Design Consultant - Economic and Community Development, Sports & Major Events

Fourth Economy is a national consulting firm that collaborates with communities, organizations, and regions to imagine and build resilient, inclusive, and thriving futures. Founded in Pittsburgh in 2010, we believe that lasting impact comes from genuine partnership. Each client and each project is distinct. We intentionally combine research, analytics, planning, strategy development, and community engagement to create data-driven strategies that will be shaped by the people they touch. We work across a wide range of markets and industries, including business districts, housing, community health, cultural and outdoor economies, equitable development, emerging industries, organizational strategy, environment and climate, and quality of life and place. In each of these areas, we help clients solve complex problems by exploring new ideas, elevating community voices, and designing solutions that are practical, creative, and grounded in equity. In 2021, Fourth Economy joined Steer, a global consultancy specializing in transportation, infrastructure, and urban development. Steer brings deep expertise in strategy, advisory, planning, and design, helping clients worldwide navigate the systems that shape how people move, live, and work. Together, we combine innovative, people-centered solutions with global expertise. Our expanded team helps communities and organizations not only plan for the future, but create it – delivering measurable outcomes that strengthen economies, improve quality of life, and expand opportunity for all. The Opportunity Fourth Economy is seeking a Design Consultant to lead visual design and technical communication across economic development projects, with some involvement in sports and major events work. This role sits at the intersection of analysis, strategy, and storytelling. You will work comfortably with data and complex content, producing clear, client-ready materials that support decision-making. You will be embedded in project teams alongside analysts, economists, planners, and project managers, shaping how insights are communicated from early drafts through final delivery. Approximately 75-80 percent of your time will be dedicated to client work, primarily economic development projects, with a portion allocated to sports and major events initiatives. The remaining time will support marketing, business development, and firm-wide design needs. This includes proposal materials, conference presentations, website content, pitch decks, internal templates, and brand-aligned materials across both external and internal audiences. This is a highly integrated design role. You will help maintain visual consistency across client deliverables, proposals, digital platforms, and internal communications, while adapting tone and format to different audiences. Over time, there is an opportunity to help strengthen the design foundation of both Fourth Economy and Steer’s North America Sports and Major Events practice and elevate the overall visual quality of the firm’s work. How You’ll Spend Your Time Client Work (approximately 75-80%) You will lead and produce visual materials that support economic development and, secondarily, sports and major events client work, including:

• Client presentations and executive decks designed for clarity, storytelling, and decision-making
• Reports and technical documents, including layout, graphics, and visual hierarchy
• One-pagers, executive summaries, and briefing materials for boards, elected officials, funders, and partners
• Brand-aligned visuals for initiatives, programs, and place-based strategies
• Data visualization, including charts, infographics, and economic impact graphics
• Spatial, movement, and flow diagrams, including mass movement graphics where relevant You will collaborate closely with analysts, economists, planners, and project managers to translate quantitative and qualitative analysis into accurate, accessible visuals. You will ensure visual quality and consistency while tailoring materials to different audiences. Business Development & Internal Support (approximately 20-25%) In addition to client work, you will contribute to strengthening the firm’s visibility, proposal competitiveness, and overall design consistency across external and internal platforms.
• Lead proposal design for economic development and sports-related pursuits
• Design materials for conferences, presentations, and business development
• Maintain and evolve internal design templates, toolkits, and visual standards
• Collaborate with marketing and leadership on visual positioning and storytelling
• Comfort working in a fast-paced consulting environment with shifting timelines
• 5+ years of professional experience in design, visual communications, or technical communications
• Strong experience producing PowerPoint and Google Slides for client and executive audiences
• Demonstrated ability to translate data, analysis, and technical content into clear visuals
• Experience desig

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