Creative Director – Civic Workwear & Sanitation Innovation (Volunteer)

Creative Director – Civic Workwear & Sanitation Innovation (Volunteer)

PromiseCivic | Sanitation Modernization & Public Workforce Design

Organization: Mentor A Promise (MAP) – PromiseCivic Division

Location: Hybrid (NYC-based field research and municipal collaboration required)

Type: Founding Leadership (Volunteer Executive Track or Structured Contract Role)

Reports To: Chief Brand & Product Officer

Works Closely With: Director of Industrial Design, Municipal Strategy Team, Research & Impact, Production & Technical Development

About the Sanitation Project

PromiseCivic’s Sanitation Project is a civic design initiative focused on reimagining the visual identity, functional architecture, and structural dignity of sanitation workforce systems.

Sanitation workers operate in highly visible, physically demanding environments — yet their apparel and equipment systems often reflect utility without refinement.

We believe public workforce design should embody:

• Safety
• Durability
• Ergonomic intelligence
• Civic pride

This project integrates industrial engineering, garment architecture, material science, and elevated aesthetic direction to create next-generation sanitation apparel and systems that are both performance-driven and symbolically powerful.

Public work deserves public respect — and design is part of that language.

Role Overview

We are seeking a Creative Director – Civic Workwear & Sanitation Innovation to define and lead the creative vision of the Sanitation Project.

This founding leadership role will establish the aesthetic direction, design philosophy, collection architecture, and brand narrative of sanitation modernization — while collaborating closely with technical and industrial design teams to ensure full compliance with safety standards.

The Creative Director will bridge:

• Field research
• Technical engineering
• Municipal compliance
• Cultural storytelling

This role requires both creative authority and systems discipline.

Key Responsibilities

• Define the visual and structural identity of next-generation sanitation apparel
• Lead creative direction across outerwear systems, layering architecture, and integrated utility components
• Collaborate with industrial design to ensure ergonomic pattern architecture for high-mobility labor environments
• Integrate ANSI/ISEA high-visibility compliance standards into refined, modern silhouettes
• Translate field observations into cohesive design narratives and collection concepts
• Oversee color strategy, reflective integration, insignia placement, and civic branding architecture
• Guide prototyping, sampling, fittings, and performance trials from a creative leadership lens
• Contribute to municipal pilot presentations and public-sector design proposals
• Establish aesthetic guidelines that elevate dignity without compromising durability
• Maintain timely, professional responsiveness via email and chat in Google Workspace

Qualifications

• Background in fashion design, industrial design, creative direction, or performance workwear development
• Demonstrated experience leading collections or product lines from concept through prototype
• Strong understanding of materiality, silhouette development, and functional design integration
• Experience collaborating with technical teams on compliance and production standards
• Ability to translate research into visual systems and brand architecture
• Strong portfolio demonstrating systems-level creative thinking

Preferred Skills

• Experience designing workwear, safety apparel, or uniform systems
• Familiarity with ANSI/ISEA visibility standards
• Experience presenting design concepts to institutional or public-sector stakeholders
• Knowledge of durability standards and high-performance textiles
• Experience working within civic or culturally sensitive environments

Commitment

• Founding leadership role
• Structured engagement (minimum 5–10 hours per week for executive volunteer track; scalable for pilot development cycles)
• NYC-based research and collaboration required
• 6-month minimum commitment preferred

What You’ll Build

• A reimagined sanitation workwear identity
• A civic design language rooted in dignity and performance
• A scalable aesthetic and structural framework for municipal modernization
• A public-facing visual system that reshapes how sanitation work is perceived

Design shapes perception.

Perception shapes dignity.

Dignity shapes culture.

Help redefine what public workforce design looks like — and what it represents.

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, liability, and regulatory requirements. We appreciate your interest in our mission and your understanding of these constraints.