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Landscape Visualization Artist & Designer

The New York Botanical Garden k

The Bronx, NY | Onsite or Remote Possible

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Nov 17
Job Description

Application Requirements: Please include a cover letter.

The Landscape Visualization Artist & Designer develops landscape visualizations and designs applications and products in support of NYBG’s urban conservation suite of digital platforms and tools, including the development of applications in exhibitions; on mobile devices; and on the web. These applications will enhance ecological democracy and literacy in New York City by utilizing the substantial georeferenced, historical ecology for New York City from the Mannahatta and Welikia Projects and ecosystem service models and assets from Visionmaker.nyc. Although developed for New York City in the first instance, visualization methods and designs will be created with transferability in mind to other culturally important urban centers. The designer will be responsible the look and feel of existing web properties and applications and developing new assets to improve functionality, impact, and resonance of scientific products of the urban conservation program.

This position reports to the Vice President of Urban Conservation.

This position supports, through actions and conduct, NYBG’s Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility (IDEA) initiatives and helps to build and maintain an inclusive organization culture throughout the institution.

Specific Duties & Responsibilities
• Develop and design landscape visualizations to improve and support digital applications leveraging the georeferenced historical ecology assets of the Mannahatta and Welikia Projects. Such assets include location-specific visualizations of the historical landscape condition; distributional maps of species, notably plants, ecosystems, and abiotic factors such as topography, soil type, streams, wetlands, and coastlines; georeferenced historical maps from the 17C – 20C; “Muir web” based network analysis of ecological interconnections; the distributions of Indigenous peoples and their use of fire to manage the landscape; a database of historical placenames; a library of georeferenced historical maps; associated bibliographies, documents, papers and analyses. Such applications could come in many forms, including messaging, mobile, browser, and physical exhibition materials. Such applications will be designed to leverage information and technology across applications and must be deployable to audiences on multiple platforms (e.g. Android, iOS, major browsers, etc).

• Develop and design landscape visualizations leveraging georeferenced data about the current and future ecology of New York City including maps of buildings, streets, and other ecosystems; lifestyle parameters; and climate scenarios, as part of the Visionmaker.nyc platform. Develop automated rendering pipelines to take 2d maps and render 3d views using existing and custom software.

• Design the front-end architectures of applications and websites including a new welikia.org, visionmaker.nyc, and other platforms. Designs should work within the NYBG design guidelines, following the institutional look and feel. The designer will coordinate closely with Urban Conservation staff, other NYBG divisions, and external contractors and advisors.

• Design books, publications, and reports as required following NYBG design guidelines.

• Develop other visual or auditory assets to support digital properties, exhibition materials, scientific papers and reports, and other publications as needed. Such assets may include photography, graphics, scientific data visualization, sound files, soundscapes, etc.

• Develop landscape visualizations and designs in close coordination with technical, scientific, and administrative staff and outside vendors; ensure a positive, collaborative, respectful and impactful work environment, including developing and monitoring schedules and calendars, budgets, tasking, and communications. Provide timely feedback. Identify and address problems with practical solutions.

• Coordinate with other NYBG divisions, including Marketing & Communications, Exhibitions and Public Programming, and Science.

• Assist with fundraising, communications with donors, and preparation of project reports for funders.

• Communicate externally through presentations, artistic talks, and networking.

Qualifications
• A minimum of 3 years of experience in landscape visualization or closely related digital artistic work, especially work that responds to on georeferenced and/or technical data.

• College degree required, Master’s degree (MFA; computer science; environmental science; or equivalent) preferred. Technical and artistic certifications or equivalent experience a plus.

• Experience in website design including facility with HTML, CSS, Javascript, PHP, and related libraries, preferred.

• Experience in developing landscape visualizations (e.g. Virtual Nature Studio, Vue, World Creator, etc.) highly desired. Experience in video game (e.g. Unity, Unreal Engine, etc.) design and interactive exhibition design a significant advantage.

• Familiarity with Javascript, Python, PHP, SQL;. GIS (ArcGIS, QGIS, Geopandas, etc.) a plus.

