Aga Khan Foundation USA: Local Impact Regional Design Lead
Posted: March 10, 2022
ABOUT AGA KHAN FOUNDATION (AKF) USA
Established in 1981, AKF USA is a private, non-denominational, non-profit international development organization committed to breaking the cycle of poverty across Africa and Asia. As a member of the Aga Khan Development Network (www.akdn.org), one of the world’s largest development organizations, AKF works to empower communities and individuals, often in disadvantaged circumstances, to improve their quality of life, especially in Africa and Asia.
POSITION SUMMARY:
AKF USA is seeking to hire a Regional Design Lead for the AKF, and USAID jointly funded Local Impact Leader with Associate (LWA) award. With an eye toward conflict prevention and resolution, Local Impact will target marginalized and vulnerable communities to: (1) Catalyze inclusive economic growth and ensure basic livelihoods; (2) Enhance infrastructure and access to basic services with a focus on clean energy; (3) Enhance the capacity of citizens and local institutions; and (4) Promote pluralism and social cohesion. The Regional Design Lead will support a portfolio of Human Centered Design (HCD) projects across three country offices in Central Asia while building the capacity of local teams in leading and facilitating design processes. As part of an interdisciplinary team, you will tackle complex, human-centered and socially impactful challenges alongside other development practitioners from different backgrounds. This position will be based in Bishkek or Dushanbe ideally. However, this position will span Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan so travel will be needed often when it is safe and permissible.
MORE INFO AND APPLICATIONS: https://www.akfusa.org/wp-content/uploads/Local-Impact-Regional-Design-Lead-TOR-2.pdf
Lead Product Designer
Posted: November 1, 2021
At DAYS, we help families celebrate their traditions and create memories together. Whether it’s Hanukkah (Jewish), Diwali (Indian) or Lunar New Year (Chinese) we offer holiday boxes containing everything our customers need to celebrate with their loved ones: original holiday gear, activities, recipes, games and much more.
We’re a young, dynamic company with rave reviews and large and loyal customer base. As we’re gaining incredible momentum in the marketplace, we’re looking to expand our team with the addition of a designer who will lead the design and development of our main line of products. The core responsibility of this role lies in translating traditions into engaging, relevant and meaningful experiences that are both digital and physical: in essence, creating and designing activities, holiday gear, craft projects and how-to guides.
Our ideal candidate
We’re looking for an excellent product designer with a true passion for simplicity and beauty. We need someone with the motivation and drive to turn ideas into designs and see them through from conception to manufacture - be it physical or digital. As our lead designer you’ll be an excellent collaborator and communicator, with the capacity to work well both in house with the DAYS team, and externally with our partners and associates.
Caltech Space Challenge
Posted: September 23, 2021
The Caltech Space Challenge brings 32 talented and highly-motivated students to the Caltech campus to participate in a week-long space mission design competition. The participants are split into two teams and both teams work under the mentorship of experts from industry, NASA and academia to design their mission concept from scratch to final proposal. The Challenge is a unique opportunity for young and enthusiastic students to build technical and teamwork skills, interact with world-renowned experts in space exploration and connect to like-minded peers from all around the world.
The next edition of the Caltech Space Challenge will take place from March 21 to March 25, 2022.
More info here: https://www.spacechallenge.caltech.edu/
The Commit Partnership- Managing Director of Innovation
Posted: May 18, 2021
The Commit Partnership (the “Partnership”), seeks a passionate, strategic leader to help the organization identify, create, and potentially scale innovative and collaborative efforts that can significantly accelerate Partnership progress in improving economic mobility within the Dallas County region. The Partnership’s goal is double living wage attainment with equitable outcomes by 2040. Our five-year benchmarks include seeing 68,000 more Dallas County students meeting key academic milestones, including 58,000 more students in limited income homes, 17,000 more Black students and 40,000 more Hispanic/Latinx students. This key position, reporting directly to the President of Commit with dotted line responsibility to the organization’s founder and CEO, will also serve as a fellow Managing Director on the Partnership’s executive team, providing valued input into a shared leadership approach guiding the nation’s largest educational backbone organization.
The Managing Director of Innovation and Partnerships will lead a small but impactful team, in close collaboration with the Partnership’s Analytics department, focused on identifying, prototyping, piloting, and iterating on innovative strategies within Dallas County. New, out-of-the-box ideas that have achieved results elsewhere or promising strategies worth testing out locally should be considered. Scaling effective innovative strategies once proven will be a key function of this team. In addition, the role will also have responsibility for identifying critical components missing within the region’s ecosystem that are worth introducing to enhance achievement of the Partnership’s overall goals. Once they are identified, key strategies and potential ecosystem components worth replicating in Dallas County will be brought to the Partnership’s executive team, board, and investors with recommendations on how these innovations should be implemented, funded and (where appropriate) housed and governed. Finally, the role will also lead our partnership strategy with select groups of stakeholders that inform and help shape overall Partnership strategies, including neighborhood place-based organizations.
