Design Director

Full TimeContractRemote | Los Angeles, CA preferred (Remote)Posted 3 months agoApplications have closedWebsite SphericalReports to: Studio Co-FoundersManages: 1 staff Sr. Designer, and 2-3 design contractorsLocation: Remote (Los Angeles or SF Bay Area preferred)Work Capacity: Full time (40 hours)Term: 3 month contract to hire, with intention to increase commitment if there is a mutual fitCompensation: base rate of $110 – 120/hour with a salary equivalent of $165,000 – $175,000 annuallyPriority review date: January 30thIdeal start date: February 16thAbout SphericalSpherical is a transdisciplinary research and design studio working to regenerate the health and integrity of Earth’s living systems. Our work spans multiple spheres of inquiry, engaging projects at scales from the local to the planetary. We work with people who willingly engage complexity and who bring care and attention to collaboration.Our anchor project is the Living Infrastructure Field Kit, a philanthropically funded mapping and co-design platform reimagining how infrastructure is conceived in Los Angeles County, starting with communities. We also explore living systems through coding experiments, ecological data visualizations, immersive productions, and site-specific performancesLearn more about working at Spherical →About This RoleThe Design Director leads design work across Spherical’s projects, with primary focus on the Living Infrastructure Field Kit. You work at the intersection of strategic design and regenerative principles, guiding participatory design processes that center community knowledge and create space for collaborative intelligence.You are a hands-on leader who partners with cross-functional teams and specialist contractors to create intuitive, community-centered experiences. You balance strategic vision with present needs, innovation with accessibility, and team development with project delivery. You see things through from conception to delivery.We are invested in hiring candidates from diverse backgrounds and understand that not all candidates will meet every qualification listed. If you feel that you meet many of the qualifications, we encourage you to apply.What you’ll doExperience & Interaction DesignDesign experiences that are intuitive, meaningful, and honor diverse perspectives and cultural contextsTranslate complex environmental and systems data into interfaces that make information visible and actionable for community advocacyMaintain and evolve the UI kit and design system with engineering, balancing consistency with flexibility for new platform needsMonitor and address design quality issues and visual inconsistencies across the platformLead collaborative design processes that build collective intelligence and ownershipCoordinate with specialist contractors across information design, data science, game design, and other disciplinesPursue craft with intention, attending to both functional and evocative detailsDesign ResearchLead the organization and synthesis insights from community workshops and stakeholder sessionsSupport participatory design processes that center community knowledge and lived experienceDocument and synthesize user insights, experience opportunities, and interface needsTest solutions to improve usability for different stakeholdersEngage stakeholders as collaborators, embedding community knowledge and lived experienceDesign Strategy & PlanningPresent design strategy and progress to partners and community stakeholdersGuide project planning within real-world constraints and resource realitiesMeasure design impact to ensure solutions support human and ecological wellbeingDefine and track design success metricsAnticipate potential direct and indirect effects of collective design decisions to steer the work toward desired outcomesTeam Development & CultureProvide functional direction, management, and expertise for your teamBuild a collaborative team culture aligned with studio values and regenerative design principlesSupport team members’ growth in strategic thinking and leadership capacityHelp shape and tend to studio culture through honest communication, engaged caring, and accountabilityBalance workload and coordinate across functionsManage hiring, staffing, and budgets for internal team and external contractorsDefine project scopes and manage consultant partnershipsCross-Project EngagementLead design for the Living Infrastructure Field Kit as primary focusContribute to Spherical Lab initiatives, including coding experiments, data visualizations, and immersive productions, as opportunities ariseBridge disciplinary perspectives across projects, integrating design with research, development, and production workKey outcomesUser experiences that empower users through clarity, consistency, and progressive disclosureCommunity-centered approaches that reflect diverse stakeholder input and address real needsMeasurable improvements in participation, retention, and meaningful interactionConsistent yet adaptable design across multiple touchpointsInterfaces and experiences that meet accessibility standards while pushing creative boundariesStrong working relationships with collaborators and stakeholders built on trust and transparent communicationSkills & QualificationsRequired Qualifications7+ years leading UX, product, and/or experience design work in complex systems3+ years leading with demonstrated organization-level strategic thinking and team development capacityExperience with participatory design methods and cross-functional collaborationExperience designing interfaces for environmental or spatial data products used in advocacy, civic engagement, or community decision-makingExperience creating accessible interfaces that serve diverse human abilities and contextsExperience with client and partner relationships, including presenting design work to funders, community organizations, and non-design stakeholdersExperience managing external contractors and translating specialized content into interface designStrong project management skills with ability to define scopes, timelines, budgets, and maintain stakeholder alignmentHealthy balance of curiosity and discernment in the use of new AI-connected tools, and a demonstrated capacity to experiment, explore, and provide recommendations on new workflowsPreferred QualificationsTrack record of navigating ambiguity and designing for long-term change in complex environmentsExperience in game design, speculative futures, or narrative world-buildingExperience bridging multiple disciplines and ways of knowingFamiliarity with living systems thinking or regenerative design principlesHow to applyPlease include a portfolio link highlighting complex interface work, your role on multi‑disciplinary collaborations, and artifacts that demonstrate process and outcomes.