Industrial Design Director

Industrial Design Director

We are now looking for an experienced Industrial Design Director to join our growing global design team. This is a senior creative leadership role for someone with exceptional industrial design craft, demonstrated leadership experience, and the strategic ability to guide complex multidisciplinary work and teams from vision through execution. The position is an on-site opportunity preferably based in our Malmö, Sweden studio, though we are open to considering placement in our Stockholm office for the right candidate.

As Industrial Design Director, you will play a pivotal role in shaping our industrial design practice and elevating the quality of our client work. You will bring a strong point of view, refined creative judgment, and the ability to lead complex innovation programs and cross-functional collaborations with clarity and confidence. Balancing client ambitions with Above's creative perspective and standards, you will guide projects from initial brief through delivery and implementation — ensuring exceptional quality, holistic perspective and strategic coherence at every stage.

You will bring design excellence and a senior point of view into every touchpoint while maintaining a hands-on creative approach. In close collaboration with leadership, you will play an important role in elevating the Above brand and design practice — shaping design culture, commercial offerings, creative processes, talent development, and the future direction of industrial design at Above.

Our work is exciting and diverse in nature, spanning high-volume consumer products, smart home devices, furniture, robotics, future mobility experiences, progressive healthcare solutions, packaging and many more. We create impact across every horizon - from category-defining products and experiences to multi-dimensional portfolio strategies and compelling visions of the future for some of the world's most progressive brands.

We are looking for a progressive, forward-thinking designer and creative leader with an exceptional portfolio demonstrating a broad body of high-level creativity, strategy, strong leadership abilities, and refined executional craft.

• Preferably 10+ years of relevant professional experience, including creative leadership responsibilities in agency or in-house environments
• Ability to lead cross-functional innovation programs and teams at the intersection of physical and digital product experiences independently
• Confidence working across ambiguity, complexity, and fast-moving creative environments
• Experience in defining vision, creative direction, and strategic narratives across multiple programs
• Demonstrated ability to think in systems, portfolios, and experiences, displaying a holistic perspective and strategic precision
• Leading by doing - providing sharp core industrial design craft, hands-on leadership and executional rigor within project teams
• Refined aesthetics and deep sensitivity to craft, execution, materiality, manufacturing processes, technology integration, and overall quality
• A thoughtful, user-centered approach to design that translates complex challenges into compelling and commercially viable solutions
• Proven ability to build and maintain trusted long-term relationships with clients and partners, representing Above externally through strong creative leadership and industry presence
• Commercial interest and skills - contributing to project scoping, proposal creation, client acquisition, sales dialogues, and growth opportunities
• Strong storytelling and communication skills, able to present design rationale and strategic value with clarity and persuasive impact
• Desire to elevate design culture, methodologies, and creative standards within the discipline and the wider studio environment
• Mentor, inspire, and grow designers across varying levels of experience
• Integrity, optimism, and a self-propelled, collaborative mindset

We are a Scandinavian innovation agency dedicated to driving positive change through the integration of design, strategy, and technology. At Above, we believe the future belongs to teams that can move fluidly between disciplines.…