A best-in-class city that attracts best-in-class talent, Philadelphia is an incredible place to build a career. From our thriving arts scene and rich history to our culture of passion and grit, there are countless reasons to love living and working here. With a workforce of over 30,000 people, and more than 1,000 different job categories, the City of Philadelphia offers boundless opportunities to make an impact. 

As an employer, the City of Philadelphia values inclusion, integrity, innovation, empowerment, and hard work above all else. We offer a vibrant work environment, comprehensive health care and benefits, and the experience you need to grow and excel. If you’re interested in working with a passionate team of people who care about the future of Philadelphia, start here.

What we offer:

•   Impact - The work you do here matters to millions. 
•   Growth - Philadelphia is growing, why not grow with it? 
•   Diversity & Inclusion - Find a career in a place where everyone belongs.
•   Opportunities in Tech - Don’t wait for the future, shape it.
•   Benefits - We care about your well-being.

Agency Descriptions

Two City of Philadelphia agencies are working together on this digital forms redesign project. (See description of the project in the below “position summary” section.) The Office of Innovation and Technology (OIT) is leading the project. The PHL Service Design Studio is leading the research component of the project. The fellow (i.e., lead design researcher) will be a member of PHL Service Design Studio and a full-time member of the multi-agency project team working to redesign the City’s digital forms to be more accessible.

The eight-month design research fellow position is funded through the City’s Operational Transformation Fund (OTF), which is a $10 million internal City fund where transformative municipal projects are invested in over two fiscal years (2022 and 2023). Across different City departments, OTF projects are implementing people-centered and sustainable solutions that focus on efficient and equitable service provision to benefit Philadelphians. OTF project teams receive ongoing support and assistance from the City’s Office of the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), which manages the OTF, and participate in activities as a cohort.

About the PHL Service Design Studio

The PHL Service Design Studio (SDS) sits within of the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer and supports service improvement efforts across City government. The Studio believes the City is closer to creating a more equitable Philadelphia when residents and colleagues, who’ve been historically marginalized by government actions, can access and deliver municipal services with ease and agency. To support this belief, the Studio collaborates with residents, direct service staff, and leaders to design accessible and trauma-informed services that honor the diverse needs of Philadelphians. For more information, please visit our website at phila.gov/service-design-studio and Twitter @DesignStudioPHL.

About the Office of Innovation and Technology 

The Office of Innovation and Technology (OIT) oversees most major technology projects for the City of Philadelphia, ensures continuity of the City’s technology operations, and finds new ways to help the public interact meaningfully with technology. OIT uses technology to help City employees do their work better and helps residents get what they need from municipal government. Additionally, OIT offers an innovation service portfolio focused on developing municipal government’s capacity for creativity and innovation. 

About the project
This project will answer the question, “How can we operationalize our digital forms practice at the City of Philadelphia, so resident interactions with forms can be more accessible, secure, and consistent across departments?"

Forms are an essential way Philadelphians interact with our municipal government, and sometimes, they’re the only entry point into a City program or service. If a form isn’t designed and written plainly or proactively inclusive in its terminology and format, residents are turned away from accessing assistance before they begin the process. Even though forms are an important touchpoint for City service delivery, their quality varies from one office to the next.

We’re creating a team to enhance digital service delivery through this project by minimizing technical debt, closing security gaps, and improving residents’ baseline interactions with local government.

About your position 
We’re looking for a seasoned design research professional who’ll lead the usability testing of form prototypes that encompass the City’s new digital form standards. You’ll conduct usability testing in partnership with advocates, community groups, and residents. The sessions will be facilitated in multiple languages and the accessibility of the forms will be tested in collaboration with people who live with disabilities. Translation, interpretation, and CART captioning services will be available.

For this position, you’ll lead all aspects of the design research (from designing the research to facilitation, synthesis, and making recommendations). You’ll be fully supported by the PHL Service Design Studio as well as the digital forms project team. The project team is made up of digital professionals with expertise in form/application development, content strategy, and user experience design.

Please note: This position is a full-time, eight-month opportunity from July 2022 to February 2023. The City of Philadelphia requires all new hires to be fully vaccinated.  (See the Qualifications and Additional Information sections for other requirements.)

Designing and facilitating research

• Define the demographic of focus for usability testing.
• Plan the logistics of design research, which could include recruitment, scheduling of sessions, and facilitation.
• Write thoughtful usability testing research protocols.
• Facilitate an ethical consent process with research participants.
• Protect participant data.
• Facilitate usability testing sessions.
• Organize and code session data.
• Synthesize research into strategic insights that will inform project next steps.

