Director, Design

Ladders; United States; Remote; USD 165,000 - 247,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Global impact

AI-enabled workflows

Senior leadership partnership

Job summary

Ladders is seeking a Director of Design to lead a global design organization supporting modern marketing needs across the business. This strategic role balances creative excellence with operational discipline, shaping how design is delivered, scaled, and measured.

The successful candidate will guide workforce planning, creative operations, and AI-enabled workflows, partnering with senior leadership to align design with business priorities.

Qualifications

• 15+ years in design or related field with 10+ years in leadership.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary teams and talent development.
• Proven track record building high-performing design teams.
• Experience guiding teams through transformation in corporate or agency environments.
• Expertise in design principles, visual communication, and creative strategy.
• Demonstrated experience in creative operations and workflow management.
• Familiarity with AI-powered creative tools and emerging technologies.

Responsibilities

• Lead and inspire a multidisciplinary design team, fostering creativity and collaboration.
• Translate brand strategy into scalable design solutions across various channels.
• Coach designers at all levels, establishing career pathways and development plans.
• Identify capability gaps and develop skills in emerging design disciplines.
• Adopt AI tools to enhance creative productivity and maintain quality standards.
• Oversee creative operations, including resource allocation and project delivery.
• Partner with cross-functional teams to align creative strategies with business priorities.

Skills

Leadership

Team building

Strategic thinking

Design systems

AI in design

Job description

For our client, we are seeking a Director, Design to join the team of a leader in the Information Technology space.

This leader will guide a global design organization that supports modern marketing needs across the business. The role will balance creative excellence with operational discipline, helping shape how design is delivered, scaled, and measured. It is a strategic leadership position with influence on workforce planning, creative operations, and the evolution of tools and capabilities, including AI-enabled workflows.

Location: Remote - US based candidates only, no visa sponsorship available

Compensation: $164,800 – $247,200 annually

Responsibilities

• Lead and inspire a multidisciplinary design team, fostering creativity and collaboration.
• Translate brand strategy into scalable design solutions across various channels.
• Coach designers at all levels, establishing career pathways and development plans.
• Identify capability gaps and develop skills in emerging design disciplines.
• Adopt AI tools to enhance creative productivity and maintain quality standards.
• Oversee creative operations, including resource allocation and project delivery.
• Partner with cross-functional teams to align creative strategies with business priorities.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of experience in design or related fields, with 10+ years in leadership roles.
• Proven ability to lead diverse, multidisciplinary teams and develop talent.
• Strong track record in building high-performing teams and evolving organizational capabilities.
• Experience in leading teams through transformation in corporate or agency environments.
• Expertise in design principles, visual communication, and creative strategy.
• Demonstrated experience in creative operations and workflow management.
• Familiarity with AI-powered creative tools and emerging technologies.

Benefits

• Opportunity to shape a global design organization and influence creative evolution.
• Build and develop a high-performing design team and future leaders.
• Lead the adoption of AI and emerging technologies in creative workflows.
• Influence workforce strategy and future skills of the design function.
• Strategic role partnering with senior leadership across the organization.
• Balance creative excellence with operational efficiency and measurable impact.
• Modernize design practices and tools to meet evolving marketing needs.

Our client is an equal opportunity employer.