Design Director - Brand

Gensler; New York (NY); On-site; USD 135,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Gensler's Brand Design studio seeks a Director who will shape experiential graphics and wayfinding for diverse environments. You lead cross-disciplinary teams, guide projects from vision to fabrication, nurture client relationships, and elevate design outcomes across aviation, education, hospitality, and workplace settings.

With strong design judgment and collaborative leadership, you will grow client relationships, pursue new opportunities, and mentor the next generation of Brand Designers

Qualifications

• 10-15+ years of professional experience leading EGD projects including signage, wayfinding and placemaking.
• Portfolio showing signage, wayfinding and experiential graphics in built environments.
• Proven success growing client relationships and generating new business.
• Strong design judgment with ability to direct project teams.

Responsibilities

• Provide design oversight across Brand Studio projects from concept to installation.
• Lead interdisciplinary teams, coordinate with architecture and interiors for integrated signage.
• Develop sign families, location plans and message schedules with fabrication strategies.
• Mentor designers and manage fees, teams, schedules and budgets.

Skills

EGD leadership

Client relationships

Team leadership

Presentation skills

Education

Graphic Design degree

Architecture background

Job description

Your Role

Gensler's Brand Design studio is a collaborative team of designers, strategists, and storytellers who shape how people experience and navigate the built environment. Our work spans experiential graphic design (EGD), signage and wayfinding, placemaking, and branded environments, connecting information, identity, and place through thoughtful, intuitive design. As Brand Design Director, you will focus primarily on EGD, signage, and wayfinding, developing compelling concepts, solving complex information and navigation challenges, and guiding work from early visioning through design development, documentation, fabrication, and installation. With strong design judgment, technical understanding, and collaborative leadership, you will help grow client relationships, pursue new opportunities, and elevate the quality and impact of the studio's work.

What You Will Do

Build client relationships and lead fast-paced, interdisciplinary teams of architects, interior designers, graphic and wayfinding specialists, and other creative partners. Guide projects across aviation, education, entertainment, hospitality, retail, sports, workplace, and mixed-use environments, balancing creative vision with usability, architectural integration, technical requirements, schedules, budgets, and fabrication realities.

Design Excellence

• Champion Gensler's enduring principle, "To create a better world through the Power of Design."
• Set creative direction, developing compelling concepts that connect information, identity, and place.
• Develop clear, intuitive information and navigation systems that respond to user needs and architectural conditions.
• Create and guide experiential concepts that integrate typography, graphics, color, materials, storytelling, and spatial design.
• Resolve complex design, accessibility, code, fabrication, and implementation challenges through innovative and practical solutions.
• Provide clear, critical design reviews that elevate the quality and consistency of the work.

Business Development

• Generate new opportunities and grow relationships with existing clients across the studio's practice.
• Lead the conceptual design approach and design narrative for RFP responses, interviews, and pursuits.

Strategic Partnerships

• Partner with Design Managers to develop workplans, scopes, schedules, and level-of-effort estimates for design services.
• Communicate the value of early Brand Design engagement and integrated services to clients and internal project teams.

Thought Leadership

• Advance a point of view on how information, navigation, and graphics shape the experience of place.
• Stay current with emerging approaches to accessibility, digital wayfinding, materials, fabrication, technology, and user experience.
• Inspire creative thinking and share expertise across the studio and broader firm.

Project Responsibilities

• Provide design oversight and stewardship across assigned Brand Studio projects.
• Act as the primary design point of contact with clients from concept and schematic design through design development, design intent documentation, bidding, fabrication, and installation.
• Coordinate closely with architecture and interiors teams so signage and experiential elements are integrated into the overall environment.
• Guide development of sign families, location plans, message schedules, environmental graphic concepts, material and fabrication strategies, and design intent packages.
• Collaborate with consultants, fabricators, vendors, and contractors to maintain design intent through implementation.

Operational Stewardship

• Participate in the professional development of studio staff and mentor Brand Designers.
• Support strong project delivery through effective fee, team, schedule, and budget management.

Your Qualifications

• 10-15+ years of professional experience, with recent leadership of EGD projects spanning signage, wayfinding, environmental graphics, and placemaking; a professional degree in Graphic Design, Industrial Design, Architecture, Visual Communication, or a related field is preferred.
• A portfolio demonstrating strong conceptual thinking and fully realized signage, wayfinding, and experiential graphics in the built environment.
• Proven success building, nurturing, and growing client relationships and generating new business.
• Exceptional design judgment with the ability to provide clear, critical design direction to project teams.
• Strong, persuasive communication and presentation skills, with the ability to explain complex design concepts to clients and collaborators.
• Knowledge of the full project process, from programming and concept design through design development, documentation, fabrication, and installation.
• Understanding of materials, fabrication methods, accessibility considerations, code requirements, and coordination within architectural environments.
• High emotional intelligence and the ability to navigate complex situations collaboratively.
• Engaging design leadership and mentoring skills, with a desire to develop and motivate emerging design professionals.
• Strong project and financial management skills, including experience with fees, teams, schedules, and budgets.
• Ability to develop collaborative relationships across the firm and with clients, consultants, fabricators, and other key partners.

**The base salary range will be estimated between $135,000 to $150,000. Gensler's total compensation package is multi-layered and includes a base salary, two annual bonuses paid in December and June. To learn more about our compensation philosophy and full benefits offerings, please visit Great People, Great Rewards | Gensler **

Life at Gensler

At Gensler, we are as committed to enjoying life as we are to delivering best-in-class design. From curated art exhibits to internal design competitions to "Well-being Awareness Week," our offices reflect our people's diverse interests.

We encourage every person at Gensler to lead a healthy and balanced life. Our comprehensive benefits include medical, dental, vision, disability, wellness programs, flex spending, paid holidays, and paid time off. We also offer a 401k, profit sharing, employee stock ownership, and twice annual bonus opportunities. Our annual base salary range has been established based on local markets.

As part of the firm's commitment to licensure and professional development, Gensler offers reimbursement for certain professional licenses and associated renewals and exam fees. In addition, we reimburse tuition for certain eligible programs or classes. We view our professional development programs as strategic investments in our future.

NOTICE TO APPLICANTS

We are proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affiliation Action employer of choice. All aspects of employment decisions will be based on merit, performance, and business needs. We do not discriminate on the basis of any status protected under federal, state and local law.

Individuals with disabilities and protected veterans are encouraged to apply. We also consider qualified applicants with criminal histories consistent with federal, state and local law.

See also Know your rights: Workplace discrimination is illegal, right to work and E-verify program, as required by law.

Gensler endeavors to make gensler.com/careers accessible to all applicants. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, you may contact us.

Regarding Gensler's approach to recruiting new talent, we will never ask an applicant for sensitive or personal financial information during the recruitment process. We advise all applicants seeking employment with Gensler to review available information on recruitment fraud. Anyone who suspects that they have been contacted by someone falsely representing Gensler should email [e-mail].