Know History is a Canadian firm that provides historical research services to Canadian and Indigenous organizations, governments, municipalities, museums, and heritage groups. One of our defining characteristics is our ability to communicate complex information and perspectives to public audiences through impactful sensory experiences, ranging from engaging physical design to emotive graphics to leading-edge media. We’re looking for a part-time Designer to collaborate with our multidisciplinary team to help tell stories that matter in creative and original ways.
About the Role:Know History’s design needs are highly diverse, ranging from laying out polished professional reports to developing unique story driven projects such as board games and museum exhibits. This role will focus on designing print publications, digital projects, PowerPoints, social media assets, museum exhibitions, and a variety of interpretive products. The Designer will create custom illustrations that effectively translate historical research into clear, engaging visual content. Experience with video editing is considered an asset, as the Designer will support our in-house videographer, particularly by adding illustration and animation elements to short documentaries.
The position involves working in a client-facing environment and across a suite of projects of varying sizes, scales, and durations. The successful candidate will be adaptive and thrive in collaborative environments while working on multiple files simultaneously.
Key Responsibilities:- Develop design concepts, mock-ups, wireframes, sketches, or design briefs to support project visioning and effective client communication
- Create custom illustrations for exhibitions, publications, digital media, or other products
- Produce and contribute to the development of high-quality media products, including print materials, book/published material layouts, exhibit designs, digital publications, websites, motion graphics, animation, videos
- Collaborate with a wide range of vendors and specialists, including architects, interpretive planners, book designers, fabricators, editors, and lighting designers as well as our Digital History team
- Design marketing materials for Know History, including digital and print assets that support brand development, outreach, and business growth
- Provide video editing support to assist our videographer with the production of promotional, educational, and digital content.
- Provide editing support by adding visual effects and motion graphics using software such as Adobe After Effects to enhance video content
- Complete administrative tasks such as accurately tracking time and regularly updating project management software to ensure effective workflow and budget oversight
Preferred Skills & Qualifications:- At least 3 years of experience in a range of multimedia design
- Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, InDesign, and Illustrator)
- Strong illustration skills, with demonstrated ability to create original, concept-driven artwork
- Knowledge of print, web, and physical design best practices
- Experience using WordPress or Squarespace (or similar
- Demonstrated experience with published material layout (books, booklets, reports etc.)
- AR/VR skills would be an asset.
- Strong communication (oral and written) and interpersonal skills
Position details:- Term: 4 month contract, from May to August 2026
- Hours: 20 hours per week, flexible
- Location: Either Ottawa or Calgary office or remote within Canada
- Salary: $27-$31/h, depending on experience
How to Apply:If you are interested in joining Know History’s team for this role, please submit your resume and a link to your portfolio online at
www.knowhistory.ca. If you have any questions or require accessibility or cultural accommodations, at any point in the application process, send us an email (
resume@knowhistory.ca) and we’ll work with you to make sure your needs are met.
Know History is committed to providing equal employment opportunities. We know that to understand our collective history, we need to prioritize Indigenous and diverse voices across all aspects of our organization. We strongly encourage candidates to apply and self-identify if they identify as Indigenous, members of racialized communities and visible minorities, people with disabilities, or members of the Two Spirit (2S) & LGBTQIA+ communities.