Job Description
Join Refugee Artisan Initiative’s dynamic team and help champion equity and sustainability! We're seeking a Cultural Center Design & Implementation Contractor who is organized, dependable, and an excellent communicator. If you're passionate about creating a welcoming community, enjoy working with people, and are eager to contribute to positive change, this could be the perfect opportunity for you!
Title: Cultural Center Design & Implementation Contractor
Compensation: $125 per hour
Location: 12337 Lake City Way NE, Seattle, WA 98125
Job Type: Part-time, contractor
Expected Hours: 15 hours per week
Contract Term: September 2026 – February 2027
Anticipated Start Date: September 08, 2026
BACKGROUND
Refugee Artisan Initiative (RAI) partners with refugee and immigrant women as they work to achieve economic stability. At RAI, artisans overcome barriers to employment through skills and microbusiness training while handcrafting goods from recycled materials.
RAI values diverse perspectives, life experiences, and differences. We encourage people of all backgrounds to apply, including people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ+ people, people with disabilities, people of all ages, and veterans.
Founded in 2017, Refugee Artisan Initiative (RAI) is a Seattle nonprofit that envisions creating a welcoming global community that values and invests in refugee and immigrant women as they achieve healthy, stable, and fulfilling lives in the Pacific Northwest and beyond.
POSITION SUMMARY
RAI is seeking a Cultural Center Design & Implementation Contractor who will lead a collaborative, community-centered design process that results in two fully realized exhibits (one permanent and one rotating), along with the multilingual interpretive materials, retail displays, educational programming, and feedback systems that surround them. Throughout, the contractor will center the voices and lived experiences of refugee and immigrant women and the principles of waste reduction and circular economy.
This role will focus on two key tasks: (1) Gather input from our communities and define thetone and direction of the Cultural Center through a Visitor Experience Statement; and (2) Translate those community insights into tangible installations, exhibits, galleries, and spatial experiences. The process of working with the community in 2026 will define the specifics of the exhibits and storytelling; this contractor makes that shared vision come to life.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Community Research & Planning
● Develop a work plan for researching and designing the Cultural Center.
● Engage the target audience to gather input for a Visitor Experience Statement, then analyze findings and draft the statement.
● Establish a community engagement approach, including sessions in participants preferred languages.
Design & Content Development
● Produce a visual map of the public-facing space and a full content outline for all installations, exhibits, and galleries.
● Determine and develop one permanent and one temporary/rotating installation, exhibit, or gallery.
● Identify and coordinate equipment purchases (fixtures, lighting, displays).
● Coordinate translation/interpretation of exhibit content.
● Develop a multilingual project documentation process.
● Identify 3–5 local refugee/immigrant artists for retail display.
Community Engagement & Facilitation
● Host community design workshops for artisan and resident input on exhibit themes.
● Hold open houses for artisans' families and community members to preview concepts.
● Position artisans as key decision-makers in approving final exhibit designs.
Launch & Implementation
● Bring both exhibits/galleries to public availability.
● Support the community opening celebration, including multilingual artisan-led tours.
● Establish public visiting hours for the Center.
● Implement a feedback mechanism for artisans, community members, and visitors.
● Make refinements to retail space, workshops, and installations based on feedback.
● Deliver an implementation blueprint for future exhibitions and programming.
QUALIFICATIONS
Required
● Demonstrated cultural competency and sensitivity, with the ability to translate cultural narratives into spatial or programmatic experiences.
● Proven ability to authentically and visually design, story tell, and celebrate the lived experiences of systemically marginalized communities.
● Experience engaging stakeholders, facilitating community forums, and leading collaborative design sessions.
● Experience delivering exhibits, installations, interpretive spaces, or comparable public-facing projects on schedule and within budget.
● Ability to work effectively with participants across language differences, including through interpreters.
● Capacity to work independently while integrating into a small team, and to work on site in Lake City.
Preferred
● Background in exhibit design, museum interpretation, curation, experience design, community-based art, or public programming.
● Experience designing flexible exhibit spaces that showcase varied cultural traditions while maintaining a cohesive whole.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS
The physical demands described here represent those that must be met by an employee to perform the essential functions of this job successfully. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these functions.
WORK ENVIRONMENT
The work environment characteristics described here represent those an employee may encounter while performing the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these functions.
TO APPLY
Please send a resume and brief cover letter describing your interest in the Cultural Center Design & Implementation Contractor position and how your experience aligns with RAI’s mission to [email protected].
Pay: $125.00 per hour
Work Location: In person
