Associate Director, Design | Talent Pool

Job description

About Darkroom Darkroom is the leading next-generation growth marketing firm engineering the brands of tomorrow. Founded in 2017, we set out to redefine what a modern agency could be, by replacing the inertia of legacy advertising behemoths with a model built for speed, intelligence, and measurable impact. At our core, Darkroom is a human services company powered by Shadow, a universal AI commerce layer that integrates executive-level strategy with proprietary agentic technology. This fusion enables our teams to deliver outsized returns by enhancing creative output, operational efficiency, and revenue generation across every stage of the customer journey. Our track record speaks for itself: billions in attributable revenue driven across e-commerce marketplaces, media networks, DTC ecosystems, and social commerce platforms. Every engagement feeds into our proprietary data infrastructure, enabling a continuous feedback loop that accelerates growth, improves margins, and compounds results across our client portfolio. What began as a boutique design studio has evolved into one of the fastest-growing private companies in America (Inc. 5000) and among the most effective performance media agencies of the 2020s (Varos). Our founders were recognized by Forbes 30 Under 30 for advancing the intersection of technology, marketing, and advertising, cementing Darkroom’s role as a defining player in the future of media innovation. Please note: We are not actively hiring for this role at the moment, we are building a talent pool for future opportunities we anticipate opening soon. Strong candidates may be contacted proactively as our team continues to expand. About the role We are hiring an Associate Director, Design- a visionary leader with a strong design background who thrives in both managing creative talent and driving high-quality design execution across various platforms. You’ll combine strategic oversight with hands-on involvement, ensuring that every design project meets the highest standards of excellence. You will report to the Director of Creative and play a key role in guiding a talented team of designers, overseeing the delivery of exceptional designs for paid ads, emails, landing pages, and e-commerce web design. With your deep expertise in UI/UX and brand design, you’ll empower your team to elevate their skills while maintaining a high bar for creative output and attention to detail. This role requires a balance of leadership and creativity in a fast-paced, collaborative environment, where you’ll work closely with marketing, product, and development teams to ensure the alignment of design goals with broader business objectives. Your ability to drive creative strategy and manage multiple projects with precision will be essential to your success. Darkroom is a career incubator for ambitious talent looking to operate at the intersection of business, design, and innovation. This is a fully remote role operating in the EST Time Zone and all business is conducted 100% in English. Management Responsibilities: - Manage a team of designers, starting with 2-4 direct reports and expanding as the team grows. Provide support in strategy, project management, design feedback, performance evaluation, and handling escalations. - Conduct weekly 1:1s with direct reports to assess client health, offer feedback, and oversee career development. - Ensure high-quality work output from direct reports, focusing on visual craft, UX expertise, and meeting deadlines. - Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including marketers, strategists, developers, and clients, to develop project plans, understand business objectives, and address client issues. - Refine internal processes for client work in coordination with the Director of Creative. Provide training and feedback to enhance the skills of the design team. Senior Individual Contributor Responsibilities: - Lead 1-2 UI/UX engagements as needed, focusing on creating branded e-commerce websites. - Emphasize branded UI, conversion-focused UX, and clarity in design approaches. - Present design work to clients, explaining design choices based on effective reasoning and UX principles. - Manage design projects independently from discovery to hand-off, adhering to timelines and collaborating with developers to ensure feasibility. - Develop component systems and maintain design guidelines for consistency. You Should Apply if this Sounds Like You: - 4-6+ years of senior-level design experience, with at least 1 year of people management experience preferred. Must have experience in responsive web design. - Digital portfolio showcasing web design and branding skills, including color theory, hierarchy, composition, and typography. - Self-motivated, proactive, and detail-oriented with a strong sense of ownership. - Experience collaborating with developers and documenting designs for development hand-off. - Comfortable with client-facing responsibilities in English, including leading discovery calls and resolving client feedback. - Capable of providing constructive internal feedback and guiding direct reports to improve their work. - Ability to tackle ambiguous problems, understand business challenges, design solutions, and execute them effectively. - Proficiency in Figma, including features like Auto Layout, Components, and Variants, is essential. - Experience with Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator) is required. - Bonus: Experience in e-commerce or hospitality website design, familiarity with HTML/CSS or frameworks like Tailwind. Working at Darkroom Darkroom is not a typical agency. We are looking for A players who want to build something great. We move fast, think deeply, and expect every team member to bring insight and rigor to everything they touch. We hold a high bar for performance, creativity, and ownership — but we also support each other relentlessly. No egos, no red tape — just world-class talent building something remarkable. We believe in autonomy with accountability, truth over comfort, and outcomes over optics. - Unlimited PTO + Local holidays (Relevant to your hub): Rebooting is part of the work. Take the time you need to stay sharp. - Remote-First Culture: Many roles are fully remote. Employees based in or near our New York or Lisbon HQs are expected to work hybrid with weekly in-office time. Hub locations include the Brazil and Spain. - Parental Leave: Flexible parental leave to support new parents during this important transition. - Growth: Our interdisciplinary model gives every Darkroomer exposure far beyond their core role. Grow your skills, expand your influence, and stay at the forefront of the industry. Equal Opportunity Statement Darkroom is an equal opportunity workplace—we are dedicated to equal employment opportunities regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national orientation, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity, or Veteran status. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements.