Design Director

Design Director Location: Pune (Full-Time) Exp: 7-8 yrs Compensation : ₹12-15 LPA Reports To: Head of Marketing & Brand Team: Designers, Jr. Designers, Motion Graphic Artists, Stop-Motion Artists; collaborates w/ Copywriters & Freelancers About Together Hospitality Together Hospitality is home to five distinct brands, each w/ its own personality, audience & creative world. We believe design is a strategic tool that builds desire, creates memory, drives awareness & shapes how people experience our brands. We're looking for a Design Director to own & elevate the visual identity of all five brands while leading a multidisciplinary design team to produce exceptional creative work. About the Role The Design Director is the design conscience of Together Hospitality, owning the visual language across all five brands & ensuring every creative output meets a consistently high standard. This senior, hands-on leadership role brings creative decision-making on visual hierarchy, illustration, direction & execution directly into the design function, reducing reliance on external creative intervention. You'll lead designers, Jr. designers, motion & stop-motion artists, while collaborating closely w/ copywriters, strategists & the Creative Director. You think first about what an audience needs to understand, feel or do, then determine the most effective way to communicate it visually. We're looking for someone w/ exceptional creative range, strong design fundamentals & a constant appetite for experimentation across graphic design, motion, illustration, photography, retouching, stop-motion & emerging creative tech. What You'll Do Own the Design Language Across Five Brands ● Define & maintain each brand's visual identity ● Establish & evolve typography, colour, image treatment, motion & illustration styles, & layout systems ● Keep each brand distinct, recognizable & true to its identity ● Make key creative decisions on hierarchy, emphasis & storytelling ● Evolve brand aesthetics while preserving brand equity Set & Maintain the Creative Standard ● Serve as the final quality filter before work is published ● Translate communication objectives into clear visual direction ● Define what audiences should notice first & how creative should make them feel ● Give actionable, developmental feedback to designers ● Reduce dependency on founder/leadership-level creative reviews Lead & Grow the Design Team ● Manage designers, Jr. designers, motion & stop-motion artists ● Allocate projects, review work, unblock challenges & mentor ● Brief & direct copywriters so words & visuals work together ● Build stronger creative judgment & execution across the team Direct Craft Across Mediums ● Design-direct graphic design, motion, illustration & stop-motion work ● Oversee photography editing & retouching standards ● Develop inventive, on-brand motion/stop-motion executions ● Introduce new formats, techniques & references so design stays ahead of trends Build Systems & Scale Consistency ● Create design systems, templates & brand guidelines ● Establish workflows for consistency across teams & freelancers ● Onboard new designers/creative partners efficiently ● Integrate AI tools where they improve quality, creativity or execution Working w/ the Creative Director This role partners closely w/ the Creative Director, who owns storytelling, narrative, content concepts, brand films, shoots, reels & video production. The Design Director owns brand identity, visual systems, design craft & creative consistency. Where storytelling & design intersect, both collaborate as equals. What This Role Does Not Own ● Storytelling, video production, shoots & editing ● Content strategy & content calendar management ● Campaign strategy & brand narrative development ● Photography/videography execution on shoots Key Result Areas (KRAs) ● Creative Quality & Standards (25%): Better creative quality across brands; less need for leadership intervention; strong visual POV in major deliverables ● Brand Integrity Across Five Brands (20%): Distinct, consistent identities; no visual overlap or dilution ● Team Capability & Leadership (20%): Stronger team output; better briefing; greater autonomy ● Creative Range & Experimentation (20%): New formats/techniques adopted; elevated motion, illustration & editing; contemporary, differentiated work ● Reliability & Delegation (15%): Consistent delivery; scalable systems; full ownership w/ minimal oversight What We're Looking For Education & Foundation ● Degree from a leading design institution (NID, MIT-ID, Srishti, NIFT, Symbiosis or equivalent) ● Strong grounding in typography, composition, colour theory, hierarchy & visual communication ● Ability to teach & develop these fundamentals in others Experience ● 7-8 yrs in design & creative leadership ● Exp owning the visual identity of one or more brands ● Proven success leading designers/multidisciplinary teams ● Exp in hospitality, F&B, lifestyle, culture or consumer brands preferred Craft & Creative Range ● Strong graphic design foundation w/ fluency in motion, illustration & image editing ● Exp directing retouching & photography post-production ● Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite; familiar w/ motion workflows & After Effects ● Portfolio showing breadth, experimentation & adaptability Leadership & Brand Thinking ● Strong briefing & communication skills ● Deep understanding of brand-building through design ● Ability to coach, mentor & elevate creative talent ● Clear, actionable & constructive feedback style What Sets Great Candidates Apart ● Portfolio showing range across multiple brands & mediums ● Evidence of elevating both teams & brands over time ● Ability to articulate design decisions through communication objectives ● Proven examples of evolving a brand's visual identity over time Who You Are ● Sets the standard: creative quality improves simply because you're in the room ● Has range: adapts approach to brand needs rather than imposing a signature style ● Experiments constantly: curious about new formats, tools, AI workflows & creative possibilities ● Leads through others: enjoys building great teams as much as great work ● Teaches the thinking: develops people, not just projects ● Brand obsessed: instinctively protects & strengthens brand identity ● Has exceptional taste: notices every detail & won't let mediocre work ship ● Thrives in complexity: managing multiple brands & priorities energizes you Compensation & Benefits ● ₹12-15 LPA (based on exp & fit) ● Full-time role based in Pune ● Opportunity to shape the visual identity of five growing brands ● Lead a multidisciplinary creative team ● Significant ownership, creative freedom & impact If you're passionate about building brands through design, leading creative talent & pushing visual craft forward, we'd love to hear from you.