Design Director, Product (Temporary)

Instrument is a remote-first digital product and brand experience agency with a team of over 200 talented individuals, organized across four specialized teams. Each team brings its expertise to life through best-in-class work, crafting transformative experiences for our clients. Our shift to a fully remote model has opened new doors for creativity, flexibility, and stronger client relationships. This approach not only strengthens our culture but also allows us to embrace diverse voices, perspectives, and ideas.

As a Design Director at Instrument you build best-in class digital platforms and experiences. You believe the best work is ahead of you and thrive on leading a multidisciplinary team in the meticulous art of solving hard problems through the design process.

We have 2 different openings for a Design Director to help our teams in a temporary capacity in Q1.

-Project 1 dates: 1/6-1/30 at 40 hours/week

-Project 2 dates: 1/6-2/14 (sort hold until 3/28) at 40 hours/week

• Inspire by making: guide and inspire a team of designers through every phase of the product design process, from research and strategy to prototyping and delivery.
• Cultivate, guide, and lead your team with a strong point of view and creative vision, driving them to craft elegant, user-centered solutions that align with strategic objectives.
• Fearlessly concept, iterate, and prototype, leveraging user testing to refine ideas into exceptional digital experiences.
• Build and maintain strong client partnerships, ensuring seamless project delivery from kickoff through execution.
• Deliver smart, strategic thinking through concise and compelling presentations that align stakeholders and energize your team.
• Lead projects and teams with autonomy, thriving in a flexible, collaborative environment with minimal hierarchy.
• Influence the design team with bold, visionary design solutions, pushing boundaries while staying grounded in the needs of the user and client.
• Collaborate dynamically, spending 60% of your time working alongside your team and clients and 40% executing independently to move the work forward.

• 8+ years of experience leading design teams, with a strong background in product design and UX/UI design, and a proven track record of creating innovative digital experiences. Experience in startup environments is a plus.
• A portfolio demonstrating high proficiency in strategic, user-centered design across various platforms, with a focus on delivering impactful, accessible, and visually compelling solutions.
• A curiosity for emerging technologies and how they can shape digital products, paired with a knack for applying them thoughtfully to solve complex design challenges.
• Experience working closely with cross-disciplinary teams—including developers, producers, and business stakeholders—to align goals, overcome challenges, and deliver exceptional results.
• Comfort with ambiguity and a thoughtful approach to taking creative risks that push the work—and your team—forward.
• A strong balance of strategic thinking and hands-on design skills, with the ability to seamlessly shift between high-level vision and detailed execution.

• The expected pay range for this role is $x-$x per hour (on a W-2), but will depend on the level in which you are engaged.
• Our company has three regional pay bands that it adheres to depending on your location, we reference them as US 1, US 2, and US 3.
• US 3 is our base pay. Examples of cities in US 3 are Portland, Houston and Miami.
• US 2 pay is 7.5% higher than US 3 to meet the market rates. Examples of cities in US 2 are Los Angeles, Chicago and Seattle.
• US 1 pay is 15% higher than US 3 to meet market rates. Examples of cities in US 1 are Brooklyn and San Francisco.
• If you are curious which region you are in, please apply and get connected with our recruiting team