Associate Director, Design

Join to apply for the Associate Director, Design role at Darkroom About Darkroom Darkroom is the leading next‑generation growth marketing firm that engineers the brands of tomorrow. Founded in 2017, we set out to redefine what a modern agency can be, building a model built for speed, intelligence, and measurable impact. We partner with e‑commerce marketplaces, media networks, DTC ecosystems, and social commerce platforms, generating billions in attributable revenue across channels. About The Role We are hiring an Associate Director, Design – a visionary leader with a strong design background who thrives in both managing creative talent and driving high‑quality design execution across paid ads, emails, landing pages, and e‑commerce web design. You’ll combine strategic oversight with hands‑on involvement, ensuring every design project meets the highest standards of excellence. You will report to the Director of Creative and play a key role in guiding a talented team of designers. With your deep expertise in UI/UX and brand design, you’ll empower your team to elevate their skills while maintaining a high bar for creative output and attention to detail. Management Responsibilities • Manage a team of designers, starting with 2‑4 direct reports and expanding as the team grows. • Conduct weekly 1:1s with direct reports to assess client health, offer feedback, and oversee career development. • Ensure high‑quality work output from direct reports, focusing on visual craft, UX expertise, and meeting deadlines. • Collaborate with cross‑functional teams – marketers, strategists, developers, and clients – to develop project plans, understand business objectives, and address client issues. • Refine internal processes for client work in coordination with the Director of Creative. Provide training and feedback to enhance the skills of the design team. Senior Individual Contributor Responsibilities • Lead 1‑2 UI/UX engagements as needed, focusing on creating branded e‑commerce websites. • Emphasize branded UI, conversion‑focused UX, and clarity in design approaches. • Present design work to clients, explaining design choices based on effective reasoning and UX principles. • Manage design projects independently from discovery to hand‑off, adhering to timelines and collaborating with developers to ensure feasibility. • Develop component systems and maintain design guidelines for consistency. You Should Apply if this Sounds Like You 3‑6+ years of senior‑level design experience, with at least 1 year of people management experience preferred. Responsive web design experience and a digital portfolio showcasing web design and branding skills. Self‑motivated, proactive, and detail‑oriented with a strong sense of ownership. Experience collaborating with developers and documenting designs for development hand‑off. Comfortable with client‑facing responsibilities in English, including leading discovery calls and resolving client feedback. Capable of providing constructive internal feedback and guiding direct reports to improve their work. Ability to tackle ambiguous problems, understand business challenges, design solutions, and execute them effectively. Proficiency in Figma (Auto Layout, Components, Variants) is essential. Experience with Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator) is required. Bonus: Experience in e‑commerce or hospitality website design, familiarity with HTML/CSS or frameworks like Tailwind. Working at Darkroom Darkroom is not a typical agency. We are looking for A players who want to build something great. We move fast, think deeply, and expect every team member to bring insight and rigor to everything they touch. We hold a high bar for performance, creativity, and ownership – but we also support each other relentlessly. No egos, no red tape – just world‑class talent building something remarkable. We believe in • Autonomy with accountability • Truth over comfort • Outcomes over optics If you want to build and win alongside some of the smartest people in the business, you’ll thrive here. Remote‑first culture with a strong community base. While many roles remain fully remote, employees hired to work from our New York or Lisbon HQs (opening early 2026) are expected to adopt a hybrid working model, including weekly in‑office appearances. Hub locations also include the Bay Area, Philly, São Paulo, and Barcelona. Parental leave benefits to support new parents during this important transition, ensuring time to bond with their families while maintaining work‑life balance. Endless opportunities for growth: Our agency is founded on an interdisciplinary approach, giving Darkroomers insight into services far beyond your job description. Grow your skills and interests beyond your niche and stay at the forefront of the industry through total immersion in cross‑functional collaboration. Equal Opportunity Statement Darkroom is an equal opportunity workplace—we are dedicated to equal employment opportunities regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national orientation, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity, or Veteran status. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. #J-18808-Ljbffr