Design Director

OAKLAND MUSEUM OF CALIFORNIA (OMCA) MISSION

We inspire understanding and empathy with stories and experiences of California’s art, history, and natural environment to build more equitable and connected communities.

We envision a just and vibrant future where our communities value and honor one another and the world around us.

The Design Director is responsible for the development and execution of a dynamic, community-centered, cohesive design strategy for the Oakland Museum of California, supporting multiple functions and departments and working across multiple design platforms. The Design Director maintains a knowledge of current design, brand, and marketing trends, and works to support design’s role in audience engagement across physical and digital-first platforms.

Learning the expression of OMCA’s mission and values in exhibition and collection presentations, campus signage and way finding, this position works as a strategic partner in stewarding the Museum’s visual identity (brand) in marketing and communications, programming, and fundraising materials. The position also leads and manages processes and resources necessary to implement OMCA’s design strategy, providing creative direction for OMCA’s design studio, and overseeing spatial design, graphic design, video content, and graphic production for the full organization.

The Design Director supervises the Design Studio staff and collaborates with senior leadership and teams throughout the Museum.

The following reflects OMCA’s definition of essential functions for this position, but does not restrict the tasks that may be assigned. OMCA may assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this position at any time due to reasonable accommodation or other reasons.

• Support the Museum’s mission, values, vision, and core commitment to the visitor experience, community engagement, and institutional relevancy for the future
• Contribute to and support the OMCA strategic plan, annual priorities, and institutional initiatives such as diversity advancement
• Contribute to a positive organizational culture based on mutual respect, a spirit of collegiality, cooperation, and openness to many perspectives
• Participate in a culture of ongoing learning, collaboration, innovation, creativity, and community engagement
• All positions will have core functional responsibilities, cross functional team activation and learning and development as a core function of each role.

• Responsible for design vision and planning processes that explain creative services, design processes, and staffing in support of a creative and responsive design studio, culture, and function.
• Actively engage in and maintain an awareness of design approaches, practices, and ethics in the museum field that support OMCA’s continued leadership in exhibition design and other design platforms.
• Foster, coordinate, and manage effective collaborations with the Design team and with other departments and teams.
• Facilitate, conduct and or/participate in creative discussions, cross-functional teams, and project critiques.
• Partner on cross-departmental teams to align and innovate design, curatorial, and interpretation collaborations.
• Oversee the evaluation, hiring and management of outside design consultants when necessary, including artists, designers, printers, photographers, etc. to ensure quality of execution.
• Direct and supervise the day-to-day activities of the design staff including priority setting, coaching, professional development and performance management.
• Participate in OMCA’s management training and performance management and staff development programs.
• Work in a healthy and flexible management style that understands and adjusts to staff needs and complex projects that support strategic priorities and sustainable workloads.
• Serve on and advise leadership and senior planning committees and teams as needed.
• Balance multiple projects and priorities in support of OMCA’s mission and goals.
• Deliver excellent customer…