About frog design, inc. frog design is a global innovation firm. We work with the world's leading companies, helping them create and bring to market meaningful products, services, and experiences. Our multidisciplinary process reveals valuable consumer and market insights and inspires lasting, humanizing solutions. With a team of more than 400 designers, technologists, strategists, and analysts, we deliver fully convergent experiences that span multiple technologies, platforms, and media. We work across a broad spectrum of industries, including consumer electronics, telecommunications, healthcare, media, education, finance, retail, and fashion. Our clients include Disney, GE, HP, Logitech, Microsoft, MTV, Seagate, Yahoo! and others. Founded in 1969, frog is headquartered in San Francisco, with studios in Austin, New York, San Jose, Seattle, Milan, Amsterdam, Stuttgart, and Shanghai.

frog design is looking for an inspirational, profoundly engaged and experienced Creative Director (CD) User Experience Design, to be situated in our new Munich studio*. This multi-talented individual will provide visionary, organizational and creative leadership for our team in Munich. Reporting to the Executive Creative Director for frog Europe, the CD will also be responsible for driving close collaboration with frog's other studios in Europe, as well as in the US and Asia.

This position firstly requires a deep understanding of all aspects of the design process, drawing from a background creating software experiences in products and services for web, client software, professional/vertical software, media and entertainment, consumer electronics, telecommunication, games, healthcare and more. A proven track record of being in a leadership role on projects involving the design and development of interactive products, platforms or online services, integration of multiple product experiences across an ecosystem, design language development, and brand expression in software user experiences is essential. Deep familiarity with all forms of user research (generative and evaluative) along the design process is required. The CD must demonstrate the passion to spearhead new creative directions, drive innovation and strategic thinking for projects that often encompass the digital and the physical, unifying the design into an emotionally meaningful form, and a seamless, convergent user experience.

The CD will help set the bar for quality and innovation in the Munich studio, acquire new business helping to expand frog's international client base, define project plans and approaches, determine resource needs and schedules, working with project leads to evaluate and direct high-level deliverables for frog's clients. The CD will work closely with the project teams to integrate our clients' strategic business objectives into innovative design solutions, ensuring the results are good for the client and good for end users. The CD will also mentor, guide, and provide support for the creative leads and members of the design team in Munich, and again, be an advocate for close collaboration with the other discipline groups across all of frog's EU studios.

Successfully demonstrated business development experience is critical, combined with a proven ability to develop and maintain client relationships at the highest level in the client's management organization. Strong and persuasive presentation and inspirational communication skills are expected, and experience in public speaking or lecturing, and/or writing about design is highly preferred.

Job Duties

The CD will be responsible for a variety of tasks including, but not limited to, the following:

• Team leadership and vision articulation
• Ensuring the teams' utilization is at peak capacity in a creative consultancy business model
• Refined and confident client contact; frequent high-level presentations
• Business planning for creative teams and studio
• Alongside sales team, developing and closing new business relationships with clients
• Apply and develop state of the art design methodologies and cross-disciplinary leadership in the organization
• Ensuring the creative process is efficient and profitable and the client's needs are met or exceeded
• Project ideation through to final deliverables
• Hands-on design when necessary
• Fostering ongoing improvements in creative processes and methodologies
• Manage team health and foster professional growth of leads and senior creatives

Job Requirements

• BFA or BA in Interaction Design, Experience Design, Media Design or equivalent

• At least 10+ years professional experience in UX and/or software design, with in-depth knowledge of UI/UE design (studio/agency exposure, and corporate design preferred)

• At least 5 years professional experience in managing cross-disciplinary design teams
• Balanced understanding of design, strategy, usability, interaction, and visual concepts
• Ability to negotiate and coordinate with multiple groups and disciplines
• Demonstrated strategic thinking on client projects
• Ability to articulate highly complex solutions clearly
• Current working knowledge of all design applications
• Awareness and practical understanding of current technologies, and their application/relevance to digital media and consumer consumption
• Quick-thinking, personable, flexible
• Keen sense of humor

• Business-level English a must; good knowledge of German a plus
• Experience working in Germany and the EU strongly preferred

* frog design's new Munich studio will open in mid-March 2010; location for this position will be in Munich.

Please apply below and be sure to include your online portfolio/pdf, circa salary requirements, and earliest date of entry.

frog design is an equal opportunity employer.