Associate Director Experience Design

Dept; Zürich; On-site; CHF 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work policy (2 days in office)

25 days holiday

Health budget & Wellness day

Occasional meals at office

OpenUp health platform

Zurich/Bern offices available

Social events & team activities

Training & certifications

DEPT Cares Month

Job summary

DEPT is seeking an Associate Director to lead pitches and oversee major accounts, delivering emotive yet measurable design outcomes. You will guide design quality, align with Strategy, UX, Content and Technology, and drive growth across the DACH and EMEA regions.

You will champion brand and experience design, manage senior stakeholders, and foster innovation with AI and new technologies while shaping our reputation as a growth‑oriented design partner.

Qualifications

• 15+ years in brand design and experience design (UX/UI) across large-scale projects.
• Proven track record with international brands and senior stakeholders.
• Portfolio demonstrates end-to-end design impact from vision to execution.

Responsibilities

• Lead pitches and key accounts with award‑winning design.
• Own design quality and delivery across pitches and projects.
• Collaborate with Strategy, UX, Content and Technology across EMEA.
• Represent DEPT through thought leadership and industry contributions.

Skills

Brand design

UX/UI design

Experience design

Motion design

Design systems

Stakeholder management

German & English (C1)

Job description

Job Purpose

This role is part of our Experience & Engineering team in the DACH region. We combine technology and experience design to create emotive yet conversion‑focused CX platforms, Apps, Online Shops and Design systems at scale and speed. Our specialty is digital experiences and communication that change perceptions and shape new behaviours to make a difference in the market.

As Associate Director, you will lead pitches to win new business in DACH and EMEA and oversee projects for key accounts to develop user‑centered experiences that drive measurable growth. Your focus will be on ensuring outstanding design quality to win and retain clients.

What You'll Do

• Design excellence: As Lead Designer for pitches and key accounts, you’ll set the standard for award‑winning design that ensures user, brand, and business requirements are not just met but exceeded.
• Delivery accountability: You are responsible for the design quality and the successful delivery of your pitch or project team. You set the direction and monitor quality, and work closely with the core team to ensure overall success.
• Teamwork and collaboration: You will work closely with other departments such as Strategy, UX, Content, and Technology, and be part of international teams across the EMEA region.
• Thought leadership: You will act as an internal and external voice, showcasing our pioneering work through speaking engagements and industry contributions to build our reputation as a growth innovation company.

What You Bring

• Craft focus: Over 15 years of experience in brand design, experience design (UX/UI), motion design and large‑scale design systems.
• Professional experience: Proven work history of working in dynamic agency environments, collaborating with international brands, and managing senior stakeholders.
• Portfolio: Outstanding track record across the entire design value chain. From developing compelling design visions to executing actionable UI and motion design tasks. Your portfolio showcases impressive results and measurable business growth.
• Tech and AI savvy: You are curious about digital trends, AI and new technologies and committed to incorporating relevant innovations into your work.
• Communication and influence: The ability to translate design visions into compelling presentations that inspire and win over both high‑level decision makers and operational teams. Comprehensive professional language skills in German and English (C1 level) are required.

We Offer

• Flexible, hybrid working policy (2 days from the office, depending on location).
• 25 days holiday with the opportunity to take unpaid leave.
• Flexible health budget and Wellness & personal day.
• Occasional breakfast & lunch at the office, Smoothie Tuesday.
• Contribution to your health through the OpenUp platform.
• You can choose to work from the spacious and barrier‑free location in Zurich; in Bern you can expect a small but nice and fully equipped office where you can work in peace.
• Social events, plenty of opportunities to connect with colleagues through organised activities and celebrations.
• A reputation for doing good. DEPT® has been a Certified B Corp® since 2021 and named ‘Agency of the Year’ at The Lovies and The Webby Awards.
• Awesome clients across all industries, and we celebrate our successes together.
• The opportunity to develop your skills further with training, development and certifications.
• Global annual DEPT® Cares Month in which employees donate their skills to support local charities.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

At DEPT®, we take pride in creating an inclusive workplace where everyone has an equal opportunity to thrive. We actively seek to recruit, develop, nurture and retain talented individuals from diverse backgrounds, with varying skills and perspectives.

We encourage you to reach out for reasonable adjustments to support you throughout the recruitment process and your time with us.