VP of Design

Posted 4/25/2026 · last confirmed live 8/26/2026

ON BOARD EXPERIENTIAL MARKETING On Board Experiential (OBE) is an award-winning, full-service, experience-led agency that creates meaningful brand experiences worldwide. We work out of our homes and physical offices in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and NYC, or wherever our adventures take us! Our clients include Nike, Meta, JPMorgan Chase, The Infatuation, Stripe, and OpenAI, to name a few. We know, "Cool, cool, but what’s it like to work at OBE?" We thought you'd never ask. Event Marketer has recognized OBE as one of the best places to work in events and well, we couldn't agree more. The most important part of our business is our people. They are hardworking, brave and make magic happen on the regular. But under each majestic exterior is a human deserving of a healthy work-life balance. That’s why we believe in recovery days, happy hours, friendly but competitive fitness challenges and company offsites. We conduct open meetings to facilitate discussions that heal, inspire, and bring us closer. We encourage each other to bring our whole selves to work. We want to hear about your lived experiences and unique perspectives. We don't just want you to be unapologetically you: it's part of the job description. We are considering candidates for any of our office locations: New York, San Francisco (Mill Valley), and Los Angeles.   SUMMARY OF POSITION The  Vice President ,  Design is a senior creative leader responsible for elevating  OBE ’s design   excellence, shepherding all design disciplines, and overseeing the development and delivery of world-class experiential, spatial, and integrated design work. Reporting directly to the Chief Creative Officer, the  Vice President ,  Design leads a multidisciplinary team of designers,  including  3D/ environmental  specialists,  graphic  and UX/UI  designers,  and visual storytellers to craft immersive, culturally relevant brand experiences that compete at the level of top design agencies.   As  both a visionary  and operational  leader ,  this individual ensures the design function is both innovative and strategically grounded. They bring deep  expertise  in  environmental   + 3D  design ,   creative technology and interactive  experience  integration,  and de sign execution   (including  fabrication , technical requirements,  compliance best practices, etc.) .  They also have   a proven ability to lead large, high-performing creative teams, and an extensive network of freelance and specialist talent nationwide.  The  Vice President ,  Design strengthens our design brand, inspires creative ambition across the organization, and ensures every project reflects extraordinary craft, clarity, and cultural insight.     ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS Design Leadership & Strategic Direction   Lead the overall vision, quality, and execution of OBE’s Design function, overseeing outputs across integrated design disciplines (spatial/environmental, graphic, interactive, digital, etc.)   Ignite  i magination and  push  design limits by  delivering and  inspiring  best-in-class experiential design.   Champion innovation, pushing design boundaries while  maintaining  brand integrity and strategic alignment.   Set and implement short- and long-term design goals aligned with agency growth and CCO’s creative strategy.   Proactively track and apply design trends  + thinking  to  maintain  a cutting-edge, future-focused creative offering for OBE.   Oversee conceptual and visual direction for high-profile projects, ensuring all design work meets the highest standards of craft and creativity.   Lead  select   client  projects ,   gaining  client trust,  selling  in  industry-defining  design,  and   t ranslat ing  client  objectives  into strategic design solutions that elevate brand impact.     Team Management & Department Leadership   Lead, mentor, and /or  manage a design team of 10+ designers—fostering a culture of excellence, accountability, curiosity, and growth.   Articulate  clear career paths  and provide  development plans  plus  ongoing feedback to strengthen team capability , growth ,  and morale.   Work with CCO and Creative Leadership to  drive and  develop   d epartment programming , including   content for  Creative Department Meetings   and/or   Design-specific  trainings .   Contribute to hiring strategy and talent acquisition, helping attract top-tier design talent to  OBE .   Expand,  maintain , and grow   OBE’s  bench of freelance and specialty designers;  work with Creative Operations to  activate this network quickly as needed for project demands.     Cross-Functional Collaboration   Partner closely with Creative Directors, Strategy, Production,  Technology  and Account teams to ensure design thinking is fully integrated across all phases of  work. Partner  closely with Creative Directors, Strategy, Production,  Technology   and Account teams to ensure design thinking is fully integrated across all phases of  client  work.   Guide  internal and client  teams through all stages of design—from  initials   sketches  and mood boards   to final  renderings and presentations  to execution drawings and site maps.   Participate in leadership discussions, offering perspective on design innovation, creative  process , and organizational growth.   