Software Design Director

Software Design Director, IDEO LLC (Cambridge, MA)

Guide and contribute to large-scale, interdisciplinary digital design projects, ensuring alignment with business goals, design standards, and client expectations.

• Serve as a key point of contact for clients, offering strategic direction and clear communication throughout the design lifecycle.
• Collaborate across design, engineering, and research disciplines to scope project goals, develop timelines, and contribute to framing and RFP responses.
• Develop and deliver impactful client-facing materials using advanced design and prototyping tools (e.g., Figma, Adobe XD, Webflow), ensuring accessibility and usability.
• Actively contribute to the execution of design deliverables, including responsive layouts, interactive components, and immersive interfaces.
• Manage workflows using design-centric tools and methods to track milestones, team communication, and quality benchmarks.
• Design complex digital products using user-centered design principles, rapid prototyping, and iterative testing.
• Build and sustain strong client relationships, offering guidance on digital design challenges and experience strategy.
• Provide mentorship to junior designers and team members, supporting growth in UX, interaction design, visual design, and consulting fundamentals.
• Contribute to internal knowledge-sharing, standards development, and craft leadership efforts.
• Participate in business development activities, such as pipeline planning and client presentations, to align opportunities with design capabilities.
• Lead discussions on emerging technologies (e.g., XR, realtime rendering) and evaluate their relevance in interface and experience design.
• Evaluate project outcomes and apply insights to refine internal practices and design quality.
• Support a culture of experimentation and learning by mentoring teams in rapid iteration, user testing, and design validation.
• Maintain awareness of budget and timeline expectations as they relate to design deliverables and client satisfaction.

• Master’s degree or U.S. equivalent in Computer Science, Architecture, Design, or related field, plus 3 years of professional experience as a Core Engineer, Computer Scientist, Designer, or any occupation/job title/position involving user-centered experiences, products, and services.
• 3 years of professional experience utilizing C# in Unity VR development, React.js for web frontend, and Arduino for IoT.
• 3 years of professional experience utilizing electrical engineering, microcontrollers, sensors, creative coding, and robotics.
• 3 years of professional experience creating connected installations, experiences, and augmented objects.
• 3 years of professional experience performing hardware prototyping, integration, firmware development, wireless/network connectivity, and sketching/rough prototyping.
• 3 years of professional experience performing product management, including prioritizing features, pacing the process, and defining a product roadmap.
• 3 years of professional experience utilizing computer vision, machine learning, augmented/mixed reality, and Large Language Models (LLMs).
• 3 years of professional experience creating immersive experiences, games, or interactive narratives.
• 3 years of professional experience applying physics or computer graphics to 2D, 3D, or VR, with front-end technology tools (including Unity).
• 3 years of professional experience constructing interdependent, multi-faceted systems, and performing information flow, inputs and outputs, choice, behavior, and feedback.
• 3 years of professional experience translating technical terms to a wide audience.
• 3 years of professional experience winning new work for a consulting company by applying technical creative coding, development skills, and business knowledge of business development processes, systems, and client engagements.
• 3 years of professional experience managing complex projects for interdisciplinary teams.

Partial telecommuting permitted 2 days/week; on-site at 80 Prospect Street, Cambridge, MA 02139 3 days/week. Up to 30% domestic travel required for client research/engagement.

Salary: $140,000 to $200,000 per year.