Head of Digital Design Studio
Washington, DC

Job Description

Do you have a passion for technology and an aspiration to bring truth to journalism? If so, then Al Jazeera in Washington, DC is the place you want to be. Al Jazeera's mission is to connect and inform the world. We serve as a forum for truth, knowledge, cultural exchange, expression, and human rights. Our team is global, and constantly striving to empower people around the world to be better informed and more connected.

To achieve this global vision, we will design and build a vast array of solutions, including highly engaging websites, mobile applications, and more, to be consumed by a massive international audience.

As the Head of Digital Design Studio in Al Jazeera's Digital Division, you will lead and inspire a team of user experience, user interface, and visual designers to design and help us build leading-edge experiences across all digital product lines. You will define the processes and best-practices that enable the design team to create and deliver unique and compelling solutions across a wide range of traditional and innovative new media experiences. Additionally, you will help the team create and evolve a compelling design language across these properties.

This role requires a strategic mind-set, critical thinking, proven leadership skills, strong aesthetic sensibilities, collaboration, and execution with cross-functional teams on behalf of our audience. To succeed, you must have the ability to motivate those around you with your vision and dedication to creative excellence, and you must be adept at pitching and influencing senior management to ensure an appropriate balance between creativity and alignment with business objectives.

Key Responsibilities:

* Hire, manage, and inspire a strong team of multi-discipline designers across user experience, user interface, and visualization.
* Develop design processes, workflows, and best-practice guidelines and hold design team accountable to adhering to them.
* Manage budget across staffing, software/hardware vendors, staff training, and industry engagement (conferences).
* Create a user-centric design culture, including championing usability and A/B testing.
* Collaborate with product managers and developers to turn requirements and designs into real working products.
* Build relationships with editorial stakeholders and lead or participate in formal design initiatives across the network.
* Mentor and advise designers, product managers, and other relevant stakeholders across the network on user experience and information architecture.

Qualifications:

* 10 years specific experience in web, mobile, or smart device user experience and interaction design.
* 7+ years of design team leadership in an agency or corporate setting.
* Ability to gracefully handle multiple projects in a fast-paced environment.
* An online portfolio or samples of work demonstrating great user-centered design solutions.
* Excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills and the ability to gracefully defend your design decisions to executive management.

Preferred Qualifications:

* Advanced degree in user experience or interactive design.
* Prior experience in news media.
* Prior project management experience, with a focus on creative direction.