Graphics Specialist

The Biomimicry Guild, the Innovation Consultancy for Bio-Inspired Design, is a growing, biologist-owned business started in 1998. The Biomimicry Guild is currently the only innovation company in the world to use a deep knowledge of biological adaptations to help designers, engineers, architects, and business leaders solve design and engineering challenges. By emulating life's well-adapted technology, the Guild helps innovators design sustainable products and processes that create conditions conducive to all life.

The premise of the Guild's innovation strategy is that life has been performing design experiments on Earth's R&D lab for 3.8 billion years and what's flourishing on the planet today are the best ideas -- those that perform well in context, while economizing on energy and materials. Whatever a company's design challenge, the odds are high that one or more of the world's 30 million creatures has not only faced the same challenge, but has evolved effective strategies to solve it. The Guild helps companies find, vet, understand and emulate these effective strategies.

For centuries, biologists have been in labs and fields taking notes on the adaptive strategies life has developed. Unfortunately, much of this information is inaccessible, locked up in technical, scientific papers written for other biologists, and rarely organized by engineering or design function. The Biomimicry Guild unlocks this information for companies and communities by sorting through it and translating relevant strategies into language that can be understood by non-biologists who are seeking strategies to emulate.

For more information about Biomimicry, please see our website or read Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature written by Guild Co-Founder, Janine Benyus.

Description

The Biomimicry Guild seeks an individual to provide graphic design, layout and illustration expertise for our growing and evolving company. The ideal candidate will have an entrepreneurial attitude and an interest in sustainability and innovation, as well as a strong interest in the biomimetic design process.

This position requires an individual who is comfortable with and excited about working in a dynamic environment with professionals from multiple disciplines, including scientists, designers, architects, engineers and business catalysts. We seek an open-minded individual that values professionalism, creativity, systems-thinking, and having fun.

The Biomimicry Guild's headquarters are in Helena, Montana, where the position will be based. This position will join a team of established and virtual offices around the U.S. The Guild has offices (staff) in Missoula , Montana(2), Stevensville, Montana (1), New York City, New York (1), Bozeman, New York (1), Charleston, South Carolina (1) and Helena, Montana (5). The position is designed for a 40-hour work week.

Required Responsibilities and Aptitudes

The ideal candidate will have the ability to perform several, if not all, of the following functions:

• Design and layout of client reports and workshop materials
• Incorporation of company brand throughout all materials intended for both public consumption and internal identity
• Visual display of biological information
• Design, implementation, and maintenance of company image library and media library
• Design, assembly, and maintenance of presentation (lecture) materials
• Proficiency with Adobe Creative Suite 3, Microsoft Office 2007/2008
• Preparation of documents for external communications
• Clear and effective communication skills, both orally and in illustrated materials
• Minimum of three years of professional experience

Desired Responsibilities and Aptitudes

• Translate biological concepts into design principles with illustrations (with assistance from our staff of Biologists at the Design Table)
• Rapid sketching and/or production quality sketching of design concepts
• Web design, content management and administration
• Comfort and familiarity with web-based collaborative applications
• Awareness of knowledge management and information architecture

Desired Characteristics

• Love of Nature and/or a commitment to sustainability
• Enthusiastic and fun to be around
• Open and creative
• Dependable and professional
• Outstanding organizational skills

Compensation and Benefits: Creative compensation package starting at $35,000, commensurate with experience.

Start Date: April - May 2008

To Apply

Please submit your cover letter addressing your skills and experiences relative to this position if not obvious from résumé, three references, a statement on why you would like to work for the Biomimicry Guild, and a sample portfolio by email. Or, if file size is prohibitive to send via e-mail, submit to:

Biomimicry Guild
Attn Graphics Designer Position
PO Box 575
Helena MT  59624-0575

The preferred portfolio format is .pdf files. Incomplete applications will not be considered. We also do not accept applications submitted via resource-intensive overnight or express mail service.