Design Director

WE ARE FOR BRAVE BRANDS

Stone is an independent brand strategy and design agency led by creatives. We’re looking for a Design Director with an ear for insights, a head for business, a way with storytelling and the leadership skills to inspire and support our creative team every day.

We work with both national, powerhouse brands and emerging, disruptive challengers on design strategy, storytelling, identity, packaging and brand-world building. People with a diverse set of skills, interests and backgrounds thrive here. If you’re ready to do the best work of your career, let’s join forces.

You’ll love working here if you . . .

•  Are a designer and a creative at heart

•  Prefer to work with a small, motivated team

•  Can see the big picture and also care for the details

•  Have a keen interest in the intersection of brand building, culture and commerce 

This role is for . . .

A Design Director with a minimum 8-10 years of agency experience in brand building and leading creative for CPG clients, reporting directly to the Co-Founder/Executive Creative Director.  

You will . . .

• Oversee creative brand design for key clients

• Champion and defend the creative work

• Coach, develop and inspire the creative design team

• Be in the work, showing what good design looks like

• Have the final say on quality of work for both creative impact and execution 

• Partner with Sr. Project Manager to make sure the design team has the support they need

You will need to bring . . .

• 8-10 years of agency experience developing and creating brand strategy and packaging design

• 1-2 years experience preferred in client-facing and design team leadership 

• Proven track record for leading large-scale redesigns and helping to evolve Design Language systems for complex, consumer-facing products 

• A genuine passion for branding

• Integrity and high personal standards

• A portfolio showing excellence in brand identity and packaging systems,  and demonstrating your grasp of insights, story and design thinking

• Excellent communication and storytelling skills; helping others express often diverse, complex ideas in a clear, compelling, and business-aligned manner

• Proactive leadership on large-scale initiatives that require clarity, direction, and influence amidst complexity and ambiguity

• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment where context-switching is the norm, inspiring others with high levels of creativity and quality of craft

In the first 30 days, you will . . .

• Build rapport with the team and set up regular 1:1 meetings with designers

• Ride along with Executive CD to learn Stone ways of working and understand key clients

• Begin formulating ideas for team development and elevating creative work  

• Establish standard for timely, thoughtful feedback and high-touch connectivity with team 

• Bring your design point of view to internal reviews  

In the first 60 days, you will . . .

• Take ownership of projects and establish relationships with clients

• Elevate storytelling and presentations

• Continue to push design team and Executive CD to strengthen the work

• Become the always-on, responsive team-first leader helping us prioritize projects and feedback

• Share plan for team development and elevating the work

• Have a full understanding of the Stone way, process and point of difference

In the first 90 days, you will . . .

• Work with Executive CD on long-term planning and strategy

• Continue to invest in strong client relationships

• Develop a vision for creative excellence, training and tool development

• Lead closing projects with excellence

• Develop strong, trusting partnerships to guide and inform in a positive way; anticipating the needs of the team and providing ongoing support 

 We offer . . .

• Flexible, hybrid work environment with 3 days at home, 2 days in our Golden, CO studio

• 401(k) with company match

• Health, Dental and Vision Insurance

• Competitive time-off package, including annual paid break between Christmas and New Year’s Day

• Mentorship to support your career goals and ambitions

We Are for Brave Brands.

And Brave Creatives.