Design Director

Story Inc; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Story Inc. in San Francisco seeks a Design Director to lead visual craft across client work, original series, and branding. You will set creative direction, grow the design team, and partner with strategy and production to bring ideas to life.

Ideal candidates have a senior-level portfolio, experience mentoring designers, proficiency in Figma and the Adobe Creative Suite, and strong collaborative communication. Based in the SF Bay Area or willing to relocate.

Qualifications

• Portfolio demonstrating senior-level design work across brand and digital.
• Experience mentoring designers and leading teams.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills.
• Ability to connect design decisions to ideas with strategy and production.

Responsibilities

• Lead design direction across client deliverables, pitch decks, brand systems, and original series.
• Manage and mentor designers, giving clear feedback and helping them develop their craft.
• Partner with creative, strategy, and production leads to connect design decisions to the idea.
• Own Story's visual identity and its consistency across channels.
• Set quality standards and guide work from initial concepts through final delivery.
• Contribute to new business pitches through strong visual concepts and presentations.

Skills

Portfolio

Mentoring designers

Strong communication

Design leadership

Brand & digital design

Tools

Figma

Adobe Creative Suite

Job description

Great stories start with extraordinary people.

We’re bringing together exceptional creative talent to tell the stories of people shaping the future. Work alongside people who raise your standards, champion your ideas, and give you room to do the best work of your career.

Story inspires science. Science makes story real.

Your Story

We're hiring a Design Director to lead visual craft across Story's client work, original series, and brand. You'll set the creative direction, develop our designers, and work closely with strategy and production to bring ideas to life.

Responsibilities:

• Lead design direction across client deliverables, pitch decks, brand systems, and original series.

• Manage and mentor designers, giving clear feedback and helping them develop their craft.

• Partner with creative, strategy, and production leads to connect design decisions to the idea.

• Own Story's visual identity and its consistency across channels.

• Set quality standards and guide work from initial concepts through final delivery.

• Contribute to new business pitches through strong visual concepts and presentations.

Requirements:

• Portfolio demonstrating senior-level design work across brand and digital.

• Experience managing or mentoring designers.

• Proficiency in Figma and Adobe Creative Suite.

• Strong communication and collaboration skills.

• Based in the SF Bay Area or willing to relocate.

Bonus:

• A distinctive design sensibility across brand, digital, and motion.

• An ability to give feedback that makes both the work and the designer stronger.

• Fast, iterative thinking and confidence making creative decisions.

• A strong instinct for when a concept needs refinement or a new direction.