Design Director

Scalis LLC; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health Insurance

Vision Insurance

401(k) Matching

Paid Holidays

Premium Reimbursement

Safe Harbor 3% Contribution

Life Insurance

Annual Culture Budget

FSA

HSA HDHP

One Medical

Kindbody Membership

Talkspace Membership

New Business Referral Program

Employee Referral Program

Job summary

SYLVAIN in New York City is seeking a Design Director who blends strategic rigor with craft obsession. You will translate business aims into moodboards, concepts, and final work, guiding teams from ideation to execution while maintaining a high bar for quality and viability.

You’ll lead client presentations, mentor senior designers, and shape the creative direction across disciplines, fostering growth and opportunity within SYLVAIN.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of brand design experience in a studio, agency, or in-house environment.
• 2+ years mentoring design teams within the context of a project.
• A portfolio that reflects a diverse array of brand identity projects elevated craft.
• Deep knowledge of typography and design systems.
• Mastery of Figma and Adobe Creative Suite.
• Experience presenting to and leading senior clients.
• Bonus for familiarity with motion, digital, and AI tools.

Responsibilities

• Sets a craft standard that is aesthetically compelling and rigorously executed with systems that hold up across every aspect of design: brand, colors, typography, imagery, words.
• Generates conceptual and visionary ideas, pushes others’ ideas to their sharpest articulation, and builds shared clarity around the concept internally and with clients.
• Leads and mentors the creative team, aligns with a bold vision, and guides work to completion.
• Manages client expectations, builds lasting relationships, and challenges constructively when needed.
• Translates research and business objectives into a distinct creative POV and visual language.
• Presents work with clarity and conviction to clients and internal teams.
• Directs a diverse set of collaborators and integrates emerging tools and AI into practice.
• Supports and mentors junior team members with feedback and critique.
• Coordinates across leadership to ensure project alignment and delivery.

Skills

Obsessive craftsperson

Empathetic leader

Strategic multi-tasker

Relationship builder

Education

7+ years of brand design experience in studio/agency/in-house

Tools

Figma

Adobe Creative Suite

Job description

SYLVAIN is a strategy and creative company making work that actually solves hard, high-stakes problems.. Dissatisfied with the status quo, we collect unorthodox perspectives and uncommon ways of framing the future. By seeking better answers, and pushing for more purpose, we’re solving the most consequential business challenges of our time—always inspiring, inciting, and provoking progress.

Founded in2010, SYLVAIN is a member of kyu Collective, a group of independently-led companies that share a similar mission. We have offices in New York City; Richmond, VA; Los Angeles, CA; and Amsterdam, NL.

Some of our clients include: Amazon, American Express, Nielsen, Synchrony, JPM, Google, Walmart, Kate Spade, Milk Makeup, TAIT, Meta, Spotify, Netflix, Uber, The New York Times, CBS, Nike, General Motors, Blackrock, Chanel, and the WNBA.

About the job

The Design Director is a conceptual thinker, a craft obsessive, and a generous leader who knows great design starts with thoughtful strategy. They live between insight and execution, happily wading with teammates in the messy early stages while pushing for a high bar for where the work lands. Rigor and process matter. Ideas that feel human, true, and new to the world matter even more.

They turn business opportunity, strategy, and research into moodboards, concepts, and finished work that works. One moment they’re at 30,000ft shaping the big idea. The next, they’re at 3ft fussing over kerning–and both are fun. They sharpen the team’s thinking, direct collaborators across disciplines, and roll up their sleeves when the work calls for it.

In the room, they’re the creative voice clients trust, leading presentations and work sessions that turn nervous nods into bold decisions. They make sure the work is as viable as it is beautiful, and they’ll have an honest conversation when the idea deserves it.

They also make design a great place to grow. With their triad, they keep spirits up when projects get tough, protect SYLVAIN’s creative reputation, and spot the next opportunity before anyone else does.

TYPICAL ACTIVITIES + RESPONSIBILITIES

• Sets a craft standard that is aesthetically compelling and rigorously executed with systems that hold up across every aspect of design: brand, colors, typography, imagery, words — big, small, and everything in between.
• Generates conceptual and visionary ideas, pushes others’ ideas to their sharpest articulation, and builds shared clarity around the concept internally and with clients.
• Thoughtfully and effectively galvanizes team members to align with a bold vision and creative expression and bring everyone to the finish line.
• Understands client creative needs, manages expectations, challenges constructively when it serves the work, and builds relationships that last beyond the project.
• Thrives at the intersection of strategy and design, translating research, insights, and business objectives into a distinct creative POV and visual language that brings the strategy to life.
• Presents the work with clarity and conviction, telling a story that’s tight, evocative, and ready for any room, whether it’s a CMO or the team.
• Draws on a deep understanding of the design and communications landscape, including emerging tools and AI, to direct a diverse set of collaborators and produce the artifacts the work needs.
• Mentors and leads junior creative team members, providing continuous feedback and constructive critiques of their work.
• Manages up, down, and sideways with ease, keeping everyone in the loop and knowing when to ask for support from Creative Directors or discipline leads.

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE

The ideal candidate will be a...

• Obsessive craftsperson
• Empathetic leader
• Strategic multi-tasker
• Relationship builder

Other requirements:

• 7+ years of brand design experience in a studio, agency, or in-house environment
• 2+ years mentoring design teams within the context of a project
• A portfolio that reflects a diverse array of brand identity projects elevated craft
• Deep knowledge of typography and design systems
• Mastery of Figma and Adobe Creative Suite
• Comfortable working across multiple projects concurrently
• Experience presenting to and leading senior clients
• Bonus for familiarity with motion, digital, and AI tools

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

This position is based in New York City and the base salary is $150,000-$170,000 per year. Individual compensation may vary based on business needs, experience, responsibility level, and qualifications. Not all applicants’ experience will match the qualifications of this role, in which case an alternative role or level may be suggested.

We’re in the office together 3 days a week, and we balance that with ‘Work from Anywhere’ time throughout the year.

• Health Insurance
• Vision Insurance
• 401(k) Matching
• Paid Holidays
• Up to 85% Paid Insurance Premiums
• 3% Safe Harbor Employer Contribution
• Life Insurance
• $300 Annual Culture + Learning Budget
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
• Health Savings Account (HSA) for High Deductible Health Plans
• One Medical Membership
• Kindbody Membership
• Talkspace Membership
• New Business Referral Program
• Employee Referral Program

Preferred Skills

• Brand identity design
• Typography
• Conceptual ideation
• Presentation Skills
• Client relationship management
• Workshop and work-session facilitation
• Figma and Adobe Creative Suite proficiency
• Emerging tools and AI fluency
• Multi-project management and prioritization