Collaborate with Production to  realize ambitious design concepts,  maintain ing  design integrity from concept through  execution .   Develop,  direct  and  inspire  compelling design concepts   to win  new business,   including provocative  pitch materials,  resonant visuals ,  and  clear  executive presentations.     Design Execution & Experiential Innovation   Ensure design concepts integrate cultural insight, user experience, visual storytelling, and technical feasibility.   Leverage deep understanding of brand experiences , environmental branding ,  creative  technology  and design execution to vet and integrate top vendor s  in  partnership  with Production.    Leverage  expertise  to balance creative ambition with practical feasibility, fostering an agile mindset across teams to deliver bold  design  on time and on budget.   Elevate and evolve design execution through quality assurance and control (materials evaluation, fabrication process audit, etc.), inspiring executional excellence  and ensuring accuracy, craftsmanship, and on-brief  delivery .   Oversee and/or lead  on-site  installation  to  maintain  design excellence  through delivery .     Operational Excellence   Develop and refine design workflows, templates, tools, and standards to improve quality, efficiency, and cross-team collaboration.   Work with  2D   design  team  lead  to  o versee  software, hardware, and platform needs for the design team; advocate for new tools that strengthen creative output.   Review project   budgets, timelines,  hours assessments  and  SOWs   to ensure  design  scope s  appropriately  outlined  and budgeted, setting teams up for  operational excellence and profitability.   As part of Creative Leadership, o versee team resourcing, staffing, and  utilization , ensuring  optimal  balance of talent, workload, and quality.     DESIRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE Education/Experience   1 0 + years of design experience in experiential, environmental, architectural, or multidisciplinary creative roles.   4 + years leading design  / creative  teams or running a design function within an agency,  event production  company  or  creative studio.   Proven experience managing  a  team  designers  / creatives  or successfully run ning  a n  agency/design studio.   A portfolio demonstrating   exceptional  experiential  design  work ,  architectural  /  3D   design  expertise ,  integrated strategic thinking,  compelling   spatial storytelling  and environmental branding , and   thoughtful technology integration .   Bachelor’s or  M aster’s  degree in Architecture , Design, Environmental Design, Creative Direction, or related field (or equivalent professional experience).     Essential Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities   Mastery across key design disciplines including spatial/environmental design, 3D and architectural conception, experiential design, and visual storytelling.   Expertise  in  3D  design  with a dvanced   proficiency  in  modeling and  rendering   software  ( e.g.  SketchUp, Rhino,  Vray ,  Unreal Engine)  and Adobe Creative Suite .   Passion for and  familiarity with  interactive  ex perience  design  and implementation .   Strong understanding of fabrication processes, materials, production workflows, and feasibility considerations for  brand experiences .   Ability to synthesize complex client needs into strategic, actionable design directions.   Exceptional communication and presentation skills, including the ability to persuade, inspire, and guide both internal teams and clients.   Skilled at managing multiple priorities in a fast-paced, creatively demanding environment.   Deep network of freelance  c reative re sources , including 2D & 3D  designers ,   production  artists,  CAD   designers ,  creative technologists ,  content  creators,  lighting designers , art  directors   and  stylists .     Other Qualities and Skills   Inspirational leader who motivates teams through clarity, empathy, and creative ambition.   High energy, adaptable, and thrives in evolving, entrepreneurial environments.   Strong problem-solving capabilities with calm, grounded decision-making.   Naturally curious, culturally aware, and committed to pushing design excellence.   Hybrid in-office requirement: Must be based in and work from NYC, LA, or SF.   Willingness to travel and work flexible hours as needed   Compensation Range: $240,000+ annually. This is the pay range OBE believes it will pay for this position at the time of this posting. Consistent with applicable law, compensation will be determined based on level of experience, relevant skills, professional certifications, market pay, and demand for the role. OBE reserves the right to modify this pay range at any time. For this role, Benefits include: medical/dental/vision insurance, employer paid basic life and personal accident insurance. Also included: Annual Profit Sharing/Bonus Plan based on the company’s performance and your individual performance, 401(k), Healthcare Flexible Spending Account, Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account, PTO, STD/LTD insurance benefits. On Board Experiential is An Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status, age or any other federally protected class.  

This role is published by On Board Experiential on greenhouse. SwiftFit is not the employer and does not accept applications.