Who is IDEO.org?

IDEO.org is a nonprofit design studio on a mission to design a more just and inclusive world. From our offices in the U.S. and Kenya, we partner with organizations working to advance health equity, economic opportunity, and wellbeing in communities around the world, co-creating products, services, campaigns, and programs that improve people’s lives.

From campaigns that helped millions access public health information, to services that catalyzed deep change in communities, these interventions have reached over 69 million people. From our studios in New York, San Francisco, and Nairobi, we’ve worked with organizations in 45 countries.

The Role

IDEO.org is searching for a Sr. Business Design Director to join our studio in New York City. In this role, you will serve as a leader to both individual designers and design teams, lending your skills, perspective, and guidance across the organization, both within and beyond your primary craft of Business Design. You will demonstrate design excellence and commitment to impact in all phases of design work, ensuring the conditions are in place for others to do their best work, and to grow & develop their skills under your leadership.

Sr. Design Directors at IDEO.org allocate their time in a few ways; contributing to the selling and scoping of design projects, serving as a guide to 1-2 concurrent design projects, contributing to the evolution and betterment of our design process, and acting as a coach and mentor to individual designers.

This role might be for you if you’re excited to lead people, process, and projects. On any given day, you might spend your time evolving the design process, developing toolkits of methods, strengthening the perspective on the role of design in the social sector, and contributing to theories of change and impact.

In This Role, You Will:

• Manage a team of Designers/Program professionals, providing supervision, coaching, and mentorship to direct reports
• Guide project teams through the design process, serving as a design and functional mentor of designers through hands-on team collaboration
• Lead the Business Design craft collective
• Lead the annual Business Design summer internship program
• Along with the Partnerships team, co-lead the selling and scoping for design consulting projects
• Partner with the COO and the Talent team to shape IDEO.org’s Design talent strategy, including areas such as recruiting, onboarding, teaming, learning and development, performance management, career development, and employee value proposition
• Work closely with the Managing Director of Impact to reflect on equity and impact in our work and identify opportunities to strengthen our processes and methodologies
• Partner with the CEO, other members of the leadership team, and the board to craft and execute IDEO.org’s strategy, priorities, and goals in a way that positions IDEO.org for transformative and sustainable impact
• Create and share content out in the world that demonstrates the value of design to the social sector and the value of the social sector to designers

We’re Looking For:

• 10+ years of leading multidisciplinary creative teams in complex organizations or systems
• 24 months of experience as a Business Design Lead at a non-profit design organization
• A Master’s of Public Administration
• Demonstrated commitment to IDEO.org’s mission of designing a more just and inclusive world and strong interest in dedicating the next chapter of your career to equity-centered design
• A strong leader of people and builder of creative culture, passionate about inclusive leadership and creative collaboration
• An outstanding manager, mentor, and coach to people of all backgrounds, with 5+ years of experience directly managing individuals’ growth & performance
• A systems thinker – you can navigate complexity and bring tangibility to design solutions
• Adept at synthesizing data, distilling complexity, and compelling storytelling
• Strong project leadership skills with experience in leading and inspiring teams to work together to advance client & internal projects and deliver excellence in design
• A seasoned builder and manager of relationships with external partners
• Advanced skill in Figma and Adobe Creative Suite
• Willing and able to participate in domestic and international travel 20% of the time across the United States, Africa, and Latin America

The Pay

IDEO.org values pay transparency to enable jobseekers to make informed and empowered choices with their time and effort. The annual salary associated with this position is $155,000 - 180,000, with participation in our benefits, including medical, dental, vision, 4% 401k match, technology stipend, caregiver stipend, professional development stipend, 6 weeks a year of paid vacation, and 16 paid holidays a year.

Wondering where you might land within this range? The exact salary for a role will ultimately depend on many factors, including; peer data within our organization, level of specialization required in the role, a candidate’s level of direct and relevant experience, among others. During your interview process, your Recruiter will discuss level and salary with you, to help you better understand how we make equitable pay and level decisions at IDEO.org.

What You Can Expect from Us

• A diverse and multidisciplinary team that is passionate about advancing our mission to design a more just and inclusive world. Over 85% of IDEO.org’s global staff identify as people of color and over 80% identify as women
• A community of creative thought partners across San Francisco, New York, and Nairobi
• A hybrid remote work environment, with 70% of employees working in studios located in San Francisco, New York City, and Nairobi
• A team of collaborators focused on advancing the practices of co-design and designing for equity
• A talent team committed to supporting the development of our community
• A culture of regular learning and inspiration to collectively develop ourselves and our work

Commitment to Diversity

At IDEO.org, our mission is to design a more just and inclusive world, and that means centering equity, justice, and belonging in everything we do. We strive to bring together diverse perspectives and lived experiences to create a culture where joy, care, and full self-expression can thrive. This means creating conditions for people of every race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, socio-economic status, physical ability or attribute, religion, national origin, or political belief can thrive. This includes our employees, candidates, and the partners and communities we work with. We hold ourselves accountable to providing equitable access to resources and disrupting systems of oppression both within our organization and among the communities we serve.

This includes the following commitments:

• Fostering unconditional belonging for all staff
• Evolving processes and practices to shift power
• Translating our values around equity and justice into structural and operational change
• Engaging in continuous and collective collective reckoning on an ongoing basis