Design Director

Job Title: Design Director

Location: 100% Remote (U.S. Based applicants only)

Reports To: Senior Director, Design & Innovation

Compensation: $100/hr – $120/hr

Duration: Contract, 12+ Months, 40 hrs/week

Who We Are

We are Design Citizen - a human-centered talent agency working with organizations to create innovative, inclusive, and sustainable business solutions through design.

Our client, a global organization at the intersection of health, science, and technology, is seeking a Design Director to lead incubation and concept development within their internal innovation lab. This is a hands-on design + leadership role for someone who thrives at the intersection of creativity, strategy, and systems thinking - bringing clarity to ambiguity and craft to complexity.

Why This Role Matters

The innovation lab operates like a startup within a global enterprise, rapidly prototyping ideas that shape the future of patient and healthcare experiences. This is a pivotal opportunity to define and deliver human-centered concepts that span digital products, connected devices, and emerging platforms.

The ideal candidate is both a design leader and a maker: someone who can guide teams through the creative process while sketching, mapping, and prototyping right alongside them.

What You’ll Do

Human-Centered Innovation & Execution

• Lead end-to-end design for incubation and concept initiatives, from problem framing to high-fidelity prototypes.
• Translate complex challenges into clear user flows, journeys, personas, and service blueprints that inform and inspire.
• Contribute directly to design artifacts including sketches, wireframes, prototypes, and storytelling decks.
• Partner with cross-functional teams to test ideas, validate assumptions, and refine concepts through rapid iteration.

Leadership & Mentorship

• Coach and mentor designers, nurturing confidence, creative growth, and accountability.
• Lead collaborative workshops and brainstorming sessions that generate alignment and new possibilities.
• Elevate design quality through structured critique, storytelling, and presentation excellence.

Strategy & Influence

• Advocate for human-centered thinking at every stage of the innovation process.
• Communicate design decisions persuasively to non-design stakeholders, aligning vision and execution.
• Balance speed and rigor, knowing when to explore broadly and when to refine deeply.

What You Bring

• 10+ years of experience in product, UX, or service design with 5+ years leading design teams or projects.
• A portfolio that demonstrates excellence in IA, flows, journeys, and end-to-end experience design.
• Experience creating multi-touchpoint experiences (web, mobile, TV, device, or connected ecosystems).
• Deep understanding of accessibility, design systems, and inclusive design principles.
• Exceptional communication and presentation skills; able to simplify complexity and inspire action.
• Comfortable moving between strategic leadership and hands-on design execution.

Join Us

At Design Citizen, we believe equitable and inclusive design happens when teams reflect the diversity of the people they serve. We are proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer, providing equal opportunities regardless of race, color, national origin, religion, gender, age, veteran status, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, or disability.

Learn more about us at designcitizen.com