• Familiarity with project management software (e.g. Asana) a plus.

• Ability to keep multiple creative and complex projects focused, on-track, and aligned with institutional goals and mission while prioritizing appropriately. Cognizance of the importance of schedules and budgets.

• Ability to communicate progress quickly, efficiently, and transparently to management, in written and verbal form.

• Knowledge of and concern for urban planning and nature conservation issues. Preference for New York City-specific experience.

• An understanding of and commitment to resolving environmental justice issues is essential.

• Kindness, collegiality, flexibility, and a sense of humor required.

Benefits:
• 15 Vacation Days
• 13 Paid Holidays
• 12 Sick Days
• Health and Dental Insurance Coverage
• 401K
• Pension Plan

Salary: Commensurate with experience within the following range: $67,500-$75,000 annually

Hybrid Remote Work: 1 – 2 remote days a week; 3-4 days onsite

If you require an accommodation for any part of the application process, please notify the Human Resources department at HR@nybg.org.

If you are interested in applying for a position at the New York Botanical Garden, please go to http://www.nybg.org/employment to submit your application.

EOE/BIPOC/F/Persons with disabilities/Veterans

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The New York Botanical Garden

Mission Statement
The New York Botanical Garden is an advocate for the plant world. The Garden pursues its mission through its role as a museum of living plant collections arranged in gardens and landscapes across its National Historic Landmark site; through its comprehensive education programs in horticulture and plant science; and through the wide-ranging research programs of the International Plant Science Center.

Overview
Established in 1891, The New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) is distinguished by the beauty of its landscape, collections, and gardens, and the scope and excellence of its programs in horticulture, education, and science. NYBG was inspired by an 1888 visit that eminent botanists Nathaniel Lord Britton and his wife, Elizabeth, took to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, near London. The Brittons believed New York should have a great botanical garden to advance public understanding of plants, be a repository of rare and valuable specimens, and lead original research in botanical science. Because of its picturesque terrain, freshwater Bronx River, rock-cut gorge, and 50 acres of old-growth forest, the Garden was sited on the northern half of Bronx Park.

Today, the 250-acre Garden—the largest in any city in the United States—is a National Historic Landmark. In addition to the natural attributes that attracted the Brittons, NYBG encompasses 50 specialty gardens and collections comprising more than one million plants, the Nolen Greenhouses for Living Collections, and the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, the nation’s preeminent Victorian-style glasshouse. Highlights include the award-winning Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden, considered among the world’s most sustainable rose gardens; the Native Plant Garden, celebrating the diversity of northeastern North American plants; and 30,000 distinguished trees, many more than 200 years old. More than one million visitors annually enjoy the grounds, view innovative exhibitions, and participate in educational programs that are larger and more diverse than those of any other garden in the world.

From its earliest days, NYBG has also been driven by a mission to conduct basic and applied research on the plants of the world with the goal of protecting and preserving them. Currently, 100 Ph.D.-level scientists are engaged in 250 international collaborations in 49 countries. NYBG is one of the top two freestanding botanical gardens in the world where plant and fungal research is conducted, thanks to the resources of the International Plant Science Center, the William and Lynda Steere Herbarium, and the LuEsther T. Mertz Library. The second largest in the world, the Steere Herbarium houses 7.8 million plant specimens, representing all groups of plants and fungi from around the world, with strength in the flora of the Americas. The LuEsther T. Mertz Library is the largest botanical and horticultural library in the Western Hemisphere, with more than 11 million archival items spanning 10 centuries.

During the 129 years since its founding, NYBG has carefully stewarded a stunning urban oasis, created one of the world’s most comprehensive plant research and conservation programs, amassed unrivaled research collections, and, as a living museum, taught millions of visitors of all ages to love and respect the plants of the world.

The New York Botanical Garden is committed to preserving and protecting the planet’s biodiversity and natural resources and enhancing human well-being by educating, training, and empowering the next generation of Earth’s caregivers—in partnership with both local and global communities.