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. You have a sharp eye for craft, communicate clearly and generously, and stay curious about new tools and where design is headed.

At Rudy, Design Directors are leaders, collaborators and co-authors. You’ll guide brands built from scratch, refreshes of established ones, and work that brings clarity to complex challenges across digital, physical and experiential touchpoints. You’re confident making creative calls and know how to bring out the best in the people around you. You’re curious, culturally tuned-in, and excited by work that has both conceptual depth and visual ambition.

This role will have you:

• Lead creative direction across brand identity, typography, color, illustration, motion and design systems
• 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 when the work calls for it
• 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 have mastery of the fundamentals — layout, typography, hierarchy and visual storytelling — and can teach them
• You’re energized by both the big swing and the tiny detail, and know which one a project needs
• 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
• You thrive in an environment that values thoughtfulness, curiosity and creative play

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

Rudy is intentionally small and collaborative. We work closely with leaders and teams who are building ambitious, meaningful things. Design Directors here have room to lead, experiment and shape the future of the studio alongside us.

This is a hybrid role based in our Chinatown, NYC studio. We’re open to remote for the right person, but have a strong preference for NYC-based candidates working East Coast hours.

Salary range: $105–$120k plus quarterly profit sharing and performance bonuses

Email us with your portfolio and why you’d like to join us: [email protected]