Associate Director- Experience Design

GALE is the world’s first and only Business Agency. We bring business strategy to brand storytelling to drive enterprise value. With expertise in strategy, media, CRM, creative, performance marketing, and technology, GALE creates integrated marketing systems and campaigns that grow businesses in significant ways. Founded in 2014, the agency has since been named AdAge’s Business Transformation Agency of the Year and Adweek’s U.S. Media Agency of the Year and has been recognized for its innovative creative at the Cannes Lions. We work with brands such as Delta, Uber, Starbucks, Chili’s, Hard Rock, MilkPEP, Diageo, Cotton, IHG and more. If you’re driven by a passion to build something great, a desire to innovate, and a commitment to achieve excellence in your craft, GALE is a great place for you! GALE has eight offices around the world, including New York, Toronto, Los Angeles, Austin, Denver, Kansas City, London, and Bengaluru. GALE embraces a hybrid, flexible workplace. The opportunity: We're looking for a sharp, strategically minded experience designer who's ready to step into a director-level role — or is already there and wants to work somewhere that values craft and commerciality in equal measure. You'll join at a genuinely exciting moment: new client wins and a real seat at the table from day one. This role sits within our Experience Design practice and reports to the Experience Design Director. You'll own the design strategy and execution on key accounts, contribute to pitches and new business, and be a thought partner to both clients and internal stakeholders. What you'll do - Lead experience design strategy across a portfolio of marketing-focused web engagements, from discovery through execution - Drive workshop facilitation, journey mapping, and experience strategy as the foundation of client engagements — particularly in first-phase work where strategic framing is the differentiator - Translate business goals and user research into clear, compelling design direction that internal teams and clients can rally behind - Contribute to pitches and SOW scoping — knowing how to frame the work and sell the value of the first phase is critical - Partner closely with strategy, technology, and analytics to ensure design decisions are grounded in the full picture - Mentor and develop junior and mid-level designers, building a team culture of rigor and curiosity - Bring a point of view on conversion, funnel design, and performance-oriented experience — this is marketing-first work, not just craft for its own sake What we're looking for - 6–9 years of Experience Design experience, with a meaningful portion at a digital agency or consultancy, In-house product design exposure is a nice-to-have - A portfolio that demonstrates strategic range: you can think through a journey map and make something beautiful, and you understand why both matter - Proven ability to lead client relationships, facilitate working sessions, and communicate design rationale to senior stakeholders - Comfort operating in ambiguity — you don't need perfect conditions to move forward, and you can help bring clarity to a team when things are murky - Experience Designing for marketing-focused web: conversion funnels, high-intent landing experiences, journey maps, wireframes and can collaborate meaningful with tech to build AI forward strategies - Strong collaborator: comfortable influencing outcomes across disciplines without needing to own everything In order to comply with equal pay and salary transparency laws in various locations, we believe the target compensation for this role is CAD 165,000 to $210,000 per year. Actual compensation is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skill set, qualifications, job performance, level of experience, location, and business needs. For more information on other benefits we offer, please visit https://www.gale.agency/careers AI Disclosure: As part of our recruitment process, we may use technology assisted tools, including automated systems, to support the review and assessment of applications. These tools do not make the final decisions. All decisions related to screening, interviewing and selection are made by our Talent Acquisition and hiring teams. Note: Hybrid work in office is an essential function of the job. Our Commitment to Inclusion: We believe in inclusivity and do our best work when people with diverse perspectives, backgrounds, and skills are brought together. Our Core Values are at the root of GALE’s collaborative environment and help to foster a strong community. Our Code of Conduct, Human Resources policies, and executive investment in inclusion further support and protect GALE’s inclusive workplace. GALE is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran, or disability status. Our Hiring Process: We want you to be just as discerning in making your next career move as we are finding great talent to join our team. Our interview process will allow you to meet a range of people from various disciplines and domains both virtually and in person. Please discuss with our recruiters if you require any accommodations throughout the process to help enable a smooth interview.