Design Director

About the Role

Elmwood is a brand and design consultancy focused on creating brands with clear purpose and strong intent. The studio is expanding its client base and is looking for an experienced Design Director to join the New York team. This position is client-facing and centers on steering creative delivery across major accounts, especially within consumer-facing and corporate brand work.

The ideal candidate understands how strong ideas influence brand performance and can shape a clear point of view that helps brands become distinctive and memorable.

What You’ll Do

• Partner with the Creative Director to deliver strategic, high-quality creative work that can stand out for awards and impact.
• Oversee creative output across projects and think beyond the immediate client brief.
• Handle several projects at once while keeping work moving smoothly.
• Bring solid craft skills and stay aware of current design directions and trends.
• Support client needs on a daily basis while guiding a team of designers.
• Contribute as a positive, low-ego team member who works well with others.
• Foster collaboration, learning, and high standards within the creative team.
• Represent the team confidently with clients as a trusted consultative partner.
• Present ideas persuasively and communicate with confidence as an experienced storyteller.

Who You Are

• An empathetic leader who can define roles, clarify project scope, and keep everyone aligned on next steps.
• A strategic thinker who links big creative ideas to business and brand outcomes, and knows when to question a brief while still respecting the client’s goals.
• Highly detail-oriented with a strong eye for visual craft.
• A clear communicator who works effectively across Strategy, Production, and Client Services.
• Self-driven and curious, with an instinct for anticipating future needs for brands and clients.
• Very organized and capable of making quick, well-informed decisions.
• Comfortable solving problems with both creativity and strategic judgment.

Requirements

• Prior experience in a similar agency setting as a Design Director, or senior design experience at that level with readiness to step up.
• A background working with established global clients and a portfolio that includes packaging design and brand world activation.
• Experience leading junior, middleweight, and senior designers.
• Ability to run design critiques and give honest, constructive feedback that builds team confidence.
• Understanding of how motion adds value in digitally led environments, along with hands-on motion design experience.
• Experience building consumer brand systems and a strong grasp of the differences between mass, challenger, and retail brands.
• Knowledge of print production and the ability to manage both digital and print deliverables effectively.

Benefits

• Responsible Paid Time Off (RPTO)
• 12 paid holidays
• 5 paid sick or wellness days
• 2 paid personal days
• Medical, dental, and vision coverage, including family plans
• Life and disability insurance
• Flexible spending account for medical costs
• Commuter benefits
• 401(k) plan with company match of up to 4.5%; matching begins after 3 months of employment

Additional Information

This is a full-time, onsite role based in New York, NY. The organization offers a collaborative culture that values new thinking, supports ambition, and rewards contribution. Professional development is also part of the overall package.