Director of UX
The Director of UX plays a vital role at ZoCo, leading our UX, research, and design disciplines while contributing directly to client work. This role balances people leadership and craft excellence, spending about half of your time supporting and growing our team, and half diving into complex, strategic client projects.
You’ll mentor, motivate, and inspire our team, ensuring ZoCo delivers high-impact work that aligns with client goals and reflects our core values. You bring calm and momentum in equal measure—getting your hands dirty working alongside the team on complex projects with confidence while fostering an environment where both people and great ideas can thrive.
Professional Qualifications
- BFA/BS (or equivalent experience) in UX, design, research, or related discipline
- 8+ years of experience leading UX design or research teams (agency experience preferred)
- Proven ability to manage and mentor team members, developing both technical skills and strategic thinking
- Deep understanding of user-centered design, research methodologies, and product strategy, with a proven ability to execute high-quality, hands-on visual design
- Strong ability to provide strategic direction and timely, helpful feedback to improve processes and maintain high-quality standards
- Excellent presentation skills and communication abilities across both internal and client-facing settings
- Ability to balance strategic vision with hands-on execution and adaptability under tight deadlines
- Organized, self-motivated, and comfortable balancing competing priorities under fast-moving timelines
Personal Qualifications
You are driven, articulate, and confident. You’re a strong leader who takes pride in building both great work and great teams. You lead with empathy, communicate with clarity, and approach challenges with optimism and accountability. You’re comfortable giving and receiving feedback and see leadership as a service—helping others succeed through mentorship and example.
You thrive in navigating complexity and ambiguity, able to move seamlessly between coaching, collaborating, and contributing. You believe design and research are strategic tools for solving meaningful problems, and you bring curiosity, optimism, and integrity to every challenge.
Project Responsibilities (estimated 50% of role)
- Lead UX, research, and design teams through all project phases—from discovery to delivery—ensuring alignment with client goals and timelines
- Collaborate with team members across brand, UX research, and design disciplines to ensure strategy and intent are clearly reflected across all deliverables and accounts
- Serve as an individual contributor to support projects through research, design, or strategy deliverables
- Partner closely with the Client Engagement team to understand workloads, manage capacity, and ensure projects are appropriately staffed
- Craft and lead client workshops with internal and external stakeholders to clarify goals, surface insights, and align on priorities
- Ensure tools, systems, and team practices support efficient, high-quality delivery across all service areas
- Stay current on UX, research, and design trends, tools, and best practices to maintain ZoCo’s quality and competitiveness
Leadership Responsibilities (estimated 50% of role)
- Mentor, motivate, and provide structured feedback through regular 1:1s, coaching sessions, and reviews for the Services team
- Partner with ZoCo leadership to evolve service frameworks, delivery systems, and resourcing models across disciplines
- Lead Services team hiring, onboarding, and professional development, ensuring growth and retention
- Support mid-stage sales and discovery conversations as a SME, helping shape approach, scope, and methodology, as needed
- Represent ZoCo externally through thought leadership, community engagement, and events
Our employee benefits can be found here.
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