Evidencing

• Develop compelling narratives that communicate usability testing results, so team members can make clear decisions.
• Create insights reports and deliverables that document processes, learnings, and recommendations.

Collaborating

•  Manage resident and community partner compensation for research participation.
• Communicate concepts and work in plain language — without jargon or pretense.
• Ensure design research processes include the right people, at the right points in time.
• Offer and take constructive feedback.
• Respect team members’ and stakeholders’ time.
• Communicate with clarity and honesty around the status of work.
• Cultivate and maintain respectful relationships with community partners, project team members, and project stakeholders.

Project managing

• Break down projects into reasonable project plans with clear deliverables, milestones, and deadlines.
• Lead project partners and team members through the design research process.
• Clearly communicate project plans and their status to leadership and team members.
• Effectively navigate through ambiguity and project challenges.

Competencies, knowledge, skills, and abilities

Competencies 

• Equity-centered: Ability to respect, honor, and center the experiences of residents and staff who have been marginalized by government actions in all that you do.  
• Excellent written communicator: Ability to write in plain language and explain complex subjects in simple terms.   
• Relationship-builder: Ability to work with a variety of people and personalities and cultivate strong relationships to ensure healthy collaboration.  
• Curious: Ability to practice active listening, ask questions to get at the root of a problem, and be open to receiving/giving constructive feedback.  
• Humble: Ability to operate beyond ego and self-interest.  
• Compassionate: Ability to empathize with people’s experiences, and based on that understanding, take appropriate action.  
• Rigorous: Ability to be detail-oriented and intentional in your work.  
• Organized: Demonstrated ability to manage projects, estimate timelines, rework a project approach based on unforeseen challenges, and set reasonable deadlines.  
• Proactive: Ability to see opportunities, navigate barriers, be self-directed, and problem-solve solutions.  
• Resilient: Ability to learn from mistakes and return to work after experiencing a setback. 
   

Knowledge, skills, and abilities 

• Experience developing a demographic of focus.
• Experience with designing, leading, and analyzing usability testing sessions.
• Experience coding usability testing data to ensure valid insights.
• Experience planning usability testing sessions from beginning to end

Nice-to-have skills

• Bilingual (especially Spanish and Mandarin).
• Experience working with communities to design solutions.
• Experience managing a research process across multiple languages.
• Experience designing research that centers the experiences of people living with disabilities.
   

Successful candidates will have:

• A design research-related degree or relevant industry experience.
• At least four years of professional experience in design research or a graduate degree plus two years of professional experience.
• At least four years managing project relationships with colleagues, clients, and project stakeholders.

How to apply
All applications are due on Friday, May 20, 2022, and should include the following:

• A one-page cover letter explaining why you’re interested in the design research fellowship.
• Resume or curriculum vitae.
• At least three work samples that demonstrate your expertise in designing and facilitating research that informs human-centered design decisions. Samples could include design research protocol, workshop playbooks, and findings and recommendations reports.

Application materials are due on Friday, May 20, 2022 (by midnight eastern time). We won’t accept or review incomplete applications. 

Salary 
The salary for this position is $67,000 for eight months (from July 2022 to February 2023). It’s based on an annual salary of $100,000. Because it’s a full-time position, employees will receive benefits. 

Hybrid work schedule 
Currently, the team works on a hybrid schedule — including four days working from home and one day working in the office. This may change depending on the status of COVID-19. 

Residency 
Because the design research fellowship role is very hands-on with community members, we’re looking for candidates who are or can be local to Philadelphia. 

Vaccination status 
As a condition of employment with the City of Philadelphia, employees starting employment on or after September 1, 2021, must be vaccinated. 

Did you know?

• We are a Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program qualified employer
• Employees are eligible for a 25% tuition discount program (and sometimes spouses and dependents as well) in partnership with area colleges and universities
• We offer comprehensive health coverage for employees and their eligible dependents
• Our wellness program offers eligibility into the discounted medical plan
• Employees receive paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays
• Generous retirement savings options are available 
   

The City of Philadelphia is an Equal Opportunity employer and does not permit discrimination based on race, ethnicity, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, marital status, source of income, familial status, genetic information or domestic or sexual violence victim status. If you believe you were discriminated against, call the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations at 215-686-4670 or send an email to [email protected]. For more information, go to: Human Relations Website: http://www.phila.gov/humanrelations/Pages/default.aspx