Executive Design Director (Brand & Product)

Our leadership team primarily collaborates during PST business hours, while we also have designers in Europe. This role is ideally based in EST to ensure overlap across our time zones. Candidates comfortable working on an EST schedule are encouraged to apply. Companies ready to change the world come to Metalab to create products that improve lives, reshape markets, and shift culture. As Executive Design Director, you'll shape the future of creative at the intersection of brand, experience and product at Metalab. You'll define what craft excellence looks like across the organization, lead with strategic vision, and ensure brand and product design remain a driving force in our work, culture, and growth. You'll coach and elevate other leaders, steward our approach to craft, and guide both clients and internal teams through high-impact, high-visibility brand and product design engagements—while also contributing hands-on at a world-class level. You are a systems thinker, equally brand and product minded, a strategic storyteller, and a trusted voice across disciplines. You bring deep expertise in product design, brand strategy & identity, experiential design, and organizational leadership. You know how to connect these dots to influence outcomes at scale. At Metalab, this level of leadership isn’t just about oversight—it’s about leading by doing. You will balance leadership responsibilities with active participation in client work, collaborating with teams to set the bar for craft, execution, and strategic thinking within wider Design Leadership. By staying engaged in real projects, you’ll stay relevant in your craft, model best practices, and deliver the innovative, high-quality design work Metalab is known for. What You'll Do Lead by Example Define and evolve Metalab's product and brand design vision to ensure alignment across teams and client work. Coach senior design leaders and project teams, providing clear, actionable feedback and long-term career guidance. Model