Design Director

For the past 25 years, we’ve been doing work that matters. We’re a digital agency that leverages technology to extend the influence of our mission-driven clients. Every day, our team of more than 100 digital strategists, architects, designers, and creators help leading nonprofit organizations and government agencies across the country make an impact. But this team still needs you! This is your opportunity to join the company helping those doing good in the world - do more, reach more, and achieve more. 

Forum One is looking for a Design Director to oversee the design delivery process, staff management, and business development for the Design services team. The Design Director leads execution of design projects, meeting quarterly and annual delivered revenue goals. Their core responsibility is to ensure that our project teams deliver our services with a focus on design excellence, profitability, client satisfaction, and staff satisfaction -- while building the team through recruiting, staff organization, and process optimization to achieve these goals. 

They will support the VP, Design in implementing Design Operations, applying an iterative and human-centered process and creating a team supported by best practices, structures, and tools. They will support the diversification of design services, increase team capacity and efficiency, and increase lead generation for design services and company at large.

What you’ll do:

• Manage the team through recruiting, staff organization, and process optimization
• Lead the Design Operations by managing design staff, execution of and resourcing for design projects
• Lead business development and account growth on design needs by shaping project visions, developing budgets and proposals, and leading pitches for new business
• Support corporate marketing by maintaining and evolving the Forum One brand and design assets
• Collaborate with the UX Director and the Creative Director to support the VP of Design in creating a cohesive vision for how Forum One creates, sells and thinks about design
• Assist designers in meeting their goals, measuring and reporting on progress to account management and ensuring quality and delivery excellence across the design team
• Conduct regular reviews of collaborative processes to identify changes needed to optimize project delivery.
• Identify industry and consumer trends and translate those trends into meaningful strategy for our clients
• Participate in Forum One leadership team initiatives

What you bring to the table: 

• BA/BS in relevant field(s): Graphic Design, User Experience, Information or Graphic Design, Visual Communications, Information Science, Human Computer Interaction, etc.
• 12+ years of experience in the design industry, with a strong background in digital design
• 9+ years managing design teams, including leading, mentoring, and inspiring designers at various levels
• Strong design skills and a deep understanding of design principles, including user-centered design, information architecture, interaction design, and visual design
• Proven experience in progressively responsible design roles, with a track record of increasing leadership and management responsibilities
• Proficiency in design software and tools like Figma and Adobe Creative Suite
• Capability to align design operations with the overall business strategy and objectives

What would be nice:

• Experience instituting DesignOps within an organization and gaining buy-in for process and structural changes
• Experience in optimizing design processes, workflows, and tools to increase efficiency and productivity within a design team

Why you’ll love it here:

• Competitive Salary & Employee Ownership Plan
• 401(k) match, Commuter benefits & flexible spending accounts  
• 15 Vacation days, in addition to Sick Leave & Floating Holidays
• Flexible work hours
• Paid parental leave
• Company-provided laptops
• Professional development opportunities
• Tuition reimbursement

What we value:

• We’re passionate about our work - our clients’ missions matter, and we apply our passion in support of clients who are addressing the most critical global issues.
• We’re great partners - we’re collaborative, approachable, creative, inclusive, and reliable.
• We’re continuous learners - we are always expanding, refining, and improving our craft, value, and impact—as individuals and as a team.
• We’re inquisitive problem solvers - we’re dedicated to finding the right solution, which requires actively engaging varied perspectives, and approaching our work with flexibility, humility,  and open minds.
• We get things done - we are thoughtful and thorough, but we don’t waste time or hesitate to tackle problems head on.
• We do the right thing - we make decisions for Forum One and our clients with the highest integrity, respect, fairness, and honesty. 

Forum One provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability or genetics.