Digital Design Director

Location: Baltimore, MD
Job Type:

About the Company:
The Sunlight For All Institute is launching The Baltimore Banner, a new paradigm for digital first, cross-channel local media. Their content will extend across web, mobile, radio and video. Their vision is to be the leading provider of news and lifestyle content in the Baltimore area.

About the Job:
The company is seeking an experienced leader for their Digital Design Team who is looking to apply their digital media skill set in a dynamic and fast-growing organization, reporting to the Chief Product Officer. The ideal candidate leads a digital-first, data-driven design and UX team for responsive web and mobile apps. We are looking for a Design Director who is able to quickly interpret business and customer needs and turn them into compelling creative solutions. Often working under tight deadlines while overseeing multiple projects, the design director must be a skilled manager of creative teams (including but not limited to: art directors, copywriters, content strategists, graphic artists, and designers). The design director must be an effective communicator, especially when it comes to relaying creative concepts to design teams and company stakeholders. Domain expertise in digital news and editorial products is required, in particular responsive web and mobile apps (Android and iOS).

Responsibilities:

Transform business concepts and engagement needs into elegant creative solutions.

Take responsibility for the creative vision and the standard of output across team members who work under them.

Pitch ideas confidently and present the creative vision clearly to stakeholders, as well as communicate in the same manner to members of the creative team.

Have strong people management and leadership skills in order to hire, develop, and inspire the creative team.

Ensure that all of the organization’s or client’s creative output/visuals are consistent with the overall brand.

Lead multiple projects from conception to completion in accordance with deadlines.

Collaborate with other team members and stakeholders.

Ask smart questions, take risks, and champion new ideas.

Requirements:

A degree in a visual or experiential design discipline or equivalent professional experience.

8 or more years of experience as a senior-level designer. Preference will be given to candidates who have experience directing complex solutions for digital products.

Ability to work with stakeholders to understand detailed requirements and determine a plan that will ensure they are met or exceeded.

Excellent interpersonal skills to clearly and effectively communicate the creative vision, concepts, ideas, and solutions to stakeholders and internal teams.

Ability to work effectively in a team setting, including synthesizing abstract ideas into concrete design implications.

Extensive supervisory experience (including leadership, team-building, and delegation) leading and managing a creative team.

A solid grasp of editorial publishing, photography and the visual arts, popular culture, fluency in current technology, and a deep understanding of the zeitgeist of social tastes and current affairs.

Be excited about collaborating and communicating closely with teams and other stakeholders via a distributed model to regularly deliver design solutions for approval.

Be open to receiving feedback and constructive criticism.