Design Director

Koto•Los Angeles, CA

7d•$160,000 - $175,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Design Director is responsible for leading design teams and shaping exceptional brand work through creative direction and hands-on execution. This role requires a blend of design craft and leadership, ensuring all projects meet Koto's high standards for excellence. The Design Director will partner with Creative Directors, mentor designers, and collaborate with clients and internal teams to deliver impactful brand identities and systems.

Requirements

Be highly proficient in Figma, Adobe Creative Suite and Pitch.

Nice To Haves

Demonstrate an exceptional understanding of branding and the creative disciplines that bring brands to life, delivering work for today's most impactful companies and tomorrow's defining founders.

Responsibilities

Own the craft and design execution across 4–5 projects, ensuring every piece of work meets Koto's standard for excellence.
Spend your time leading and designing in equal measure, balancing hands-on craft with team leadership.
Partner with Creative Directors to identify, refine, and realize exceptional creative ideas, and teach your team to do the same.
Champion exceptional brand identities, making confident design decisions across typography, layout, systems, motion and visual expression.
Lead photographers, illustrators, animators, and other creative collaborators to produce outstanding work.
Act as the bridge between Creative Directors and Designers, creating clarity, momentum and alignment across projects.
Mentor designers through thoughtful direction, actionable feedback and day-to-day coaching, helping raise the craft across the studio.
Build compelling narratives, craft presentations, and lead workshops, becoming a trusted creative partner for clients throughout the engagement.
Collaborate closely with Strategy from immersion through execution, ensuring design thinking informs the work from the very beginning.
Demonstrate an exceptional understanding of branding and the creative disciplines that bring brands to life, delivering work for today's most impactful companies and tomorrow's defining founders.
Champion design quality and consistency across projects, setting the benchmark for what "well-designed" means at Koto.
Build and evolve design systems, templates and creative processes that strengthen the studio and improve how we work.
Balance creative ambition with practical delivery by managing time, scope, and team resources to consistently deliver exceptional work.
Embrace feedback with curiosity and provide thoughtful, actionable feedback that helps others grow.
Work from our Culver City studio and travel as required.

Benefits

Meaningful and regular access to your manager to support your personal development and career trajectory.
Active reward for performance with promotions and pay increases.
Discretionary annual bonus of up to 10% of salary to all employees.
Support in taking family leave.
Significant paid maternity and paternity leave.
25 vacation days per year, in addition to US bank holidays.
Studio closure between Christmas and New Year.
401(k) with Koto matching contributions up to 4%.
Monthly ‘employee wellness’ benefits package of $100 via Juno.
Access to YCN.
Funding for relevant training opportunities.
Reward for five years of service with $5,000 and five days holiday.
Reward for ten years of service with $10,000 and four weeks holiday.
Opportunity to work from any of the five Koto studios globally, with appropriate planning and application.