We at Selecto are looking for a Design Director who will take ownership of our design practice — developing the team, setting the creative direction, and working hand in hand with the CEO to drive presales and expand the business.
What we expect:
- Strong experience in agency/outsource design (5+ years); product background is a plus
- Leadership track record (2+ years as design lead/art director in an agency or outsource environment)
- Strategic mindset: seeing design as a business growth tool
- Proven experience working with international clients and fluent English at C1 level or above.
Selecto works with startups and enterprises in fintech, healthcare, and other innovation-driven sectors across Dubai and the US. If you want to shape products that matter and build design as a true business partner — let’s talk!
Requirements:
A strong candidate should think not as a “head designer” but as a business partner.
Hard skills
- Experience in creating digital products (web, mobile)
- Proficiency in modern UX research methodologies (user research planning, CJM, JTBD, discovery, usability testing)
- Experience in building design systems and guidelines
- Ability to work with data: analytics, design metrics, A/B testing
- Advanced Figma proficiency
- Fluency in AI design tools and techniques (automation, design generation, context management)
Soft skills
- Leadership & mentorship: ability to grow designers into strong specialists
- Strategic thinking: seeing design as a business growth tool
- Strong communication: explaining design value to clients and team
- Ability to make tough decisions and maintain quality under pressure
- Effective stakeholder management
- Design workshops facilitation
- Fluent English
Experience
- 5+ years in agency/outsource design
- 2+ years in a design lead, art director, or similar leadership role
- Proven track record working with international clients
Responsibilities:
Team Leadership
- Hiring and developing designers (mentorship, growth plans, promotion & recognition), resource allocation, and cultivating company values within the team
- Team coaching and knowledge sharing
- Mentorship, leadership development within the team
- Keeping methodologies, approaches, and tools up to date for designers’ work
Operational
- Quality control of all Selecto projects, especially key clients
- Collaboration with clients at critical or strategic project stages (discovery, strategy, workshops)
- Leading critical negotiations with clients as the face of the company’s design
- Setting up and documenting design workflows for each new project, including task stages, review checkpoints, and escalation to Design Director
Hands-On
- Launching new projects, conducting design discovery when necessary
- Readiness to step into project delivery and support the team when needed
Business & Communication
- Supporting our CEO in shaping the company brand
- Supporting our Sales in demonstrating design value to potential leads and estimating new projects