Design Director

At Elmwood, we believe in building brands with intent. Finely tuned it reveals the real questions, unlocks untapped potential, and builds meaningful and memorable brands.

As we continue to grow our client portfolio, we have an exciting opportunity for an accomplished Design Director to join us in our New York studio.

You will be an accomplished Design Director with extensive experience in consumer-led and corporate brands who will be managing the creative delivery across key accounts. You understand how big ideas relate to brand success and will drive points of view that build iconic brands in this client-facing role.

What you will do

• You proactively support the Creative Director in the delivery of award-winning, strategic creative work.
• You help manage the creative output on projects looking beyond the client brief.
• You’re a multi-tasker and can juggle multiple projects.
• You’re competent in your craft, and aware of wider design trends.
• You actively and eagerly champion day-to-day client needs and manage a team of designers.
• You are enthusiastic, ego-free and collaborative teammate.
• You encourage learning and teamwork amongst the creative team and drive ambition for creative excellence.
• You are great with and in front of clients, as a consultative partner.
• You are confident in front of clients, as a seasoned storyteller.

Who you are

• An empathetic leader who defines team responsibilities, clarifies project scope, and ensures alignment on next steps.
• A strategic thinker who connects big ideas to brand success, knowing when to challenge client briefs while staying true to their objectives.
• A meticulous creative with an eye for craft and detail.
• A strong communicator, adept at collaborating across Strategy, Production, and Client Services teams.
• A proactive self-starter with a curious mindset, always anticipating what’s next for brands and clients.
• Highly organized, making quick, informed decisions with confidence.
• A natural problem solver, tackling challenges with creativity and strategic insight.

Requirements

• You have previous experience working in a similar agency environment as a Design Director, or are operating at that level as a Senior Designer and are ready to take the next step.
• You have worked with established global clients with a portfolio spanning packaging design and brand world activation.
• You have experience in managing junior, middleweight and senior designers.
• You can lead a design critique, providing constructive, and honest feedback to build the team’s confidence.
• You demonstrate an understanding of the value of motion in a digitally driven world and have experience within motion design
• You are accomplished in building consumer brand systems, with deep understanding of the nuances across mass, challenger and retail brands
• You are knowledgeable of print production considerations, able to navigate deliverables for both digital and print spaces seamlessly

Benefits

We care about our people, and that’s why we create a collaborative culture where new thinking is celebrated, ambition is supported, and people are rewarded for their contribution. Whilst a competitive package, professional development and the opportunity to shape our next chapter is all standard here at elmwood, we thought we would highlight a few of our favourite benefits:

• Responsible Paid Time Off (RPTO)
• 12 paid holidays
• 5 paid sick/wellness days
• 2 paid personal days
• A comprehensive medical, dental and vision plan (including family coverage)
• Life and disability insurance
• Flexible spending account for medical expenses
• Commuter benefits program
• 401k plan with company matching up to 4.5%, employees start receiving matching contributions after 3 months of employment.

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Elmwood overview

In an increasingly distracted, messy and fragmented world, it’s hard to hold people’s attention and easy to lose focus. The brands that stand out and achieve greatness are better by design. With clear intent, they create demand by being meaningful, momentous and memorable. They attract attention, spark the imagination, engage communities and are alive to culture.

elmwood builds brands with intent – creating visions, strategies, identities and experiences that are better by design.

We have a talented team of professionals in client service, strategy, creative, and operations. We collaborate closely across our four international studios in Singapore, Shanghai, London, and New York to deliver outstanding design and brand solutions for the world’s top brands.

Our commitment to you is to Rise with Intent. We know we can only achieve our ambitions when our people achieve theirs. So, we are designing a better employee experience, intentionally empowering our employees to explore their skills, enhance their knowledge, and embrace their unique potential. At Elmwood, we are intent on EXTRAORDINARY intent on INCLUSION, and intent on PROGRESS.