Design Director at Rudy

Design Directors lead the creative heart of a project, from early ideas to final delivery. You'll set the vision, guide designers and writers through execution, and bring clarity and point of view to every stage of the work.
You're someone who can turn strategy into concepts, concepts into systems, and systems into beautiful, functional design, while helping the team and our clients see where an idea can go.
At Rudy, everyone designs, directors included. Staying hands-on is how we stay sharp, stay current and keep the work honest. You'll lead brands built from scratch, refreshes of established ones, and work that brings clarity to complex challenges across digital, physical and experiential touchpoints.
We're looking for people who take creative risks, have a real appetite for experimentation, and are excited to push what's possible, with past work that shows it.
This role will have you: Lead creative direction across brand identity, typography, colour, illustration, motion and design systems
Design hands-on alongside the team, from early explorations to final craft
Guide designers, writers and interns from exploration through execution, with clear direction and feedback
Shape strategy into creative: turn research and messy inputs into compelling concepts and clear directions
Partner with studio leadership, strategists, technologists and collaborators to bring ideas to life
Shape and share the work with clients, building trust and bringing them along on the thinking
Champion experimentation, AI-enhanced workflows and non-linear exploration
Hold a high bar for detail, quality and conceptual integrity across every project
Mentor the team and help foster a studio culture of critique, generosity and play
You might be a great fit if: You have 8+ years of experience in branding, digital design or adjacent creative fields, including leading teams and projects
You still love to make things, and you'd never want to stop designing
You have mastery of the fundamentals – layout, typography, hierarchy and visual storytelling – and can teach them
You take smart risks and are energised by ideas that haven't been tried yet
You have range: you can lead identity, digital and campaign work without losing clarity
You give feedback that makes work and people better, and welcome it in return
You value craft, but you're not precious – you iterate, explore and evolve until the work sings
Bonus points for: Experience directing motion, 3D or illustration
Fluency in Figma, AI workflows, prototyping tools and modern digital design practices
Experience in fractional or embedded creative direction with in-house teams
Interest in culture, ideas, technology and the future of what creative studios can be
Working arrangements This is a hybrid role based in Rudy's Chinatown, NYC studio. They strongly prefer candidates based in New York, but would consider remote for the right person working East Coast hours. Pay starts at $120,000 depending on experience, plus quarterly profit sharing and performance bonuses.

#J-18808-Ljbffr