Job Description

The Executive Design Director will shape the future of design at Metalab, leading with strategic vision and setting the standard for excellence across the organization. They will coach and elevate other leaders, steward the approach to craft, and guide clients and internal teams through high-impact engagements. The role requires a systems thinker, strategic partner, and trusted voice across disciplines with deep expertise in product design, storytelling, and organizational design.

Responsibilities

• Define and evolve Metalab's design vision, ensuring alignment across teams and client work
• Coach senior leaders and project teams, providing clear, actionable feedback and long-term career guidance
• Model creative excellence in own work, jumping in hands-on when needed and sharing thinking openly
• Approach any client situation confidently, sell ideas and design, and possess execution chops to back it up
• Guide strategic direction across projects, ensuring user and business outcomes are met
• Elevate the craft of UX, visual, brand, systems, and content design across teams
• Lead conversations with clients and internal stakeholders, translating insights into direction
• Promote a culture of critique, continuous improvement, and cross-disciplinary collaboration
• Collaborate with executive leadership to influence company direction and design operations
• Shape internal systems for hiring, feedback, and growth within the design discipline
• Represent Metalab in the design community through thought leadership and speaking opportunities
• Identify opportunities for innovation and quality improvement across all aspects of delivery

Requirements

• At least 12 years of experience in product or digital design, with at least 2 years leading design teams at a senior director or executive level
• Must be able to work on a Pacific Time (PST) schedule or have at least a 4-hour overlap with PST hours (up to 12:00 PM PST)
• Proven experience managing, mentoring, and growing design leaders across multiple disciplines
• Strong portfolio of work showcasing high-impact product design and leadership contributions at scale
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to influence stakeholders across varying levels of design maturity
• Experience working cross-functionally with product, engineering, marketing, and executive teams to shape business strategy
• Demonstrated commitment to inclusive design practices and building equitable, diverse teams
• Active engagement in the design community through thought leadership, writing, events, or speaking
• UX Design: Define UX quality standards across the organization, guiding teams through thoughtful, user-centered design rooted in research, strategy, and behavior
• Visual Design: Assess and shape creative direction to ensure work is polished, differentiated, and relevant. Push teams to explore new visual approaches while maintaining clarity and cohesion
• Product Strategy: Align design efforts with product roadmaps, business goals, and market positioning, enabling teams to think holistically and deliver meaningful impact
• Critique & Feedback: Foster a culture of open, constructive critique—internally and with clients—creating environments where thoughtful feedback drives better outcomes
• Research: Collaborate closely with researchers to prioritize insights, shape design direction, and ensure real user needs inform every decision
• Content Design: Champion clear, intentional communication. Integrate narrative and voice into product experiences, helping teams see writing as a design tool
• Selling Design: Help clients understand and embrace the value of design, building buy-in through strong narratives and meaningful business context
• Vision: Lead product visioning and future-state planning, inspiring teams to explore big-picture opportunities while connecting vision to execution
• Creative Direction: Define and guide creative direction that’s strategic, original, and compelling, ensuring every decision ties back to user needs and business outcomes
• Systems Design: Advocate for scalable, usable, and maintainable systems. Guide teams in building thoughtful design foundations that grow with products
• Brand Strategy: Lead brand discovery and direction, translating foundational insights into distinctive, emotionally resonant design expressions
• Organizational Leadership: Bring a strategic perspective beyond design, contributing to hiring, business development, operational planning, and organizational change

Benefits

• No benefits