Candidate Requirements
Who you are:
Motivated by equity and values diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and approaches: Applies an equity lens to design and analysis, invests time and resources in building a diverse, highly effective team.
Results and data-oriented: Consistent habit of using data (quantitative, qualitative, and end-user data) to understand challenges holistically and measures the results of initiatives.
Designer: Experience designing, testing, and scaling innovative ideas that lead to results.
Insatiably Curious: Uses questions (including the design of strong research questions) to approach challenges. Does not start with ideas or projects but instead questions and problems. Can ‘get smart’ on new topics quickly.
Fail forward mindset: Can identify clear lessons from failed attempts that have led to effective solutions and new ideas.
Strategic leadership: Systems-level strategist who can also think through how efforts impact schools, classrooms, and students.
What you bring:
Entrepreneurial Leadership: Opportunity seeking, listens to learn, persistent, comfortable with ambiguity and risk.
Commitment and track record of focusing on racial equity: Creates mechanisms for community (grasstops and grassroots) participation, understands the role systemic racism has played in creating inequities, incorporates racial equity into work and people management relationships, demonstrates self-awareness of how one’s social identities can affect how one approaches others and solutions.
Ability to use data to identify insights, priorities, build understanding and mobilize action: Identifies key quantitative and qualitative data sources, conducts thorough analyses, and gleans insights to inform decisions. Establishes progress monitoring processes to evaluate effectiveness of solutions.
Strong managerial skills and results that include inclusive leadership practices: Builds and leverages the strengths of a diverse team. Sets a clear vision and goals in collaboration with others. Considers staff success and development a key strategy for achieving results.
Ability to build strong, trusting relationships with key stakeholders: Builds authentic, trusting relationships with diverse stakeholders from grasstops to grassroots leaders, colleagues, and staff. Creates structures and agreements to facilitate collaboration. Celebrates the contributions of others.
Ability to communicate complex ideas and strategies so others understand: Creates and delivers motivating, aligned key messages. Effectively connects the 'why', 'how' and 'what' of the work. Connects effectively with different stakeholder groups.
This position offers a competitive compensation and benefits package. Please direct any questions to careers@commitpartnership.org. Please reference “Innovation and Partnerships: Managing Director” in the subject line. For more information, please visit: www.commitpartnership.org
Lower School Librarian & Innovation Multimedia Specialist
Posted: May 3, 2021
Brentwood School, a vibrant and diverse K-12 independent school, is looking for a Lower School Librarian beginning in August, 2021. This position reports to the Director of the Lower School and the Director of the Belldegrun Center for Innovative Leadership. We are seeking individuals from independent, public, private, or charter schools, with prior experience in and a passion for working with lower school students. A minimum of a college bachelor’s degree is required, however, a master’s degree is preferred.
More info here.
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Fabrication Lab Innovator and Collaborator
Brentwood School, a vibrant and diverse K-12 independent school, is seeking an experienced educator to oversee its Belldegrun Center for Innovative Leadership (BCIL) Fabrication Lab and engage students and faculty in real-world problem solving beginning August 19, 2021. The BCIL Fabrication Lab Innovator and Collaborator is a full-time position and will be responsible for supporting the BCIL mission statement and core skills through integration with Brentwood School’s 6-12 academic and extracurricular programming. This individual should possess a love for working with children alongside a deep knowledge of design thinking, 2D & 3D design, STEAM, building, project-based learning, and tinkering. The Fabrication Innovator and Collaborator will report to the Director of the Belldegrun Center for Innovative Leadership.
More info here.
SkyGeni – UX Design Intern
Posted: April 9, 2021
SkyGeni is a Silicon Valley startup focused on using data and augmented intelligence to improve the productivity of B2B sales professionals. SkyGeni’s customers are deriving transformational value from the platform and are driving the next generation of features on our product roadmap. As a SkyGeni User Experience Design intern, you will be a key member of our team, working very closely with our product, data science and engineering teams. You will also have the opportunity to interact with our customers and learn in a fast-paced startup environment. All intern positions will be 100% remote and therefore open to candidates in all geographic locations.
Responsibilities
● Help inculcate design thinking into our entire product design and development process
● Expand existing personas and use-cases
● Create end-to-end user flows, wireframes, mockups and interactive prototypes
● Help develop design specifications and supporting assets
Qualifications and Skills
● Currently enrolled students (or recent graduates) in User Experience, computer science, computer engineering or related fields or equivalent practical experience
● Deep interest in Design Thinking / User Experience as a career option
● Proficiency in conceptualizing ideas and thinking through features from ideation to deployment
● Familiarity with agile software development practices
● Basic knowledge of wire-framing and rapid prototyping
● Intellectual curiosity and willingness to dig into and explore data
● Strong verbal and written communication skills
How to Apply
Please email your resume (including phone number) to careers@skygeni.com with the subject line “UX Design Internships”.
Design the Future: Design Coach (remote)
Design the Future is currently recruiting Design Coaches for our summer 2021 program, upper level university students and industry professionals who are passionate about human centered design, engineering, computer science, youth mentorship, disability awareness and social impact.
