BLOND is a critically acclaimed London-based design studio that collaborates with the world’s leading brands and startups—ranked by Red Dot as the No.1 design studio in America and Europe for four consecutive years.
STRATEGIC INNOVATION & DESIGN embodies the studio’s practice. With empathy toward fast‑changing social needs and environmental challenges, BLOND harnesses insights to pinpoint opportunities that have the potential to enhance contemporary lifestyles and provoke change. The studio’s designers, engineers, and strategists translate these opportunities into meaningful brands, products, spaces, and experiences that give our partners a market advantage while positively impacting the planet.
OPPORTUNITY
We are looking for a Design Director who can refine our creative foundation and meticulously elevate our vision for our studio, ensuring design excellence across every project. You will lead multidisciplinary teams, guide clients, and remain hands‑on enough to keep the work sharp, relevant, and inspiring. We are offering the opportunity to balance big‑picture strategy, creative direction, and real‑world product execution, while having real influence on the future of the business and its culture.
DUTIES
* Own and evolve the creative vision of the studio
* Lead and mentor a team of industrial designers, reporting to the Founder
* Be a key creative voice in client relationships: presentations, workshops, reviews, and pitches
* Guide projects from early concept through production, balancing vision with feasibility
* Elevate design culture, process, and craft within the studio
* Partner with leadership on business strategy and development
* Build and maintain a strong external reputation for the studio’s work
* Lead client meetings and correspondence
* Display strong strategic design thinking and guidance
* Support Lead Designers in managing projects, including schedule, resources, deliverables, and reviews
* Lead hiring rounds and team building
SKILLS & ATTRIBUTES (REQUIRED)
* BA or MA Degree in Industrial Design
* 12+ years of experience in industrial design (consultancy or in‑house), with at least 5 years of leadership experience
* A strong portfolio showing finished products and high‑level creative direction
* Proven ability to lead teams and raise the quality of work through critique and mentorship
* Deep understanding of design for manufacturing, materials, and production processes
* Excellent communication and storytelling skills—internally and with clients
* Strategic thinker who can connect design decisions to business and user impact
* Comfortable balancing creative ambition with real‑world constraints
* Strong administrative and organisational skills
* Ability to think holistically about projects and stakeholder requirements—using strategic creativity to help our partners achieve their goals
* Eagerness to become part of a tight‑knit team and a brand advocate
* Ability to manage and lead creative projects from start to finish
* Strong leadership and management skills
* Creativity and innovation‑focused
* Detail‑oriented
* Great communicator and confident in communicating with clients
* Willingness to teach and support other staff members
* Strong verbal and written communication skills in English are required
* Excellent knowledge of design
* Willing to travel internationally for meetings/development workshops
* Able to work in the UK
SKILLS & ATTRIBUTES (BENEFICIAL)
* Experience in defining design strategy and aligning with business goals
* Experience building, scaling, and mentoring design teams
* Experience in medical, consumer tech, furniture and mobility
* Public speaking, writing, or thought leadership in design
* Strong network in the design/product/startup ecosystem
* Ability to collaborate across cross‑functional teams
* Multilingual capabilities or international experience
* Understanding of sustainable design practices and market trends
* Knowledge of prototyping, materials, and manufacturing processes
* Strong proficiency in CAD tools (e.g., SolidWorks, Rhino, Fusion 360)
* AI prompting experience
BENEFITS
* Vitality Health (Private Healthcare)
* Birthday day off (paid)
* Education days (two paid days off per year for education – lectures, mentoring and tutoring)
* Beautiful Canal Side Studio
* Team Socials and Events
FAQ
* Working from home is offered (one day per week)
* The position will be based in our London office (Hackney, E2)
* Overseas applicants are very welcome, but they must hold a valid British Citizenship or a valid right to work in the UK (please note, we do not offer visa sponsorship)
* Please note we do not offer working from abroad, all employees are expected to be in our London studio a minimum of 4 days a week.
HOW TO APPLY:
Please read carefully, as applications that do not include this will not be reviewed.
* Attach a PDF copy of your CV and portfolio to jobs@blond.cc
* Issuu, Behance or web‑based portfolios will not be viewed
* Please title the email: BLOND DESIGN DIRECTOR APRIL 2026
* PDF portfolio should be no larger than 15MB
* No need to create a cover letter; please introduce yourself via email
* Within the introduction email, please clearly state your availability or notice period
* Please clearly state your annual salary expectations in GBP within the email
* Please clearly state your right to work in the UK status within the email. We will only accept fully granted visas, settled status, ILR, or British citizenship. Please specify which applies to you, as we can not offer any sponsorship.
Please note: due to the high volume of applications, we will only be able to reply to successful candidates after the deadline date has closed.
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