Design Leadership Jobs in Japan
Find your next Design Leadership role at companies that value creative talent
Showing 5 jobs
Design Manager
🇯🇵 Japan
Airtrunk 🇯🇵 Japan
Lead the design and delivery of multi-MW hyperscale data centre solutions from inception to completion. Interface with cloud customers to develop master planning, engineering solutions, and technical documentation for new developments.
Design Manager
🇯🇵 Minato, Tokyo, Japan
Airtrunk 🇯🇵 Minato, Tokyo, Japan
Lead project design teams from inception to delivery for hyperscale data center solutions while interfacing with cloud and enterprise customers. Develop master planning, engineering solutions, and technical documentation while overseeing equipment procurement and site selection processes.
Head of Design / Principal Designer
🇯🇵 Tokyo, Japan
Boostdraft 🇯🇵 Tokyo, Japan
You will lead the user research practice and define the company's design philosophy to drive product direction through rapid, prototype-driven testing. Additionally, you will build and scale a design system while coaching a team of product designers to adopt research-led, iterative workflows.
Principal Design Manager
🇯🇵 Tōkyō, 1, Marunouchi 1, Chiyoda, Tokyo 100-0005, Japan
Microsoft 🇯🇵 Tōkyō, 1, Marunouchi 1, Chiyoda, Tokyo 100-0005, Japan
The Design Manager will oversee the engineering scope, schedule, and budget for datacenter projects across the APAC region, managing internal and external resources. They are responsible for facilitating the delivery of datacenter infrastructure from site due diligence through design, construction, and operational turnover.
Stop scrolling. Get matched with roles that fit you. 💎
Upload your resume and let the right roles find you
Design Manager - Mid Level
🇯🇵 Japan
Gensler 🇯🇵 Japan
The Design Manager is responsible for managing all phases of interior and architectural design projects, ensuring client satisfaction, quality control, and financial performance. They act as the primary liaison between the client and the cross-functional team while overseeing project lifecycles from bidding to close-out.
About Design Leadership careers
Design leaders in 2026 set the strategic vision for design organizations navigating an AI-saturated market. This role requires a balance of craft expertise and high-level business acumen to advocate for design's value at the executive level.
Effective leaders foster a culture of technical agency, establishing systems that allow human creativity and machine efficiency to coexist.
Companies like Stripe and Airbnb seek VPs and Directors of Design who can scale teams and align design strategy with long-term business objectives.
We feature senior leadership positions including Design Directors, Heads of Design, VP of Design, Chief Design Officers, and design team leads at companies like Meta, Google, Airbnb, Stripe, and fast-growing AI companies like OpenAI and Anthropic. These roles span product design, brand, and cross-functional design organizations.
Many companies offer remote design leadership roles, including distributed-first companies like Notion, Linear, GitLab, and Vercel. AI companies like Midjourney and Anthropic also hire remote design leaders. Some companies prefer hybrid arrangements for VP+ positions.
Most positions require 8–15+ years of design experience with 3–5+ years managing teams. Strong candidates demonstrate strategic thinking, team building, stakeholder management, and a track record of shipping successful products at companies like Figma, Spotify, Netflix, or emerging AI startups. Browse leadership portfolios to see how experienced designers showcase their impact.
Design leadership salaries are highly competitive: Design Directors earn $160k–$240k, VPs of Design $220k–$350k+, and CDOs at major companies can exceed $400k with significant equity packages. AI companies like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Databricks often offer premium total compensation. Consult our salary guide for detailed breakdowns.