Industrial Design Director

Above Agency; Malmö kommun; On-site; SEK 840,000 - 1,080,000; Full time

Job summary

Above Agency in Malmö, Sweden is looking for an experienced Industrial Design Director to lead their global design team. This key role requires a strong design perspective, leadership, and the ability to guide complex projects from vision to execution.

The ideal candidate will possess at least 10 years of relevant experience in design leadership, demonstrate exceptional creative judgment, and have a proven ability to build relationships with clients. Above Agency values a collaborative approach to elevate design for a better future.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of relevant professional experience in creative leadership.
• Proven ability to build and maintain trusted relationships with clients.
• Strong storytelling and communication skills.
• Experience in defining vision, creative direction, and strategic narratives.

Responsibilities

• Lead cross-functional innovation programs and teams.
• Shape design culture and elevate brand and design practice.
• Guide projects from initial brief through delivery.

Job description

We are now looking for an experienced Industrial Design Director to join our growing global design team. This is a senior creative leadership role for someone with exceptional industrial design craft, demonstrated leadership experience, and the strategic ability to guide complex multidisciplinary work and teams from vision through execution. The position is an on-site opportunity preferably based in our Malmö, Sweden studio, though we are open to considering placement in our Stockholm office for the right candidate.

The Role

As Industrial Design Director, you will play a pivotal role in shaping our industrial design practice and elevating the quality of our client work. You will bring a strong point of view, refined creative judgment, and the ability to lead complex innovation programs and cross-functional collaborations with clarity and confidence. Balancing client ambitions with our creative perspective and standards, you will guide projects from initial brief through delivery and implementation - ensuring exceptional quality, holistic perspective and strategic coherence at every stage.

You will bring design excellence and a senior point of view into every touchpoint while maintaining a hands-on creative approach. In close collaboration with leadership, you will play an important role in elevating the brand and design practice - shaping design culture, commercial offerings, creative processes, talent development, and the future direction of industrial design at the company.

Our work is exciting and diverse in nature, spanning high-volume consumer products, smart home devices, furniture, robotics, future mobility experiences, progressive healthcare solutions, packaging and many more. We create impact across every horizon - from category-defining products and experiences to multi-dimensional portfolio strategies and compelling visions of the future for some of the world’s most progressive brands.

What We’re Looking For

We are looking for a progressive, forward-thinking designer and creative leader with an exceptional portfolio demonstrating a broad body of high-level creativity, strategy, strong leadership abilities, and refined executional craft.

• Preferably 10+ years of relevant professional experience, including creative leadership responsibilities in agency or in-house environments
• Ability to lead cross-functional innovation programs and teams at the intersection of physical and digital product experiences independently
• Confidence working across ambiguity, complexity, and fast-moving creative environments
• Experience in defining vision, creative direction, and strategic narratives across multiple programs
• Demonstrated ability to think in systems, portfolios, and experiences, displaying a holistic perspective and strategic precision
• Leading by doing - providing sharp core industrial design craft, hands-on leadership and executional rigor within project teams
• Refined aesthetics and deep sensitivity to craft, execution, materiality, manufacturing processes, technology integration, and overall quality
• A thoughtful, user-centered approach to design that translates complex challenges into compelling and commercially viable solutions
• Proven ability to build and maintain trusted long-term relationships with clients and partners, representing externally through strong creative leadership and industry presence
• Commercial interest and skills - contributing to project scoping, proposal creation, client acquisition, sales dialogues, and growth opportunities
• Strong storytelling and communication skills, able to present design rationale and strategic value with clarity and persuasive impact
• Desire to elevate design culture, methodologies, and creative standards within the discipline and the wider studio environment
• Mentor, inspire, and grow designers across varying levels of experience
• Integrity, optimism, and a self-propelled, collaborative mindset

About Us

We are a Scandinavian innovation agency dedicated to driving positive change through the integration of design, strategy, and technology. We believe the future belongs to teams that can move fluidly between disciplines. Our 360 creative approach allows us to blur the boundaries between hardware and software, physical and digital, strategy and execution - creating positive impact for people, businesses, and the planet.

We collaborate with leading global brands, ambitious startups, and local Scandinavian industry leaders. We are a team of warm, curious, and highly dedicated professionals with diverse international backgrounds, united by a shared ambition to create progressive work with care and meaning.

Join Our Team

Please submit your portfolio and short motivation statement. Applications without a portfolio will not be considered. If you have any questions regarding the job posting or application process, please send an email to Aaron Wansch, Senior Director of Industrial Design at Above.

Applications will initially be open until 31 July 2026. Interviews with shortlisted candidates are happening on a rolling basis.

We are excited to receive international applications and are generally able to assist with work permit and relocation processes. Due to the integral nature of this role we are not considering fully remote or freelance candidates for this opportunity, but are open to discussing a remote start and transition into this role.

Let’s shape the future of design together.