Senior director, business design

We are looking for a Senior Director, Business Design to join our team. At Runyon, Business Designers drive the analysis of the viability of products and ventures, and articulate how optimal business models shape the experience, and vice versa. They consider a series of monetization opportunities, operational considerations as well as the growth implications to scale into market while maintaining a firm understanding of the underlying market dynamics of incumbent position, emergent players and value exchange across key stakeholders in the ecosystem.

This role requires someone who is highly strategic, detail-oriented, and experienced in financial modeling, performing competitive analyses, creating growth strategies and testing value hypotheses and growth hypotheses from low to increasing live fidelity. They have the ability to develop a deep understanding of a partner’s business and translate those into a plan of action. They develop strong relationships and build trust with core decision-makers, both internally and externally.

About Runyon

Runyon is a product design and venture studio that helps companies grow. We are a team of customer-centered designers, researchers, and strategists that crafts new products, experiences and ventures. Our approach combines customer needs and behaviors with leading edge business strategy. Our work is sprint- and prototype-driven and we think about how we can craft strategies and products into the market in ways that are meaningful and measured from the start. Our team has decades of experience working with some of the largest global partners including Disney, The New York Times, American Express, Target and others.

We're prototyping-led. We lead with tangible assumptions in the form of prototypes and test them with real stakeholders to validate and refine our strategy and design. Regardless of discipline, we think and communicate in concepts, and use those to move further, faster.

We're detailed and intentional. We always back up our design decisions with sound reasoning—be it user research, market research, or both. We make things that make sense and that have a clear through line.

We're fast. We work almost exclusively in sprints, and with lean teams. We need folks who like to run.

We're collaborative. We jam as a multidisciplinary team of specialists who collectively contribute to the full spectrum of work across user research, strategy and design to arrive at high quality outcomes.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Actively participate in ideation sessions with cross-functional teams to conceptualize new experiences, products, services, and ventures that create differentiated market opportunities
• Collaborate with internal teams and senior client partners to define strategic success criteria, business objectives, and opportunities for growth
• Design profitable new products, brands, services, business models, and ventures, translating strategic opportunities into tangible, market-ready solutions
• Shape growth and go-to-market strategies for new products and ventures, aligning business, financial, and operational objectives
• Craft design-driven market and competitive analyses that uncover opportunities, inform strategic direction, and position our partners for differentiation
• Develop financial models that establish what needs to be true for revenue growth, product and venture success, and long-term business sustainability
• Shape operational plans, resource strategies, and strategic partnerships that support product development, venture incubation, and business growth
• Develop and lead experiments that generate actionable insights, validate opportunities, and inform strategic product and venture roadmaps
• Evaluate emerging technologies, including AI-enabled capabilities, and identify opportunities to integrate them into meaningful product, service, and venture solutions
• Establish deep partnerships with cross-functional teams and client stakeholders, ensuring alignment and collaborative progress toward key strategic and product milestones

QUALIFICATIONS

• 7+ years of experience as a business designer, business strategist, or business analyst at a design studio, consultancy, or internally within an organization
• Fluent in business acumen, including knowledge in strategy, marketing, finance, operations and product development
• Ability to build and interpret financial models to quantify business impact
• Ability to interpret and communicate complex business ideas to different audiences, in addition to listening and modifying your thinking based on the contributions and perspectives of others
• Ability to easily adapt, and switch between different projects, businesses and industries
• A desire to engage with collaborative, multi-disciplinary teams which include our partners
• A proven track record of successfully launched products as a business designer, product manager, product growth strategist, and/or as a startup founder
• Great communication and time management abilities, including the skill to direct and manage small teams and judiciously involve investors, experts, and stakeholders
• You thrive in ambiguity, and have a propensity to experiment with generative ideas in order to identify the most innovative and disruptive solutions

Please note that this job posting remains active as part of our ongoing effort to build a network of talented designers, strategists, researchers, and other creative professionals. As a result, it may not correspond to an immediate opening. Runyon’s dynamic, fast-paced environment makes this ideal for candidates who thrive in flexible, project-based roles.