Koto · 17 hours ago
Design Director
Los Angeles, CA
Full-time
Hybrid
Director/ExecutiveKoto is a creative agency seeking a Design Director who is both a designer and a leader. The role involves managing a team, collaborating closely with the Creative Director, and delivering exceptional brand work through creativity and systems thinking.
Graphic Design
Responsibilities
You identify, curate, and refine standout ideas in close collaboration with the Creative Director. You bring sharp, creative judgment and a refined point of view, framing work clearly and persuasively. You encourage and nurture this same level of taste and discernment within your team
You split your time between leading and designing. You champion exceptional brand identities and are hands-on in making them real — designing directly when needed and directing photographers, animators, illustrators, and specialist craft collaborators to push the work in new directions
You bring a strong, informed perspective on generative tools and AI. You understand the broader AI landscape and can engage in thoughtful, critical discourse — shaping strong prompts and systems, challenging ideas constructively, and ensuring the work is innovative, intentional, and never driven by hype
You collaborate deeply with the team around you, mentoring wherever possible. You manage both up and down, acting as a trusted conduit between the Creative Director and Designers, ensuring clarity, momentum, and creative excellence
You build compelling narratives, deliver thoughtful presentations, and confidently lead workshops and client working sessions. You don’t just present work — you extend the dialogue, challenge assumptions, and evolve ideas in true partnership
You collaborate closely with the Strategy team throughout immersion and strategic phases, shaping creative responses that are conceptually strong, culturally relevant, and commercially sound
You demonstrate an exceptional understanding of branding and the creative practitioners within it. You consistently deliver work for today’s most impactful companies and the builders shaping what comes next
You demonstrate ownership of your role and actively seek, take, and apply feedback from your manager. You provide clear, actionable feedback and meaningful support to your team, helping them grow creatively and professionally
You have a strong awareness of the time, craft, and collaboration required to produce excellent work. You manage your own time and your team’s time effectively — calendars, meetings, and scopes — to deliver high-quality work on schedule
You are comfortable working in person from our Culver City studio and are open to global travel when needed
You have a strong command of Figma, InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, and Pitch, and stay curious about emerging tools and workflows that elevate the work
Qualification
Required
You are equal parts designer and leader — a true tastemaker with strong creative judgment and a clear point of view
You understand both creativity and practicality, and you navigate that duality with confidence
You inspire and do
You manage up and down
You bring clarity to complexity and momentum to ideas, delivering exceptional brand work with rigor, taste, and intention
You identify, curate, and refine standout ideas in close collaboration with the Creative Director
You bring sharp, creative judgment and a refined point of view, framing work clearly and persuasively
You encourage and nurture this same level of taste and discernment within your team
You split your time between leading and designing
You champion exceptional brand identities and are hands-on in making them real — designing directly when needed and directing photographers, animators, illustrators, and specialist craft collaborators to push the work in new directions
You bring a strong, informed perspective on generative tools and AI
You understand the broader AI landscape and can engage in thoughtful, critical discourse — shaping strong prompts and systems, challenging ideas constructively, and ensuring the work is innovative, intentional, and never driven by hype
You collaborate deeply with the team around you, mentoring wherever possible
You manage both up and down, acting as a trusted conduit between the Creative Director and Designers, ensuring clarity, momentum, and creative excellence
You build compelling narratives, deliver thoughtful presentations, and confidently lead workshops and client working sessions
You don't just present work — you extend the dialogue, challenge assumptions, and evolve ideas in true partnership
You collaborate closely with the Strategy team throughout immersion and strategic phases, shaping creative responses that are conceptually strong, culturally relevant, and commercially sound
You demonstrate an exceptional understanding of branding and the creative practitioners within it
You consistently deliver work for today's most impactful companies and the builders shaping what comes next
You demonstrate ownership of your role and actively seek, take, and apply feedback from your manager
You provide clear, actionable feedback and meaningful support to your team, helping them grow creatively and professionally
You have a strong awareness of the time, craft, and collaboration required to produce excellent work
You manage your own time and your team's time effectively — calendars, meetings, and scopes — to deliver high-quality work on schedule
You are comfortable working in person from our Culver City studio and are open to global travel when needed
You have a strong command of Figma, InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, and Pitch, and stay curious about emerging tools and workflows that elevate the work
Benefits
Discretionary annual bonus of up to 10% of salary
Significant paid maternity and paternity
25 vacation days per year, in addition to US national holidays (on average 10)
401(k) plan you can contribute to, and Koto matches up to 4%
Monthly ‘employee wellness’ benefits package via Juno of $105 per month
YCN access and fund relevant training opportunities for any employee looking to develop themselves and their career
Reward five years of service with $5,000 and five days' holiday
Reward ten years of service with $10,000 and four weeks' holiday
Opportunity to work from any of the five Koto studios globally
Company
Koto
Koto is startup-focused branding and design firm.
Founded in 2014
51-200 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Growth StageTotal Funding
unknownKey Investors
WestBridge Capital
2025-04-08Private Equity
Leadership Team
C
Carolyn Rush
Senior Strategy Director
Recent News
2025-07-03
Company data provided by crunchbase