Design Director

Responsibilities

• Own the craft and design execution across 4–5 projects, ensuring every piece of work meets Koto's standard for excellence.
• Spend your time leading and designing in equal measure, balancing hands-on craft with team leadership.
• Partner with Creative Directors to identify, refine, and realize exceptional creative ideas, and teach your team to do the same.
• Champion exceptional brand identities, making confident design decisions across typography, layout, systems, motion and visual expression.
• Lead photographers, illustrators, animators, and other creative collaborators to produce outstanding work.
• Act as the bridge between Creative Directors and Designers, creating clarity, momentum and alignment across projects.
• Mentor designers through thoughtful direction, actionable feedback and day-to-day coaching, helping raise the craft across the studio.
• Build compelling narratives, craft presentations, and lead workshops, becoming a trusted creative partner for clients throughout the engagement.
• Collaborate closely with Strategy from immersion through execution, ensuring design thinking informs the work from the very beginning.
• Demonstrate an exceptional understanding of branding and the creative disciplines that bring brands to life, delivering work for today's most impactful companies and tomorrow's defining founders.
• Balance creative ambition with practical delivery by managing time, scope, and team resources to consistently deliver exceptional work.
• Embrace feedback with curiosity and provide thoughtful, actionable feedback that helps others grow.

Qualifications

• Be highly proficient in Figma, Adobe Creative Suite and Pitch.

Benefits

• Meaningful and regular access to your manager for personal development and career trajectory.
• Active rewards for performance including promotions, pay increases, and a discretionary annual bonus of up to 10% of salary.
• An equal environment for all employees.
• Support for family leave including significant paid maternity and paternity leave.
• 25 vacation days per year, in addition to US bank holidays, and a studio closure between Christmas and New Year.
• A 401(k) with matching contributions up to 4%.
• A monthly ‘employee wellness’ benefits package of $100 via Juno.
• Access to YCN and funding for relevant training opportunities.
• Rewards for five and ten years of service with additional days off.
• The opportunity to work from any of the five Koto studios globally, with appropriate planning and application.

Culture

• Encourage rational optimism about the potential of our work, our clients, their businesses, and the power of brand.
• Pursue the best briefs and want to inspire meaningful work.
• Cultivate leadership, culture, and spaces to encourage this.
• Work in person with optional WFH days on Friday and additional remote work per year.
• Encourage autonomy in each member of the team, allowing them to manage their time, hours, and personal commitments appropriately to complete work.