Design Director

Grizzly•San Diego, CA

43d•$135,000 - $165,000

About The Position

Design Directors at Grizzly are dynamic agency leaders who develop conceptual ideas and deliver expert craft across multiple teams and projects. They champion creative problem-solving, lead and contribute to creative work on cross-disciplinary projects, and elevate agency culture and experience. They make strategic decisions, provide feedback to the delivery team, and work closely with clients to ensure that every deliverable meets the brief and exceeds expectations. They own their work, seek input and collaboration, and communicate proactively and effectively. Candidates for this role should have extensive experience in design concept and art direction, identity and campaign creative direction, and designing identity and campaign systems. Design Directors at Grizzly learn our clientsâ business with depth, often working through complex product and business challenges, and translating the human/consumer benefit into simple, smart ideas. The role requires the ability to confidently interact with and present their work to clients and internal stakeholders. Must have experience with B2B and/or technology brands. This role requires proficiency with Adobe Design tools and experience with designing, collaborating, and prototyping in Figma.

Requirements

7+ years experience leading a design work.
A portfolio demonstrating high proficiency in delivering best-in-class design concepts and systems.
A curious student of emerging technologies that in turn applies and drives innovation in your work.
Comfortable in being uncomfortable and thoughtful about taking risks.
A knack for collaborating with writers, designers, producers, account leads, clients, and business owners to understand what a project needs at any given moment.

Responsibilities

Manage and mentor Designers, Art Directors, Animators, and others, fostering a culture of creativity, collaboration, and courage
Encourage fearless creativity through experimentation, failure, and continuous learning.
As a senior leader, collaborate with cross-functional teams (strategy, accounts, etc) to solve challenges and remove roadblocks.
Actively participate in the recruitment process, interviewing and vetting new team members, evaluating their work quality, values alignment, and alignment with role expectations.
Lead with our values, be empathetic and accessible, and champion inclusivity and belonging.
Foster a collaborative and innovative team environment.
Manage the design process from conception to execution.
Own design concepts, craft, and delivery from onboarding to delivery across all of your projects.
Commit to working the process and when the process isnât working, contributing to improving it.
Hold the team accountable to performance expectations, agency values, and client delivery.
Give clear and candid feedback often, and make hard decisions when necessary.
Ensure all projects are delivered on time, on budget, and to the highest standards of quality.
Oversee and contribute to work that is strategically smart, differentiated, and best-in-class.
Push yourself, our team, partners, and clients to achieve effective, award-worthy work.
Contribute to agency brand and marketing efforts, including positioning the agencyâs offering, supporting internal culture initiatives.
Contribute to agency content development, share work and perspectives on digital channels, and contribute to the recruitment of new talent.
Occasionally represent Grizzly at public events, awards, and industry activities, maintaining a strong presence and reputation in the industry.
Be a champion of our creative work and promote our best both internally and externally to increase awareness and shift perception of our brand and capabilities.
Develop strong relationships with existing clients and work actively with other agency leads to keep clients engaged, happy, and retained.
Support new business efforts with creative development, pitch presentations, and oversight/resourcing of the creative team to meet pitch expectations.
Stay ahead of industry trends and advocate for user-centric approaches.
Collaborate with clients to understand their needs and translate them into effective design solutions.
Present and sell design concepts and receive/answer feedback from clients with intention.