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Design Director
Design Directordancker • Somerville, NJ, United States
Design Director

Design Director

dancker • Somerville, NJ, United States
5 days ago
Job type
  • Full-time
Job description

Design Director

Department : Design

Reports to : VP of Design

Location : Somerville, NJ Overview

We're looking for a Design Director who is as invested in people as they are in great design. As a key member of our leadership team, you'll shape the vision, performance, and culture of our design organization-ensuring our work drives measurable business results, delivers exceptional experiences for clients, and advances our team's growth and expertise.

This role blends strategy with hands-on mentorship : inspiring team members, elevating design standards, creating operational clarity, and fostering true cross-departmental collaboration. The ideal candidate thrives in a fast-paced environment, loves building highly engaged and high-performing teams, and understands the business value design brings to every stage of the customer journey.What You'll Lead & ImpactLeadership & Team Development

  • Coach, guide, and empower the design team, modeling accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement.
  • Establish a strong feedback culture through consistent one-on-ones and ongoing mentoring.
  • Oversee performance management, including proactive support plans and structured development programs when needed.
  • Foster an environment where designers feel challenged, supported, and inspired to do their best work.

Onboarding & Talent Growth

  • Design and oversee a structured two-week onboarding experience for new team members.
  • Manage a 12-week development curriculum with measurable milestones to assess training progress.
  • Partner with Design Managers to ensure consistent coaching and onboarding practices across team pods.
  • Continually evaluate team skills and development needs to ensure career paths, learning opportunities, and skill expansion remain front-of-mind.
  • Project & Resource Management

  • Assign work via ZOHO based on validated project scope, product direction, and timeline.
  • Coordinate resources to balance workloads, maximize utilization, and maintain accuracy and timeliness of deliverables.
  • Monitor capacity and proactively address bandwidth challenges before they affect deadlines.
  • Provide high-level oversight and guidance on key strategic projects and complex accounts.
  • Operational Excellence & Quality

  • Drive adherence to internal workflows-task tracking, deadlines, design standards, and closing procedures.
  • Lead problem-solving efforts to remove obstacles and maintain high output standards.
  • Ensure MxT and billable utilization targets (85%+) are consistently met and well managed.
  • Champion process innovation, design thinking, and the adoption of new technologies to improve team performance and the client experience.
  • Cross-Department Collaboration

  • Build strong partnerships with sales, operations, project management, and other internal teams to create seamless, end-to-end client delivery.
  • Reinforce shared accountability, open communication, and enterprise-wide alignment.
  • Support engagement with dancker's Growth Ventures (e.g., DBE, ForBuild, dePloy) as needed for client strategy and project execution.
  • Client-Facing & Business Development Support

  • Partner with sales leadership on strategic accounts, serving as a design expert and trusted advisor.
  • Join key client presentations and planning meetings, advocating for thoughtful design solutions that solve business needs.
  • Elevate the role of design as a strategic differentiator throughout the sales process.
  • Maintain deep expertise in commercial furniture trends, applications, and innovations.
  • Skills & Competencies

  • Mastery of commercial furniture design software including CET, AutoCAD, SketchUp, BlueBeam, and Microsoft Office Suite.
  • Experience using ZOHO Projects or similar platforms for task and resource management.
  • Strategic thinker who can connect design execution with business strategy.
  • Exceptional communicator and relationship-builder across all levels of the organization.
  • Self-directed, organized, and skilled in managing multiple priorities and designers simultaneously.
  • Qualifications

  • Bachelor's Degree in Interior Design, Architecture, or a related field.
  • 10+ years of experience in commercial furniture design, including 5+ years in leadership or management.
  • Proven experience mentoring and developing talent while leading teams and supporting your own project work.
  • Strong understanding of commercial furniture markets and design solutions.

    If you're passionate about developing people, modernizing processes, elevating design excellence, and shaping a team that delivers meaningful client experiences, we'd love to meet you.

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    Design Director • Somerville, NJ, United States

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