Own your future
Our culture isn’t something people join, it’s something they build and shape. We believe that every person deserves to be heard and empowered. If you’re on the fence about whether you’re a fit, we say go for it. Let’s build something great together.
We’re hiring a Design Director to lead a team of Transcenda designers embedded within a strategic client account. You’ll be responsible for ensuring world-class design execution, building strong partnerships with client stakeholders, and owning delivery from a design perspective.
This is a hands-on, client-facing role that blends strategy, execution, and leadership. You’ll collaborate directly with client VPs and C-level executives, shape product direction through workshops and research, and serve as the go-to partner for engineering and product counterparts. You'll also be responsible for maintaining high team engagement (eNPS), client satisfaction (NPS), and account retention and growth.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead design on client projects, from shaping the engagement and proposing the design approach to guiding the team through execution and delivery.
- Coach and grow designers by giving clear, actionable feedback, helping them lead workstreams, and pushing the quality of their thinking and output.
- Work closely with engineering leadership to keep design and development aligned. This includes setting shared processes, resolving handoff issues, and unblocking teams to maintain momentum.
- Continuously improve how teams work by introducing better critique rituals, tightening documentation practices, and evolving the design system to support faster, higher-quality delivery.
- Uphold exceptional standards of craft by being the person people go to when something needs that final 10 percent of polish. Know when to advise and when to jump into Figma yourself.
- Represent design to the client, including explaining rationale, defending direction, and facilitating productive conversations when feedback is unclear or misaligned.
- Maintain strong client relationships and ensure delivery quality supports long-term account success, including retention, satisfaction (NPS), and growth opportunities.
- Partner with product and engineering leadership to align on goals, prioritize effectively, and ensure design delivers business impact.
- Drive engagement and team health, supporting a strong feedback culture and maintaining a high eNPS across the embedded team.
Must haves
- You’ve led design teams in a services company (agency, consultancy, or similar) and 10+ years of product design experience, including 4-5+ years as a Design Director or Head of Design.
- Proven success leading design teams within a services company (agency, consultancy, or similar).
- Strong product mindset and ability to drive outcomes across complex, cross-functional environments.
- Experience working with enterprise clients and engaging directly with VP and C-level stakeholders.
- Hands-on leader who can set direction, give clear feedback, and step into Figma when needed.
- Track record of shipping high-quality products and explaining the thinking and tradeoffs behind them.
- Experience facilitating workshops and strategy sessions that bring clarity to ambiguous problems.
- Strong collaboration skills with engineers and PMs, including setting shared processes and resolving handoff issues.
- Exceptional written and verbal communication skills in English.
- Comfortable giving direct, constructive feedback that elevates both people and the work.
- High standards for craft, systems thinking, and operational excellence (naming files, documenting decisions, etc.).