We have a central landing page detailing the position and how to apply here: Design Coach application landing page
In addition, we will be hosting our own information sessions about the position on Zoom, offered April 19th at 3pm EST and April 21st at 10:30am EST. Here is a pre-registration site for those students interested in attending: http://bit.ly/DesignCoachWebinarPreReg.
More info about job description here.
Internship at Grounded
Posted: March 17, 2021
Contact: Alison Root - aroot@grounded.co.ke, what's app +254711509502
Grounded is a women-run local manufacturer of nontoxic cleaning products based in Kenya. Run by 2 Stanford alumni, we produce effective and safe cleaning solutions for homes and businesses. We disclose 100% of our ingredients, and do not use any nasties. We source 95% of our raw materials locally in support of the Buy Kenya, Build Kenya movement. We love providing cleaning solutions to protect humans and the environment while not compromising our standard of clean.
We manufacture about 30 products across 10 major packaging types.
Grounded recently completed a fundraise that will allow us to complete a rebranding exercise and get us into major supermarket chains in Kenya and beyond.
We are looking for support in design engineering with a focus on label application/machinery (specific to the economics of Africa regarding machinery vs. labor for hand application), label design (especially shapes around tricky curved objects), or anyone interested in manufacturing in Africa, packaging, and launching a rebranding!
This could look like someone with 10-20 hours to spare in the next 1-2 months, or an ongoing engagement and advisory services during our rebrand, launch, and marketing push.
Stanford Seed: Summer Internships in Emerging Markets
Posted: March 12, 2021
Work closely with talented entrepreneurs in Africa and South Asia. Gain high-level work experience while making a social impact in emerging markets. Experience all that and more through a funded, Stanford Seed internship.
Through a Seed internship, you will:
Gain high-level work experience and put theory into practice while working with a small to medium-size company based in an emerging market
Contribute to projects leading to the transformational growth of companies in the region
Learn about a different culture, and about the challenges and opportunities of doing business in developing and emerging countries
Explore private-sector solutions to international-development challenges
Build skills that are needed in a global marketplace and desired by employers
More Info:
https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/seed/get-involved/intern
San Francisco VA Health Care System- Innovation Specialist
Posted: March 10, 2021
The Innovation Specialist position is a dynamic, impact-driven role for someone who is entrepreneurial, mission-oriented, a skilled communicator and relationship-builder, and committed to building the future of care in the VA.
The Innovation Specialist is a non-supervisory, senior Health System Specialist with responsibility for a portfolio which may include but is not limited to:
Identifying market trends and opportunities
Developing innovation-driven strategic plans in support of clinical and administrative services and SFVAHCS strategic priorities
Identifying and pursuing internal and external partnerships and research opportunities that can bring emerging technology to Veterans
Coaching clinical and administrative staff on design, innovation, and futures-thinking principles to bring innovation ideas to the frontline of healthcare
Piloting ideas and managing projects, including measuring and analyzing progress
Sharing through national dissemination channels
The Innovation Specialist is a member of a small Strategic Planning team responsible for complex, high-visibility projects. They report to the Chief of Strategic Planning, with regular interaction with SFVAHCS clinical/administrative leaders and executives. Regular telework (up to 80% virtual) will be optional for highly qualified candidates, with hiring preference shown to Bay Area residents or those willing to relocate to the Bay Area. Prior federal experience is not required.
More Info:
https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/594243900
Service Designer
Posted: February 3, 2021
You will conduct research that builds empathy with the client, identify key insights to spark innovation, co-create solutions, launch prototypes, and help teams take services live. You will work alongside front-line staff and those they serve in the co-design and co-delivery of new processes, establishing shared ownership for sustainable success. Through iterative co-creation, you will develop feasible, person-centered, and comprehensive service strategies that improve resident interactions with government and staff work experiences. You’ll be working on a range of projects based on client demand. Projects might include ‘how might we re-imagine 311 and how we get answers to resident questions?’ “How might we improve services for those experiencing homelessness?” “How might we re-imagine the vaccination delivery to build trust in government?” “With 35% of our workforce eligible to retire, how might we design a recruiting and hiring process that attracts the best talent?” “How might we re-imagine providing rent relief or food assistance to honor and respect those in times of need?” You will champion service design and human centered approaches across County government and in the broader community. You will be an integral part of the Office of the County Executive’s innovation team, working directly with the County’s Service Design lead.
Innovation Program Manager
Posted: February 3, 2021
You will grow our innovation community within Montgomery County to enable a more helpful, human, and just government. You will lead the launch and programming of our new innovation space in a historic courthouse, including setting up systems to enable creative interaction and foster meaningful partnerships. You will organize a regional innovation collaborative to promote learning and exchange between government teams, private sector partners, non-profit actors, and community members. You will participate in the County’s Innovation Accelerator community and take a leadership role in rapidly scaling this successful course. You will be an integral part of the Office of the County Executive’s Innovation team.