Design Director

Who are we?

Thesis is a digital agency in Portland, OR. We're hell-bent on humanizing the relationship between people and brands, which starts with our teams: real people making real work.

Come as you are. Bring what you bring. We’ll all be better for it.

The name is new to us, but we've been around for 20 years. In contrast to our former identity that reflected what we do, we chose the name

Thesis as it better represents how we do it: a full-service agency believing our strength is in our approach—believing the work we make is only as strong as the thought—and data—we put behind it.

That sounds intense. But make no mistake, we also play real hard.

The Job
You’re an experienced leader of projects and teams, obsessed with every detail of the craft. You use any visual means necessary to communicate ideas, and you’re willing to start anywhere, with anything, and iterate your way to the right image. You find inspiration in unlikely places and spread them throughout the room. You set the bar high and show your team how to aspire to that level too. Whoever works with you is inspired to bring their best game. Your influence comes through the design work first and foremost. You unlock visual, experiential, and conceptual opportunities through execution, sell your ideas passionately, and elevate the work of the entire team through active mentorship.

Our team is rapidly growing, changing, and adapting. We’re looking for an experienced, unflappable Design Director to lead a dedicated design team for one of our largest and most exciting clients. You will be working directly with the head of design, design leads, and other team members to drive and deliver exceptional digital creative work. Your role will be the primary creative partner for our client, and you’ll be responsible for the output of the team while representing the goals and values of the studio. You should become a trusted partner for the head of design, as well as your content, strategy, and account team leads. Good chemistry is a must.

As a design director, you’re a master of your craft, but you also bring leadership, client relationship skills, and a solid connection between your work and business goals. You bring talent, technique, and an unflinching pursuit of excellence—along with years of project and team leadership experience. You still approach every project as a new opportunity to create, make, inspire, and execute. You never settle. You go for more whenever possible. You have a track record of excellent work, yet you’re still driven to hone new skills and experiment with new tools and new techniques. This job description is just your starting point. You own your own growth and your work blazes its own trail.

You and your job:
You are a proven leader and show up with a passion for people and good work. You are a master of your craft but bring sound leadership and client-relationship skills to the table, fluently connecting creatively with business goals. Your capacities are T-shaped—you have a broad range
of skills and experience coupled with deep core-discipline knowledge. You approach every project as a new opportunity to create, make, inspire, and execute. You never settle. You go for more whenever possible. You seek collaboration with teammates to constantly shape an environment that far surpasses the status quo. You think strategically. You are always two steps ahead. You take the complex and make it simple. You facilitate workshops and work sessions to move the idea forward. You go wide, think big, and bring concepts to fruition with a range of visual approaches. You give shape to bold ideas through execution. You ground the work in a deep understanding of the client and search for strategic insights to stretch creative opportunities. You create smart, strategic thinking that’s illustrated through concise and articulate presentations.
● Articulate strategy and sell creative to clients; build and maintain client relationships.
● Curious: You leave no stone unturned in the pursuit of better work.

● Detail master: Every choice matters and every problem is your problem.

● Driven: You own your output, your team’s output, and you design because you love it.
● Flexible and adaptable: You’re no one-trick pony. You’re ready to mix it up and make it better anytime there’s a new opportunity. You give and receive feedback well.
● Jump in: You’re willing to contribute wherever needed, with no hesitation. No task is too small or too big.
● Team player: You check your ego at the door. You know that you don’t win if the team doesn’t win.
● Assess priorities and manage the team.
● Deliver compelling, well-crafted creative across a variety of media.

● Be hands-on when needed, and guide every step of the creative process, from concept to delivery.
● Provide clear direction and critiques to team members.
● Ensure design vision is executed consistently and with a high standard of quality.

● Review and approve all final work from the team.
● Present and champion our work with our clients on a weekly basis.

● Think broadly about our work and client needs to bring value and build strong, lasting client relationships.
● Mentor design team members, nurture talent, and encourage skill development.

● Work with project teams to identify and scope new efforts.
● Partner with department leads and client services to support new business development when needed.
● Stay sharp. Grow beyond your core competencies.
● Able to work in our Portland office. Able to travel as needed.

Your skills and qualifications:
● Bachelor’s degree in design (or comparable experience).
● Eight-plus years of experience in a design studio or agency, and three or more years in a management or team leadership role.
● Ability to lead and oversee multiple projects simultaneously and design teams with varying degrees of experience and expertise.
● Ability to create, develop, maintain and adhere to brand guidelines, including calling out when and where they don’t make sense.
● A portfolio and work experience that demonstrates a mastery of design and creative communication on a wide range of projects for global brands.
● Ability to travel, occasionally.
● Digital experience is a must.
● Comfortable with changing client needs and priorities.
● Solid core design competency, including drawing/sketching, typography, ideation, color theory, use of texture, spacing, scale, visual presentation development, and layout.
● Strong familiarity with current industry-wide trends.
● Experience leading design teams and mentoring designers.
● Exceptional organizational, listening, and communication skills.
● Effective and clear presentation skills.
● Experience with prototyping tools like Invision and Flinto.
● Experience or demonstrated an interest in motion graphics, 3D graphics, VR, or other areas of digital creative work is a plus.
● Expert knowledge of industry-standard software (Adobe CC, Sketch, Keynote, etc.).
● Basic knowledge of the Google Suite (Drive, Docs, etc.).
Workplace equity is not a single checkbox.

It’s a new way of thinking, of working, and of moving through the world. At Thesis, we prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion. You’ll see this in our hiring practices, growth plans, and workplace programs—because our agency, our work, and our society are better when diverse perspectives come together.
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