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Executive Design Director Jobs (NOW HIRING)

AbelCine

Design Director

Manhattan, NY · On-site

$170 - $185/hr

Multimedia Design & Production ... Direct the creation of brand videos, social media assets, executive presentations, campaigns ...

AbelCine

Design Director

Manhattan, NY · On-site

$170K - $185K/yr

Multimedia Design & Production ... Direct the creation of brand videos, social media assets, executive presentations, campaigns ...

Nexperia

Design Director

Richardson, TX · On-site

Design Director POSITION OVERVIEW: The Design Director leads the Dallas Design Center's analog ... Succinct executive communication that captures risk, status, and progress accurately * Excellent ...

Nexperia

Design Director

Dallas, TX · On-site

Design Director POSITION OVERVIEW: The Design Director leads the Dallas Design Center's analog ... Succinct executive communication that captures risk, status, and progress accurately * Excellent ...

Smosh

Design Director

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

$90 - $120/hr

... the executive team to ensure the Smosh universe continues to look as good as it is funny. This ... Creative Concepts - Design and direct concepts for tentpole events, live shows, and channel ...

Nexperia

Design Director

Dallas, TX · On-site

$150 - $200/hr

The Design Director leads the Dallas Design Center's analog/mixed-signal IC design organization ... Succinct executive communication that captures risk, status, and progress accurately* Excellent ...

Kira

Design Director

New York, NY · Remote

$200K - $230K/yr

As our Director of Design, you'll own the vision, strategy, and execution of Kira's design ... You'll partner closely with our co-founders and executive leadership to define the design direction ...

Kira Learning

Design Director

New York, NY · On-site

$200K - $230K/yr

As our Director of Design, you'll own the vision, strategy, and execution of Kira's design ... You'll partner closely with our co-founders and executive leadership to define the design direction ...

F. Schumacher & Co.

Design Director

New York, NY · On-site

$130K - $150K/yr

Design Director- Schumacher Classics Role Overview The Design Director leads product development ... Present concepts and collection narratives to the executive team * Travel overseas to work onsite ...

F. Schumacher & Co.

Design Director

New York, NY

Design Director- Schumacher Classics Role Overview The Design Director leads product development ... Present concepts and collection narratives to the executive team * Travel overseas to work onsite ...

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Executive Design Director information

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$37K

$135.8K

$243K

How much do executive design director jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 10, 2026, the average yearly pay for executive design director in the United States is $135,763.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $109,500.00 and $163,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is the difference between Executive Design Director vs Creative Director?

AspectExecutive Design DirectorCreative Director
ResponsibilitiesOversees multiple design teams, sets strategic vision, manages large-scale projectsFocuses on the overall creative vision, concept development, and brand identity
CredentialsTypically requires extensive design experience, leadership skills, and often a degree in design or related fieldsSimilar credentials, emphasizing creative expertise and leadership in design
Work EnvironmentHigh-level management in corporate or agency settings, collaborating with executivesCreative teams, branding agencies, or in-house marketing departments

While both roles require strong design expertise and leadership, the Executive Design Director focuses on strategic oversight and managing multiple teams, whereas the Creative Director emphasizes developing the creative vision and brand concepts. The Executive Design Director often operates at a higher organizational level, aligning design strategies with business goals.

What is an executive design director?

An Executive Design Director is a senior leadership role responsible for overseeing the creative vision, strategy, and execution of design projects within an organization. They lead and inspire design teams, collaborate with other executives, and ensure that design solutions align with the company's business goals. Typically, they set design standards, mentor staff, and represent the design function at the highest levels. Their work impacts brand identity, product development, and user experience across the organization.

How does an executive design director typically collaborate with cross-functional teams to drive project success?

An Executive Design Director works closely with cross-functional teams—including product management, engineering, marketing, and user research—to ensure that design vision aligns with business objectives and user needs. They often facilitate workshops, provide strategic design direction, and mediate between stakeholder interests. This collaborative approach helps streamline decision-making, fosters innovation, and ensures that the final product delivers a cohesive user experience. Effective communication and leadership are crucial in balancing creative goals with practical constraints.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as an executive design director?

