Design Director

monks; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Monks in Menlo Park, CA is seeking an experienced Design Director to lead an embedded design and motion team, ensuring creative continuity and a high standard of craft across client work.

You will guide designers and motion creatives, apply established brand systems, collaborate with the Executive Producer and client stakeholders, and explore AI-driven production approaches to deliver polished editorial and marketing content at speed.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in design or creative direction.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary design teams.
• Deep familiarity with established brand systems and design frameworks.
• Strong digital/web design experience, including responsive layouts and accessibility.
• Excellent presentation, communication and feedback skills.
• Interest in AI, emerging technology and production innovation.

Responsibilities

• Provide day-to-day creative leadership for the embedded design and motion team.
• Maintain continuity and a consistent creative standard across locations, shifts and workstreams.
• Translate established brand guidelines and design systems into clear, actionable direction.
• Ensure work is visually cohesive, accurate and appropriately tailored to its audience and channel.
• Review and guide digital, web, editorial, presentation, graphic and motion deliverables.
• Partner with Executive Producer to balance creative quality with timing, capacity and priorities.
• Work directly with client stakeholders to clarify creative direction, resolve feedback and keep work moving.
• Provide clear, consolidated feedback that enables teams to execute efficiently.
• Identify when existing components or templates can be used and when a new design solution is required.
• Support evolution of templates, component libraries and documentation as program needs develop.
• Collaborate with technical writers to ensure design supports clarity of complex subject matter.
• Mentor designers and motion creatives, providing practical guidance and independence.
• Partner with AI and creative technology specialists to explore efficient workflows.

Skills

Design leadership

Creative direction

Team mentorship

English fluency

Client-facing

Job description

Please note that we will never request payment or bank account information at any stage of the recruitment process. As we continue to grow our teams, we urge you to be cautious of fraudulent job postings or recruitment activities that misuse our company name and information. Please protect your personal information during any recruitment process.

About the Role

Monks is seeking an experienced Design Director to provide creative leadership for an embedded team supporting one of our largest technology clients. Working in person alongside client stakeholders, this role will maintain creative continuity, uphold a high standard of craft and ensure work remains cohesive across teams, shifts and deliverables.

The ideal candidate has deep experience working within robust design systems and knows how to apply established standards without making the work feel mechanical. You will guide designers and motion creatives, resolve design questions quickly and help the team deliver polished editorial and marketing content at speed.

An interest in AI, emerging technology and new approaches to creative production is essential.

Work Location & Schedule

This role requires working onsite at our client's office in Menlo Park, CA, 4-5 days per week .

In This Role, You Will

• Provide day-to-day creative leadership for the embedded design and motion team.
• Maintain continuity and a consistent creative standard across locations, shifts and workstreams.
• Translate established brand guidelines and design systems into clear, actionable direction.
• Ensure work is visually cohesive, accurate and appropriately tailored to its audience and channel.
• Review and guide digital, web, editorial, presentation, graphic and motion deliverables.
• Partner closely with the Executive Producer to balance creative quality with timing, capacity and business priorities.
• Work directly with client stakeholders to clarify creative direction, resolve feedback and keep work moving.
• Provide clear, consolidated feedback that enables teams to execute efficiently.
• Identify when existing components or templates can be used and when a new design solution is required.
• Support the evolution of templates, component libraries and documentation as program needs develop.
• Collaborate with technical writers to ensure design supports the clarity and integrity of complex subject matter.
• Mentor designers and motion creatives, providing practical guidance and helping them operate with greater independence.
• Partner with AI and creative technology specialists to explore responsible ways to improve workflows, consistency and production efficiency.
• Maintain discretion when working with confidential and highly sensitive information.

Experience You Bring

• 8+ years of experience in design, art direction or creative direction within an agency, technology company or in-house creative organization.
• Demonstrated experience leading multidisciplinary design teams and maintaining quality across high-volume or rapid-turn work.
• Deep familiarity with established brand systems, component libraries, templates and scalable design frameworks.
• Strong digital and web design experience, including responsive layouts and accessibility considerations.
• Ability to assess work quickly, provide decisive direction and distinguish critical issues from subjective preferences.
• Strong understanding of typography, hierarchy, composition, visual storytelling and motion principles.
• Experience collaborating with production, editorial, product, legal and technical stakeholders.
• Professional fluency in written and spoken English is required.
• Excellent presentation, communication and feedback skills.
• Interest in AI, emerging technology and production innovation.

Working Model

This is an in-person, client-facing role embedded with the client team. The Design Director will guide a distributed creative team operating across multiple global locations and shifts, with availability during core client working hours and flexibility around urgent priorities.

At Monks, we believe in fostering an environment where a diversity of perspectives can thrive. We proactively work to design hiring processes that promote equity and inclusion while mitigating bias. We celebrate diversity and are committed to building a team that reflects the communities we serve. We welcome and encourage qualified applicants, from all backgrounds, who are excited to contribute to our mission.

This role is subject to our Return to Office (RTO) policy. If you reside within a commutable distance of one of our office locations, you will be expected to work from the office a set number of days per week. The specific details, including the number of required office days, will be in accordance with the company's then-current RTO policy, which is subject to change from time to time.

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