Head of Design

Fantasy; United States; Remote; USD 180,000 - 300,000; Full time

Job summary

Fantasy is seeking a Head of Design to lead diverse, global teams in crafting experiences that users not only use, but love. The role blends hands-on craft with strategic leadership, guiding design systems maturity and embedding AI into workflows while maintaining excellence across all projects.

You will manage 4 Design Directors and collaborate with engineers, product, and clients to translate brand strategy into cohesive design systems. This is a distributed, senior leadership role.

Qualifications

• Strong design craft foundation and hands-on capability
• Portfolio showing diverse digital products and experiences
• 2+ years leading design teams to create impactful experiences
• Ability to inspire and mentor teams to achieve results
• Forward-thinking judgment on AI and design systems
• Active use of AI tools within the design process

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic guidance and establish principles for creating human-centered products
• Oversee work with a meticulous eye for detail, ensuring creativity and craftsmanship
• Design new forms of intelligent experiences and contribute thought leadership
• Develop systems that balance delight with systematic thinking for global audiences
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to unify strategic and experiential approaches
• Mentor designers and grow the team, leading by example
• Identify opportunities to improve design processes and lead the team toward better ways of working
• Collaborate directly with clients to ideate, imagine, and create innovative solutions
• Translate brand strategy and business needs into design systems and solutions
• Partner with cross-functional teams to ensure brand cohesion across product and marketing touchpoints
• Experiment with AI tools and introduce new workflows into design workflows
• Clearly convey the thought behind solutions through engaging presentations
• Establish strong client relationships as a trusted partner for creativity and problem-solving

Skills

Design leadership

AI in design

People mentoring

Strategic thinking

Client relationship skills

Communication skills

Job description

We are Fantasy.

The creative partner behind the world’s biggest digital products, launching the next generation of intelligent experiences. For over two decades, we’ve partnered with industry leaders like Google, Microsoft, Nike, Spotify, and Ford to shape products and services used by billions daily.

The Opportunity.

Fantasy is looking for a Head of Design to lead diverse, talented teams in crafting experiences that millions of people not only use, but love. This is a hands‑on leadership role at the center of Fantasy's next chapter: evolving the craft of design while integrating AI deeply into how the team works, without ever letting craft take a back seat. You'll define where craft ends and AI begins, build out design systems maturity across a talented, globally distributed team, and drive closer code-to-design and design-to-code collaboration with engineering.

You'll report to Firdosh Tangri, CEO, and Peter Smart, Chief Experience Officer, and sit on Fantasy's senior leadership team. You'll lead 4 Design Directors directly, with a visual design and engineering team distributed across Vietnam, Portugal, London, and the US, part of a distributed working model Fantasy has run successfully for a decade.

Key Responsibilities.

• Provide strategic guidance and establish principles for creating human-centered products.
• Oversee work with a meticulous eye for detail, ensuring creativity and expert craftsmanship.
• Design new forms of intelligent experiences and contribute thought leadership to the evolving space.
• Develop systems that combine delight and systematic thinking for global audiences.
• Work with other teams to establish unified strategic and experiential approaches.
• Help designers advance and grow, fostering a culture of creativity and innovation, and leading by example.
• Identify opportunities to improve design processes and lead the team toward new, better ways of working.
• Collaborate directly with clients to ideate, imagine, and create innovative solutions.
• Translate brand strategy and business needs into purposeful design systems and solutions.
• Partner with cross-functional teams to ensure brand cohesion and consistency across product and marketing touchpoints.
• Experiment with AI tools and actively introduce new methods and applications into the team's design workflows.
• Clearly convey the power and thought behind the team's solutions through engaging presentations.
• Establish strong, successful client relationships as a trusted partner for creativity and problem-solving.
• Participate in the entire process, from initial conversations through delivery and ongoing relationship growth.

Lead and develop a world‑class team.

• Mentor and manage other designers, helping them advance and grow.
• Spot opportunities to improve design processes and lead the team toward new, better ways of working.
• Lead by example, inspiring those around you to think beyond the ordinary.

What You Bring.

• A strong design craft foundation. You were a great designer yourself, and you can still direct work hands‑on, not just manage it from a distance.
• A strong portfolio showcasing a wide variety of digital products, services, and experiences.
• 2+ years of experience in the design industry, leading teams to create impactful, human-centered digital experiences.
• Ability to inspire and mentor teams to achieve extraordinary results.
• Forward-thinking judgment on AI and design systems, with the ability to drive structural change in how a design team is organized.
• Thought leadership and strategic insight, with a strong point of view.
• A passion for enhancing design practices and processes, with a meticulous eye for detail and strong aesthetic sensibility.
• Demonstrated experience designing new forms of intelligent experiences, with a track record of thought leadership in this evolving space.
• Active use of AI tools within the design process, introducing new workflows and inspiring team adoption.
• Strong communication skills and a genuine passion for people and client relationships.

A thought‑leadership presence (writing, speaking at industry events) is a plus, not a requirement. This role is about craft and team leadership first.

Our Commitment.

Fantasy has been building diverse, inclusive teams since 1999. We believe the range of perspectives in this building is inseparable from the quality of what we ship. Fantasy is an Equal Opportunity Employer.