To thrive as an Executive Design Director, you need extensive experience in design leadership, creative direction, and a strong portfolio demonstrating innovative, user-centered solutions, often supported by a degree in design or a related field. Mastery of industry-standard design tools (such as Adobe Creative Suite, Figma, and Sketch) and familiarity with project management platforms are typically required. Exceptional communication, strategic thinking, and the ability to inspire and manage multidisciplinary teams set top candidates apart. These skills ensure the delivery of visionary design strategies that align with business objectives and drive organizational success.
More about Executive Design Director jobs
What cities are hiring for Executive Design Director jobs? Cities with the most Executive Design Director job openings:
What states have the most Executive Design Director jobs? States with the most job openings for Executive Design Director jobs include:
What job categories do people searching Executive Design Director jobs look for? The top searched job categories for Executive Design Director jobs are:
Executive Design Director jobs near you
Infographic showing various Executive Design Director job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 75% Full Time, and 25% Part Time. Highlights an 92% In-person, and 8% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $135,763 per year, or $65.3 per hour.

Director, Design Management - Workplace Design

American Express

Manhattan, NY • On-site

$123K - $215K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement

Posted 14 days ago

American Express rating

8.6

Company rating: 8.6 out of 10

Based on 37 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

23rd of 150 rated financial services

Job description


Global Real Estate and Workplace Experience (GREWE) is a global team at American Express (Amex) responsible for the full lifecycle of planning, execution, and operations of Amex real estate. GREWE supports over 75,000 Amex colleagues and contractors in over eight million square feet of property located in 59 countries.
GREWE's purpose is to provide the world's best workplace experience at a competitive cost, for every colleague, at every site, every day.
The GREWE Property Development team is responsible for delivering a new global headquarters from concept to completion. They lead the full lifecycle of the project-overseeing design, coordinating construction, managing stakeholders, and ensuring the building is fully prepared for operations. This team is responsible for ensuring the headquarters is delivered on time, within budget, and aligned with organizational goals and future workplace needs.
Responsibilities
Director, Design Management - Workplace Design
This role will operate in close partnership with the Project Engineering & Design Director (Design Integration Lead), who serves as the overall integrator of the design intent, design governance, quality assurance, and cross-project design integration.
Shape the Future of Work at American Express
The Director, Workplace Design will be responsible for defining and delivering the environments where colleagues spend most of their workday.
This leader will drive the vision, strategy, and execution of workplace environments across the headquarters program, ensuring spaces support productivity, flexibility, innovation, wellbeing, and collaboration while reflecting the American Express brand and culture.
The role extends beyond traditional office design. The successful candidate will help define how workplace environments enable business performance, team connectivity, employee engagement, and evolving hybrid work practices for years to come.
Responsibilities Include
  • Partner with the Design Integration Lead to ensure workplace environments align with the broader architectural, hospitality, amenity, and campus-wide design vision.
  • Partner with the Workplace Strategy team to transform future-of-work strategy and organizational priorities into differentiated workplace design solutions, scalable standards, and experience frameworks that establish the headquarters as a benchmark for the future of work while advancing business performance and the colleague experience.
  • Advocate for workplace user requirements while balancing program-wide design standards, operational objectives, and executive design direction established through design governance processes.
  • Collaborate with the Design Lead to establish workplace design guidelines, planning principles, and performance standards that can be consistently applied across the headquarters program.
  • Translate business, workplace strategy, operational, and brand requirements into deliverable design solutions.
  • Ensure alignment between executive vision, user needs, and project delivery objectives.
  • Lead all architectural and interior design activities across concept, schematic design, design development, and construction documentation.
  • Oversee workplace and executive environments.
  • Maintain design quality and design intent throughout construction and commissioning.
  • Coordinate all engineering disciplines including Structural, Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing, Fire Protection, Vertical Transportation, Acoustics, Security, Technology, and Specialty Systems.
  • Ensure all engineering systems are fully integrated and coordinated.
  • Lead design reviews, clash detection, constructability reviews, and technical risk assessments.
  • Manage engineering scope, design changes, and technical decision-making processes.
