Position Details: Principal Design Director

About us: 

Other agencies talk about how stories can influence and change the world. At Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), we make those changes a reality. For corporate growth officers, TCS will offer agency creative with a consultancy mindset, true end-to-digital and advisory services. We help marketers transform their brand, their technologies, their customer experiences, their business models, their entire enterprises. And we do it in alliance across the C-suite.

We do all of this at a global scale – in 55 countries, 153 nationalities and over 80 languages.

Although TCS is the second largest IT firm globally, it is widely unknown to CMOs. Our end-to-end offerings are just being built out and we now need to build awareness and reposition TCS in the minds of brand marketing teams. That means defining what our technology offering is, how we relate to growth officers (GOs), how we can advocate for them with CFOs, CEO’s and CIO – in short how we think about, market, and deliver technology services to a wholly new customer for TCS. 

Job Description: 

The role of Executive Design Director is for the marketing advisory practice at TCS. This is effectively a new market and a new customer (CMO) for TCS, and the EDD will play a critical leading role to what is effectively a two sided value proposition – first, internally setting the TCS point of view on the current best practice and future of design and the role it plays in marketing and CX. Followed by an external role in evangelizing and advising our clients and prosects on this POV.  

This role is a leadership position in the Marketing Advisory team and the EDD will work closely with the Managing Partner, the head of strategy, technology and operations. They will be an advisory resource to internal TCS teams/clients. 

As the advisory group scales, the EDD will help build out the NY studio capabilities and resources, which will be piloted and replicated in other global regions. 

Key responsibilities: 

Strategic Leadership

• Design Vision and Strategy: Develop and implement the company’s design vision and strategy, ensuring alignment with business objectives and technological capabilities.

• Innovation: Foster a culture of innovation by staying ahead of industry trends and incorporating cutting-edge design practices into IT solutions and marketing services.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with senior leadership to integrate design thinking into all aspects of the business, including product development, IT services, and marketing initiatives.

Design Management

• Team Leadership: Lead, mentor, and inspire a multidisciplinary design team, including UX/UI designers, graphic designers, and other creative professionals.

• Process Improvement: Establish and refine design processes, ensuring efficiency, consistency, and high-quality outputs across all projects.

• Talent Development: Recruit, develop, and retain top design talent, fostering a culture of creativity and continuous improvement.

• Studio capabilities: Help build out a studio out of the NY hub. Possibly across other markets. 

Project Oversight

• End-to-End Design: Oversee the design and delivery of comprehensive end-to-end solutions, ensuring seamless integration of design elements in IT solutions and marketing services.

• Quality Assurance: Ensure all design outputs meet the highest standards of quality, usability, and aesthetics.

• Client Engagement: Engage with clients to understand their needs, present design concepts, and ensure client satisfaction throughout the project lifecycle.

Business Development

• Client Acquisition: Support business development efforts by contributing to proposals, pitches, and client meetings.

• Market Research: Conduct market research to identify opportunities for new design-led services and solutions.

Financial Management

• Resource Allocation: Work with operations to allocate resources effectively across projects, balancing workload and ensuring timely delivery.

Reporting and Analysis

• Performance Metrics: Define and track key performance indicators (KPIs) for the design team, using data to drive improvements.

• Feedback Loop: Establish mechanisms for gathering and incorporating feedback from clients and internal teams to continually enhance design practices.

Important Note

A Chief Creative Officer (CCO) will be hired within the next year, to whom the Executive Design Director will report into. The ideal candidate will work well in this partnership and welcome a CCO as a partner.

Qualifications: 

Education

• Bachelor’s Degree: In Design, Fine Arts, Human-Computer Interaction, or a related field.

• Master’s Degree (Preferred): In Design Management, Business Administration, or a related discipline.

Experience

• Work Experience: 15+ years of experience in design roles, with at least 7 years in a senior leadership position.

• Industry Knowledge: Experience in technology-focused companies and marketing services is highly desirable.

• Portfolio: A robust portfolio showcasing a range of successful design projects and initiatives.

Skills

• Creative Vision: Exceptional creative and strategic thinking abilities.

• Leadership: Proven leadership and team-building skills, with experience managing diverse design teams.

• Communication: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to present ideas effectively to clients and stakeholders.

• Technical Proficiency: Strong understanding of design software and tools (e.g., Adobe Creative Suite, Sketch, Figma).

• Project Management: Strong project management skills, with the ability to oversee multiple projects simultaneously.

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