Design Director

Equator Design • Chicago, IL

1d • $106,013 - $116,013 • Onsite

About The Position

As a Design Director, you are both a creative leader and a practicing designer. You lead by example: guiding teams, shaping ideas, and elevating creative quality while remaining deeply engaged in the work itself. You're equally comfortable sketching concepts, refining typography, presenting to clients, or coaching a designer through a breakthrough. This is a coach-player role. You'll own projects from concept through execution, partnering closely with Creative, Strategy, and Client Services to transform strategy into compelling brand experiences across packaging, identity, retail, and marketing communications. You understand that great design doesn't happen in isolation. You foster collaboration, provide thoughtful feedback, and help teams produce work that is strategically grounded, beautifully crafted, and commercially effective.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design, Communication Design, Packaging Design, or a related field.
• 8+ years of experience in brand, packaging, or integrated design.
• Proven experience mentoring designers and leading creative projects.
• A portfolio demonstrating excellence across branding, packaging, and omnichannel campaigns.
• Deep understanding of CPG brands, retail environments, consumer behavior, and design systems.
• Expert proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite, Keynote, and PowerPoint.
• Exceptional presentation, storytelling, and client communication skills.

Nice To Haves

• Is an exceptional designer with a passion for leading others.
• Moves effortlessly between concept development, craft, and creative direction.
• Thinks strategically but loves making.
• Has deep experience across branding, packaging, and integrated marketing communications.
• Brings curiosity, humility, and a collaborative mindset to every challenge.
• Thrives in fast-moving environments without compromising quality.
• Leads with confidence, generosity, and a genuine desire to help others succeed.

Responsibilities

• Translate strategy into compelling creative platforms that solve real business challenges.
• Lead the development of brand identities, packaging systems, and omnichannel campaigns from concept through execution.
• Establish the creative standard for projects and inspire teams to exceed it.
• Make confident creative decisions that move work forward while encouraging thoughtful exploration.
• Balance bold creative ambition with commercial effectiveness and real-world constraints.
• Lead by example through your own design work and creative thinking.
• Mentor Designers and Senior Designers through thoughtful feedback, creative direction, and day-to-day coaching.
• Create an environment where curiosity, experimentation, and continuous learning thrive.
• Lead critiques that elevate both the quality of the work and the confidence of the team.
• Recognize individual strengths and adapt your leadership style to help each designer reach their potential.
• Demonstrate exceptional craft across typography, layout, color, composition, photography, and visual storytelling.
• Build design systems that scale seamlessly across packaging, retail, digital, and campaign touchpoints.
• Balance conceptual exploration with disciplined execution.
• Maintain uncompromising attention to detail from first sketch through final production.
• Champion design integrity across every deliverable.
• Lead client presentations with compelling storytelling and a strong point of view.
• Clearly articulate the strategic rationale behind creative decisions.
• Build trusted relationships by navigating feedback thoughtfully while protecting the integrity of the work.
• Partner with Strategy and Client Services to shape briefs, unlock stronger insights, and identify opportunities to elevate the work.
• Think in connected systems rather than individual deliverables.
• Develop creative solutions that flex across packaging, retail, digital, social, motion, and shopper marketing.
• Understand how every touchpoint contributes to a cohesive consumer experience.
• Balance consistency with flexibility, ensuring brands evolve without losing their core identity.
• Champion emerging creative technologies that improve how ideas are explored, visualized, and delivered.
• Leverage AI-assisted workflows to accelerate ideation, iteration, and production while preserving the craft and originality behind the work.
• Encourage experimentation and help evolve creative processes across the team.
• Stay curious about new tools, trends, and technologies that can elevate both the work and the creative experience.
• Develop a new brand identity for a product launch.
• Create a packaging system that scales across an entire portfolio.
• Lead a creative workshop with a client.
• Present campaign concepts that connect packaging to retail and digital experiences.
• Mentor a Senior Designer through concept development.
• Art direct photography or CGI for a new product launch.
• Partner with Strategy to define the narrative behind a new brand platform.
• Explore AI-powered visualization tools to accelerate concept development.
• Lead an internal critique that raises the bar for the entire team.

Benefits

• health care plans with prescription drug coverage
• dental plan
• vision plan
• basic and supplemental life insurance
• a flexible spending account for medical and dependent care expenses or a health savings account based on plan selection
• short/long term disability
• 401(k) Savings Plan

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior