant community with residents that represent countries from around the world. It is a region with increasing diversity that cherishes the artistic and social traditions of many cultures. Together, we're changing the way government delivers service and winning national recognition as a model of excellence. We continue to build on an enduring legacy of shared values of equity and social justice, employee engagement, innovative thinking and continuous improvement. With this commitment, King County has adopted a pro-equity agenda aimed at advancing regional change and is developing the systems and standards necessary to achieve better outcomes for all of our residents, regardless of their race or income. All of these qualities make this King County one of the nation's best places to live, work, and play. 

King County Department of Information Technology (KCIT)
KCIT is providing the building blocks for many of the region's most critical services.  As a business solutions partner, we collaborate with 18 County departments to develop products and services that better serve the needs of our customers and our community.  To learn more about KCIT, please visit our website: http://kingcounty.govdepts/it.aspx 

Benefits
We offer a robust benefits package to support you and your family in a variety of ways.  To learn more, please click on the benefits tab or visit our website: http://www.kingcounty.gov/employees/.

Work Schedule
The normal workweek for this position is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Alternative schedules may be considered.  This position is not eligible for overtime pay.  

Questions
If you have questions regarding this recruitment, please contact Brian Roberts (broberts@kingcounty.gov).

• Apply design principal and use creativity and imagination to identify methods, applications, and info/data needed to produce visual communication products. Products include presentations, posters, newsletters, maps, Arc GIS StoryMaps, flyers, infographics, interpretive illustrations, indoor/outdoor signage, technical and non-technical reports, exhibits and social media campaigns for various platforms and devices.  
• Design, organize and implement Modern SharePoint sites based on customer needs.
• Work with other User Experience (UX) team members to assist with UX tasks.
• Write and edit text to include in communications tools being developed.
• Multi-tasking skills to manage and produce several large and small projects concurrently, developing schedules and cost estimates as needed.
• Work independently and collaboratively with other designers. Manage time and phase projects according to needs of the customers.
• Collaborate with a variety of customers and program managers throughout King County departments as regular duty, and work with outside consultants as needed.
• Coordinate with internal and external service providers, such as the King County Print Shop and sign vendors for small and large format color output and digital printing, ensuring quality production, on-time delivery, and efficiency.
• Act as a consultant to assist clients in planning their visual communication projects. Consult with customers about appropriate use of King County logo and other design standards to maintain King County’s brand identity, and ADA accommodations standards.
• Operate and troubleshoot design and production software and system as needed.
• Archive completed projects in timely and logical manner for easy access in the future.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Experience, Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills

• Four or more years experience in graphic design and visual communication related fields
• Proficient in technical writing and editing for both external and internal audiences
• Proficient in Adobe Design suite, including Illustrator, Photo Shop, Indesign, etc.
• Proficient in Office 365, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, SharePoint, One Drive
• Proficient in Mac system operation
• Skilled at handling multiple competing priorities while working on complex, highly visible, and time or politically sensitive projects    
• Skilled in establishing positive collaborative relationships with peers and being part of a team
• Relate well to internal and external customers, build effective and constructive relationships
• Flexible to put extra effort to meet important deadlines (occasionally)
• Willingness to learn new skills and work on challenging tasks/projects/systems
• Proficient with customization of Modern SharePoint sites
• Bachelor’s degree in the field of Graphic Design or equivalent experience preferred.  
• Portfolio of work required

• Familiar with ArcGIS to export spatial data to design software
• Experience with Arc GIS StoryMap creation Skilled at working with customers and teams

Forbes recently named King County as one of Washington State's best employers.

Together, with leadership and our employees, we're changing the way government delivers service and winning national recognition as a model of excellence. Are you ready to make a difference? Come join the team dedicated to serving one of the nation's best places to live, work and play.

Guided by our "True North", we are making King County a welcoming community where every person can thrive. We value diversity, inclusion and belonging in our workplace and workforce. To reach this goal we are committed to workforce equity. Equitable recruiting, support, and retention is how we will obtain the highest quality workforce in our region; a workforce that shares and will help advance our guiding principles--we are one team; we solve problems; we focus on the customer; we drive for results; we are racially just; we respect all people; we lead the way; and we are responsible stewards. We encourage people of all backgrounds and identities to apply, including Native American and people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ+, people living with disabilities, and veterans.

King County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer
No person is unlawfully excluded from employment opportunities based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation and pregnancy), age, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or other protected class. Our EEO policy applies to all employment actions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, selection for training, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation.

To Apply
If you are interested in pursuing this position, please follow the application instructions carefully. If you need this announcement in an alternate language or format, would like to request accommodation or assistance in the application or assessment process or if you have questions please contact your recruiter listed on this job announcement.      

This position is open to Internal King County Information Technology (KCIT) employees and eligible Priority Placement participants ONLY. Only current KCIT employees and eligible Priority Placement participants applications will be considered.

Application Requirements
A completed King County Application with an attached resume and portfolio are required for consideration.

In addition to filling the current vacancy, this position may be used to fill future vacancies. 

(For internal use only:  Classification:  Communications Specialist II - 2501200)