  • Integrate Digital and Smart Building requirements into the design process.
  • Coordinate building technology, workplace technology, AV, IoT, workplace experience platforms, and smart building infrastructure.
  • Support implementation of BIM, digital twins, data integration strategies, smart building platforms, and operational readiness requirements.
  • Coordinate technology stakeholders to ensure future-ready workplace environments.
  • Lead design-to-budget management throughout all phases.
  • Review estimates, cost plans, and value engineering opportunities.
  • Evaluate cost impacts of design decisions and design changes.
  • Manage scope growth and support change control governance.
  • Optimize value while protecting user experience, quality, and functionality.
  • Lead the evaluation of proposed value engineering initiatives, cost optimization measures, and technical modifications to ensure business objectives are achieved without compromising the approved design vision.
  • Integrate all design activities into the master project schedule.
  • Manage consultant deliverables, approvals, procurement dependencies, and long-lead packages.
  • Monitor design critical path activities and drive schedule recovery plans when required.
  • Coordinate design sequencing with construction, procurement, and commissioning activities.
  • Identify, assess, and mitigate design, engineering, cost, schedule, procurement, and operational risks.
  • Maintain design risk registers and participate in project risk reviews.
  • Proactively address design coordination gaps, constructability issues, and technical challenges.
  • Escalate critical risks that could impact project objectives.
  • Lead architects, engineers, workplace consultants, specialty consultants, and vendor partners.
  • Manage consultant procurement, contracts, performance, schedules, and deliverables.
  • Ensure coordination across multiple design and engineering disciplines.
  • Drive accountability for quality, responsiveness, and delivery performance.
  • Partner with Construction Management and Project Controls teams to ensure smooth delivery.
  • Review RFIs, submittals, shop drawings, mock-ups, and change requests.
  • Support commissioning, turnover, and operational readiness activities.
  • Champion workplace excellence and employee experience outcomes.
  • Ensure spaces support collaboration, focus work, flexibility, wellness, accessibility, and inclusivity.
  • Balance operational efficiency with hospitality and user experience expectations.
  • Lead design reviews, approvals, and change management processes.
  • Prepare executive-level presentations and decision materials.
  • Maintain decision logs, design registers, and approval records.

Provide clear reporting on design progress, cost impacts, schedule impacts, risks, and key decisions.
Impact
The Workplace Design Director will directly influence how thousands of colleagues experience the workplace every day and will help define the future of work at American Express.
Why This Role Matter's
This leaders will shape the physical experience of the American Express global headquarters.
  • The Workplace Design Director will focus on how colleagues work.
  • This role will play a critical role in delivering GREWE's vision of: Providing the best workplace experience for every colleague, every day, at a competitive cost.

Partnership with the Project Engineering & Design Director (Design Integration Lead)
  • Partner closely with the Project Engineering & Design Director (Design Integration Lead) to translate executive vision, business objectives, workplace strategy, and brand aspirations into coordinated design solutions that support the overall headquarters design vision.
  • Execute design responsibilities within established program design standards, design governance frameworks, and approved design principles established for the Project.
  • Collaborate with the Design Integration Lead to ensure all workplace, amenity, hospitality, base building, and specialty design elements function as a cohesive and integrated user experience.
  • Lead formal design reviews with the Design Integration Lead and other key project team members to ensure consistency of design quality, user experience, materiality, functionality, and brand expression across all project workstreams.
  • Support the Design Integration Lead in maintaining continuity of design intent throughout programming, design development, construction documentation, procurement, construction, commissioning, and project closeout.
  • Escalate design conflicts, scope overlaps, competing stakeholder requirements, and cross-disciplinary coordination issues for resolution through established design governance processes.
  • Coordinate closely with other project design leaders and consultants to ensure assigned design packages align with overall program objectives, approved standards, and project-wide design decisions.
  • Participate in mock-up reviews, material evaluations, prototype testing, and design validation activities to confirm that executed work aligns with approved design intent.
  • Contribute to design quality assurance processes and field verification activities to ensure constructed work reflects approved designs, standards, and user experience objectives.
  • Collaborate with the Design Integration Lead during construction administration to review RFIs, submittals, shop drawings, mock-ups, substitutions, and field conditions affecting design outcomes.
  • Serve as a subject matter expert for assigned design areas while supporting program-wide integration and consistency across all design disciplines.

