Design Director

Summary

Join Instrument, a remote-first digital product and brand experience agency, as a Design Director for two temporary projects (January 6th - January 30th and January 6th - February 14th, with a possible extension to March 28th). You will lead and inspire a team of designers, crafting elegant, user-centered solutions. Responsibilities include guiding the design process, building client partnerships, delivering strategic presentations, and collaborating effectively. The ideal candidate possesses 8+ years of experience leading design teams, a strong portfolio showcasing strategic design skills, and a proven ability to work with cross-disciplinary teams. The position offers a competitive hourly pay range, varying based on location.

Requirements

• 8+ years of experience leading design teams, with a strong background in product design and UX/UI design, and a proven track record of creating innovative digital experiences
• A portfolio demonstrating high proficiency in strategic, user-centered design across various platforms, with a focus on delivering impactful, accessible, and visually compelling solutions
• A curiosity for emerging technologies and how they can shape digital products, paired with a knack for applying them thoughtfully to solve complex design challenges
• Experience working closely with cross-disciplinary teams—including developers, producers, and business stakeholders—to align goals, overcome challenges, and deliver exceptional results
• Comfort with ambiguity and a thoughtful approach to taking creative risks that push the work—and your team—forward
• A strong balance of strategic thinking and hands-on design skills, with the ability to seamlessly shift between high-level vision and detailed execution

Responsibilities

• Guide and inspire a team of designers through every phase of the product design process, from research and strategy to prototyping and delivery
• Cultivate, guide, and lead your team with a strong point of view and creative vision, driving them to craft elegant, user-centered solutions that align with strategic objectives
• Fearlessly concept, iterate, and prototype, leveraging user testing to refine ideas into exceptional digital experiences
• Build and maintain strong client partnerships, ensuring seamless project delivery from kickoff through execution
• Deliver smart, strategic thinking through concise and compelling presentations that align stakeholders and energize your team
• Lead projects and teams with autonomy, thriving in a flexible, collaborative environment with minimal hierarchy
• Influence the design team with bold, visionary design solutions, pushing boundaries while staying grounded in the needs of the user and client
• Collaborate dynamically, spending 60% of your time working alongside your team and clients and 40% executing independently to move the work forward

Preferred Qualifications

Experience in startup environments

Benefits

• The expected pay range for this role is $x-$x per hour (on a W-2), but will depend on the level in which you are engaged
• Our company has three regional pay bands that it adheres to depending on your location, we reference them as US 1, US 2, and US 3
• US 3 is our base pay. Examples of cities in US 3 are Portland, Houston and Miami
• US 2 pay is 7.5% higher than US 3 to meet the market rates. Examples of cities in US 2 are Los Angeles, Chicago and Seattle
• US 1 pay is 15% higher than US 3 to meet market rates. Examples of cities in US 1 are Brooklyn and San Francisco