Design Director: Lead Craft, Strategy & High-Impact Brand Work

Publicis Groupe; Cincinnati, Northern (OH, KY); Hybrid; USD 129,000 - 168,000; Full time

Job summary

Publicis Groupe design leadership seeks a Senior Design Director to guide craft and design intent across major accounts and teams. You will shape visual strategy, mentor senior designers, and ensure cohesive execution.

You will lead design direction, elevate quality, and partner with CDs/VPs to align design with client goals. This role emphasizes storytelling, typography, and modern tools, including AI-driven processes.

Responsibilities

• Owns the business impact of creative decisions—driving revenue, brand growth, and client trust (in partnership with VP leadership)
• Leads senior client relationships as a trusted creative partner across disciplines
• Owns and grows major scopes of work, identifying opportunities to expand impact and business
• Holds teams accountable for delivering work that performs against business goals
• Connects creative ambition to strategy, timelines, and business realities
• Defines the visual direction, ensuring design is strategically aligned, distinctive, and executable.
• Shapes design thinking early to align teams around a clear visual vision.
• Makes clear design decisions when direction or execution lacks clarity.
• Makes final design decisions on high-impact work, ensuring alignment to creative vision and craft excellence.
• Elevates the quality, consistency, and cohesion of design across every touchpoint.
• Establishes and protects standards for typography, composition, color, motion, and visual storytelling,
• Pushes work beyond expectations while grounding it in brand, platform, and audience needs.
• Partners closely with Creative Directors, ACDs, and cross-functional teams.
• Empowers ACDs and senior designers through clear direction, feedback, and coaching.
• Removes obstacles so teams can focus on delivering their best work.
• Leads design critiques, creative reviews, and high-impact client presentations.
• Owns the visual narrative in executive, client, and internal leadership forums.
• Shapes presentation materials and visual stories that inspire confidence and buy-in.
• Applies AI, emerging technology, and modern design tools to improve creative quality and speed.
• Encourages innovation while maintaining uncompromising standards of craft.
• Makes final design decisions, ensuring every deliverable meets the highest standard of design excellence.
• Develops ACDs and senior creatives into confident leaders through coaching, feedback, and real responsibility
• Sets clear expectations for creative quality, ownership, and decision-making
• Creates opportunities for team members to grow through stretch assignments and cross-functional exposure
• Holds teams accountable while creating an environment where they can succeed
• Advocates for talent growth, recognition, and promotion in partnership with leadership

Job description

Publicis Groupe design leadership seeks a Senior Design Director to guide craft and design intent across major accounts and teams. You will shape visual strategy, mentor senior designers, and ensure cohesive execution.

You will lead design direction, elevate quality, and partner with CDs/VPs to align design with client goals. This role emphasizes storytelling, typography, and modern tools, including AI-driven processes.