Associate Director of 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

About the California Academy of Sciences

Founded in 1853, the California Academy of Sciences is a globally renowned, AZA-accredited non-profit scientific and cultural institution located in the heart of San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. Home to a world-class planetarium, aquarium, rainforest, research institute, and natural history museum—our mission is to regenerate the natural world through science, learning, and collaboration.

Our living collection reflects Earth's vast biodiversity, consisting of nearly 60,000 animals representing over 800 species. Our research collections are the largest west of the Mississippi, spanning nearly 46 million plants, animals, fossils, and cultural artifacts from across the globe and throughout history. Our diverse team includes leading biodiversity scientists, educators, storytellers, designers, and communicators who are passionate about advancing knowledge and catalyzing action through science and storytelling.

Whether you're conducting research behind the scenes or engaging the public on the museum floor, your work will help connect people to the natural world and empower them to protect it.

About the Opportunity

The Associate Director of Experience Design will envision and create future-forward experiences for the California Academy of Sciences, redefining how science is experienced through immersive, responsive, and deeply human-centered environments. Blending spatial storytelling, emerging technology, and the Academy’s unparalleled scientific assets, this leader will create transformative offerings that ignite curiosity and inspire audiences. In close partnership with the Senior Director of Experience, the Associate Director will ensure that every project advances a cohesive, ambitious design vision—positioning the Experience Studio as a laboratory for innovation and a global leader in experiential science engagement.

The Associate Director provides team leadership across spatial, interactive, digital, graphic, and media design disciplines. This position oversees a design team and external partners/vendors, establishes design standards and processes, and serves as creative lead for the Experience Studio. In addition to supervisory and leadership responsibilities, the Associate Director actively contributes to concept development, design direction, and key deliverables on assigned initiatives.

Organizational Culture

When you join the California Academy of Sciences, you become part of a mission-driven community that values curiosity, collaboration, and innovation, and celebrates its accomplishments together. Staff share a commitment to executing a new strategic plan that will strengthen the organization's financial foundations, cultivate a vibrant internal culture, and foster smart growth to secure the Academy’s future.

We hope you are inspired by what we do and are motivated to contribute to our mission. The Academy is looking for candidates who do great work, and we know they may come from a number of different backgrounds and experiences. We encourage you to apply even if you do not believe you meet every qualification for the position.

This position is based in San Francisco, California. The specific onsite/hybrid schedule for this position is listed below.

Key Responsibilities

Supervisory & Leadership Responsibilities:

• Lead and manage a multidisciplinary team of designers (exhibit, interaction/UX, media, graphic design, and related disciplines), including full-time, part-time, and contract staff: establish performance goals, provide regular feedback, and support professional growth.
• Partner closely with the Senior Director of Experience to define and uphold a cohesive design vision aligned with Experience Studio strategy, innovation goals, and institutional priorities.
• Establish and implement design standards, workflows, documentation practices, and review processes to improve quality, efficiency, and cross-team collaboration.
• Oversee external design consultants and creative vendors: develop scopes of work, review proposals, guide creative output, and ensure deliverables meet Academy standards.
• Champion a culture of creativity, experimentation, and collaboration within the Experience Studio.
• Ensure that all experiences advance the Academy’s mission and strategic priorities through engaging, innovative, scientifically grounded, and accessible design solutions.

Experience Design Responsibilities:

• Serve as Creative and Design Lead on assigned exhibition and experience projects, from early visioning and concept development through design development, fabrication, and installation.
• Develop immersive design strategies that integrate spatial design, interactive systems, digital media, storytelling, and natural history collections into cohesive visitor journeys.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams including project managers, content strategists, scientists, educators, collections staff, technologists, and key stakeholders to create holistic experiences.
• Use storytelling to translate science into compelling physical and digital design, including spatial layouts, interactive strategies, and media integration plans.
• Guide the development and review of design deliverables such as concept packages, renderings, floor plans, prototypes, and experience documentation.
• Lead and participate in prototyping and iterative testing to ensure experiences meet engagement, performance, and accessibility goals.
• Integrate emerging technologies and innovative design approaches to create immersive and responsive environments.
• Follow Academy safety regulations and institutional policies.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS:

EXPERIENCE and/or EDUCATION:

Required and Preferred:

• 10+ years of progressive experience in immersive, experiential, exhibition, environmental, or interaction design, with at least 3-5 years in a senior leadership role.
• Demonstrated experience leading multidisciplinary teams in delivering complex, large-scale public experiences.
• Bachelor’s degree in design, architecture, industrial design, interaction design, media arts, or related field required; advanced degree preferred.
• Strong portfolio demonstrating immersive environments that integrate physical space, digital media, and interactive systems.

SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

Required and Preferred:

• Proven ability to articulate and champion a clear creative vision while aligning with strategic objectives.
• Deep understanding of spatial storytelling, human-centered design, and visitor experience principles.
• Strong leadership skills with the ability to mentor designers and foster a collaborative, high-performing team culture.
• Ability to synthesize scientific, educational, and experiential goals into innovative design solutions.
• Experience managing complex projects with multiple stakeholders, balancing creativity with schedule and budget constraints.
• Strong visual, verbal, and written communication skills; ability to present effectively to senior leadership and external partners.
• Knowledge of prototyping and evaluation practices in informal learning or public environments.
• Fluency in industry-standard design and visualization tools (e.g., Adobe Creative Suite, SketchUp, Rhino, Figma, or equivalent).
• Skilled in using Microsoft Office and Google Apps; fluency in collaboration tools such as Asana, Slack, Box, Miro, and related platforms..

Physical Environment:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential job duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions.

• Ability to transport up to 30 lbs.
• Ability to stand, walk exhibit floors, review installations, and participate in on-site fabrication and installation activities as needed.
• Frequent use of computer and participation in in-person and virtual meetings.

Compensation and Benefits:

The salary range for this position is $150,000 - 165,000. Actual compensation will be commensurate with the final candidate's qualifications and experience, including skills, knowledge, relevant education, certifications and aligned with the internal peer group. We believe in fair and equitable compensation practices and are committed to providing competitive salaries within the industry and market standards. The Academy offers a total compensation package that emphasizes both base salary and comprehensive benefits based on the hours per week worked. Further details regarding compensation and benefits will be discussed during the interview process.

Schedule

Full-Time, 40 hours per week, three days per week on site.

We will give full consideration for employment to all qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance (SF Police Code, Article 49).