Product Design Director jobs in District of Columbia

Since 1997, Avalon Consulting has been a unique agency: woman-owned, progressive, focused on fundraising. We raise millions of dollars for nonprofits and partner with visionaries and changemakers who are making a difference.

We are searching for a new Digital Design Director to help us expand our digital design division while also designing powerful still and animated creative that connects with our client audiences, inspires action, and adds value not noise.

This will be a unique opportunity for you to drive digital strategies using a data-informed approach, which is centered around donors, members, and prospects, because humans do not experience our clients’ missions in singular silos, but as complex intertwined journeys.

You’ll be ideal for Avalon and this opportunity if:

• You understand the power of creating strategic and innovative designs to help drive people to take action, donate, and engage with nonprofits.
• You are eager to help mentor and expand a design division within a multichannel company that services both direct mail and digital client needs.
• You enjoy the creative process in the development of your work, as well as inspiring others to create imaginative digital designs.
• You are looking to create lasting change.

As our Digital Design Director, your days at Avalon will include:

• Leading the digital design division within the Avalon Design Department
• Mentoring a team of designers with growing digital skills, by providing professional development opportunities and ensuring continuous feedback through regular coaching as well as input during performance reviews.
• Creating engaging still and animated design for web, mobile, email, and digital ads for campaigns across Avalon’s suite of progressive nonprofit clients.
• Using a data-informed approach to develop designs that drive advocacy actions and donations from a variety of audiences and user journey considerations.
• Partnering with internal teams and client contacts to ensure branding requirements are being satisfied.
• Delivering stunning and effective digital concepts that meet client briefs, style guide and spec requirements, while generating fresh, innovative design ideas to captivate target audiences.
• Monitoring emerging design trends and the competitive landscape, incorporating appropriate use of color, type, tone, and stye into digital designs.
• Incorporating elements of accessible design into client concepts and keeping abreast of developing trends and assessment tools in this area.

What we need from you:

• At least 5 – 8 years of experience as a designer in the digital marketing field, either at an agency or in-house.
• Prior experience supervising or mentoring other designers.
• Direct response or fundraising experience (preferred).
• An impressive portfolio showcasing innovative use of typography, photography, illustration, animation, and graphics in digital marketing and high-impact media.
• The ability to think strategically while ideating and delivering both large and small ideas that fit within a client’s strategy and brand.
• Proven experience understanding UI/UX design principles for creating intuitive and user-friendly digital experiences for email marketing, digital display and social media ads, and web.
• Expertise in using Adobe Creative Suite.
• Experience with project management software like monday.com (preferred).
• A passion for innovation and continuous learning, with a desire to push the boundaries of digital design.
• Strong project management skills, with the ability to prioritize tasks and meet deadlines while still ensuring quality of creative work.

In addition, we look for leaders at Avalon to demonstrate the following:

• Exceptional ability to build and maintain engaged and productive teams.
• Collaboration – both remotely and in person – with clients, partners, and peers
• Ability to inspire the best from other people through coaching and mentorship.
• Outstanding communication including active listening, persuasion, and remote meeting management.
• Competence in fostering positive, inclusive relationships that promote a sense of belonging.
• Ability to thrive in a rapid, high-volume agency environment, while thinking clearly and keeping cool under pressure
• Balance of strategic objectives alongside details and immediate concerns

Why you will love Avalon Consulting:

Avalon is proud to offer a supportive and collaborative team environment that encourages professional development while recognizing the importance of flexibility and work-life balance. We love what we do, and it shows in our engaged teams, industry awards, and delighted clients.

Besides being a great place to work, we are pleased to offer a comprehensive benefit plan, including employer-paid health, dental, and vision insurance, generous paid leave, remote work stipends, employer-paid life and disability insurance, flexible spending, mental health benefits, discounted pet insurance, a safe harbor 401(k) plan, and too many workplace perks to list!

We are a fully remote work environment, hiring the best fundraisers in the business, no matter where they work in the US. We also love getting together for team and client meetings when necessary and thus, company-paid travel will be occasionally required in this role.

If this sounds like an opportunity that you’re excited about, please apply using the provided link by submitting your resume, a cover letter, and answering our prescreen questions. Note that the salary range for this role will be disclosed in the online application.

Avalon is an equal opportunity employer, and we believe that diversity, equity, and inclusion are critical to our success. We strive to recruit, develop, and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool, and we encourage people from all backgrounds to apply for this opportunity. We are committed to fostering a culture that embraces differences every day, and where each of our staff is supported and inspired to reach their full potential.