MANAGER, SIGNAGE AND ENVIRONMENTAL GRAPHIC DESIGN (WAYFINDING & NAVAGATIONAL SIGNAGE)

Metro’s mission is to provide a world-class transportation system that enhances the quality of life for all who live, work, and play within LA County.

Description

Manages the planning, design, and development of major high-visibility customer signage and environmental graphic design projects for the delivery of major capital projects and signage related start-up activities for new transit corridors, including bus and rail fleet and the construction of stations, facilities, and other projects to provide patrons with the information needed to navigate Metro's systems. The Manager, Signage and Environmental Graphic Design (Wayfinding & Navigational Signage ) leads the production design of systemwide signage, wayfinding, & branded environment projects and ensures alignment with agency standards, accessibility guidelines, and regulatory requirements. The position supervises internal staff and external consultants, collaborating closely with architects, engineers, planners, and creative teams. This role helps shape the visual & navigational experience across Metro’s stations, stops, and fleet.

Recruitment Timeline: Interviews are are projected to be scheduled for the week of June 9, 2025 . These dates are subject to change . We encourage you to monitor your governmentjobs.com profile and emails for the latest updates.

Examples of Duties

• Manages the planning, conceptualization, design, refinements, and production of a wide range of environmental graphic design work for the construction of station, facilities, and vehicles to ensure the continuity and integration of Metro's Environmental Graphic Design Systemwide Standards into the customer environment

• Manages environmental graphic design, customer environment branding standards, and visual information systems for highly visible capital projects and ensures that work is on schedule, within budget, and complies with technical and regulatory requirements

• Manages and evaluates the work of staff and consultants in developing complex signage and wayfinding design plans, programs, and processes to ensure consistency and integration of the Metro transit system

• Plans, conceptualizes, develops, and executes creative strategies and solutions, and effectively communicates these strategies to staff and consultants

• Analyzes complex design issues/problems and recommends visual solutions that convey clear, consistent, and effective information, and reflect best industry practices

• Reviews design and construction documents, project specifications, and shop drawings for compliance with Metro's Environmental Graphic Design Systemwide Standards and to provide comments and direction to construction design teams

• Conducts comments resolution meetings with the capital project construction teams, designers, and vendors

• Conducts field audits of all signage for capital projects for placement, location, quality, and compliance with approved drawings and standards

• Consults with other Metro departments for best practices and means and methods for fabricating and installing illuminated and static signage in new capital construction projects and existing facilities and stations

• Works with multidisciplinary stakeholders, such as Architecture, Maintenance, Operations, Civil Rights, Safety, Security, Fleet Acquisition, and Marketing teams to incorporate complex environmental graphic design, signage, wayfinding, and other customer environment enhancements

• Interfaces with designers, engineers, architects, fabricators, and other design professionals to deliver quality projects and/or ensure quality and integrity of customer environments

• Develops and writes complex scopes of work for highly visible construction projects, prepares cost estimates, and evaluates proposals

• Facilitates procurement; serves as technical subject matter expert during contract bidding, negotiation and award process; and manages the implementation of contractor/ consultant contracts

• Responds to requests for signage resulting from alterations to the transit system environment, with a particular focus on mitigating impacts from regulatory requirements and digital information integration into the built environment

• Supports the seamless integration of environmental graphic design components in relation to other key design elements, such as public art, architecture, and landscape architecture

• Allocates and manages workflow and contractor resources

• Develops and manages agency Environmental Graphic Design Systemwide Standards and Fleet Identity Standards

• Facilitates management-level client meetings to define issues and develop strategies/work plans

• Collaborates with clients to refine project objectives and determine how they can best be accomplished within time and budgetary constraints

• Works closely with Program Delivery, Operations, and Marketing to ensure sure deadlines are met

• Provides technical support and ensures design activities meet operations, maintenance, and quality standards and expectations

• Manages special signage and environmental graphic design related studies

• Supervises, trains, and motivates assigned staff

• Prepares and presents comprehensive presentations, reports, and presentations to management, committees, and outside agencies

