Design Fellow at the Office of Evaluation Sciences, General Services Administration

Link to solicitation on OES website

Be a Design Fellow with the Office of Evaluation Sciences
OES makes the government better by helping agencies build and use evidence to learn what works.

The Office of Evaluation Sciences (OES) is an interdisciplinary team that works across the federal government to help agencies answer top priority questions. We design and conduct evaluations of existing programs and evidence-based program changes. We use rigorous evaluation methods and administrative data to build and use evidence and learn what works. To date, we have completed over 85 impact evaluations with over 20 federal agency collaborators. Our portfolio has spanned priority areas such as improving public health outcomes, increasing educational opportunity, promoting equity and economic recovery, and increasing access to benefits.

All fellowship positions will be remote and location flexible within the United States. Design Fellows will
serve at least a six-month term or detail, with interest and availability to serve additional years
preferred.

Design Fellowship Details

OES is looking to bring on an expert in human centered design methods to embed qualitative approaches
into how we develop solutions.

Responsibilities of the OES Design Fellow include:

● Serve as an advisor to OES project teams in developing and implementing qualitative research activities as part of the project intervention design phase
● Engage in agency discussions and conversations to better understand barriers and opportunities for process changes; identify opportunities to translate findings from human-centered design research, in addition to insights from the social and behavioral sciences, into concrete recommendations for improving Federal programs
● Apply leading practices in visual and content design into intervention artifacts, supporting OES projects on actual intervention design
● Drive the incorporation of service blueprints and behavioral maps into applicable OES projects; including improving existing and creating additional mapping guides, resources and processes
● Represent the team by presenting at government and external conferences and meetings as needed

Applicant Profile

We are seeking an individual with experience leading discovery sprints, conducting qualitative
customer/user research efforts, and creatively designing process changes and/or communication
artifacts, such as websites, letters, and fliers. An added edge would be experience serving as a designer
in public sector, and even Federal, settings.

Applicants should possess:

● An interest in designing and participating in project processes that incorporate both quantitative and qualitative research methods and practices.
● Ability to think creatively about how insights from human-centered design methods and the social and behavioral sciences can be translated into concrete solutions that are feasible within Federal constraints
● Curiosity and willingness to learn about Federal agencies and their delivery environment
● Professional experience creating high-quality visual artifacts – letters, one-pagers, logos, websites, other print materials, visual identity kits, etc.
● Excellent project management and organizational skills
● Flexibility, self-motivation, and the ability to manage multiple tasks efficiently in a team
● Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills
● Collaborative nature and willingness to support team members and “dive in” at all stages of design process

Preferred qualifications include one or more of the following:

● Experience working with government programs, policies, operations, and/or data
● Prior experience in one or more U.S. domestic policy sectors
● Experience designing evidence-based interventions

Application Details

Applicants may apply by emailing [email protected] with their resume and cover letter by Friday, December 10 at 11:59pm ET. A design portfolio link should be included in the resume, or attach a PDF that includes work samples (these can include journey maps, interview guides, materials, or other products you developed as part of previous professional experiences conducting qualitative research to inform solution design). Finalists will be invited to an interview process that will include a design exercise, interviews and a presentation.