Design Director

About the role

XDS is the world's largest bicycle maker by volume and the world's largest producer of carbon-fiber frames. We are entering the U.S. market for the first time with X-LAB, our in-house brand of performance bicycles primed for the global stage. XDS's manufacturing scale, decades of carbon and alloy expertise, and vertical integration create a once-in-a-generation chance to redefine the economics of cycling for riders and bike shops alike.. Since 1995, we have combined proprietary materials science, compelling design, and highly automated production to deliver: Over 8 million complete bikes annually across road, mountain, gravel, city, and e-bike segments More than 300,000 carbon frames per year from the world's biggest dedicated carbon-fiber bike facility 300+ international patents covering advanced carbon layups and proprietary X6 aluminum alloys Full vertical integration enabling speed-to-market, supply chain resilience, and cost leadership OEM partnerships with leading Western brands, and we are now poised to build our own premium brand overseas As of 2026, we have officially launched X-LAB with a fully U.S. based team of industry veterans and experienced leaders. And we are just getting started. Learn more: https://xds.co/ See an insider's look of our factory: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06SheO5XFsY ____________________________________ XDS is seeking a Design Director to join us as we establish XDS in the North American market. You'll bring our creative vision to life across all marketing touchpoints. As a multidisciplinary creative leader, you will own the visual expression of the X-LAB brand, overseeing concept development, design execution, and art direction across campaigns, channels, and markets. A true "Player-Coach" role, you will be the strategic heartbeat of our design machine, owning everything from high-level brand vision to the typography on our wheels and accessories. You will be responsible for building on a world-class design foundation while shipping impactful work in a fast-paced, high-growth environment. You'll work closely with engineering, product, and marketing teams to create more bikes that riders love.

Responsibilities

• Lead X-LAB's creative vision, strategy, and execution across North America and global markets
• Own and evolve the X-LAB brand identity, ensuring a consistent and compelling experience across all customer touchpoints
• Translate business objectives and marketing priorities into clear creative direction, impactful campaigns, and distinctive brand storytelling
• Partner closely with product and engineering teams to shape product storytelling, naming, visual language, and go-to-market strategies
• Lead art direction and creative development across photography, video, motion, retail, events, packaging, digital, web, and social media
• Build and scale creative operations, including design systems, content libraries, workflows, and production processes that support rapid growth
• Recruit, mentor, and lead a high-performing both in-house and external creative team while fostering a culture of excellence, collaboration, and innovation
• You're a Great Fit If You Have
• 10+ years of experience leading creative teams, brands, or design organizations
• Proven success building, launching, and scaling premium consumer brands in highly competitive markets
• A strong portfolio demonstrating exceptional visual design, brand building, creative leadership, and storytelling
• Deep expertise in industrial design and design systems, campaign development, content production, and creative operations
• Expert proficiency in Figma, Adobe Creative Suite, and modern AI-enabled creative workflows
• Strong experience working with international teams across multiple markets and time zones
• Exceptional communication, presentation, and stakeholder management skills
• Success Metrics
• New process for product launches: methodology for visual, packaging, website, and catalog asset design
• Comprehensive market campaign process
• Comprehensive sales enablement package
• ____________________________________
• Our Compensation and Benefits
• Competitive salary
• Demo bike fleet
• Generous time off policy
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Office space in beautiful Santa Monica, California
• Equal Opportunity
• XDS is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all team members.

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