DESCRIPTION
Waterfront Seattle capitalizes on the removal of the Viaduct and the rebuilding of the Elliott Bay Seawall to enhance Seattle’s urban shoreline with new public spaces that invite all communities and cultures to enjoy a waterfront for all. Extending 26-blocks, the future waterfront will be a public commons for a variety of cultural, recreational, and educational activities. Friends of Waterfront Seattle (“Friends”) is the not-for-profit partner with the City of Seattle working to ensure the project’s long-term success as a beautiful, safe, and lively public destination. We also operate an information center for Waterfront Seattle known as Waterfront Space. Friends provides a welcoming, congenial environment in which to work.
Friends is seeking a friendly, energetic, and engaging individual to work with us as a Public Space Activation Assistant. This position is a part-time, temporary, seasonal position from May through September. Qualified individuals from all communities and cultures are encouraged to apply.
The Public Space Activation Assistant will serve as an ambassador to visitors of existing Waterfront Park and Waterfront Space, focusing on Hot Spot summer programming and other summer activation activities. This position will work in the main locations of Friends’ public space activation projects – existing Waterfront Park, the Waterfront Promenade, the Pike Street Hill Climb and Waterfront Space.
Hot Spot is a park activation pilot project enlivening the existing Waterfront Park now, providing the community with a preview of the future park and providing Friends with valuable experience and data related to implementing activation in the future park. By hosting diverse cultural performers and organizations, Friends’ goals are to proactively develop and deepen connections with diverse communities, to expand relationships throughout Seattle in preparation for the future park, and to welcome and serve all communities and cultures.
After two successful summers of programming in 2015 and 2016, Hot Spot 2017 will feature regular summer programming including live music, art installations, dance performances, a pop-up soccer pitch, and other events and activities showcasing the diverse creative talent of Seattle. Hot Spot events are free and open to the public and will be scheduled Saturdays and Sundays during the summer, both in evening and daytime hours.
Responsibilities & Details
Event support including overseeing set up and take down of Hot Spot events and activations, assisting performers, artists, and production staff as needed
Interaction with the public including answering questions, giving directions, assisting with activities, welcoming visitors to Hot Spot, showing enthusiasm for programming, informing people about Waterfront Seattle, promoting Hot Spot events and programs, orienting visitors to the Friends of Waterfront Seattle project information center (Waterfront Space), and serving as MC and making stage announcements as needed
Collect data about trends, feedback, and user counts
Occasional special projects as assigned such as: production of reports, written content for event promotion, social media content, graphics, and other tasks based on interest and experience
Visitor Relations and Community Outreach in Waterfront Space and at Waterfront Park including planning and assisting with events and activities in Waterfront Space
The Public Space Activation Assistant, like all members of the Friends team, will demonstrate a willingness to work on multi-disciplinary projects. Friends seeks qualified applicants with a “do all jobs” mentality.
Qualifications:
Passion for parks and public space with relevant area interest and knowledge such as: community engagement, communications, urban studies, architecture and landscape architecture, event planning, tourism
Interest in and willingness to learn about Seattle’s waterfront project is required
Some experience in public engagement, event support, customer service or public space activation is required
Must be willing to work outside in varying weather conditions, also evenings and weekends
Existing relationships with diverse Seattle communities preferred
Undergraduate degree (or near completion) preferred
Skills:
A proactive mindset and an eagerness to learn, with and without the help of others
A love of detail, organization and clear communication
Detail-oriented, creative, flexible, diplomatic, curious, courageous… with a great sense of humor
Must be comfortable talking to large and small crowds
Knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite, WordPress, Salesforce, and Adobe Creative Suite preferred
Details:
$15/hour
Evenings and weekends required, part-time hours May through September; will consider candidates seeking full-time hours
Temporary, seasonal position from May/June through September
HOW TO APPLY
jordan@friendsofwaterfrontseattle.org