Director of Industrial Design & Workwear Innovation (Volunteer)

Director of Industrial Design & Workwear Innovation (Volunteer)

PromiseCivic | Industrial Design, Technical Apparel & Public Workforce Systems

Organization: Mentor A Promise (MAP) – T&P Division

Location: Remote

Type: Leadership (Volunteer Executive Track or Contract-Based — Structured Commitment Required)

Reports To: Leadership

Works Closely With: Municipal Strategy Team, Product Development, Research & Impact, Public-Sector Partnerships

About PromiseCivic

PromiseCivic is an innovation initiative within Mentor A Promise (MAP) focused on reimagining public workforce infrastructure through human-centered design.

Sanitation workers operate in extreme environments — heat, cold, precipitation, traffic exposure, repetitive strain conditions, and high-visibility safety contexts. Yet much of their equipment and apparel remains outdated, poorly engineered for mobility, and insufficiently climate-adaptive.

We believe public workers deserve industrial-grade design excellence.

PromiseCivic integrates industrial design, civic systems thinking, and performance engineering to build next-generation sanitation apparel and equipment systems that elevate safety, dignity, and durability.

Role Overview

We are seeking a Director of Industrial Design & Workwear Innovation to lead the research, design, prototyping, and technical development of next-generation sanitation apparel and integrated equipment systems.

This is a founding leadership role responsible for establishing design vision, technical architecture, material standards, and production strategy.

The Director will translate real-world field conditions into engineered, scalable solutions while maintaining compliance with safety, visibility, and performance standards.

This role requires both design fluency and technical rigor — from pattern engineering to reflective compliance alignment.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead full redesign of sanitation outerwear systems, layering architecture, and integrated utility components
• Develop ergonomic pattern systems optimized for high-mobility, high-strain labor environments
• Integrate ANSI/ISEA high-visibility safety standards into structurally refined apparel designs
• Oversee technical specification development, grading standards, and production documentation
• Conduct structured field research with sanitation professionals to identify operational friction points
• Translate observational and ergonomic research into engineered design solutions
• Evaluate climate-adaptive textiles, reflective technologies, seam reinforcement systems, and abrasion-resistant materials
• Oversee prototyping, sampling, fit testing, and performance trials
• Establish durability benchmarks aligned with municipal procurement requirements
• Contribute to municipal pilot proposals, public-sector presentations, and procurement documentation
• Maintain timely, professional responsiveness via email and chat in Google Workspace

Qualifications

• Background in industrial design, technical apparel design, product engineering, or related field
• Experience designing performance workwear, safety apparel, or equipment systems
• Knowledge of ergonomic design principles for labor-intensive environments
• Familiarity with ANSI/ISEA high-visibility compliance standards
• Experience with prototyping, technical packs, grading, and production oversight
• Strong research-to-execution translation capability
• Systems-thinking mindset and public-sector awareness

Preferred Skills

• Experience working with municipal agencies or unionized labor environments
• Knowledge of reflective technologies, weather-resistant textiles, and durability testing
• Familiarity with sustainability standards in textile sourcing
• Experience preparing pilot proposals or product presentations for government stakeholders
• Experience building design systems from concept through scaled production

Commitment

• Structured engagement (minimum 5–10 hours per week for volunteer track; scalable for contract-based structure)
• NYC-based field research required
• 6-month minimum commitment preferred for design continuity

What You’ll Build

• A redesigned sanitation apparel system rooted in dignity and durability
• Ergonomically optimized workwear for extreme labor environments
• Municipal-ready pilot prototypes
• A scalable civic design framework within PromiseCivic

Public infrastructure deserves industrial innovation.

Help design systems that protect the people who protect our cities.

Thank you for your interest in volunteering with our organization. At this time, leadership volunteer opportunities are limited to individuals based in the United States due to legal, safeguarding, data-privacy, procurement, and compliance requirements. We appreciate your interest in our mission and your understanding of these constraints.