Associate Design Director - Horizontal Digital

At Horizontal Digital, we hold ourselves to one key belief: You’re only as good as your worst customer experience. This manta is what drives our digital consultancy to think beyond the easy answers and instead create websites, apps, portals and other experiences that solve customer needs for Fortune 500 companies in intuitive and empathetic ways. And we make this lofty standard a reality by fusing strategy, data, design and technology together to arrive at solutions that set the bar higher for everyone. 

Our digital product solutions are driven by our CX Strategy, Design and Engineering teams — and powered by technical platforms like Sitecore, Salesforce, Acquia and other enterprise technology solutions. Get a deeper look at our expertise today by visiting the Work section of our website. 
 
Our Creative, UX, and Design (CXD) team is strategically growing to meet our company growth, industry expectations, and to fulfill our team’s vision as being a superior partner who provides our global clients with great design taste, clear vision and flawless execution. 
 

We use these values to fuel superior results: 

Lock Arms 
We forge relationships that make our impact 1,000x stronger. This means working across departments and engaging both our clients and our communities to deliver the greatest good. 

Show Hustle 
We’re not ones to sit on our hands and wait. Instead, we anticipate opportunities, collectively roll up our sleeves and find ways to execute the exceptional. 

Embrace Change 
From new technologies to workplace philosophies, we welcome the unexpected and constantly anticipate what’s next. 

Elevate Empathy 
We listen before we take action. This means understanding a variety of perspectives and holding ourselves to a higher standard of accountability. 

Never Settle 
We motivate each other to push past the easy answers and collectively arrive at bigger, more inspiring ideas. 
 

But enough about us. Let’s talk about you. 

 
As an Associate Design Director, you will play a critical role by leading digitally focused creative and design projects from kickoff through execution with minimal oversight. You will establish and sell through creative and strategic visions that ladder up to our client’s business goals and provide their customers with purposeful and elevated digital experiences. You will apply your exceptional taste to shape, design and guide executions that are attractive, intuitive, and engaging. You will effortlessly present and sell work to clients, building strong and trusted relationships along the way. You will work collaboratively with our internal teams, helping guide the process, all with an eye on delivering a premium final product. In this position, you will have the opportunity to thrive in a fast-paced environment where you are encouraged to own your craft and make an impact on brands from around the world. 

What you’ll do:  

• Take charge and own the creative and design vision, inspiring internal partners and external clients to believe in your ideas and executions. 

• Lead the work with a strong viewpoint that supports our client’s business objectives AND provides users with an exceptional and elevated digital experience. 

• Provide strategic guidance to our clients on topics related to design; experience and UI design, design tools, processes, and design systems.  

• Execute flawlessly, designing beautiful crafted and thoughtful digital experiences. 

• Lead the process, connecting the dots between client objectives and strategy, strategy and creative, and finally creative and development. 

• Build collaborative relationships with internal partners and work cross-functionally with UX designers, writers, engagement leads, project managers, strategists, developers, and leadership. 

• Build trusted relationships with clients through your ability to understand their needs, collaborate effectively, provide thoughtful recommendations, and execute flawlessly. 

• Strategically sell award-winning work and ideas to clients, as well as internal stakeholders. 

• Pivot effortlessly, as needed, based on evolving requirements, timelines, and feedback. 

• Stay current on design methodologies and tools.  

Who you are:  

• A creative and digital visionary with an eye towards the future, that can apply creative and strategic insights to difficult business problems and customer needs. 

• A digital expert with excellent taste in what makes an experience great. 

• A leader who can take the reins on any project and make an impact, guiding internal teams and clients toward the execution of elevated digital deliverables. 

• A creative with passion for the tone, look, feel, and interactivity of digital experiences. 

• A confident salesperson, able to sell concepts and executions to both internal and external stakeholders. 

• Though experienced, you are eager to learn and grow. If you are not working on a project, you are likely reading about the latest digital trends or competitor innovations. 

• You are a proactive problem-solver who requires minimal direction. 

• You are flexible with the ability to handle multiple demands, shifting priorities and rapid change. Ambiguity is not something that scares you. 

• You can roll with the punches while carrying a positive, can-do attitude throughout the entirety of a project. 

• You have excellent written and verbal communication skills.  

What you bring:   

• 7+ years of experience working in UI and digital design. 

• 2+ years of project-based leadership on digitally focused creative-lead projects. 

• Strong understanding of how to drive the creative process of bringing component-based digital solutions to life (Sitecore or other CMS solution). 

• Expertise in the fundamentals of digital design and the creative process. 

• Deep understanding of how brands work, from a business perspective, with proven ability to elevate brands in the digital space. 

• Great presentation skills, with the ability to clearly express ideas, while exuding a strong presence in both in-person and remote presentations. 

• Ability to manage and prioritize multiple projects at once. 

• Ability to handle stressful situations and deadlines with a positive attitude. 

• Proficiency in Figma, Adobe Suite (XD, Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign), PowerPoint, Sketch, and InVision.  

• Experience with Motion Design and CSS is a bonus. 

The above description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.