Design Director

At MullenLowe, we believe great minds don’t think alike. They challenge, disrupt, and push boundaries to create work that delivers real impact. We champion those who defy expectations and think beyond conventions to shape our clients’ brands and drive their business forward. Our expertise and perspectives are varied, but we’re united in our mission to use creativity to solve tomorrow’s problems in new ways.

Position Overview:

Design Directors at MullenLowe are masters of their craft, strategists in their thinking, and leaders in their approach. They thrive in multidisciplinary design, seamlessly blending brand, digital, motion, and experiential work to drive impactful creative solutions. They draw inspiration from greats like Paula Scher, Tibor Kalman, and Charles & Ray Eames while embracing the modern chaos of David Carson and the clarity of Edward Tufte.

More than accomplished designers, Design Directors are autonomous leaders who own projects from conception to execution—always guided by the Heads of Design. They lead client relationships with confidence, aligning expectations, navigating challenging conversations, and championing the creative vision. They collaborate with third-party vendors, ensuring quality, efficiency, and seamless integration. They are also dedicated mentors, developing the next generation of design talent, fostering a culture of curiosity, and pushing teams to elevate the work.

This is both a strategic and hands-on role. Design Directors are just as comfortable defining high-level creative direction as they are rolling up their sleeves and refining the details.

Responsibilities:Creative Leadership & Execution

• Lead and oversee the creative vision and execution across multiple projects, ensuring work is innovative, strategic, and aligned with client goals.
• Maintain high design standards, fostering fresh thinking and breakthrough creative solutions.
• Stay at the forefront of design trends, tools, and emerging technologies to push the agency’s creative output forward.
• Ensure design work is on strategy, on time, and on budget, while managing expectations with internal and external stakeholders.

Client & Vendor Engagement

• Serve as a trusted advisor to clients, leading presentations and discussions with confidence and clarity.
• Navigate challenging conversations, setting expectations while advocating for the integrity of the work.
• Manage relationships with third-party vendors and partners, ensuring smooth collaboration, production quality, and cost efficiency.
• Contribute to new business development, shaping pitch strategies and creative approaches.

Team Leadership & Mentorship

• Supervise and mentor junior to mid-level designers, providing feedback, career guidance, and professional development.
• Foster a culture of collaboration and continuous learning, ensuring that all team members feel supported and challenged.
• Conduct regular check-ins, performance reviews, and growth planning with direct reports.
• Collaborate closely with other department leads to align talent with the right projects and optimize team performance.

Strategic & Operational Contributions

• Drive department-wide initiatives, setting quality standards and identifying long-term opportunities for innovation.
• Provide operational insights that enhance workflow efficiency, department productivity, and profitability.
• Partner with cross-functional teams to ensure the seamless integration of design with strategy, copywriting, and technology.

Qualifications:

• A strong portfolio showcasing impactful, high-caliber work across branding, digital, experiential, and integrated design projects.
• Proven experience leading top-tier brand work in an agency or in-house creative environment.
• Expertise in graphic design, typography, UX/UI, motion, and/or environmental design.
• Strong creative references that speak to both leadership and hands-on execution.

Soft Skills:

• Exceptional communication and presentation skills, able to articulate ideas clearly and persuasively.
• Confidence in client relationship management, with experience handling executive-level conversations.
• Adaptability and resilience in the face of high-pressure situations and shifting priorities.
• A passion for mentoring and fostering a positive, creative, and inclusive team culture.

At MullenLowe, we’re looking for original thinkers—people who push boundaries, challenge norms, and bring ideas to life in unexpected ways. If that sounds like you, check doubt at the door and apply.
The salary range for this position is $160-$190K. Where an employee or prospective employee is paid within this range will depend on, among other factors, actual ranges for current/former employees in the subject position; market considerations; budgetary considerations; tenure and standing with the company (applicable to current employees); as well as the employee’s/applicant’s background, pertinent experience and qualifications.