Associate Director, Immersive Experience Design

California Academy of Sciences; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 165,000; Full time

Job summary

The California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco seeks an Associate Director of Experience Design to envision and create immersive, human-centered experiences that blend storytelling, spatial design, and emerging technology.

Blending spatial storytelling with the Academy’s scientific assets, this leader will drive a cohesive design vision and position the Experience Studio as a global leader in experiential science engagement.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in immersive or experiential design with 3–5 years in a senior leadership role.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary teams delivering large-scale public experiences.
• Bachelor’s degree in design or related field; advanced degree preferred.
• Strong portfolio showing integrated physical space, digital media and interactive systems.

Responsibilities

• Serve as Creative and Design Lead on exhibitions and experiences from concept to installation.
• Develop immersive strategies combining spatial design, media, storytelling and technology.
• Collaborate with project managers, scientists, educators and stakeholders to create cohesive visitor journeys.
• Translate science goals into innovative design solutions and document deliverables.
• Lead prototyping, testing, and project reviews to meet engagement and accessibility targets.
• Mentor designers and manage external partners to uphold Academy standards.

Skills

Creative vision

Leadership

Storytelling

Communication

Portfolio

Education

Bachelor’s degree in design

Tools

Adobe Creative Suite

SketchUp

Rhino

Figma

Asana

Slack

Box

Miro

Job description

The California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco seeks an Associate Director of Experience Design to envision and create immersive, human-centered experiences that blend storytelling, spatial design, and emerging technology.

Blending spatial storytelling with the Academy’s scientific assets, this leader will drive a cohesive design vision and position the Experience Studio as a global leader in experiential science engagement.