Design director

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