How Will You Make an Impact in This Role?
  • Serve as the owner's design leader for assigned project areas while operating within the program-wide design governance framework established for the project.
  • Collaborate with the Design Integration Lead to ensure all design solutions support the approved headquarters vision, design standards, quality expectations, and user experience objectives.
  • Drive excellence within assigned design scope while contributing to integrated, program-wide design outcomes across all workstreams.
  • Participate in design certification and quality assurance reviews to verify that completed work aligns with approved design intent and established project standards.
  • Support program leadership in preventing fragmentation across multiple consultants, delivery packages, and stakeholder groups through disciplined design coordination and governance.
  • Establish and maintain design quality standards across all phases of project delivery. Ensuring seamless integration and alignment with other parts of the project.
  • Lead programming, concept development, design reviews, and milestone approvals.
  • Lead Target Value Design approach and as necessary guide value engineering efforts while preserving design intent and user experience.
  • Direct external architects, engineers, specialty consultants, and vendor partners.
  • Lead consultant procurement, selection, contract negotiations, and performance management.
  • Integrate design activities into overall program schedules and construction sequencing plans.
  • Oversee design reviews, decision-making, approvals, and change control processes.
  • Build strong partnerships across project team, executive leadership and business units.
  • Present recommendations and design updates to executive steering committees and HQ Stakeholder groups.

Qualifications
  • Bachelor's degree in Architecture, Interior Design, Interior Architecture, Construction Management, or related field.
  • 15+ years of progressive experience in architecture, interior design, workplace design, hospitality design, design management, or corporate real estate project delivery.
  • Minimum 5 years of owner-side experience leading large-scale corporate, commercial, hospitality, or headquarters projects.
  • Proactive critical thinking and qualitative/quantitative problem-solving skills (issue identification, problem structuring, analysis, development of recommendations)
  • Exceptional organizational skills and ability to focus on details while not losing sight of the big picture
  • Ability to easily partner with and influence senior leaders across the AXP organization
  • Strong team player, ability to take direction and remain flexible and adaptable to changing priorities.
  • Exceptional communication, presentation, leadership, and influencing skills.

Employment eligibility to work with American Express in the United States is required as the company will not pursue visa sponsorship for these positions.
About Us
At American Express, our culture is built on a 175-year history of innovation, shared values and Leadership Behaviors, and an unwavering commitment to back our customers, communities, and colleagues. From delivering differentiated products to providing world-class customer service, we operate with a strong risk mindset, ensuring we continue to uphold our brand promise of trust, security, and service.
As part of Team Amex, you'll experience our powerful backing with comprehensive support for your holistic well-being and many opportunities to learn new skills, develop as a leader, and grow your career. Here, your voice and ideas matter, your work makes an impact, and together, you will help us define the future of American Express.
About the Team
We back you with benefits that support your holistic well-being so you can be and deliver your best. This means caring for you and your loved ones' physical, financial, and mental health, as well as providing the flexibility you need to thrive personally and professionally:
  • Competitive base salaries
  • Bonus incentives
  • 6% Company Match on retirement savings plan
  • Free financial coaching and financial well-being support
  • Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and disability benefits
  • Flexible working model with hybrid, onsite or virtual arrangements depending on role and business need
  • 20+ weeks paid parental leave for all parents, regardless of

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