Associate Experience Design Director

GSW, powered by Syneos Health; California; On-site; USD 79,000 - 97,000; Full time

Job summary

GSW, powered by Syneos Health, is seeking an Associate Experience Design Director to lead creative experience initiatives across multiple accounts in a digital-forward environment.

You will guide a team of Experience Designers, collaborate with strategy and medical leads, and ensure consistency with client brand guidelines while driving innovative and accessible design. This leadership role emphasizes mentorship and strategic collaboration.

Qualifications

• 8-10 years experience in digital design, experience design, and creative leadership
• Knowledge of digital design tools including the Adobe Software Suite, XD, Sketch, Figma is a priority, digitally-native animation programs (such as Principle, Spline, Lottie, FigJam, TouchDesigner) and how to direct for development with those tools
• Ability to direct the design for 3D – three.js, etc.

Responsibilities

• Responsible for experience design on several accounts. Help establish a creative vision for those experiences and maintains brand standards across multiple projects
• Support the SVP GED in maintaining creative direction and vision of experiences for assigned brands; reinforce and maintain creative standards
• Provide day-to-day direction to all members of the Experience team.
• Collaborate with strategy, account and medical leads to lead overarching brand experience initiatives
• Facilitate creative reviews
• Drive strategic and tactical discussions with client and account teams to develop strategically sound experience design work.
• Review scope assumptions and Experience team hours for deliverables
• Nurture client relationships
• Partner with Account & Strategy on POVs for clients
• Proactively provide clients with potential experience opps
• Identify organic growth opportunities

Skills

Digital design

Experience design

Creative leadership

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Design

Portfolio development

Continuing education/certifications

Tools

Adobe Creative Suite

Adobe XD

Sketch

Figma

Principle

Spline

Lottie

FigJam

TouchDesigner

three.js

Job description

Description

As an Associate Experience Design Director, you’ll be in a leadership role helping to shape the future of our digital-forward experience initiatives that blend the creative application of technology with business needs and user insights. You will leverage your deep knowledge of design, leading-edge digital technologies, and experience best practices to oversee creative experience initiatives and develop innovative solutions. As a subject matter expert, you’ll collaborate with cross-functional teams, guide, and mentor junior Experience Designers, and foster a culture of inclusivity and accessibility. Your expertise in experience strategy and design will ensure that our work is not only visually appealing, innovative and strategically sound, but also accessible and user-friendly—enhancing the overall customer experience. You’ll ensure the work the Experience Design group produces is consistent with our client’s brand guidelines and strategy.

• Responsible for experience design on several accounts. Help establish a creative vision for those experiences and maintains brand standards across multiple projects
• Support the SVP GED in maintaining creative direction and vision of experiences for assigned brands; reinforce and maintain creative standards
• Provide day-to-day direction to all members of the Experience team.
• Collaborate with strategy, account and medical leads to lead overarching brand experience initiatives
• Facilitate creative reviews
• Drive strategic and tactical discussions with client and account teams to develop strategically sound experience design work.
• Review scope assumptions and Experience team hours for deliverables
• Nurture client relationships
• Partner with Account & Strategy on POVs for clients
• Proactively provide clients with potential experience opps
• Identify organic growth opportunities

Description

As an Associate Experience Design Director, you’ll be in a leadership role helping to shape the future of our digital-forward experience initiatives that blend the creative application of technology with business needs and user insights. You will leverage your deep knowledge of design, leading-edge digital technologies, and experience best practices to oversee creative experience initiatives and develop innovative solutions. As a subject matter expert, you’ll collaborate with cross-functional teams, guide, and mentor junior Experience Designers, and foster a culture of inclusivity and accessibility. Your expertise in experience strategy and design will ensure that our work is not only visually appealing, innovative and strategically sound, but also accessible and user-friendly—enhancing the overall customer experience. You’ll ensure the work the Experience Design group produces is consistent with our client’s brand guidelines and strategy.

• Responsible for experience design on several accounts. Help establish a creative vision for those experiences and maintains brand standards across multiple projects
• Support the SVP GED in maintaining creative direction and vision of experiences for assigned brands; reinforce and maintain creative standards
• Provide day-to-day direction to all members of the Experience team.
• Collaborate with strategy, account and medical leads to lead overarching brand experience initiatives
• Facilitate creative reviews
• Drive strategic and tactical discussions with client and account teams to develop strategically sound experience design work.
• Review scope assumptions and Experience team hours for deliverables
• Nurture client relationships
• Partner with Account & Strategy on POVs for clients
• Proactively provide clients with potential experience opps
• Identify organic growth opportunities

Qualification Requirements

• 8-10 years experience in digital design, experience design, and creative leadership
• Knowledge of digital design tools including the Adobe Software Suite, XD, Sketch, Figma is a priority, digitally-native animation programs (such as Principle, Spline, Lottie, FigJam, TouchDesigner) and how to direct for development with those tools
• Ability to direct the design for 3D – three.js, etc.

Education:

• Bachelor's Degree in Design or Related Field: A bachelor's degree in graphic design, visual communication, advertising design, or a related field is typically expected. We also consider candidates with degrees in fine arts or other creative disciplines, particularly if supplemented with relevant experience.
• Portfolio Development: While not an educational credential per se, a strong portfolio showcasing relevant experience design work you’ve led, including examples of healthcare advertising projects, is often more important than formal education for demonstrating capabilities and creative vision.
• Continuing Education and Certifications: Pursuing continuing education opportunities in design, healthcare communication, or related areas.

The annual base salary for this position ranges from $110,000 to $135,000 CAD. The base salary range represents the anticipated low and high of the Syneos Health range for this position. Actual salary will vary based on various factors such as the candidate’s qualifications, skills, competencies, and proficiency for the role. In addition, some positions may include eligibility to earn commissions/bonus based on company and / or individual performance.

At GSW, we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace. If your past experience doesn’t align perfectly, we encourage you to apply anyway. At times, we will consider transferable skills from previous roles. We also encourage you to join our Talent Network to stay connected to additional career opportunities.

GSW is a full-service healthcare communications agency that goes beyond advertising to create personalized brand experiences that involve, inspire, educate and activate people through ongoing brand journeys. As one of the world’s ten most-awarded healthcare advertising agencies, GSW is hell-bent not to replace the same old with the same old. This is achieved through a provocative premise — if other brands communicated the way healthcare brands do, how many customers would they have? GSW turns against this premise through discovery of beneath-the-surface customer insights that we impact with stories, simplicity and authenticity.

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Syneos Health companies are affirmative action/equal opportunity employers (Minorities/Females/Veterans/Disabled)

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.