Custom Design Director

Custom Design Director

Location: New Albany, IN / Louisville, KY Metropolitan Area
Job Type: Full-Time I On-Site
Relocation: Available for the right candidate

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced Custom Design Director to lead the creative vision, development, and delivery of distinctive custom wallcovering and mural designs for commercial and high-end residential markets.

This role combines creative direction, digital design, print production, and client collaboration. The ideal candidate is an experienced Interior Designer, Digital Artist, Art Director, or Surface Designer with a strong eye for color, pattern, scale, and trends and a proven ability to turn client concepts into production-ready, large-format designs.

Key Responsibilities Creative Leadership & Custom Design

• Lead concept development, art direction, and final execution of custom murals and wallcovering designs.
• Translate client briefs, concepts, and mood boards into original, scalable artwork.
• Partner with interior designers, distributors, and customers throughout the design and approval process.
• Establish creative standards and a strong design vision for the custom studio.
• Ensure designs balance artistic quality with production requirements.

Digital Production & Technical Oversight

• Oversee digital file preparation, image scaling, color separation, layouts, repeats, and match points.
• Manage color management, proofing, and quality standards from digital file through finished product.
• Collaborate with manufacturing teams on substrates, inks, finishing methods, and production requirements.
• Support wide-format digital and gravure printing processes.
• Evaluate new design technologies, software, printing equipment, and materials.

Team & Studio Management

• Build, lead, mentor, and develop a team of designers and project managers.
• Establish efficient workflows, project timelines, and quality-control procedures.
• Manage multiple projects and deadlines while maintaining high creative and technical standards.
• Provide hands-on creative feedback and professional development to team members.

Client & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Serve as a key creative partner for customers, distributors, and interior designers.
• Lead presentations, revisions, approvals, and project execution.
• Work closely with sales, production, manufacturing, and design teams.
• Assist with project scoping and cost estimation for custom work.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in surface design, digital art direction, interior design, or a related discipline.
• 3+ years of leadership or director-level experience.
• Strong portfolio demonstrating large-scale, custom, mural, or surface-design work.
• Advanced proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite, particularly Photoshop and Illustrator.
• Experience with large-format artwork, wall-to-wall installations, repeats, layouts, and scaling.
• Strong understanding of digital/gravure printing, substrates, color management, and proofing.
• Experience leading and developing creative teams.
• Excellent communication, presentation, organizational, and client-management skills.
• Ability to manage multiple projects in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
• Print RIP software experience is a plus.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to occasionally stand, walk, bend, kneel, reach, and climb.
• Ability to lift and/or move up to 25 pounds occasionally.
• Ability to work extensively with computers, digital design software, and other production-related technology.

Benefits

• 401(k) with company match
• Paid Time Off
• 10 Paid Holidays
• Multiple Medical Plan Options
• Dental & Vision Insurance
• Short-Term Disability
• Long-Term Disability
• Company-Paid Life Insurance
• Group Accident & Cancer Insurance
• Relocation assistance for the right candidate