Manhattan Strategies, LLC is hiring : Associate Director, Design in New York

Manhattan Strategies Associate Director, Design New York, NY

• Full time Company website Apply for Associate Director, Design The Associate Director for Design is an experienced creative leader who will guide the growth, quality and impact of our design practice. As both a people manager and a strategic contributor, this role balances oversight of the design team with shaping how design solutions advance client goals across industries.

About Manhattan Strategies Manhattan Strategies is an independent consulting firm obsessed with telling compelling visual stories for the world’s leading and emerging brands and voices. We solve problems by combining design, strategic communication and competitive intelligence to command attention.We do it by putting a design studio and communication firm under one roof, marrying creative consideration with storytelling that transcends language and geographic barriers and inspires people at the deepest level.

Description About Manhattan Strategies, an Award-Winning & New-Age Consulting Firm

By 2035, the majority of CEOs and senior decision makers will be digital natives : Millennials whose expectations will reflect a digital and visual life experience.

At Manhattan Strategies, our mission is rooted in a simple hypothesis : if you communicate visually, you maximize your power to compel action. To do it, we combine an attentive communications agency and a boldly ambitious design studio. Our work spans challenges of every size and stage, from pre-seed startups to Fortune 100 companies and from political campaigns to product launches.

Manhattan Strategies has been recognized by ADWEEK among the fastest-growing agencies and by Inc Magazine as one of the fastest-growing companies in America and the best B2B public relations provider in the United States. The firm has also won dozens of awards for its design, web development, branding and video production.

About the Associate Director for Design

The Associate Director for Design is an experienced creative leader who will guide the growth, quality and impact of our design practice. As both a people manager and a strategic contributor, this role balances oversight of the design team with shaping how design solutions advance client goals across industries.

This position requires someone who can build trust with clients, mentor and elevate design talent and collaborate closely with peers across communications and digital. The Associate Director will set the tone for how our design-driven public affairs firm executes, ensuring creative output is innovative and aligned to client needs.

The Associate Director for Design serves three core functions :

Team Leadership & People Management (40%) : As a people manager, the Associate Director will oversee the firm’s design team, providing mentorship, guidance and clear expectations. They will play a central role in talent development including hiring, onboarding and coaching designers at all levels. The Associate Director will be responsible for fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability and creative excellence.

Client & Project Leadership (30%) : The Associate Director will serve as a key design lead across client engagements, ensuring deliverables meet the highest standards of creativity and strategic alignment. They will represent the design function in client discussions, build trust with stakeholders and partner with strategy leads to integrate design into broader firm offerings. While leading teams, they will also take on select design assignments directly, contributing their own creative work when it strengthens the team’s capacity and output.

Strategic Design Direction (30%) : The Associate Director will establish and maintain design standards, systems and workflows that allow the firm to scale while maintaining quality. They will drive innovation across branding, digital experiences and visual storytelling. By combining hands-on design with big picture direction, the Associate Director will ensure the firm pushes creative boundaries while staying rooted in client objectives.

Qualifications :

7-10 years of professional design experience with at least 3 years in a supervisory or management role

Background in brand, digital or visual communication design; agency or consultancy experience strongly preferred

Demonstrated success leading and mentoring creative teams including mid- and senior-level designers

Strong portfolio showcasing ability to elevate brand and communication outcomes through design

Skilled at balancing client needs with creative integrity and communicating design’s value to non-design stakeholders

Proficiency in design software (Adobe Creative Suite, Figma, etc.) and awareness of emerging tools including AI

Bachelor’s degree in Design, Visual Communication or related field required; Master’s degree a plus

Benefits & Compensation :

Base salary range is $110,000 to $145,000 per year

Benefits include bonus eligibility, unlimited PTO, paid family leave, healthcare, dental and 401(k) with company match

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