Design Director

XQ•Oakland, CA

1d•$225,000 - $250,000•Onsite

About The Position

About XQ XQ is a national organization dedicated to reimagining high school for the future—so every young person graduates prepared for college, career, and life. We work at the intersection of product, policy, design, and storytelling to catalyze system-level change across states, districts, and communities. Our work includes digital products, learning experiences, tools for educators and policymakers, research-driven platforms, and national campaigns. Design at XQ is not decoration—it is a strategic lever for clarity, adoption, and impact. The Role XQ is hiring a Design Director to help shape the future of our products, platforms, and brand experiences. This role sits at the intersection of product strategy, design craft, and creative direction and is responsible for ensuring that everything XQ puts into the world is coherent, intentional, and grounded in a clear point of view. The Design Director will lead and influence across product design, brand experience, and creative execution—partnering closely with Product, Engineering, Research, Policy, and Communications. This is a role for a senior design practitioner who can think in systems, set direction under ambiguity, and elevate both strategy and craft.

Requirements

8+ years of experience in design, with significant time in senior or staff-level roles
Proven ability to lead product strategy through design, not just execution
Experience directing design across both product and brand/creative contexts
Strong systems thinker who can operate across multiple products and initiatives
Deep understanding of human-centered design, research-informed decision-making, and iterative development
Exceptional taste, judgment, and ability to articulate design rationale

Nice To Haves

Experience working on complex platforms, ecosystems, or mission-driven products
Background in education, public interest technology, or social impact organizations (a plus, not required)
Comfort working across disciplines, including product, engineering, policy, research, and communications

Responsibilities

Shape design direction for XQ’s product ecosystem, ensuring alignment with organizational strategy and user needs
Partner with Product and Engineering to define what gets built, why it matters, and how it fits into a broader system
Translate complex policy, educational, and research inputs into clear, usable product and experience decisions
Guide teams from early concept through launch, balancing vision with real-world constraints
Ensure a cohesive brand experience across digital products, content, campaigns, and public-facing moments
Set and uphold a high bar for design quality, clarity, and cultural relevance
Provide creative direction and critique across disciplines (product design, visual design, content, motion)
Help evolve XQ’s experiential and visual language as the organization and its impact scale
Direct the work of external agencies and contractors, providing the creative direction and critique necessary to ensure all output meets XQ’s standards.
Run critiques that connect craft → strategy → outcomes, not just aesthetics
Foster a culture of rigor, curiosity, and intentionality in design practice
Support hiring, onboarding, and growth of design talent as the organization scales
Make clear design decisions in ambiguous, high-stakes environments
Know when to push for excellence and when to optimize for speed and clarity
Ensure XQ’s work consistently reflects its values, ambition, and responsibility to the communities it serves