Design Leadership Jobs
Find your next Design Leadership role at companies that value creative talent
Showing 1005 jobs
Learning Experience Design Manager
🇵🇭 Cebu City, Central Visayas, Philippines
Ttec 🇵🇭 Cebu City, Central Visayas, Philippines
Leads a team of media designers and creative specialists to develop high-quality digital learning experiences, including interactive media, video, and AI-enabled solutions. Partners with instructional designers and stakeholders to drive media strategies that align with business objectives and quality standards.
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.
Design Manager - Healthcare - Senior
🇺🇸 Oakland, California, United States of America
Gensler 🇺🇸 Oakland, California, United States of America
Lead and deliver a variety of healthcare project types through all phases while serving as the primary point of contact for clients. Manage cross-functional teams, project budgets, and consultant coordination to ensure high-quality design and client satisfaction.
Design Manager - Healthcare - Senior
🇺🇸 New York, New York, United States of America
Gensler 🇺🇸 New York, New York, United States of America
The Design Manager will lead complex healthcare projects from design through construction administration, acting as the primary liaison between clients and the project team. They are responsible for managing resources, budgets, and financial performance while mentoring staff and developing client engagements.
Project Manager (Design Manager) – Workplace
🇺🇸 Los Angeles, California, United States of America
Gensler 🇺🇸 Los Angeles, California, United States of America
Lead and manage multiple design teams and consultants for the delivery of retail stores and center projects. Drive project delivery through all phases, managing client communications, budgets, schedules, and the mentorship of junior staff.
Design Manager - Sciences
🇺🇸 Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
Gensler 🇺🇸 Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
Lead and manage project teams within the Sciences Practice Area, ensuring the delivery of high-value, safe, and sustainable science environments. Act as the primary point of contact for clients and oversee the full project lifecycle from programming through post-occupancy.
Project Manager (Design Manager) - Architecture
🇺🇸 Los Angeles, California, United States of America
Gensler 🇺🇸 Los Angeles, California, United States of America
Drive project delivery across all phases, managing budgets, schedules, and relationships with clients and consultants. Oversee project documentation, coordinate multidisciplinary teams, and mentor junior staff to ensure high-quality architectural outcomes.
Project Design Manager
🇺🇸 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States of America
Blue Heron 🇺🇸 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States of America
The Project Design Manager serves as the primary client contact and architectural lead for custom residential design-build projects. They are responsible for managing the full design lifecycle, coordinating internal teams and external consultants to deliver high-quality construction documents and specifications.
Design Manager - Mission Critical / Industrial
🇺🇸 Phoenix, Arizona, United States of America
Gensler 🇺🇸 Phoenix, Arizona, United States of America
Lead the delivery of high-performance critical facilities and industrial projects while overseeing workflows and resource allocation. Serve as the primary liaison between clients and project teams, managing the full project lifecycle from proposal to close-out.
Design Manager - Aviation
🇺🇸 New York, New York, United States of America
Gensler 🇺🇸 New York, New York, United States of America
Manage the design and delivery of world-class aviation and critical facility projects while acting as the primary liaison between the team and clients. Advise on project feasibility, regulatory conformance, and sustainability initiatives to improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon output.
Design Manager - Workplace Interiors & Architecture
🇺🇸 San Francisco, California, United States of America
Gensler 🇺🇸 San Francisco, California, United States of America
Lead all phases of corporate interior projects from inception to completion while managing client and consultant relationships. Responsible for driving project delivery, managing budgets and schedules, and mentoring junior design staff.
Design Manager - Senior
🇺🇸 Oakland, California, United States of America
Gensler 🇺🇸 Oakland, California, United States of America
Lead and manage design teams through conceptual development and technical execution for commercial and institutional projects. Coordinate directly with clients, consultants, and contractors to ensure project approvals and successful delivery.
Design Manager - Complex Architectural Projects (Columbus)
🇺🇸 Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
Gensler 🇺🇸 Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
The Design Manager will lead the delivery of complex architectural and interior projects from strategy through post-occupancy. They are responsible for managing client relationships, project financials, and leading multidisciplinary teams to ensure high-quality project execution.
Design Manager
🇬🇧 Manchester, England, United Kingdom
Hdr 🇬🇧 Manchester, England, United Kingdom
Direct and coordinate multidiscipline teams throughout the entire project lifecycle from initiation to close-out. Manage project finances, staffing, and deliverables while maintaining client relations and implementing QA/QC procedures.
Design Manager
🇬🇧 City of London, London, United Kingdom
Hdr 🇬🇧 City of London, London, United Kingdom
Direct and coordinate multidiscipline teams throughout the entire project lifecycle from initiation to close-out. Manage large-scale projects, maintain client relations, track financial aspects, and implement QA/QC procedures.
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.