Associate Design Director - Innovation

Summary

We’re looking for an Associate Design Director to support on high-impact digital initiatives across healthcare, clinical, and enterprise platforms. This role is ideal for a senior design leader who thrives at the intersection of hands-on creative work, design leadership, and delivery excellence. This is not a Design Lead or purely executional role. While prototyping and execution are part of the work, the primary focus is leading design efforts end-to-end, setting creative direction, mentoring designers, and partnering closely with stakeholders to elevate the overall design portfolio.

Primary Duties

• Lead design strategy and execution across complex digital initiatives, ensuring high standards for usability, accessibility, and visual quality.
• Provide hands-on creative direction across concepts, flows, interaction models, and visual systems.
• Act as the design authority on projects, balancing business goals, scientific complexity, and user needs.
• Actively contribute to hands-on design work, including experience and interaction design, visual design, design systems, and prototyping.
• Step in to execute when needed, particularly on high-visibility projects.
• Guide and mentor junior and senior designers, providing constructive feedback, coaching, and design critiques.
• Elevate team output through design reviews, shared best practices, and a culture of craft and collaboration.
• Partner with leadership to advance the design portfolio and raise the bar on quality and impact.

Competency

• Strong design leadership skills with the ability to balance strategy, execution, and mentorship.
• Expertise in experience design, interaction design, visual design, and design systems.
• Proven ability to lead design in complex, regulated, or enterprise environments.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with comfort influencing senior stakeholders.
• Ability to navigate scientific or technical complexity and translate it into clear, user-centered solutions.

Required Education

Bachelor’s degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.

Experience

• 8+ years of experience in product, UX, or digital design, with demonstrated leadership responsibility.
• Strong portfolio demonstrating hands-on design execution and creative leadership.
• Experience leading design efforts within complex, regulated environments.