Director, Project Design

Vortex Aquatic Structures International Inc. • Pointe-Claire, QC

22h • Hybrid

About The Position

We are seeking an exceptional design leader to elevate our creative capabilities across aquatic play, splashpads, and commercial venue environments. This is a unique opportunity to shape the design direction of a growing organization — building methodology, culture, and product innovation from the ground up — while leading a talented multi-disciplinary team of designers and 3D modeling technicians.
This leader will be as comfortable presenting a master plan narrative to a resort developer as mentoring a junior designer on spatial storytelling. They will bring vision, process discipline, and genuine curiosity about human experience to every project.
Our current team executes well on splashpads and mid-scale projects but is ready to grow into larger, more complex commissions. We serve three distinct customer groups, each with different expectations and creative languages:
Parks & Recreation departments, where functionality, safety, and community identity drive decisions.
Landscape Architects and planning firms, where design language, site integration, and close collaboration are expected.
Commercial Venues — resorts, amusement parks, and hospitality operators — where immersive storytelling, brand experience, and master planning are central to the value proposition.
To succeed across these segments, we need stronger design methodology, richer storytelling tools, and a leader who can codify best practices that the whole team can learn from and build upon.

Requirements

• 8+ years of progressive design experience, with at least 3 years in a leadership or creative direction capacity.
• Demonstrated experience leading projects with strong user experience or experiential design components — themed environments, resort amenities, public space, hospitality, or comparable.
• Proficiency in 3D visualization and design communication tools (e.g. 3ds Max, Solidworks, Unreal); ability to work alongside 3D modeling staff.
• Experience working within multi-disciplinary teams that include engineers, project managers, and fabrication/construction partners.
• Professional degree in a design-related field (Landscape Architecture, Architecture, Interior Design, Industrial Design, Environmental Design, or equivalent).
• Licensure (PLA, AIA, NCIDQ, or similar) is an asset but not required; demonstrated capability and portfolio carry more weight.
• Strong communication/presentation skills in English and French (comfortable pitching to executives and customers). (Advanced level of English is required)
• Cross-functional team player who possesses a strong storytelling ability (translating technical/spatial ideas into an emotional narrative for non-technical stakeholders).

Responsibilities

• Establish Design Methodology & Best Practices
• Provide creative direction and mentorship to a team of project designers (dotted line), setting a high bar for both craft and communication.
• Develop and formalize a design methodology adapted to our project types — from small community splashpads to large-scale commercial immersive environments.
• Create repeatable frameworks for user experience design, spatial storytelling, and master planning that can be trained across the team.
• Build a visual language library, design standards, and presentation templates that reflect our brand positioning.
• Win & Deliver Complex Projects
• Lead design on large-scale and commercial projects, with particular focus on narrative-driven environments for resort, hospitality, and amusement customers.
• Drive compelling design presentations that communicate vision and user experience, not just technical layouts.
• Partner with project management and operations to ensure design intent is faithfully carried through construction.
• Drive Product & Innovation Insights
• Identify product development opportunities through design gaps observed in projects, site visits, and customer conversations.
• Conduct structured customer and end-user interviews to surface unmet needs and inspiration for new product directions.
• Collaborate with product and commercial teams to translate design insights into viable development opportunities.

Benefits

• Company-paid training and education reimbursement.
• Health & Dental benefits, Telemedicine, Employee Assistance Program, RRSP matching, and bonus program.
• Free on-site gym and parking.
• Personalized onboarding with a dedicated buddy.

What This Job Offers

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