• Represents the department at meetings with consultants and the public

• Contributes to ensuring that the EEO (Equal Employment Opportunity) policies and programs of Metro are carried out
  
  May be required to perform other related job duties
  
  

Minimum Qualifications

A combination of education and/or experience that provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the essential functions of the position. Additional experience, as outlined below, may be substituted for required education on a year-for-year basis. A typical combination includes:

Education

• Bachelor's Degree in Urban or Transportation Planning; Public Administration, Public Policy, Visual Communications, Industrial Design, Graphic Design, Environmental Graphic Design, Architecture, Urban Design, or a related field; Master's Degree in a related field preferred

Experience

• Six years of relevant experience or three years of relevant supervisory-level experience in developing complex, highly visible environmental graphic design programs and products

Certifications/Licenses/Special Requirements

• A valid California Class C Driver License or the ability to utilize an alternative method of transportation when needed to carry out job-related essential functions

Preferred Qualifications
Preferred Qualifications (PQs) are used to identify relevant knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) as determined by business necessity. These criteria are considered preferred qualifications and are not intended to serve as minimum requirements for the position. PQs will help support selection decisions throughout the recruitment. In addition, applicants who possess these PQs will not automatically be selected.

The following are the preferred qualifications:

• Experience managing complex signage and environmental graphic design projects within a public or transportation industry focusing on wayfinding for stations, stops and fleet vehicles
• Experience managing signage designs from concept to completion while reviewing and complying with design standards
  
• Experience analyzing construction drawings and providing feedback to produce production-ready visuals to enhance navigational systems
  
• Experience developing and implementing wayfinding strategies that prioritize accessibility, enhance user experience, and ensure compliance with ADA and other relevant codes and regulatory standards
  
• Experience communicating and collaborating with multidisciplinary teams, vendors and stakeholders
  

Essential Knowledge

Knowledge of(defined as a learned body of information that is required for and applied in the performance of job tasks)

• Applicable local, state, and federal laws, rules, and regulations governing signage and environmental graphic design policies and funding for a public transportation agency
• Current theories, principles, and practices of environmental graphic design, typography, navigational schemes, and signage
• Wayfinding plans, engineering studies, and highly complex technical documents
• Project management, budgeting, and cost estimating
• Contract administration and negotiation
• Capital project program delivery
• Copyright issues
• American Disability Act (ADA) standards and Title VI requirements
• Signage fabrication and installation means and methods, including materials, coatings, and hardware
• Macintosh hardware and a range of software programs, such as Adobe InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, Acrobat, Distiller, CAD (Computer-Aided Design) applications and tools, font management software utilities, Microsoft Office Suite, and other desktop publishing tools
• Modern management theory

Skill in(defined as the proficient manual, verbal, or mental utilization of data, people, or things)

• Managing the design and development of environmental graphic design standards and/or project delivery of signage plans/ systems to help achieve the agency's long-range mission
• Reading and understanding architectural, engineering and construction documents and drawings
• Analyzing situations, identifying problems, recommending solutions, and evaluating outcomes
• Discerning anomalies and discrepancies between required standards and contractor submittals
• Effective project management while working on multiple projects concurrently
• Communicating effectively, verbally, and in writing
• Communicating an overall appreciation and understanding of quality design with project team members and creating relationships with other agency departments and individuals
• Interacting professionally with various levels of Metro employees, design professionals, and the public
• Exercising creativity, critical judgement, and constructive problem solving

Ability to(defined as a present competence to perform an observable behavior or produce an observable result)

• Understand complex wayfinding plans and communication systems
• Retain institutional knowledge and recall detailed information from protracted projects
• Think and act independently
• Establish and implement relevant policies and procedures
• Understand, interpret, and apply laws, rules, regulations, policies, and procedures
• Supervise, train, and motivate assigned staff
• Effectively organize complex information and maintain organized and accurate job files
• Meet tight time constraints and deadlines for tasks and projects
• Prepare comprehensive reports and correspondence
• Read, write, speak, and understand English
  Special ConditionsThe physical demands described are representative of those that must be met by the employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Metro provides reasonable accommodation to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
  

Working Conditions

• Typical office situation
• Close exposure to computer monitors and video screen

Physical Effort Required

• Sitting at a desk or table
• Operate a telephone or other telecommunications device and communicate through the medium
• Type and use a keyboard and mouse to perform necessary computer-based functions
• Communicating through speech in the English language required
• Good distance vision and/or depth perception to judge distances
• Color recognition (e.g., distinguishing wires, resistors, containers, light signals, etc.)

(JAL)

Metro is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, ancestry, national origin, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, religion, age, veteran status, or disability. Learn more about Metro’s Equal Employment Opportunity Program . Metro does not deny participation in the application process to anyone with prior justice system involvement, in line with Fair Chance hiring practices.

Selection Procedure

Applicants who best meet job-related qualifications will be invited to participate in the examination process that may consist of any combination of written, performance, or oral appraisal to further evaluate job-related experience, knowledge, skills and abilities.

Application Procedure

To apply, visit Metro's website at www.metro.net and complete an online Employment Application.

Computers are available to complete online Employment Applications at the following Metro location:

METRO Headquarters, Employment Office
One Gateway Plaza
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Telephone: (213) 922-6217 or persons with hearing or speech impairments can use California Relay Service 711 to contact Metro.

All completed online Employment Applications must be received by 5:00 p.m. on the closing date. Late applications will not be considered.

*Open to the public and all Metro employees

This job bulletin is not to be construed as an exhaustive list of duties, responsibilities, or requirements. Employees may be required to perform other related job duties.

*Please refer to the applicable benefit type (Regular or Temporary)*

BENEFITS FOR REGULAR EMPLOYEES

Benefits cover probationary or regular full-time (working at least 40 hrs/week) employees of Metro.

We offer a range of high-quality medical, dental and vision plan options as well as health care spending accounts for you and your family. Metro will cover a significant portion of your health care premiums.

Medical/Dental/Vision Plan- Employee has the choice of 3 separate medical plans and 3 dental plans. A separate vision plan is included in each medical plan.

Group Life Insurance- PTSC pays for an amount equal to your annual salary, rounded up to the nearest $1,000. Minimum amount of life insurance is $30,000.

Accidental Death & Dismemberment Insurance- PTSC provides $50,000 coverage for each employee. Additional voluntary coverage in amounts up to $500,000 is available at favorable premium rates.

Long-Term Disability Insurance- 100% employer paid. Provides employees with a minimum income of 60% of earnings after six months of disability. Buy up or buy down options available.

Holidays- 12 days a year: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Veterans' Day, Cesar E Chavez, Juneteenth,Thanksgiving Day, Day After Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day.

Time off with Pay (TOWP)- Compensates employees who are on approved absence from work for reasons such as illness, injury, medical and dental appointments, personal business, vacation, or observance of (a) religious holiday.
Years of Service Annual Accrual
Hire date - 5 years20 days
Beginning of 6th - 10th year25 days
Beginning of 11th - 15th year30 days
Beginning of 16th + years35 days

Pension Plan- PTSC retirement plan is the Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS). Vesting is five (5) years. Minimum retirement age is 52, based on the 2% at 62 formula.

Other Benefits: Transportation passes for employees and/or eligible dependents; Medicare; Tuition reimbursement; credit union membership; SDI; Deferred Compensation Plan; 401(K) Thrift plan; EAP; Medical and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts; Flexible work schedules; and Jury Duty Pay.

BENEFITS FOR TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES

Temporary (Contingent) employees are eligible for the following benefits only:

• Kaiser medical insurance
• Public Pension Plan
• 457/401K Plan
• Flex Spending
• Paid Sick Time
• Fare Media
• Rideshare Subsidies
• Metro One Fitness membership

For more information on the Benefits Enrollment for Contingent Employees, please visit LA Metro’s Pension & Benefits website at www.benefits.metro.net .

Closing Date/Time: 5/30/2025 5:00 PM Pacific

• 

• Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority - LA Metro

Show more