As the Design Director at Converse you will elevate, inspire and direct the Global Digital Design team while leading advanced digital experience work that supports the business & company goals.
This role (based at Converse WHQ in Boston) provides exceptional design direction to a team of digital designers to create compelling and effective digital experiences. You will drive the team to meet business objectives by bringing to life the Converse Brand and our storytelling centered around our consumer and product, across our digital ecosystem.
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Under your leadership your team will design Converse.com seasonal experiences, product launches and site refreshes for the converse.com North America and Western Europe platforms. In conjunction with a UX team, you will make sure our digital design systems are adhered to and evolved as needed so as to improve, innovate & optimize. This role also owns the creation of performance marketing and paid social media assets.
We’re seeking someone collaborative, entrepreneurial, who takes initiative, enjoys leading a team, and strives to develop and foster growth. The work will be challenging, never boring, and we expect you’ll be an integral part of the creative team bringing new digital experiences and solutions to the Converse brand.
It is key for this role to maintain strong relationships with the immediate functions within the broader team (Operations, Content Design & Copywriting) as well as cross-functional partners, primarily our Experience Strategy team, UX team, Geography Digital Teams and Brand team.
What We’re Looking For
- Passion for the Converse Brand and creating high-quality work with attention to detail
- Someone who is strategic, thinks critically, is accountable, compassionate, resourceful and has excellent people skills
- A leader and role model for positive and empowering behavior, hard-work with an ability to inspire, challenge and work seamlessly with other team members
- Creative visual skill set able to translate complex technical and business concepts into easy-to-understand communication pieces
- Extensive experience in digital design; digital design systems, e-commerce and performance marketing (email, paid social & other media)
- Experience managing multiple agency relationships, and designers, across multiple projects with a clear design voice and an unbending creative precision
- Ability to socialize and present creative work in a compelling and persuasive way to cross-functional partners and senior leadership
- Craft and develop digital content and storytelling with our Gen-Z consumer in mind
- Experience in leading teams and a love for management & mentoring
- Fostering collaboration by brainstorming innovative solutions with team of designers and writers
- Growth Mentality. Be open to, and constantly in search of, growth opportunities for yourself and your team. Commitment to training and development as a regular part of your job. Enable, engage, empower and celebrate a best-in-class team and environment.
- Resist complacency. Be convinced there can always be a better way and resolve to be open minded about the opportunity to elevate your team and you.
Director Role Profile
- Provides leadership to design team and is accountable for the performance and results of the team
- Develops team plans and priorities (in partnership with all team leaders)
- Applies business and management expertise to achieve financial and operational objectives within department
- Identifies and resolves operational and organizational problems
- Makes decisions— guided by functional business plans—that impact the support and funding of projects
- Performs work in support of Brand plans; integrates company mission into daily work and planning; leads or participates in key initiatives with moderate or wide visibility
- Builds a reputation for being someone who honors commitments, expresses yourself in a credible and open manner and models the highest standards of honesty and integrity
- Readily faces complicated issues and works to tackle them with confidence and optimism. Willing to champion difficult issues and support others who do the same. Provide direct and measurable feedback in a thoughtful manner.
Roles & Responsibilities
- In collaboration with the team leader, Operations, Content and Design teams, develops and drives innovative solutions for digital storytelling across converse.com platforms and all commercial digital touchpoints
- Owns and leads implementation of Brand visual centers; vision for the season, onboarding external partners & agencies and giving feedback to internal and external designers
- Leads and gives clear direction to the team, assisting them to deliver effective solutions without micromanaging
- Operational excellence always: ensure the team delivers high quality work, on time and on budget 100% of the time
- Works closely and cross-functionally with Site Experience, Product, Operations, Brand, and Geography teams to bring to life global campaigns for Converse.com
- Becomes a specialist on the function and capabilities of our platforms
- Forms relationships across the company in order better understand the functions of other departments and expand your expertise
- Actively gains knowledge of Converse’s products (digital) and processes, trends, the consumer communities we stand for, and overall marketplace culture.
- Gains knowledge around our physical product (the sneakers and clothing) each season
- Manages and mentors design team. Encourage, recognize and reward team members. Be a positive driving force. Promote team spirit and build energy and optimism in others to achieve the team and company vision.
- Recommends developmental activities and stretch assignments to others
- Brings network of design/agency partners
- Utilizes exceptional design skills and demonstrates innovation in leading team to create original solutions
- Excellent communication and teamwork skills:
- Communicates and presents design concepts; creates presentation materials that effectively communicate design concepts—mentors others to present their work a persuasive and compelling way
- Takes initiative to consistently update team leader and Operations Director
- Innate sense of when to seek guidance and share problems.
- Knows when to involves others when working on projects
- Shares own expertise and experience with others
- Values differences; behaves with sensitivity toward differences in cultural norms. Seeks out diverse perspectives and talents of others
- Effectively communicates and presents design concepts; creates presentation materials that demonstrate design concepts—mentors designers to present their work a persuasive and compelling way
- Takes initiative to consistently update team leader and Operations Director
- Innate sense of when to seek guidance and share problems.
- Knows when to involves others when working on projects
- Shares own expertise and experience
- Values differences; behaves with sensitivity toward differences in cultural norms. Seeks out diverse perspectives and talents of others
- Demonstrates expert-level knowledge of current trends, technology, design systems and other design influences
- Shares knowledge, experience and skill with other design staff; works with design counterparts to ensure continuity across digital touchpoints
- Ensures alignment from a Converse.com perspective across North America and Western Europe Geographies, while also supplying creative to Greater China and Global Partner Markets
What You Bring To Converse
- Bachelor’s Degree in Graphic Design or design-related equivalent
- 9+ years’ experience in digital design for large retail e-commerce or key digital agency experience specific to the footwear/apparel industry.
- Excellent Figma and/or Bohemian Sketch and Adobe Suite skills
- Creative, bold, and digitally savvy
- A genuine love for digital marketing and the online space with a background in digital commerce, performance marketing (email, paid social and other media) A/B testing, designing for different and multiple target audiences, and social media channels
- Strong knowledge of UX/UI
- Must be a self-starter, comfortable working in a fast-paced entrepreneurial environment, organized, detail oriented, collaborative and flexible
- Ability to prioritize multiple projects while simultaneously handling demands and changes
- Familiarity with project tracking tools such as Asana or Trello
- Deep connection to street wear culture and trend
- Excellent writing and communications experience
- Management experience of teams with 6+ people