IDEO.org is out to design an end to poverty by bringing creativity, empathy, and innovation to the social sector. Our goal is to improve the lives of people in poor and vulnerable communities through design and we’re doing it in three ways: through the products, services, and experiences that we design; through the problem solvers we fuel; and by inspiring the social sector to adopt human-centered design.

IDEO.org has an opportunity for a strategic and seasoned Design Director to co-lead our New York studio in partnership with the Managing Director. The Design Director will cultivate the creative culture of the studio, guide high impact design work, and lead multiple teams of rockstar designers with a variety of skill sets. This role is perfect for someone who is passionate about human-centered design, has deep empathy and design craft, is excited to be a leader to a growing team of top notch designers, and is eager to use design to help fight global poverty.

Areas of Responsibility:

Developing IDEO.org New York’s design capability:

• Define how design is expressed across all work in the studio.
• Bring a lens of design excellence to the multiple engagements IDEO.org New York is involved in. 
• Coach and inspire project teams, working with them to strengthen content for our partners.
  
• Develop content and craft point of views for IDEO.org New York.
• Create leading-edge ways to demonstrate the value of human-centered design to the social sector.
• Lead design locally in New York while connecting across IDEO.org studios.

Building IDEO.org New York’s portfolio and presence:

• Integrate IDEO.org into the fabric of NYC’s design community, participating in design community events.
• Create a strong portfolio that is recognized by others and provides clear value to the New York location, IDEO.org, and the field of design. 
• Deepen IDEO.org’s relationship with IDEO’s New York studio.
• Design and build new program areas to be housed in New York. 
• Position IDEO.org as a high-impact, design-forward brand amongst priority audiences, in both the design and social sectors, through speaking and writing.

Growing and nurturing IDEO.org’s team and creative culture: 

• Partner with the Managing Director to bring excellent talent to IDEO.org including recruiting, identifying, selecting, and on-boarding individuals.
• Build a community of leaders inside and outside of IDEO.org that contributes to growing IDEO.org’s business and brand.
• Set and reinforce IDEO.org New York’s creative culture by leading by example and finding ways to reinforce IDEO.org’s values.
• Monitor and support the wellbeing of team members across the location.
• Build cohesion between IDEO.org’s New York and San Francisco studios.

You are a strategic, creative designer who inspires teams with a design point of view and empowers them to do their best work. You’re an expert practitioner of HCD and you are excited to use it as a tool to help tackle some of the world’s most intractable problems. You have experience leading large, diverse, creative teams of designers and strategists and seamlessly move between coaching, facilitating, and directing. You are a champion of organizational creative culture and are enthusiastic about building that culture in a newly launched studio. You are values-driven and lead by example.

You have strong qualifications, including:

• Passion for IDEO.org’s mission to spread human-centered design throughout the social sector and to tackle poverty through design.
• 10+ years of relevant experience— including time leading teams at a design consultancy that practices human-centered design.
  
• Expert in a design discipline (e.g. product, visual, interactive, etc.)
  
• Fluent and confident teacher of Human Centered Design
  
• Experience applying design thinking across an array of strategic and creative challenges and within different sectors.
• A penchant for problem solving and creative direction.
• Capable of and eager to dive into project work and demonstrate excellence to design teams.·      A track record of building and managing multiple design teams.
• The ability to cultivate strong relationships and partnerships throughout the design and social impact sectors.
• Excellent, demonstrated management skills including the ability to inspire, motivate, influence, develop, and hold colleagues accountable to high standards of creative work.
• An eye for identifying talent and an ability to manage talent across different skill sets.
• Exceptional communication skills, including writing and public speaking.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.